Neal Boortz to retire, Herman Cain to replace

Jamie Dupree, Herman Cain, and Neil Boortz

Nationally-syndicated talk radio host Neal Boortz announced on his show this morning that he will step down after 42 years on the air, citing a desire to spend time with his family. Former presidential candidate Herman Cain will take full-time command of the Neal Boortz microphone when Boortz officially retires this January.

“It has been a great ride, but it’s time for me and my wife Donna to hit the road and travel in ways that thus far have been impossible,” said Boortz. “As my listeners know, we love traveling, and the restraints created by my daily radio show commitment have kept us on a rather short leash.”

Cain acknowledged the mark Boortz has made over those 42 years. "Neal has spent his career serving as a bold, vocal advocate of what is right in this world, and condemning that which is not. I promise the torch Boortz is handing off to me will blaze as bright, as bold, and as loud as ever."

Not only will Cain inherit Neal’s microphone, he’ll also inherit the Boortz syndicated radio audience. The show currently airs on more than 200 radio stations, with six million listeners a week.

“I am ecstatic that Neal has kept the radio host's chair warm for me all these years," Cain joked. “He may be ‘The TalkMaster,’ but Neal's listeners know I’m the 'The Dean of the University of Common Sense.’”

Cain formerly hosted a radio show on News/Talk WSB in Atlanta prior to his run for the presidency, a qualification Dan Kearney, Vice President and Market Manager of News/Talk WSB, said adds to the impressive list of reasons Cain is the logical successor for Neal.

“Cain is very well known, passionate about his beliefs, not afraid to speak his mind – and our listeners have shown they love him” Kearney said. “We’re thrilled at his return.”

Boortz’s last day hosting The Neal Boortz Show will be January 18, 2013. Cain will launch his nationally syndicated radio show on January 21, 2013 – Inauguration Day. Until then, Cain will continue joining Boortz for their Monday and Friday 10:35am ET segments, and will remain as Boortz’ primary fill-in host.

The Neal Boortz Show is heard in Oklahoma on AM 740/FM 102.3 KRMG (Tulsa), AM 1520 KOKC (Oklahoma City), AM 960 KGWA (Enid), and AM 1600 (Cushing).

Herman Cain endorses Newt Gingrich

Former presidential candidate Herman Cain announced today via Twitter that he is endorsing Newt Gingrich for President.

The news came via a tweet Cain posted at 9:19pm EST, that read "I am officially endorsing @NewtGingrich for President of the United States!"

After dropping out of the race in early December, Cain was noncommittal on whether he would endorse a candidate or not. The Florida Republican primary, which is very important for both Gingrich and his main opponent Mitt Romney, is coming up on Tuesday.

Poll shows Gingrich leading in Oklahoma (but take with a grain of salt)

SoonerPoll.com conducted a poll over the past month on the presidential primary here in Oklahoma. It has some interesting results, but I'll explain why it should be taken with a big grain of salt.

Newt Gingrich: 33.3%
Mitt Romney: 14.3%
Rick Perry: 9.3%
Herman Cain:  9.3% (dropped out during polling, but was kept in for consistency)
Ron Paul: 4.3%
Michele Bachmann: 3.5%
Rick Santorum: 1.5%
Jon Huntsman: 1.3%
Don't know/refused: 23.5%

SoonerPoll.com conducted the scientific poll Nov. 17-Dec. 16, 2011.  The survey was of 400 'Likely' Oklahoma voters who identified themselves as Republicans, with a margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.

At the start of their polling, Herman Cain was still an active candidate. Upon his withdrawal, SoonerPoll had to keep his name in the poll, in order for consistency in the survey.

However, Cain's inclusion isn't the problem for me -- my hesitation is based on the length of the poll. Most surveys of this nature are done in a two to three day period, sometimes as long as a week. This one took a whole month, which seems excessive to me. With this particular election cycle, much transpires in a month's time (a prime example in this poll being Herman Cain's candidacy).

A primary poll is essentially a snapshot of the current mood of the electorate in regards to the candidates. When a poll is of this length, it loses focus, and the results become fuzzy and out of focus.

Gingrich may well have this type of a lead in Oklahoma, but I take this poll with a big grain of salt. Until another poll confirms the results, put an asterisk beside this one.

Ron Paul wins OKGOP Straw Poll

Results for the Oklahoma Republican Party Presidential Straw Poll were announced this evening at the "Victory 2012" rally in Oklahoma City. Texas Congressman Ron Paul emerged as the victor of the online poll, which required a five dollar donation per vote, and was limited to one vote per individual.

