Well now that the 2008 election is over, the quest for the White House in 2012 has officially begun. But who will go up against Barack Obama in the 2012 election? Well, it will no doubt have to be someone with charisma, great ideas, a lot of funding, and not to mention a great campaign strategy. But it can be done. To do this though, prospective candidates need to start laying the groundwork now. Now I don’t mean they should start campaigning now (the Republican party to needs to reorganize before any of that starts), but they should start with the basics now. Before I start, I’d like to say the majority of these candidacies depend on how well Barack Obama does over the next few years. If he does well, then we probably won’t see the majority of these people make an attempt in four years. Look for them in 2016. Having said that, let’s take a look at who I think will be prospective candidates in the 2012 election:
Sarah Palin, Governor of Alaska
1. First, and probably most obvious, Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is adored by nearly everyone in the conservative community, and has the potential to be a political force. All she needs to do is prepare for the next two years and then in 2010 start laying the groundwork for her campaign. If she can hold up well in the Republican primary debates, and have successful interviews, I think she can erase the bad impression she made with some with her Katie Couric and Charlie Gibson interviews.
2. Mick Huckabee- This was my candidate in the Republican primaries earlier this year. If he and Sarah Palin both ran for the 2012 nomination I would be torn between the two. But nontheless, Huckabee won last years Iowa caucus and will be back in Iowa promoting his new book soon. He has an extremely popular show on FOX, and it’s almost impossible not to like the guy. I think with all of the exposure he has gotten recently, he will probably wind up in the mix either in 2012 or 2016.
3. Newt Gingrich– While I wouldn’t consider him to be incredibly popular, he is certrainly a very smart man. I think he could do a lot with the party. His spokesman, Rick Tyler, has said that “We’ll see what Barack Obama does.” when asked about Gingrich’s presidential run. I think that if he doesn’t run, he needs to be on the campaign of whoever gets the nomination. He is a very smart man that could help a great deal.
4. Tim Pawlenty– Said to be the runner-up choice as McCain’s VP, Pawlenty shows great promise. He will have to become better known if he wants to compete with the big dogs (Palin, Huckabee, Romney), but he can do it. Also, another positive note is that he’s a popular governor in Minnesota, which would no doubt score him a win in the usually blue state.
5. Mitt Romney– The only real threat to McCain as the primaries progressed, Romney is very popular. But some of his views don’t mix well the conservative base, especially his views on abortion, which have changed often through the years. He is probably my least favorite of the prospective candidates, as he was in the 2008 Primaries, but he has the potential nontheless.
6. Bobby Jindal– Jindal is currently in his first term as Governor of Louisiana, after serving several years in
Bobby Jindal, Governor of Louisiana
the U.S. House. Many conservative leaders hail Jindal as “the future of the GOP”, one even going as far as garaunteeing Jindal will be the president one day. My best advice for him is to wait until the 2016 maybe run for the Senate before he goes for the nomination. He has loads of potential. This is one to surely keep your eye on.
7. Charlie Crist– Crist is currently the governor and Florida, and has stated that he wants to “broaden the party”, according to his closest advisors. He successfully secured a large portion of the African-American vote when he ran for governor, and believes the same can be done in a presidential race. Crist will be the host of the RGA conference in Miami.
8. Haley Barbour– Barbour is currently the governor of Mississippi, and served as the RNC chairman from 1993 to 1997. While he was the chairman, the Republicans captured both the House and the Senate for the first time since 1954. Barbour was wildly praised with his handling of the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster and is popular among many Mississippians. He turned around the budget situation in Mississippi, going from a $709 million deficit in the 2004 to a balanced budget in 2006, a feat that hadn’t been accomplished in years. And with his final term as governor coming to an end in 2011, his options are open for a 2012 election bid.
Well that about raps up my top 8 potential candidates (in no particular order) for the Republican nomination in 2012. We have a lot of promise in this group, if not in 2012 in 2016. So take note of these names because this is certainly not the last time you’ll hear them.
Rick @ The Conservative Journal
The Conservative Journal 
“Sarah Palin is adored by nearly everyone in the conservative community.”
Is this true? Or is she adored by the socially conservative folks? I was under the impression that many conservative voices were, quite uncharacteristically, outspoken against a potential President Palin. Though she will come back more polished, she will be every Republicans target in the Primary. I do not see her making it to the General.
Gingrich will be a headliner, but i think he’ll figure out who he wants to support, throw his weight behind them, and position himself for an appointment of some sort.
If the Obama Presidency is seen as a success, I think Huckabee and Romney will be the front runners. If it is generally viewed as flawed, Jindal and Pawlenty will mount the best challenge. I think the idea of Jindal running for senate before making a bid for President would be his best bet.
Well, while everyone has the their detractors, the general view of Sarah Palin is positive among most conservatives. Don’t get me wrong, she will have to face many obstacles to get there. She will have to give a strong showing in the debates and interviews if she wants to make it far. I think she can do it, she’s got a few years to brush up on things that hurt her this year.
