The arrival of summer break is likely the foremost thought in student’s minds these days but folks in Washington are already thinking towards 2012.
The year 2012 is a big one for elections and people are wondering, will Barack Obama become a two-term president?
Well, he placed his presidential re-election bid on Apr. 4 and not one Democrat has yet dared to challenge the incumbent. At least no real Democrat. Randall Terry, a pro-life activist that ran as a Republican for both the Florida and New York State senates in years past, expressed his intent to run on the democratic primary ticket “for the sole purpose of running graphic prolife advertisements on national television during the election year,” The Daily Caller reported.
The Federal Communications Commission and Federal Election Commission laws state that, within 45 days of a primary election, television stations must give candidates air time. Since the democratic primary and the Super Bowl usually occur in close range, Terry will probably get his wish.
There is also speculation about whether Hillary Clinton will join the race but she has denied the possibility.
Contrary to the short list of Democratic contenders, the list of potential candidates on the Republican side is lengthy.
Already, some prospective candidates have opened presidential exploratory committees, which are organizations that help them decide whether they should run for office. Others have made plans to do so.
Among the first Republicans to take this first formal step toward a run for office are Tim Pawlenty, the former Governor of Minnesota and Herman Cain, the Tea Party favorite and former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza.
Additionally, Minnesota Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann and former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney said they will likely launch exploratory committees in the coming months.
Other major contenders on the Republican side include: former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Even business mogul Donald Trump wants to be in the running. He recently announced the change to his stance on abortion, from pro-choice to pro-life. Many are skeptical this is just a political move to appease the conservative right.
A recent Wall Street Journal/ NBC news poll showed that Mitt Romney was favored among Republican primary voters, taking 21 percent of the votes. Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump do not fall far behind, with 17 percent. Sarah Palin only received 10 percent.
There is a lot of movement already happening for the 2012 presidential race and this is only the beginning. Young Americans should start assessing the possible and confirmed candidates to decide who will get our votes in 2012.
