By Elwood Earl "Sandy" Sanders, Jr. in
2012 U.S. Presidential Election on
September 21st, 2009
These aspirants are probable but not certain:
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour is a possible candidate. He has a good post-Katrina reputation (although predictably Salon disagrees) and also worked on tort reform in MS. But he is a former lobbyist and head of the RNC. He spoke in Iowa and is the head of the GOP governor’s association must be respected.
Senator John Thune – South Dakota is a giant killer: He beat Minority Leader Tom Daschle in his second try for the Senate. (He may have won the first time, too! His graciousness in conceding defeat is a lesson for all aspirants.) Thune is competent, telegenic and charismatic.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. Gingrich is also a giant-killer – he ended the Democratic hold on the House of Representatives in 1994. But the Gingrich Revolution failed or was derailed (Sen. Tom Coburn in his great book, Breach of Faith, says it was derailed by DC as usual). I admire Gingrich very much. He is a rare visionary and intellectual who was successful in politics. He is a fascinating person for politics: He wrote this review on a book on trilobites, yes that is not a misprint, trilobites, those little prehistoric animals that lived for about 400,000,000 years or so as the scientists count time. Gingrich was a professor at a small Georgia college before he became Speaker. He is interested in running for President it seems to me. However, he has personal and congressional baggage (not all is true but will be used against him) from his years in DC. Gingrich would be a polarizing choice. Gingrich and Ron Paul in a debate forum in 2012 would be a nightmare for the other candidates: No slick solutions allowed!
Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani is eyeing another run for the White House but he is also giving serious consideration for Governor of his home state. I think the governorship of New York is more likely with maybe eye on 2016 or 2020.
Tags: 2012, Georgia, Haley-Barbour, John-Thune, Mississippi, New York, newt-gingrich, Ron Paul, Rudy-Giuliani, Salon, South-Dakota, Tom-Coburn, trilobites
