Election 2012 is fast approaching and though the Democratic party has their nominee set in President Barack Obama, the Republican party have a few candidates vying to be the Republican presidential nomination to face President Obama in the November election. But before the two parties duke it out with their nominees this November, we must find out who will be the representative for the Republican party.
There are quite a few characters trying to win the hearts of Republican voters. Though Michelle Bachman, John Huntsman, and Herman Cain have dropped out do to bad showings in the polls or in Cain’s case sexual scandal, there are still a few candidates going for the nomination that are still in the hunt. Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Perry are still out there for the Republican voters to choose from. First there is the front runner Mitt Romney, who has won both the crucial Iowa caucus and New Hampshire primaries going into the South Carolina primaries. Romney has been in politics for years but this election seems to be the one that has him breaking away from the pack. Mr. Shultz, the high school government teacher believes that at this point nobody can beat Romney for the nomination, saying, “We are pretty close to the point that nobody will be able to give Romney a run for his money, although Santorum can give him a run in the South Carolina primaries.” Mr. Shultz also added that Romney has a bit of an advantage by having his organizations in other states, money and is running ads in places where voters have not decided on what their vote is going to be. This strategy will probably get Romney the nomination at this point, that’s not to say that the race is over.
Rick Santorum, who some say has been the underdog through out this election is making a huge case for his campaign to become president. Romney versus Santorum is the true “David versus Goliath” matchup, where Santorum, who doesn’t have as much money or popularity as Romney, but is rather focusing on the people face to face, which has proved to be a great strategy this far in the election. Here at RRMR, we actually have ties to Mr. Santorum. I was fortunate to talk to Emily Laudner, who’s dad Chuck Laudner is a campaign strategist and advisor for the Rick Santorum campaign. I asked Emily what Rick Santorum is like as a person, she says “ He’s nice! He’s a big family and faith kind of guy, he likes to make sure that he can meet people face to face.” I also asked Emily what it was like to see her dad’s famous “Chuck truck” all over the news. Laudner says, “It’s awesome! The truck will be headed to Florida right after the South Carolina primaries.” It sounds like the “Chuck Truck” has a lot of miles on it!
Other candidates that are still in the race include Ron Paul. Paul, a doctor from Texas is still going strong through out the election. Many say Ron Paul is a big hit with the young voters. With good poll numbers in Iowa and New Hampshire, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ron Paul won the Republican nomination going forward. The next candidate that is still in the race as of now is the Texas Governor Rick Perry. Right now Perry is hanging by a thread. After showing bad numbers at the Iowa caucus, Perry went back home to Texas to reassess his entire campaign. After much consideration, Perry decided to stay in the race and is hoping to have a good showing in the upcoming South Carolina primaries.
The last candidate, who has had many ups and downs through out his campaign is Newt Gingrich. A couple months before the Iowa caucuses, Gingrich looked to be in the driver seat to win the pivotal Iowa caucus. His popularity among Iowa voters decreased in that time and Gingrich ended up finishing 4th, which was not what he had his sights set on.
At this point the only candidates that have a legitimate chance of winning the Republican nomination is Romney, Paul, and Santorum. But after the Republican party has their man, they must begin the more important campaign for the November election.
In the 2008 election, the number of young voter participation was at an all time high. I asked Mrs. Arickx, a high school history teacher, her thoughts on whether or not the percentage of young voters will show up or replicate as well as they did in 2008. “I certainly hope so! I think the issues are important to young constituents, I also think that as a person who studies history that it is really important to use your right to vote” says, Arickx.
As of today, (Thursday, January, 19) CNN is reporting that Rick Perry has indeed dropped out of the race. There are also rumors swirling that Rick Santorum had actually won the Iowa caucus and beat Mitt Romney in a vote recount. The fight for the Republican presidential nomination is nothing short of interesting and everyday there can be changes in who’s on top and who’s dropping out.
So who are you voting for this election season? What are the issues that you want to be resolved? Which candidate shares your beliefs or values? These are questions that every voter must ask themselves when they are choosing who they want to represent our country. So go to the polls this November! Your vote counts.
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