The results:

1. Ron Paul - 46%
2. Herman Cain - 25%
3. Newt Gingrich - 17%
4. Mitt Romney - 6%
5. Rick Perry - 3%
6. Michele Bachmann - 2%
7. Rick Santorum - 1%
8. Gary Johnson - less than 1%

Poll was conducted online at www.OklahomaStrawPoll.com from November 21st to December 5th. For more details visit www.oklahomastrawpoll.com/faq or call (405) 528-3501.

Cain suspending presidential campaign

OUT.


Cain: "I am suspending my presidential campaign."  Launching organization to push for his 9-9-9 plan, and other issues.

Cain responds to latest allegation

It's another week, and another individual has come to the media with claims of inappropriate behavior by presidential candidate Herman Cain. His response is posted below.

Dear Patriots and Supporters,

As you probably heard yesterday, a troubled Atlanta business woman used national media outlets to promulgate a fabricated, unsubstantiated story about a 13 year affair with me.  I am writing you today to assure you that this woman’s story is completely false.

I do know Ms. White.  I have helped her financially at times over the past few years, just as I have helped many friends and acquaintances throughout the years. I thought Ms. White was a friend in need of a supportive hand to better her life.

Ms. White has made it apparent that she was abusing the friendship.

But now I am asking for your friendship.  I am also asking for your prayers and support. This is a trying time for my family, my campaign, and for me.  It is also a trying time for our country as we are all distracted from the truly important issues facing our nation.

This evening I have an important speaking engagement at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, where I will be outlining my foreign policy and national security plan.  While recent events have taken a toll on me, the people in the audience this evening will not know it.  I will deliver my message with vigor and enthusiasm.

Let me assure you, I am not deterred.  America’s future is too important. We will continue on this journey to make America great once again.

Thank you and God bless.

Sincerely,

Herman Cain

Cain is scheduled to appear at a "Victory 2012" rally in Oklahoma City on December 5th, to raise money for the Oklahoma Republican Party. More information on that event is here. Results from the ongoing Oklahoma Presidential Straw Poll will be announced at the event that evening.

OKGOP to hold presidential straw poll

OKGOP Announces Presidential Straw Poll

Pinnell: "Time the 'reddest state in America' had a straw poll of its own"

(Oklahoma City) - The Oklahoma Republican Party today announced the launch of the inaugural Oklahoma Presidential Straw Poll. The poll will be an online straw poll conducted with the assistance of eVoter, a nonpartisan election information website.

"Many states hold presidential straw polls every four years creating national publicity and financial support for their respective state," said OKGOP Chairman Matt Pinnell. "We thought it was time the 'reddest state in America' had a straw poll of its own. Nothing could be a more accurate barometer of Republican primary voters than to poll those in the most conservative state in the country."

Oklahoma received notoriety as the 'reddest state in America' after all 77 Oklahoma counties went red in 2008, garnering the highest percentage of the vote in the country for the McCain/Palin ticket.

From November 21st - December 5th, voters will be able to cast a vote for their preferred presidential candidate for a $5 contribution to the Oklahoma Republican Party. "In other states, straw poll voters can end up spending hundreds of dollars in travel costs and ballot fees in order to vote," said Pinnell. "We wanted to provide a way for voters to show their support for their candidate from the comfort of their own living room."

Beginning on November 21st, voters will be able to cast their vote at www.oklahomastrawpoll.com. Voting will close at 5:00 pm on December 5th. Results will be announced December 5th at a "Victory 2012" Rally featuring special guest Herman Cain. The Rally will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Oklahoma City Marriott at 3233 Northwest Expressway and will be open to the press.

For complete rules and information visit www.oklahomastrawpoll.com/faq. For press inquires and interviews please contact Chairman Matt Pinnell at 405-528-3501.

GOP Presidential Candidates' Mount Rushmore Additions

ABC News and Yahoo recently teamed up to conduct a round of interviews with the Republican presidential candidates, which included a "lightning round" covering more personal, non-political questions; you can view the synopsis here. It's an interesting and entertaining read.

One of the questions asked was about additions to Mount Rushmore.

From ABC News/Yahoo:

Question: Who should be the fifth president on Mount Rushmore?

