You must have been living under a rock for the past month or so if you're unaware that there is a presidential candidate race underway in the political world. The Republicans are in the process of selecting a candidate to best represent their party when placed up against President Barack Obama this November.
Political news has heated up this month as caucus and season have arrived. These are the elections that voters in each state go through to select the candidate best likely to represent the Republicans in the 2012 election. So far, Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, Texas Representative Ron Paul and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum are in the spotlight.
The first caucus took place in Iowa on Jan. 3. In Iowa, the caucus works with people filling up a convention area in the 1,774 precincts in each of Iowa's 99 counties. The conventions select delegates for Iowa's Congressional District Convention and State Convention who then choose the delegates to receive the presidential nomination. Since Iowa is the first state to go through the nomination process, it largely receives much media attention.
This year's Iowa victory went to Rick Santorum, who won 24.6 percent of the vote. Mitt Romney finished second with 24.5 percent, losing by just two dozen votes. Ron Paul rounded out the top three with 21.4 percent of the vote.
With some of the hot-button issues, the candidates are all over the spectrum. Gingrich does not oppose the government run health care or Medicaid mandates, often dubbed as "Obama Care" by opponents. He is also in favor of cap and trade, a pollution controlling economic incentive program and the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), a type of government bailout program. Gingrich also yields as a full-proof pro-life supporter and full supporter of the Second Amendment.
Romney, the front-runner to many so far, is a former Democrat who also does not oppose government run health care mandates. He is not fully pro-life, though, which raises a question mark to the more conservative thinkers who lean toward Gingrich. Romney also has a history of supporting anti-gun right legislation.
Paul, the Libertarian Republican candidate, opposes the government-run health care reform and is also opposed to cap and trade and TARP. However, he fully supports the Constitution and its statements regarding the Second Amendment rights. Santorum is in line with Paul, except for the support for gun rights in the country.
In comparison to the GOP candidates, Obama is in favor of cap and trade, TARP, against pro-life and full Second Amendment freedoms and is far more liberal on immigration politics when compared to the GOP candidates.
It was no surprise to voters when Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, easily clinched New Hampshire with 39.3 percent. Paul came in second with 22.9 percent. Jon Huntsman, who dropped out of the race to receive the Republican nod earlier this month, finished third, earning just fewer than 17 percent.
The most recent newsmaker was the South Carolina primary. Historically, the South Carolina presidential primary has been a real tell-all in the political realm. Since established in 1980, no Republican candidate has won the nomination without winning the South Carolina primary.
Saturday was a good day for strong conservative candidate Gingrich as he grabbed the win in South Carolina with almost 250,000 votes, or 40.4 percent of the electorate. Mitt Romney finished second with 27.8 percent and Rick Santorum finished third with 17 percent.
The latest victory by Gingrich is a blow to the Romney campaign, his largest opponent in the race. Romney's poll numbers fell last week as he stumbled during a debate when asked if he would release his tax information. Post-debate polls show that Gingrich largely outperformed Romney in the debate.
The next presidential primary will take place in Florida on Jan. 31. If you were wondering, the Virginia primary will be March 6. Only two candidates were able to achieve enough signatures to make the ballot in the Commonwealth — Romney and Paul.
