Republicans Are Holding Out For Someone Else In 2012

An Associated Press-GfK poll, has found 45 percent of Republicans are unhappy with the current choice of GOP 2012 presidential contenders. Count me in that group. Among the declared candidates, I actually like Gingrich, Pawlenty and Cain, even if I don't agree with them on every issue. I also like Sarah Palin, but it is unclear if she will run. Here is the problem. I don't believe any of these candidates can beat Barack Obama in 2012 unless the economy goes into a double dip recession. We have to hope that doesn't happen. Barack Obama is an charismatic incumbent President who will have a billion dollars in campaign money and the mainstream media in his pocket for the 2012 campaign. If the economy continues to grow, even at the current anemic pace, what issue will Republicans beat Obama on? We can say he has hindered the recovery and is anti-business, which is true, but if things are slowly getting better, most Independents won't want to change horses in midstream. Most Americans hate ObamaCare, but the parts they are really going to hate don't take effect until after the 2012 election. We can paint Obama as a big spending tax hike liberal, which is true, but almost half of Americans don't pay any federal income tax anymore. Obama has continued the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and added Libya, but Republicans will look hypocritical if they attack Obama too severely over these actions. There is a lot of time until 2012 and anything could happen, but beating Obama looks very difficult at the moment. Republicans need an articulate and exciting candidate to run against Obama if they are to have any chance of success. NJ Gov. Chris Christie? Someone else?

WASHINGTON (AP) — The more Republicans get to know their potential White House candidates, the less happy they are with their choices.

It’s not that they dislike the individual candidates. They just give them a collective shrug as possible opponents for President Barack Obama. They’d like someone with a little more pizazz.

Some 45 percent now say they’re dissatisfied with the GOP candidates who have declared or are thought to be serious about running, up from 33 percent two months ago, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. Just 41 percent are satisfied with the likely Republican field, down from 52 percent.

Plenty are holding out for somebody else.