I agree about Gingrich. I don’t think he has shown much desire to run, but he will certainly be an asset to whoever he endorses.
I agree with that completely. The newer faces in the party are no doubt going to wait until the Obama years have run their course.
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What about John McCain? He’s a war hero, you know.
I really hope Palin does get the top spot in 2012. If you thought the red team got their asses handed to them this year, just imagine it with a top-of-the-ticket candidate who didn’t know if Africa was a continent or a country.
He sure is, and a lot of people look up to him for that.
Well, since Obama’s whole first term will be about getting re-elected in 4 years, I will admit that he will probably win in 2012. But after that, his far-left policies will no doubt push the moderates and independents back over to the right and in 2016 you can expect a conservative to the tune of Ronald Reagan to get in there and fix what he will no doubt break.
I’m not even commenting about the Africa comment. I wrote a post about that and if you want to see how I feel on the matter go ahead and read it.
I’d vote for Romney in a heart beat if he gets the nomination.
Bobby Jindal sure looks good though. — I just know hardly anything about him.
Oh yeah, if he gets the nomination I will no doubt vote for him. He just won’t be my candidate of choice. And Jindal is going to be a strong candidate in the future. I do think he needs maybe a term in the senate under his belt before he runs, but he will be very popular with the conservatives, that’s for sure.
Its funny to see all of the negative post about Sarah Palin. I think they if given the chance, she will make a great President. Sure, she needs to understand a few things: you cant shop till you drop (joke, the RNC bought those clothes), Africa is not a country, and learn a few things on Foregin Policy. Also, I would love to hear her views on how she would handle the economy. If at the top of the Republican ticket in 2012, she will do fine. She speaks truth whether people want to hear it or not, and that is what makes her unique. Will that be her tragic flaw? Time will tell.
Also, I am quite shocked to see Mitt Romney’s name so far down on the list. He should have been listed as number one. 1. He is the one who has what it takes to get our economy out of the recession. Mitt Romney is a conservative with values that most American’s share. His time was NOT in 08, but his time WILL BE in 2012. Through out the primaries he displayed knoledge that pushed him way ahead of the other runner, but America was so blinded by the “maverick” that they failed to see the amazing possiblity that could have been if Romney was Elected. Its no secret, I am an avid Romney supported (look at my first blog post and leave comments). Mitt Romney, in my opition is the onle one who has what is takes to lead our country. I will even go as far as to say that he could be our next Ronald Reagan.
I know, I think the liberals feel threatened by her, so they take every chance they get to pounce on her. I think a term or two in the senate would do her some good before she runs, but nontheless I am a big Sarah Palin fan.
Oh no, they aren’t in any particular order, I just have them all mixed together. And while I do think Romney would do a good job (and you’re right about the economy, that’s his strong point) as our president, for some reason I just don’t think I would actively support him quite as much as some of the others. But don’t get me wrong, I’d certainly have no problem voting for him if he gets the nomination, I just like some of the other choices better. But like I said, he’d do a good job!
And thanks for commenting! I’ll be sure to go check out your blog.
Thank you.
The only problem I could see with Romney is that some Americans will downplay him because of his Mormon Faith. Earlier this year he discussed this issue to a very strong degree while making it clear that his religion would not,if elected, influence his presidency. I know its probably nothing in comparison to national polls, but I conducted a poll in high school, and 53% of the people I polled said they would not vote for him because of his Mormon religion. I polled 100 students; 53% is over half. I live in a town that is very religion friendly, so this scares me. I hope that this is not an indicator of the rest of Small Town America.
But I will concur with you,Rick, that Palin will do a great job if elected in 2012. You know what would be awesome? A Romney-Palin ticket or Palin-Romney. 🙂
Yeah, I’ve taken that into account before when thinking about a possible Romney candidacy. But I think overall, if he gets a good message across people will look past that. I myself am pretty strong in my faith (I’m Baptist), and I won’t make my decision based on that. I think in the end it won’t really be a big factor, because those people that are highly religious aren’t generally going to vote for a democrat because their views clash completely. Ultimately, I think he could pull it out.
That would be pretty cool! I’d support either one of those! Although, I must say my dream ticket is Palin/Huckabee or Huckabee/Palin.
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Interesting post. Let’s press onward towards a hugh Republican comeback.
Thanks! Glad you stopped by and left a comment. But yes I agree, and I feel confident if we can get a real conservative the nomination we can do it!
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Palin’s only chance is to go in as a VP. She can’t compete in a debate on the level with Obama unless the economy doesn’t improve. He’s going to have 4 years of serious practice time and will be even more formidable in 2012. He sounds believable even when he’s lying (most of the time) and that’s to go against on top of being the underdog female.
Personally, I’d like to see the Gingrich/Palin ticket myself if no one else gains prominence in the next couple years.
