The eve of the Iowa caucus

Last time around our lad Willard (that's Mitt Romney to the uninformed) finished a rather distant second to Mike Huckabee, short by nearly 10%. The 'next-in-line' candidate went on to finish third in the overall nominee race with John 'call me Maverick' McCain taking on Obama and selling his soul down the river in the process. Needs must...

"Scared Mittless"

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)

Bachmann’s New Hampshire staff resign

The pint-sized presidential hopeful from Minnesota suffered a damaging and embarrassing setback when most of her staff in the first-in-the-nation primary state resigned en masse. I’m sorry I couldn’t find anything as witty to follow Newtiny on the Bounty. My bad.

Charlie Christie to Enter the Fray?

Is New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie about to jump into the pool for the Republican nomination? Well if he did he'd certainly cause a big splash... or tsunami? Hype surrounding the possibility of Christie throwing his hat into the ring is rising from the GOP grassroots like Yellowstone geysers.

Fallen Pawlenty Backs Romney to Win

The first big-name casualty of the Republican process endorsed one-time rival and once object of personal derision, Mitt Romney, as the man to lead the GOP in the general election against incumbent President Barack Obama. First he was taking swings at you, now he’s giving you a hug… That’s true friendship right there.

Support for T-Paw at the Ames Iowa Straw Poll. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

Tim Pawlenty Withdraws

Former Gov. of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty has withdrawn from the presidential race after not receiving the kick he needed from the Ames Iowa Straw Poll. He finished in third place with 13.6% of the vote behind Michele Bachmann and Ron Paul who earned 28.6% and 27.7% of the vote respectively. Ouch... 

Bachmann’s Husband a Liability?

Presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann hasn’t only been suffering from migraines in recent weeks but also suggestions that her husband, Dr. Marcus Bachmann, is a liability to her campaign. With a doctorate in clinical psychology, from Ohio’s Union Graduate Institute, Dr. Bachmann runs Bachmann Counseling which, amongst other things, offers treatment for “shame.” It has also been alleged that his organisation also runs “reparative therapy” to convert homosexuals into heterosexuals. Essentially, the bloke helps you ‘pray the gay away’ and this has caused speculation that he is in fact damaging his wife’s presidential campaign.

Marcus and Michele Bachmann in Raymond, New Hampshire.

Profile: Michele Bachmann

The Congressional Representative for Minnesota’s 6^th District announced her candidacy for the Republican nomination during the second GOP debate on June 13^th. A founder of the House Tea Party Caucus she has drawn some comparisons to another Tea Party favourite and possible competitor, former Alaskan Governor, Sarah Palin.    

Photo by theqspeaks via Flickr.

The June GOP Debate

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.

The Prospective GOP Field

Whilst Gary Johnson and Fred Karger remain the only 2 legitimate politicians to declare their candidacy for the Republican nomination the following are prospective nominees that we can expect decisions from in the coming weeks:

• Michele Bachmann - Minnesota Representative, prominent Tea Party member
• John Bolton - former UN aambassador, considered a neo-conservative
• Mitch Daniels - Governor of Indiana, more of a fiscal conservative
• Newt Gingrich - former Speaker, orchestrated 1994 Contract with America 
• Rudy Giuliani - Mayor of New York during 9/11, failed 2008 candidate
• Mike Huckabee - former Governor of Arkansas, social conservative
• Jon Huntsman, Jr. - former Governor of Utah. former ambassador to China
• Sarah Palin - running mate in 2008, social conservative, grassroots darling
• Ron Paul - iconic libertarian Republican, fiscal conservative, evergreen 
• Tim Pawlenty - former 1-term Governor of Minnesota, social conservative
• Buddy Roemer - former Governor of Louisiana, was a Democrat
• Mitt Romney - former Governor of Massachusetts, health-care reformer
• Rick Santorum - former Pennsylvania Senator, social conservative
• Donald Trump, Sr. - multi-millionaire businessman, quasi-celebrity, PR stunt?

This is not a comprehensive list of all the possible nominees but it is a list of all those who have any kind of legitimate shot at the nomination that have either expressed intention to run or are widely speculated to do so. (Bold type constitutes the widely regarded heavyweights within the party.) Santorum could be added to this list because much of his career has been prolific except for the fact that he suffered a humiliating and colossal defeat in his 2006 Senate campaign. Since then his career has somewhat stalled whilst Gingrich was one of the most high profile Speakers in American history because of his famous bust-ups with Bill Clinton but since his resignation in 1999 he has yet to recapture those previous heights.

Gingrich is expected to announce as early as the start of next week whilst Bachmann and Trump have said they will make their minds up by June. However, it is Mike Huckabee whose nomination will be followed most closely as he is no doubt a heavy-weight contender that has done everything expected of a nominee except promptly declare. Pawlenty and Romney are heavyweights that are certain to run whilst the smart money would be on Palin not to and wait 4 years.

The Republican field is slowly taking shape but at the moment what we are seeing is a really big game of chicken. Once a heavyweight candidate declares the rest will promptly follow suit but until then the prospective candidates jostle for pole position. Think of it in terms of the start of the Grand National at Aintree, although only the first 30 seconds of the video are relevant, it was a good race anyway.