Political+Campaign+2012

TIMELINE FOR ELECTING PRESIDENTS November 2011 November 9— Republican candidates debzate on CNBC at Oakland University in Rochester, MI. Sponsored by CNBC and the Michigan Republican Party. November 30- Republican candidates debate on CNN in Phoenix, AZ. December 2011 December 10th— Republican candidates debate on ABC in Des Moines, IA. Sponsored by ABC News and Republican Party of Iowa. 2012 January 2012 January 3 – Confirmed date of the [|Iowa caucuses] [|[84]] January 10 - Confirmed date of the [|New Hampshire Primary] [|[85]] January 21 – Confirmed date of the [|South Carolina primary] January 26 - Republican Party of Florida/CNN Republican Debate in [|Jacksonville, Florida] [|[86]] January 31 - Confirmed date of the Florida primary, in violation of the RNC rules (Florida will lose half of its delegates at the RNC Convention)[|[87]] February 2012 February 4 – Confirmed date of the [|Nevada caucuses] [|[88]] February 7 - Confirmed date of the Colorado caucus;[|[89]] unknown if the RNC will object February— Republican candidates debate on ABC, likely between February 7 and 13, in New Hampshire. Sponsored by ABC News and WMUR. February— Republican candidates debate on Fox News, likely between February 19 and 27, in South Carolina. Sponsored by Fox News and South Carolina Republican Party. February 28 – Confirmed date of the Arizona primary (in violation of Republican National Committee rules),[|[90]] and South Carolina Democratic primary February 28 - Expected date of the Michigan primary[|[91]] March 2012 March 5— Republican candidates debate on NBC at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA. Sponsored by the Reagan Library, NBC News, and Politico. March 6 (Super Tuesday) – Alaska, Georgia, Idaho, Massachusetts Republican caucuses, Minnesota Democratic caucuses, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Wyoming Republican caucuses (through March 10) March 10 – Kansas Republican caucuses March 11 – Maine Democratic caucuses March 13 – Alabama, Hawaii Republican caucuses, Mississippi, Utah Democratic caucuses March 19— Republican candidates debate on PBS at Oregon Public Broadcasting studios in Portland, OR. Sponsored by OPB,  The Washington Times, and the Oregon Republican Party. March 20 – Illinois March 24 – Louisiana April 2012 April 3 – Maryland, Washington DC April 7 – Hawaii Democratic caucuses, Wyoming Democratic caucuses April 14 – Idaho Democratic caucuses, Kansas Democratic caucuses, Nebraska Democratic caucuses April 15 – Alaska Democratic caucuses, Washington Democratic caucuses April 18-21 - [|2012 Constitution Party National Convention] to be held in [|Nashville, Tennessee] [|[92]] April 24 – Connecticut, Delaware, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island May 2012 May 4–6 – The [|2012 Libertarian National Convention] to be held in [|Las Vegas, Nevada].[|[93]] May 5 – Michigan Democratic caucuses May 8 – Indiana, North Carolina, Ohio, West Virginia May 15 – Nebraska, Oregon May 22 – Arkansas, Kentucky June 2012 June 5 – California, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota Democratic caucuses South Dakota June 26 – Utah August 2012 August 27–30 – The [|2012 Republican National Convention] to be held in [|Tampa, Florida].[|[94]] September 2012 September 3–6 – The [|2012 Democratic National Convention] to be held in [|Charlotte, North Carolina].[|[95]] October 2012 October 3 — First Presidential Debate at [|University of Denver] in [|Denver, Colorado] [|[96]] October 11 — Vice Presidential Debate at [|Centre College] in [|Danville, Kentucky] [|[96]] October 16 — Second Presidential Debate at [|Hofstra University] in [|Hempstead, New York] [|[96]] October 22 — Third Presidential Debate at [|Lynn University] in [|Boca Raton, Florida] [|[96]] November 2012 November 6, 2012 - Election Day 2012 December 2012 December 17 - [|Electoral College] formally elects a President and Vice President 2013 January 2013 January 6 - Electoral votes formally counted before a joint session of Congress; the President of the Senate formally announces the electoral result. January 20 - The inauguration of the President and Vice President.

Caucus: "a private meeting of members of a political party to plan action or to select delegates for a nominating convention." Primary: "[an] election held to nominate a candidate for a particular party at a forthcoming election for public office. []  How does a person get his or her name on a ballot in a state?  Different states have different rules  .have birth certificate from united states, depends on the individual legal system, moral integrity,35, resident of USA for 14 years

[]

How does a person become THE candidate for a political party? .a series of votes . conventions held by delegates- elected by primary selection (state primaries) .Some people claim he has a better chance of winning now then he did back in 2008. . people are too nervous about the economy to make want to make immediate changes .
 * While it is pretty certain Obama will be on the ticket again as the Democrat, what else is going on within the party?
 * Another candidate is running so this creates controversy in the party. Randal Perry
 * Who is happy? Obama!he’s kinda invincible right now
 * Who is not happy? Several citizens are not happy
 * What are they saying about Obama’s shots at reelection?