• Jon Huntsman: Ronald Reagan, but I worked for him 100 years ago, and I saw him up close as an advance man. Very special man.
• Michele Bachmann: Well, Ronald Reagan would be a good choice.  But — I– I think just — Garfield was the last member who was — the House of Representatives, who became president of the United States — and he — and he was a very — he was a wonderful man.  But also, I’d have to say, Calvin Coolidge should be up there, too. Calvin Coolidge, because Calvin Coolidge — was able to get the United States’ budget way on track.  And he really was a taking-care-of-business kinda guy.
• Rick Perry: I think there’s enough presidents on Mount Rushmore already.
• Mitt Romney: I got a couple.  John Adams and Ronald Reagan.
• Herman Cain: The fifth president that belongs on Mt. Rushmore, he hasn't been president yet.  No, the one possibility up until this point would be Ronald Reagan.
• Newt Gingrich: I’ll go for five and six:  F.D.R. and Reagan.

Who would you pick for an addition to Mount Rushmore? Would you even choose anyone? Leave your thoughts in the comments!

Note: Ron Paul and Rick Santorum were also interviewed, but did not have time to get the Mount Rushmore question in their roughly two-minute lightning round.

Perry Wins Oklahoma State Fair Straw Poll

The Oklahoma County Republican Party conducted a straw poll at the Oklahoma State Fair in Oklahoma City. Rick Perry won the GOP primary portion of the poll, in which nearly two thousand ballots were cast over a ten-day period.

Whom do you expect to vote for in the Republican Presidential Primary?

Oklahoma County GOP straw poll; 1,947 votes, Sept. 15th-25th

Rick Perry - 39%
Ron Paul - 19%
Mitt Romney - 14%
Herman Cain - 11%
Michele Bachmann - 7%
Newt Gingrich - 5%
Jon Huntsman - 2%
Rick Santorum - 2%

You can the rest of the results (six questions in all) here.

Cain wins Florida's 'Presidency 5' Straw Poll

Herman Cain scored an unexpected, and rather stunning, victory in today's Presidency 5 straw poll in Florida. Mitt Romney and Rick Perry had been expected to be the top contenders in the Florida GOP event, but Cain took the straw poll by storm.

1. Herman Cain - 996 (37.1%)
2. Rick Perry - 409 (15.4%)
3. Mitt Romney - 372 (14%)
4. Rick Santorum - 289 (10.9%)
5. Ron Paul - 276 (10.4%)
6. Newt Gingrich - 224 (8.4%)
7. Jon Huntsman - 60 (2.3%)
8. Michelle Bachmann - 40 (1.5%)

After an initial (and massive) surge, Rick Perry has had a difficult few weeks. This is a painful end to the week, as it continues the story-line of Perry's campaign troubles.

Also surprising about this poll was that Ron Paul (well known for targeting straw polls) came in fifth, and Michelle Bachmann came in a very distant dead last. Bachmann and Romney did both skip the event, but in a gathering of party faithful in a contentious primary, one would expect their numbers to have been higher (particularly Bachmann's).

This is very good news for Herman Cain, and will give some much-needed wind in his campaign's sails. Presidency 5 organizers like to tout the fact that the winners in their three previous straw polls (1979, 1987 and 1995) went on to become the Republican nominee every time.

State of the Race: My Take

The Ames Straw Poll is over. Tim Pawlenty is out. Rick Perry is in. The debates are taking place. Sarah Palin is still hinting. Candidates are pounding pavement in the early states.

What does the race look like right now for the GOP presidential primary? This post is my take on the landscape as it currently stands, divided into three categories of candidates.

The Contenders

I view the nomination as a battle between three individuals - Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann; or, another way to put it, Mitt Romney versus 'Not-Romney'.

Mitt Romney

After falling short in 2008, Mitt Romney finds himself at the head of the pack - and with that comes the added attention and criticism the lead man gets. Four years have given his opponents ample time to sharpen their knives, and Romney's embrace of his Massachusetts health care program (which ObamaCare was modeled after) has done little to help him on what is sure to be one of the hottest topics this cycle.

Romney is in the same position as John McCain was in 2008; almost every other candidate is to the right of him, and he is the one they all love to hate. Nevertheless, due to his large war chest, well-oiled campaign machine and experience gained in 2007-2008 on the campaign trail, he is the leader - for now. Romney's best chance is for the rest of the field to continue to be diluted, but if the grassroots begin to consolidate behind one candidate, he will be in trouble.

Rick Perry 

The big Texan has burst on the scene, and in a short time has taken this race by the horns. But does Perry have the staying power to wrestle it to the ground? Only time will tell.

