2012: The Hunt Is On
by Josh Archambault on November 20, 2008 in Opinion
While the GOP licks the wounds from its November 4 pounding, the Republican punditry has already begun discussing what went wrong and how to fix it. You will soon hear from all three legs of the Republican Party stool - social conservatives, fiscal conservatives, and national security/foreign policy “hawks” - arguing that the party needs to drift back towards its strengths to win in the future. Deliberations in Republican groups will quickly turn to the presidential race in 2012, and who will lead the Party out of the desert.
Below is a short list (in no particular order) of some of the names already being tossed around in Republican circles.
Piyush “Bobby” Jindal. Age: 36. Job: Governor of Louisiana.
Embodying the American Dream as the son of immigrants, Governor Jindal is Ivy League and Oxford educated, the youngest serving governor in the nation, and the first Indian-American governor. He has worked for McKinsey and turned down admission to Harvard and Yale medical and law schools in order to be appointed the leading health official in Louisiana. He briefly served at the federal level in the Department of Health and Human Services, and was elected to Congress in 2004 before winning the governorship in 2007. Jindal offers the GOP an opportunity to make a generational leap like the Democrats achieved this election cycle. A policy wonk with charisma, he has a strong reputation for ethics reform and is a social conservative. Critics have raised concerns that some of his positions will need refining to find success at the national level, but it has been reported that Jindal will speak in the near future in, of all places…Iowa.
Mitt Romney. Age: 60. Job: Former Governor of Massachusetts, Current: Launched Free and Strong America PAC.
Though he failed in his first effort to secure the Republican nomination for the presidency, Romney possesses a strong resume including a dual degree from Harvard Law and Business Schools. He served as the co-founder of Bain Capital and CEO of Bain & Co. over a 20 year period and saved the 2002 Winter Olympics from financial disaster. Romney also spent a term as governor of Massachusetts and served as head of the Republican Governor’s Association, giving him a strong national network within the party. Depending on the issues that play out over the next four years, and given his appeal to some social conservatives, his extensive experience working in the private sector, and his support of a vigorous foreign policy, don’t be surprised to see Romney hanging around the cable news circuit while spending some of his free time in the Midwest and New Hampshire. He will also need to partner with groups of social conservatives to smooth over any lingering questions about his religion.
Sarah Palin. Age: 44. Job: Governor of Alaska, 2008 Republican Vice-Presidential Nominee.
Brought to national prominence only months ago, Palin has actually been a rising star in Republican circles for several years. Her political experience from two terms on the city council, two terms as mayor, and service as the chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission to the Governorship has been documented during this race. She has certainly shown strength with some social conservatives, but critics have questioned her appeal in the general election, and there will be lingering questions about her impact on the 2008 race. If the conventional wisdom settles that she was a burden to Senator McCain’s bid for the presidency, her supporters will have difficulty claiming the mantle of the Republican Party for the future.
Mike Huckabee. Age: 53. Job: Former Governor of Arkansas, Current: Author, FOX News TV Host.
Though he was born in the same town as President Clinton, Huckabee followed a very different path to the Governor’s mansion. An ordained pastor and elected first as a lieutenant governor, Huckabee served for ten years as the governor of Arkansas, earning a reputation as an advocate for improvements in education and promoting healthier lifestyles. He proved a strong rhetorical opponent in the 2008 primary and built himself considerable capital with the socially conservative leg of the party, but he received severe criticism from fiscal conservatives. He may also have burned some bridges by not dropping out sooner after Senator McCain had already clinched the nomination. Governor Huckabee now has a nationally syndicated talk show and will have to remain very active in party circles if he wants to be a contender in 2012.
Charlie Crist. Age: 52. Job: Governor of Florida.
Crist was a central player in tipping the Republican nomination this year by endorsing Senator McCain in Florida, and he remains an extremely popular governor. Having previously served as the attorney general in Florida, deputy secretary of the department of business, a state senator, and elected state education commissioner, Crist has a reputation for being pro-environment, fiscally conservative, strong on law and order, and an advocate for education reform. He is referred to by some as the state’s first “black governor” because of his support for controversial, minority-focused election and criminal justice reforms (Crist is white). However, conservative critics have questioned his commitment to social issues, as he is a supporter of stem-cell research and civil unions. Regardless, Governor Crist will have to raise his national profile in the coming years in order to be a convincing challenger.
Tim Pawlenty. Age: 48. Job: Governor of Minnesota.
Currently the Republican governor of a traditionally blue state, Pawlenty has past experience as a labor attorney, vice president of a software company, and majority leader of the Minnesota House of Representatives. Pawlenty served as national co-chairman of Senator McCain’s presidential campaign and was on the short-list of possible 2008 VP picks. A favorite with fiscal conservatives, he is credited for helping close a $4.3 billion budget deficit in Minnesota without raising taxes. His name is also known in social conservative circles because his pastor is the head of the National Association of Evangelicals. He will have to deal with critics who place some blame for the recent Minnesota I-35W bridge collapse on the Governor as a result of his fiscal policies.
This list is by no means exhaustive or exclusive. Some of the other names being mentioned include: Representative Eric Cantor (Va.), Michael Steele (former lieutenant governor, Md.), Newt Gingrich (former speaker of the House), Governor Haley Barbour (Miss.), Representative Ron Paul (Tex.), Senator Mel Martinez (Fla.), Governor Matt Blunt (Mo.), Governor Mitch Daniels (Ind.), and Governor Mark Sanford (S.C.). Or, as in 2008, the real surprise may be a dark-horse candidate we haven’t even heard of.
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3 Responses to “2012: The Hunt Is On”
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That is only one branch of the GOP - the neocon hawk branch.
Granted Huckabee and Palin please the social conservatives, as well.
Where exactly is your fiscal conservative contender in there? Your NON-Hawk?
The Republican Party has been playing the “centrist” and “moderate” game too long. They first lost their identity, and then lost their elections. Found out that conservatives (of all ilks) don’t like voting for non-conservatives.
For disgruntled and disenchanted Republican voters, there’s another option worth real consideration–the Constitution Party.
The Constitution Party–just 16 years old–is the 3rd largest political party in the United States, and the fastest growing of the so-called “third” parties. Chuck Baldwin, the Constitution Party’s 2008 presidential nominee, set a party record this year for the vote total he received.
If you’re interested in supporting candidates who genuinely believe in small, non-nanny, non-interventionist government, who are fiscally-responsible, and who are 100% pro-life, the Constitution Party is for you.
“Constitution Conscious”
http://constitution-conscious.blogspot.com
Good post election capsule look at some current potential front runners. It would be interesting if the author could publish periodic updates to this list as the process evolves, and as the Republican Party attempts to better define itself and its constituent base. Well written, I look forward to more articles by this author.