Your essential (and hopefully humourous) guide to the American presidential election all in one place. Beginning in the invisible primary, throughout the GOP primary season and into the general election proper
Businessman and radio talk show host Herman Cain has withdrawn from the race to be the GOP's presidential nominee. With deepening revelations concerning his extra-marital conduct the former ballistics worker initially suspended his campaign but then promptly abandoned it all together. Told you this would happen! (self-indulgent tone intended)
Herman Cain perhaps mulling a future in the media?Photography: Gage Skidmore(Flickr)
Former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich, has suddenly found himself rising up the polls chasing current poll toppers; Herman Cain and Mitt Romney. A Quinnipiac poll has shown the former Georgia representative to be placing third in three battleground states; Florida, Ohio and Pennsylvania. And now the hype cycle has found its next stop; I'll give it five weeks at most.
("Sign my shirt please!") The bloke might as well be Matt Stafford.Credit: IowaPolitics.com (Flickr)
The Huntsman campaign has released a web spot detailing how presumed front-runner Mitt Romney has been avoiding the press. The 90 second video also lists numerous newspaper headlines describing Mitt's penchant to brush aside questions from both the press and voters. Tip of the cap to Politico for the headline, "Mitt Romney's Mittness Protection Program."
Romney with a sticker adorned supporter. Photo: alicegop (Flickr)
Businessman and radio talk show host, Herman Cain, is somewhat riding a wave of popularity in the GOP selection process. However, that may be coming to an end as allegations of sexual harassment have started to arise. Bachmann then Perry rode this wave and that eventually fizzled out. Cyclical promotion of candidates by the (Tea Party) GOP to find anyone but Romney.
Herman Cain preaches to the audience at CPAC. Photography by Gage Skidmore (CC via Flickr)
Evergreen Republican libertarian Ron Paul has been airing two spots in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. The Representative from Texas is targeting these first-in-the-nation states with this multimillion-dollar ad buy as he tries to put himself at the top of the field. This is his last hurrah. Spend like you mean it!
Ron Paul addresses a crowd in Houston, Texas. Photo credit: everett taasevigen
The coverage of the second GOP debate in full. The 7 candidates were Rick Santorum, Michelle Bachmann, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, Ron Paul, Tim Pawlenty and Herman Cain. Somewhat surprisingly former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson was left off the list whilst others like Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry and Sarah Palin are yet to declare and thus not invited. Although Bachmann formally declared her candidacy at the beginning of the show but CNN probably knew that would be the case.
Bit odd to invite the likes of Bachmann and particularly Cain and not Gary Johnson. Guy arguably speaks more sense than both but has fringe Republican values in comparison. He doesn't possess the high profile of fellow Libertarian Ron Paul he definitely deserves to be there particularly when the invited Cain opens his speech with, "I am not a politician." (Then what are you doing here...?)
P.S. - The YouTube embed tool is being a bit problematic so you can find parts 3-9 inclusive above but all parts 1-10 here.
