(Updated: 12/10/2011) It's very interesting to think about who might win the Republican primary for 2012. The most likely person at the top of the ticket is either former Governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney, or former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. While Mitt Romney appeals to the more moderate Republican, Newt Gingrich appeals to the emotion on the far-right. Even though Gingirch is far from a Washington outsider, Gingirch comes across frustrated and angry and the Tea Party conservatives hold on to that. Gingrich is leading slightly in the polls as the far right have come out very openly about their criticisms over the more traditional Republican in Romney.
No matter who wins the Primary, they will have to look to the bottom of the ticket to complete the tag team to run against President Obama and Vice President Biden. Here are 5 of the possible V.P candidates for 2012
1. Marco Rubio - The new darling of the Republican Party, Rubio’s Hispanic heritage is something that the higher-ups of the GOP are drooling over. Rubio is a Tea Party favorite, fights for lower taxes and the privatization and destruction of some of Americans greatest programs. Rubio has stated that Social Security and Medicare have made Americans "weak and lazy". Stepping on these great programs is something that the Republicans and the Tea Party love and Rubio has it down pat. The most important issue however, is his Hispanic background. Since typically, minorities vote democratic, putting Rubio on the ticket could do major damage to the Obama/Biden team.
2. Chris Christie - The first term Governor of New Jersey has made a name for himself over the last year. Appealing to both the moderate and far right of the Republican Party, Christie has been outspoken with his criticism of the Obama Administration. His feud with public union workers made head waves throughout the country, taking a back seat to only Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Christie is someone who fights for big business, tax cuts and wants to limit workers rights. He has taken a social conservative stance to please the Tea Party crowd and should be on the radar for a VP nod no matter who wins the nomination.
3. Jeb Bush - This might be a long shot because of 2 reasons.
#1 - His last name still leaves a sour taste in the mouths of many Americans.
#2 - He is waiting to be at the top of the ticket in 2016.
However, putting those reasons aside, Bush could still be a possible VP candidate. The former Governor of Florida is still very popular in Republican circles and is the most popular among all the Bush family.
4. Michele Bachmann - If Mitt Romney wins the nomination, a Bachmann VP pick wouldn't be out of the question. Since the Tea Party Republicans still look at Romney with a question mark in their minds, putting someone who the Tea Party love, like Bachmann, on the ticket would make sense. The issue however, is that Bachmann is looked at in such a negative light by many others that it remains to be seen if Romney would want to take that chance.
5. Jon Huntsman - Huntsman is still in the race, but according to all the polls, it's just a matter of time before Huntsman is forced to bow out. Huntsman is the most moderate of all the candidates, and has even come out to admit he believes in Evolution and Climate Change. By acknowledging his belief in scientific facts, it has turned off many Tea Party and far right Republicans. If Romney is the winner, picking Huntsman could mean a big push for the "reasonable" Republican. Knowing that Tea Party conservatives will never vote for Obama, a Romney/Huntsman ticket could almost force the far right to vote for them while pulling members of the political center over to the right.
The election is under a year away, but these five candidates all have something that the Republican party is looking for. It will only be a matter of time before we see how it all shapes up.
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