As the newest kid on the block, Perry has not undergone as thorough a national vetting as the others. Expect him to hit some rough patches. However, his organization is top-notch, and has the advantage of running numerous races in one of the largest states in the Union. The transition from gubernatorial to presidential campaigning will likely be much smoother for Perry's team than it was for any other candidate.

At the moment, Perry may have the aura of the conservative's best hope to beat Romney, but the longer he is in the race, the more his record will be scrutinized, and there will be controversial issues some conservatives may find troubling. Also, Perry will still have to keep other 'Not-Romney' candidates at bay to secure the nomination.

Michele Bachmann

The feisty congresswoman from Minnesota may have been passed up by the surging Perry, but underestimate Michele Bachmann at your own peril. Bachmann is to the right of both Romney and Perry, and is well connected with the Tea Party movement, which will benefit her.

However, she does face several hurdles. First of all, nobody has gone straight to the White House from the U.S. House since James Garfield was elected in 1880 (Gerald Ford was appointed Vice President, then became President when Nixon resigned; Ford was never elected to either office). Secondly, the winner of the Ames Straw Poll rarely becomes the winner of the Iowa Caucus, or of the nomination. Her path to the nomination relies almost entirely on winning in Iowa.

Bachmann has lost some steam as the 'Not-Romney' focus has been moved to Perry for the time being, but I think she can bounce back. Perry's entrance will force Bachmann and her campaign to work harder (with Perry in, if Palin also ran it would be devastating to Michele's chances). At this stage, Bachmann is still in the top tier, and very much in the running.

The Man who will not go away

Ron Paul

The libertarian-leaning congressman from Texas almost defies categorizing. There is a definite gap between Romney/Perry/Bachmann/Paul and the rest of the crowd, with Paul in the rear of the top four. Nevertheless, I do not include him in my Contenders category.

I'm sure I'll catch some flak from the Paul crowd, but I see little room for Paul to grow, and I don't see him even getting close to winning the nomination. He holds many views that are outside the mainstream of Republican and conservative thought, and will only appeal to a limited slice of the primary electorate. Ron Paul will not be going away, but he has little room to grow.

Paul has attracted a very obsessed and zealous following, from which he raises large sums of money. However, I don't think he can spend enough money to gain enough support to win in the Republican primary. I don't see him becoming anything other than a niche candidate.

The Background Noise

Some of these candidates appeared as if they would break into the top, or at one time actually led in polling, but have since dissipated to the degree that they will have little impact on the race. Others never had a chance at all.

Herman Cain

Cain is done. It's unfortunate, because I thought he might have a shot at becoming a very serious contender, but shallow support, serious gaffes, and sub-par debate performances seem to have done him in.

Herman is a very charismatic individual and can energize the Republican base, but his political inexperience has caused problems for him on the campaign trail, and as a result, the campaign is suffering. Polling has shown a sharp drop for Cain, and I don't see him recovering.

Rick Santorum

The former senator never really had a chance to begin with. His only shot at the nomination is to win in Iowa, and that simply will not happen with Perry, Bachmann, Romney and Paul all taking significant portions of the Hawkeye electorate.

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich may be an intelligent individual, but he has offended too many conservatives and been out of politics too long to be a viable candidate. His debate performances, particularly at the most recent one, have been atrocious, with Newt coming off as a grumpy old man who can't handle tough questions. Newt should hang up his hat and go home before he makes an even greater fool of himself.

Jon Huntsman

If Jon Huntsman thinks playing the moderate in the race will secure the nomination in this climate, he is sadly mistaken. Enough said.

Thad McCotter

Thad McCotter is a great guy with a dry sense of humor, but honestly, the congressman never had a remote chance at getting anywhere near the top in this primary. I don't know what he was thinking when he decided to get in.

Gary Johnson

Gary Johnson is a non-candidate for numerous reasons, the biggest of which is Ron Paul. Johnson is even more libertarian than Paul is, and that will not fly in a Republican primary. Gary would be better suited running on the Libertarian ticket - where he would meet with equal electoral non-success.

The Palin Wild-card

Sarah Palin

If Palin jumps in, which I consider unlikely, the primary game could change dramatically. Palin is immensely popular with the grassroots, and can raise a ton of money, but does popularity translate into votes? Sarah no longer polls as well as she once did, but that could change if she gets in.