 * What are the Republicans up to?
 * Who is in the running?

**Michele Bachmann **(R)
Michele Bachmann (born April 6, 1956) is a Republican U.S. Representative from Minnesota and only recently became part of the national discussion of potential presidential candidates. The question for Bachmann is whether her Tea Party Republican credentials trump Sarah Palin or Ron Paul enough for her to give the New Hampshire primary a try, even if to just test the water for a national run. She’s been able to parlay her Tea Party cred into a fundraising advantage, and she staked out a national political foothold by doing the Tea Party response to President Barack Obama’s State of the Union speech. Her aggressive manner in speeches and on the stump puts her in the style of Palin, which might have some appeal in the “Live Free Or Die” state. In fact, she finished just behind Palin in a straw poll in January among NH Republicans attending an annual convention. She was the featured speaker at a state GOP fundraiser in Nashua on March 12. She signed on as Mike Huckabee's Iowa political director in 2008. She used the national exposure of the June 13 Republican presidential debate in Manchester to announce her candidacy for president. She emerged from the debate with very high post-debate reviews from media analysts. As her poll numbers have increased through the summer, so has the scrutiny. In the first test of popularity and organizational strength -- the straw poll on Aug. 13 in Ames, Iowa -- she placed first, garnering almost 29 percent of the votes cast. But as the campaign shifted into the fall and with the dynamic that Texas Gov. Rick Perry brings into the race among the base of conservative Christian support, Bachmann has begun to slip and she is focusing almost exclusively on a must-win in Iowa.
 * Experience: ** Congresswoman from Minnesota**Residence: **Stillwater, MN**Family: **Married, 5 children, 23 foster children**Education: ** BA, Winona State University; JD, Oral Roberts University; LLM, College of William and Mary**Official Website: ** www.michelebachmann.com

**Herman Cain ** **(R) **
Herman Cain (born Dec. 13, 1945) is the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and announced his candidacy for the GOP nomination for president on May 21 in Atlanta. He has no political experience in terms of offices held, but he’s worked hard to visit early primary states, such as New Hampshire, to get his name out there. He has polled fairly well for an unknown. In the New Hampshire GOP convention straw poll in January he finished in the middle of the pack, but finished ahead of Rick Santorum who has been to the Granite State several times to buttress his bid for the nomination. And, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in February, he finished pretty low in the heap but ahead of other more widely known candidates such as Santorum, John Thune and Haley Barbour, the latter two of whom have taken themselves out of contention. His visits to New Hampshire have tried to build his name recognition. But a summer poll by the UNH Survey Center showed him at the lower end of the scale with 2 percent of voter interest. He finished in the middle of the pack -- in fifth -- in the Ames, Iowa, straw poll held on Aug. 13. The straw poll is an early indicator of popularity and campaign organization. He had 8.62 percent of the vote. Winner Michele Bachmann won with 28.55 percent. But another straw poll -- this one in Florida in late September -- gave Cain a win, and by a wide margin over the odds-on favorite, Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Political pundits wondered whether it was really a showing of support for Cain or a more general message of dissatisfaction with the current crop of candidates. Cain followed that up with two strong showings in New Hampshire. A WMUR/Granite State Poll in October had him No. 2 behind Mitt Romney (by 14 percentage points). And he basically won the GOP debate held at Dartmouth College on Oct. 11 because of the enormous amount of attention paid to him by the other candidates, particularly his '9-9-9' economic plan: A flat 9% tax on income, a 9% corporate tax and a 9% national sales tax. He was criticized up and down, but he got what he wanted - a lot of attention.
 * Experience: ** Radio host, Businessman **Residence: **Stockbridge, GA**Family: **Married, 2 children**Education: ** BS, Morehouse College; MS, Purdue University**Official Website: ** www.hermancain.com

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Newt Gingrich (R) **
====**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives ====

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Official Website: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">www.newt.org
Newt Gingrich (born June 17, 1943) is the former Republican speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. His political pedigree was established in 1994 with his “Contract with America” as he led the Republican Revolution, and the GOP overcame 40 years of Democrat domination in the House. His travel schedule brought him to Nashua on March 17, and also included Iowa, a key indicator that he would choose to run for the GOP nomination. On March 3 he said in a news conference he is "very seriously" considering a presidential run and announced the creation of Newt Explore 2012 as a fundraising committee to pay his expenses as he considered a campaign. He participated in St. Patrick's Day events in New Hampshire and said he was in search of "elephants" -- enough GOP support to warrant his decision to campaign for president. He made return trips to New Hampshire on March 30 and April 4. His official announcement of his candidacy came on May 11 on Fox News. He returned to New Hampshire as a declared candidate on May 25 and stumped with a message of job, a tax plan and repeal of the health care reform law. A challenge to the longevity of the campaign arose in early June with the en masse resignation of his senior staff over differences with Gingrich over the direction and emphasis of the campaign. His poll numbers slipped. A summer poll by the UNH Survey Center showed him with 1 percent voter support in the state. In the Ames, Iowa, straw poll -- an early test of popularity and organization -- he finished eighth with 2.28 percent of the vote, far behind the winner, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann who had 28.55 percent. However, Gingrich's support climbed steadily through late summer and fall, and a November poll by WMUR showed him with 15 percent of likely Republican primary voters.

