2012 Election: Twelve GOP Candidates Who Might Challenge Obama [ABC Handicaps The Dozen]

ABCNews ^ | January 25, 2010 | Teddy Davis

[Steelfish]

2012 Election: Twelve GOP Candidates Who Might Challenge Obama The Pros and Cons of a Dozen Republicans Who Might Run for President in the Next Election

By TEDDY DAVIS Jan. 25, 2010

The 2012 presidential election is years away, but there is already a growing crop of Republicans who are toying with the idea of seeking the GOP's presidential nomination. (AP Photo/Reuters)The first test will come April 8-11 when the Southern Republican Leadership Conference will hold a widely attended cattle call in New Orleans, which several potential GOP presidential candidates are expected to attend.

ABC News spoke with strategists, Republican Party officials and conservative leaders to narrow down the list of GOP candidates who seem the most committed to taking back the White House.

Here's a look at a dozen Republicans whose names have emerged as possible contenders to take on President Obama in 2012. In the end, not all of these Republicans will run. But as of today, they seem like the 12 best bets to get into the race.

One Republican not on the list? Scott Brown. The newly elected senator from Massachusetts is the conservative darling at the moment. Insiders say, however, that his support for abortion rights and the overlap between his political team and that of Mitt Romney will keep him out of the 2012 race.

[ChrisInAR]

So you are calling those that believe in the Original Intent of the Constitution should be viewed as "Kookburgers" or PaleoCons?

I think it's safe to say that you voted for Juan McCain in 2008, correct?

[deport]

Some have mentioned Rick Perry assuming he wins the election.

[Monterrosa-24]

Palin, by backing McCain, puts herself in the Ronald Reagan mode of being a faithful GOPer. I would have pleaded with her not to back McCain but then again I would have pleaded with Reagan not to pick Bush, Weinberger, and Carlucci.

Palin is by far the strongest candidate of ABC’s 12 but a lot can happen during the next year and half before the Prez run shifts into high.

[bassmaner]

Since JD Hayworth just threw his hat in the ring, it will be interesting to see just how enthusiastically Sarah will support McCain. If she does any negative campaign ads against Hayworth, then any hopes of her being the 2012 GOP candidate are, IMHO, dead.

[Impy]

Yes Daniels may run. He seems okay to me.

And RINO Obama Ambassador (he likes making RINOs ambassadors apparently, Dan Rooney is one too) Jon Huntsman Jr. may run also cause 1 Mormon RINO just isn’t enough!

Of this list I don’t like 9 of them. Only Pence, Palin, and Barbour are credible. Some people think T-Paw is okay but I think he’s borderline at best and on weak ground in his home state.

Santorum got creamed in his own state in 2006 and showed us his lack of spine when he backed Specter.

Chris you are wrong about Thune. Don’t you know about how he blocked John Bolton over pork for SD? Played politics with a sensitive foreign policy post. That was disgusting. He also voted for the bailout.

[Impy]

Meant to ping you to 25

[Vigilanteman]

My brief evaluation:

1. Romney-- Does "The Massachusetts version of health care will bankrupt the country more slowly than ObamaCare" really sound like a winning slogan?

2. Palin-- If she wants it, it is hers. Unless she does something really stupid by spending too much time campaigning for McCain. A few cameo appearances are OK from the standpoint of courtesy and reciprocity.

3. Pawlenty-- If watching paint dry excites you, the he's your man.

4. Thune-- Romney's looks without Romney's baggage, but also without Romney's polish.

5. Barbour-- Competent governor, but will the southern accent, weight and dowdy looks be a turn-off?

6. Pence-- Not ready yet. Maybe in 2016 IF he can retire Bayh from the senate.

7. Gingrich-- He's had his day and that day was more than a decade ago.

8. Huckabee-- Is a younger version of McCain that tells great jokes and hates Mormons and Catholics (though not as much as Mormons) really a good choice?

9. Ron Paul-- He would have been a great president 60, 80 or 100 years ago. Even now, he would be a decent president if we didn't have a war on terror and Islamofacism to deal with. However, we do and Ron still refuses to leave his alternate universe.