Candidate Palin would immediately join the top-tier, most likely pushing Michele Bachmann out at the same time. I do think Palin has a harder time convincing people she can beat Obama; her brand has been damaged (unfairly so) that I don't know how viable she really is as a general election candidate. Nevertheless, like I said, if Sarah Palin gets in, everything changes, and that could be very positive for her.

Poll: Perry leads in Oklahoma

Perry Leads GOP Field in Oklahoma

Pat McFerron, CHS

In a survey conducted just days before he formally entered the race, Texas Governor Rick Perry holds a 5-point lead over Mitt Romney in the Sooner State. In the survey of 215 registered Republicans in Oklahoma. Perry is the choice of 22% while Romney claims support from 17%. Michele Bachmann is a distant third in the state (8%) and is followed by Herman Cain (6%) and Newt Gingrich (5%).

In 2008, Romney finished third with just under 25% of the vote in Oklahoma’s primary, trailing both John McCain (37%) and Mike Huckabee (33%).

In addition to leading the overall ballot, Perry shows strength among key elements of the Oklahoma primary electorate. Among the most active Republican primary voters (the 24% who have voted in the last four partisan primaries), Perry’s lead is even greater (20% Perry vs. 12% Romney), though Bachmann does make a stand (19%). Perry also has a strong lead among the 20% of Republicans most interested in moral issues (21% Perry vs. 7% Romney) and the 61% who describe themselves as “strong conservatives” (30% Perry vs. 12% Romney vs. 11% Bachmann).

Romney’s most significant lead is among the 20% of Oklahoma Republicans living in households with annual incomes in excess of $100,000 (31% Romney vs. 19% Perry).

In another way to test the strength of the national candidates, Republicans were asked a follow-up question about if they would support either former Congressman J.C. Watts or U.S. Senator Tom Coburn as a favorite son in the state. In this instance, 58% of Republicans said they would support one of the “favorite son” candidates, while only 23% said they would support one of the national candidates. When looking at this question, we see that Perry’s support is slightly stronger than is Romney’s, as 68% of Romney’s supporters would opt for one of Oklahoma’s favorite sons, whereas only 54% of Perry’s would do the same.

The survey, conducted August 9-11, 2011 was the Republican portion of a 500-sample survey of voters statewide. Subscribers to Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates’ publication The Sooner Survey will get the results of the full survey. The Republican sub-sample has a margin of error is +/- 6.7%.

Also of interest is the fact that Perry’s lead is not solely in those areas bordering Texas. In fact, in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa media markets (which do not cover Texas news or politics) Perry’s lead is almost identical to what is seen statewide.

“Despite the small sample size and the time before Oklahoma’s primary, it is clear Rick Perry is the candidate to beat in Oklahoma. The cross-tabulations indicate he is already the choice of the most prolific voters, and one could expect his strength to grow in this neighboring state,” stated Pat McFerron, Director of Survey Research for Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates, a position he has held since 1994. “When looking at the large number of undecided voters, there is no reason to think they would break against Perry.”

It should be noted, Tim Pawlenty was included in the study, as interviewing occurred prior to his withdrawal.

Text of questions and percentage responses follow.

1. If the Republican primary for President were held today, would you be voting for:

Rick Perry - 22%
Mitt Romney - 17%
Michele Bachmann - 8%
Herman Cain - 6%
Newt Gingrich - 5%
Ron Paul - 3%
John Huntsman - 2%
Tim Pawlenty - 2%
Undecided (vol.) - 33%

2. As you may be aware, in the past, some states have run candidates known as favorite sons for President. If either JC Watts or Tom Coburn ran for President as an Oklahoma favorite son, would you vote for one of these two candidates or one of those running nationwide?

Would vote for national candidate - 23%
Would vote for Watts or Coburn - 58%
Undecided (vol.) - 18%

NOTE: in the 2008 Oklahoma presidential primary, Romney received 24% of the vote, and Ron Paul received 3%. This CHS poll shows Paul at the same level, and Romney seven points down. None of the other candidates have run for president before.

RightOnline Live Stream: Friday and Saturday

I am heading to Minneapolis, MN, for the RightOnline 2011 conference. This event, centered around conservative political involvement online, will feature speakers like Andrew Breitbart, Governor Tim Pawlenty, Herman Cain, Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, Michelle Malkin, Erick Erickson, Ed Morrissey and numerous other prominent conservative figures.

At various times on Friday and Saturday, RightOnline will be holding a live stream of the event, which I am also posting here. You can view an agenda of the live stream here.





Free Videos by Ustream.TV

If you are on Twitter, check the #RO11 hashtag for the latest updates from RightOnline 2011.