Well, I have to agree in that if the economy doesn’t improve she has a greater chance. If everything improves though, I don’t think she will run at all, but rather save her resources for 2016. That’s what I would do at least.
I would be in support of Gingrich/Palin, though my “dream team” would be Huckabee/Palin or Palin/Huckabee. Unfortunately, I think Huckabee has forfeited his future run by starting a talk show on Fox News. Maybe not, though.
Thanks for reading and commenting! Hope to see you back.
Rick
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Well first off I think Jindal should be numbers two or three. I mean there’s no greater figure to young,smart, and conservative republicans. Now you say he should run for senator. Now I would give that advise to Mitt Romney or Charlie Crist. Simple because Mitt Romney can’t rely on his four years as governor forever. Even though he did a really great job as governor. Palin I like, but look what’s happening with her and Bristol. My personal advise to Palin would be two start building that 40,000,000,000$ natural gas pipe line. Yet obama will probably close that down. Huckabee he should just keep on doing what he’s doing. And he’ll win the nomination easily or at least Iowa. Now a word of advise to all republicans we can’t win 2012 without a woman on the ticket. I’m not saying Palin, but we need someone.
They aren’t in any particular order in this post. I agree, though. Jindal has a lot of potential. I just worry about the bad press he got a few weeks ago over the conservative response thing. The media loves to rip into those kind of things unnecessarily, similar to what they did to Sarah Palin. I still think she has a chance if she can have a few good interviews and erase those that everyone blew way out of proportion. I’m a big Huckabee fan, so hopefully is Sarah doesn’t work out he can pull through.
Thanks for commenting and reading! Hope to see you back.
Rick
Well, Todd Palin’s half-sister was just arrested. Then the Bristol-boyfriend went on Tyra Banks to spill some beans. Palin’s just getting crucified.
I nearly died when I saw that earlier. It seems like they just can’t get a break. It’s a real shame too because I really think she has a lot of potential.
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Rick
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Rick:
Well if Palin wins the nomination which I don’t really think will happen. She should General Patreuas as her VP. Simple because he’s great on foreign policy, he has the highest approval rating of any public figure, and they can use that much needed outsider appeal. This is how I have the veeps mapped out for each candidate.
Jindal: Sarah Palin because she would bring in women and they could present themselves as a young, but experienced ticket. Tom Ridge would help bring in both PA and pro-choice liberals who are unhappy with obama which won’t be hard to find. Kay Bailey Hutchinson bring in women and southern voters who don’t want a dark man. Also if Meg Whitman wins as governor she could help swing California.
Condi Rice: Even though she probably won’t run. I strongly believe her a Huckabee would make a good team.
Mike Huckabee: I watch his show every night how can you not love the guy. (Palin,Hutchinson, and Whitman) he needs the women vote. Mitt Romney would fix the party and bring us back together. Rudy Guiliani he’s conservative, pretty pro-choice, and he could win New York if obama really sucks.
Rudy Guiliani: All he has to do is find a Jew so he’ll win Florida and NY. Wait I got it Linda Lingle she’s popular, pro-choice,a women, and Jewish.
Mitt Romney: Kay Bailey Hutchinson would be all he needs for victory.
Great analysis of the candidates, Charles. I hadn’t thought about the possibility of General Patreuas as a V.P, that’s certainly a good idea though.
I think that Guliani stands a good chance with his generally positive view in New York and elsewhere. Huckabee and Palin, however, are the two I like the best.
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Rick
I realize this blog entry is really old, but I just happened to run across it and HAD to comment.
I’m not sure how much you really care for Huckabee, given that he goes by ‘Mike’, not ‘Mick’. I’ve never heard anyone refer to him as Mick, nor have I heard him refer to himself as Mick. I wanted to pass this off as a typo, but two letters??
Also, I disagree with your comment “Sarah Palin is adored by nearly everyone in the conservative community…” both in 2008 (when you said it) and now (in 2010). I’m conservative (and a woman) and I do not adore her, and neither do a lot of conservatives that I know. She’s a sweet, folksy kind of go-getter… admirable traits, sure… but her cutesy naiveté doesn’t belong in the White House. Not in 2008. Not in 2012.
Where’s Reagan? Or a reasonable facsimile thereof? Given no better options, if Huckabee runs in ’12, he will likely get my vote. If not, I’ll dig up old Ron, sprinkle on some zombie dust, and let the games begin.
Please update for 2012.
Crist is a turncoat. Jindal says no. Palin will never make it…too much baggage and neither will Gingritch or Romney for same reason. Huckabee too polarizing as is Barbour. The Democrats will win if we run any of these and that is why THEY are pushing them.
Better Choices:
Chris Christie [NJ Gov], Bob McDonnell [VA Gov] , Paul Ryan [WI], Eric Cantor [VA], for starters….Mike Pence, Jim DeMint, Gary Johnson.