2012 GOP Hopefuls
Yesterday, Mike Huckabee announced that he would not be running for the Republican presidential nomination. Huckabee was popular among many pro-life voters, particularly those with conservative Christian backgrounds. There are still plenty of other options, though, and pro-lifers have yet to unite around any one candidate.
Secular Pro-Life is non-partisan and does not endorse candidates. Realistically speaking, however, it’s highly unlikely that President Obama will face a strong liberal challenger. If there is to be a pro-life president in 2012, he or she will have to come from the Republican party.
So, let’s take a look at what the GOP has to offer, in no particular order:
Tim Pawlenty has amassed a strong pro-life record as Governor of Minnesota and is widely considered a front-runner, but I’m not going to bet my money on anyone this early.
Mitt Romney is running on a pro-life platform… this time. But his history of flip-flopping on abortion (and other issues) has left a bad taste in many people’s mouths.
Ob/gyn-turned-Congressman Ron Paul is the obvious favorite for pro-life libertarians.
Herman Cain, a businessman, is known primarily as a fiscal conservative. However, he came out in favor of defunding Planned Parenthood, publicly condemning Margaret Sanger’s racist ideology. That certainly takes guts. Unfortunately, he also characterized his support for the “sanctity of life” as a “religious belief,” playing directly into the hands of abortion advocates who want to direct the debate away from the scientifically proven humanity of the unborn child.
Rick Santorum is unquestionably pro-life, and coming off a fresh win in the South Carolina party straw poll. But he is also a well-known leader of the Religious Right; can he appeal to voters who don’t share his religious views?
Newt Gingrich announced his entry into the race on Wednesday. He comes in with a lot of baggage, as values voters are less than pleased with his three marriages and extramarital affairs. However, he has been consistently pro-life.
Of course, we all know former VP candidate Sarah Palin. Although many pro-life voters like her, she has not announced whether or not she plans to run. A recent Quinnipiac poll shows that she has an electability problem, with 58% of respondents saying they would “never” vote for her.
Donald Trump also fared poorly in the Quinnipiac poll, but is still considered a front-runner. Like Cain, he has publicly stated that he is pro-life on abortion, but has focused primarily on fiscal issues.
So, whom do you all like?
I like Mitch Daniels, but not if he picks Condileeza Rice as his VP. (I know I'm spelling her name wrong, I just can't remember how to spell it though.)
I am still waiting it out and hoping LT Col Allen West runs in 2012;he's a strong prolife candidate and would be strong on foreign&domestic policy&able to run circles around Obama in debates 🙂
VP isn't as important to me;but I'd go with any of the above for VP or Michael Bolton,former UN ambassador if he doesn't decide to run for POTUS;which I heard he might.
Also just curious you left Michelle Bachmann off your list of potential candidates. She's strong on prolife and fostered 26 kids, plus helped open one of the first charter schools for special needs kids. However, like with Palin has been run through the mud by the bias media, which may hurt her in an election for POTUS.
If Allen West or Bolton don't run I will have to go with one of the above&any of the above is better than Obama,but who would be the best is still too tough to say.
Good points about Michelle Bachmann. And I'm sorry I didn't cover everybody (Daniels, West, Bolton, Huntsman). I'm sure there will be some follow-up posts as the field of candidates narrows.
I'd be interested in knowing how many of the 58% of the people who said they'd never vote for Sarah Palin would actually vote for a Republican in the first place.
The problem with Michele Bachmann is that she'd be going straight from the House of Representatives – smaller number of people to answer to, not an executive position – to the presidency, which is the biggest executive position you can find in America. Also, I don't see any reason why conservative-haters wouldn't go after her they same way they've gone after Sarah Palin. They do that to all Republican women they see as a threat and there's no way to appease them – no matter who you are, they're not going to say, "Oh, wait, THIS one is DIFFERENT."