10. Johnson-- Is a younger version of Ron Paul really a good choice?

11. Santorum-- Lost his re-election to the senate by 18 points. The guy who replaced him is arguably the dumbest member of that body with a penis though Al Franken would give him some stiff competition. Personally, I like Rick. He was a great senator and a hard worker. But how can you recover from a shellacking that big in your home state?

12. Pataki -- Rudy's positions without Rudy's charm and competence. Remind me how good Rudy Guilani did.

13. Scott Brown-- Nice fellow. Very happy he won in Massachussets. But whatever you can say about Mitt Romney, you can also say about Scott Brown, except for the experience in business.

[editor-surveyor]

The clueless network chimes in...

[Lou Budvis]

There is a real drop off once you get past Sarah. And it’s going to be hard to get better ones. Good candidates like Bachmann and Ryan are stuck in the House, where you really can’t run for Potus. Jindal would have to basically run for re-election in ‘11 at the same time he would be starting his prez campaign. Rubio has yet to even win the Senate nomination. Scott Brown (provided he doesn’t go full-on RINO) would be in good position for ‘16 if he wins reelection in ‘12.

I think it is all going to come down to the first few months when (hopefully) 0bama has to deal with GOP majorities in one or both houses.

[BusterBear]

ABC is assuming that Obama is going to run in 2012. Possibility: by 2012, Obama’s polls may be so far down that he faces a strong challenge for the nomination and may even withdraw, like Lyndon Johnson.

[genghis]

daniels is not a dark horse
completely sane, comletely competent
spectacular record in indiana

[ChrisInAR]

No, I plum forgot about Thune blocking Bolton. Sure, Bolton may be a straight talker, but I lost all respect for him when I learned he was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Traitor!

[Non-Sequitur]

ABC is assuming that Obama is going to run in 2012. Possibility: by 2012, Obama’s polls may be so far down that he faces a strong challenge for the nomination and may even withdraw, like Lyndon Johnson.

Don't count on it.

[gogeo]

ABC writes about conservatives for readers who aren’t conservative. Why would I care what they have to say?

[Mengerian]

Daniels is not being talked about seriously in conservative circles or the national spotlight though, hence the term darkhorse. I, for one, see him as our only hope in 2012, and I am well aware of his record. (The term darkhorse is not derogatory.) Main Entry: dark horse Function: noun Date: 1831 1 a : a usually little known contender (as a racehorse) that makes an unexpectedly good showing b : an entrant in a contest that is judged unlikely to succeed 2 : a political candidate unexpectedly nominated usually as a compromise between factions

[gardencatz]

Ron Paul, Republican answer to Dennis Kucinich.

Cindie

[Vigilanteman]

The Council on Foreign Relations includes a lot of clubbers who are in the far outer circle and who are only admitted to give the CFR the cover of diversity. It is also a gateway for top diplomatic appointments. Not everyone who belongs to this organization is a one-worlder just like not everyone who graduates from Harvard or Yale is necessarily a jerk.

[ChrisInAR]

I hope you’re right...but since it’s an by-invitation-only club, they have to have a certain degree of confidence that those they ask to join will be willing to carry the water for them one way or another.

IMO, anyone who calls themselves a conservative & stedfastly believes in our Constitution & the sovereignty of the US should avoid the CFR like the Plague.

[FreeStateYank]

We shouldn’t care about 2012, although the MSM would like us to do so.

The reality is if we continue to have a Congress dominated by leftists and idiots [they overlap, but can be mutually exclusive] it does not matter if the new President is a Republican.

Bush, a moderate, still couldn’t pass prudent measures, such as getting Fannie and Freddie on the right track.

A Republican President with the same or similar Congress will be a disaster. I’d rather have Zero again. I’d also prefer a tooth extraction without Novocaine.

It is time for a fiscally conservative, pro-business [especially small and medium] Congress and White House. NO more corporate, NGO, Union, and gov’t welfare.

If the sheeple still want to tinker with social justice and all of that clap trap, they’ll get it and we’ll have to wait until the fools realize redistributive destruction of the productive does not work.

[mware]

thread up right now saying Blanch Lincoln will be making an announcement tomorrow morning. Speculation that she will be retiring.