Cain Wins Stephens County GOP Fish Fry Straw Poll

From SoonerPoll.com:

Herman Cain edges out Sarah Palin to win the first Stephens County GOP presidential straw poll conducted by SoonerPoll.  Cain, the former Godfather’s Pizza CEO, won 66 out of 302 votes cast in the presidential preference poll of Stephens County GOP Fish Fry attendees.

That narrowly beat second-place finisher Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor, who received 63 votes. In third place was U.S. Representative Michelle Bachmann with 38 votes.

The Fish Fry is the Stephens County GOP’s annual fundraiser.  Saturday marked the 7th annual Fish Fry and the first Stephens County GOP Straw Poll conducted by SoonerPoll.

More than 800 people attended the Fish Fry and 302 elected to participate in the poll.

“It’s our largest crowd yet and a reflection of the hard work that the Stephens County GOP has put into registering Republicans,” Steve Fair, Chairman of the Stephens County GOP, said. “Our organization is arguably the most active in the state and we hope to see the GOP be the majority party in Stephens County by the 2012 election.”

Three other candidates finished with more than 20 votes — the former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney with 31, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, who recently made his candidacy official, with 27 and former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty with 21.

The ballot that was used for the straw poll was developed based on official announcements from candidates and media speculation concerning possible candidates.  One candidate who was included in the poll based on early speculation, Mitch Daniels, has since announced that he will not seek the nomination.

Daniels, the current governor of Indiana, received 15 votes in Saturday’s straw poll.  Texas Congressman Ron Paul was the only other candidate to register in double-digits in the poll with 15 votes.

Candidates who tallied single-digit totals included Rudy Giuliani with 8, Rick Santorum with 4, and John Bolton with 4.

I attended the Fish Fry for my first time, and let me tell you - it is quite the event! A big congratulations is due to Steve Fair and the Stephens County GOP folks for another great turnout.

2012 Update: Haley Barbour Out, Ron Paul In?

Keeping with the theme of posts regarding the 2012 presidential election, here's the latest news.

Haley Barbour - out

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, long rumored to be considered a run for president, announced today that he will not seek the Republican nomination, and will instead focus on his job as Governor, and as the head of the Republican Governor's Association (where he will still be involved to a great degree in the 2012 election).

Ron Paul - sorta in

Texas Congressman, physician and former presidential candidate Ron Paul is set to announce the formation of a presidential exploratory committee tomorrow afternoon in Des Moines, Iowa.

Paul will join exploratory-committee candidates Herman Cain, Newt Gingrich, Tim Pawlenty, Buddy Roemer, and Mitt Romney. Gary Johnson skipped the exploratory phase, and is a full-fledged, announced candidate.


Just a reminder to check out the blogs I've linked to on the right sidebar, both at the top and toward the middle of the page. In particular, for 2012 news you can hardly beat Race42012.com - a blog I've followed since the "old" days when it was Race42008.com. R4'12 is written by a diverse team: supporters of
practically every major candidate or potential candidate, and is well worth the read.

Romney launches presidential exploratory committee - day before anniversary of RomneyCare

Former Massachusetts Governor and 2008 presidential candidate Mitt Romney announced the formation of his 2012 Presidential Exploratory Committee today.



Ironically, and perhaps this was planned, but today tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of Romney signing his 'RomneyCare' legislation into Massachusetts law.

Romney joins Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Buddy Roemer, and others as individuals who have publicly stated their intent to run for President, or who have formed (or are in the process of forming) a presidential exploratory committee. The first presidential primary debates will begin in May.

Tim Pawlenty Forms Presidential Exploratory Committee

In a Facebook announcement this afternoon, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty announced that he has formed a presidential exploratory committee - the first step to announcing his candidacy for President.





'T-Paw' joins Newt Gingrich, Herman Cain, Buddy Roemer, Fred Karger, and Jimmy McMillan as individuals who have publicly stated their intent to run for President, or who have formed (or are in the process of forming) a presidential exploratory committee. The first presidential primary debates will begin in May.

Herman Cain forms presidential exploratory committee

Herman Cain (radio show host, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza, and former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City) announced this morning that he has formed a Presidential Exploratory Committee to "test the waters" before officially deciding whether or not he will run for President.

While not a first-tier potential candidate like Sarah Palin, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, Cain is considered to be one of the more credible candidates being mentioned.

You can visit his website by going to www.HermanCain.com.

2012, here we come.