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Jon Huntsman (R)

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Former U.S. Ambassador to China, former governor of Utah **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Family: ** Married, 7 children**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Education: ** BS, University of Pennsylvania**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Official Website: ** [|http://www.jon2012.com]

Jon Huntsman (born March 26, 1960) is the former U.S. ambassador to China and a former governor of Utah. He’s not very well known. In a New Hampshire Republican Party straw poll in January, Huntsman finished near the bottom. He didn’t fare much better in mid-February among participants at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. He’s a political moderate, supporting same-sex unions and cap-and-trade energy proposals.The fact that he was a member of the Obama Administration could hurt him among Republicans. Former NH governor and NHGOP chair John H. Sununu said of Huntsman: "Huntsman won't play well here. Huntsman won't play well anywhere, because Huntsman's only barely a Republican." He announced in early May the formation of a political action committee that will pay the expenses of the groundwork he'll need to establish in New Hampshire and other early primary and caucus states. He followed that up on June 21, 2011 with a formal declaration of his candidacy at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, with the Statue of Liberty in the background. It's where Ronald Reagan launched his bid in 1980. He signaled his intent to concentrate on the first-in-the-nation primary in the Granite State by following his formal announcement with a visit the same day to Exeter. Huntsman, like Romney, is making a calculated decision to emphasize efforts in New Hampshire, de-emphasize efforts in Iowa. He received the benefit of some extensive media coverage for a stretch in August while he visited throughout the state for five days straight. The lack of emphasis in Iowa showed in the results of the Ames straw poll in which he finished ninth with 0.41 percent of the vote. A Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll in late September showed the NH emphasis paying off as he finished third behind Romney and Texas congressman Ron Paul. Huntsman has spent a considerable amount of time in New Hampshire during autumn 2011, yet his poll numbers remain stuck in the single digits, though he's polling better in the Granite State than he is nationally, as of Thanksgiving.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Gary Johnson (R) **

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Former Governor of New Mexico **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Residence: **Taos, NM**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Family: **Divorced, 2 children**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Education: **BA, University of New Mexico**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Official Website: **www.garyjohnson2012.com

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Gary Johnson (born Jan. 1, 1953) is the former Republican governor of New Mexico. He announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for president on April 21, 2010 in front of the State House in Concord. He is often characterized as “the next Ron Paul”. But he occupies the tier of candidates that need to work very hard and ratchet up visibility to be considered in the same breath as high-profile names like Mitt Romney, Rick Perry and Michelle Bachmann. He did well on that score in February at the Conservative Political Action Conference straw poll in which he finished third behind Paul and Romney. He skipped the normal step of forming an exploratory committee and announced his candidacy ahead of the rest of the pack. He acknowledged the amount of work he has to do in New Hampshire, saying: " I have to do, and want to do, really well in New Hampshire. So I'm going to spend a lot of time in New Hampshire, where you can go from obscurity to prominence overnight with a good showing in New Hampshire." His first order of business after declaring his candidacy was climbing into Mt. Washington's Tuckerman Ravine to go skiing. He was miffed that he didn't get invited to participate in the first GOP presidential primary debate held in June in Manchester. But his stick-to-it attitude paid off when he was late invited to participate in a GOP debate, this one in Florida in late September, which finally gave him some of the national exposure he's lacked.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Fred Karger (R) **

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Political Consultant & Gay Rights Activist **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Residence: **Laguna Beach, Calif.**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Family: **Single**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Education: **BA, University of Denver**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Official Website: **[|www.fredkarger.com] Fred Karger is the first openly gay presidential candidate, the first Jewish presidential candidate for the Republican Party, and was the first candidate to register his candidacy with the Federal election Commission. He is currently retired, but spent three decades as a political consultant, helping out with the campaigns of Presidents Reagan and Bush. In his retirement, Karger has been promoting gay rights as an activist, and has become an integral player in many gay rights organizations, such as Californians Against Hate and the National Organizaton for Marriage. Karger announced his candadicy on April 10 in New Orleans at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference. His announcement highlighted his hope to return America to the land of opportunity and equality for all. He's been campaigning on the fringes of the race, not being invited to participate in the GOP debates that have been held to date, and very often his name isn't even included in various polls.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Ron Paul (R) **

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Congressman from Texas **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Residence: **Lake Jackson, TX**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Family: **Married, 5 children**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Education: **BS Gettysburg College, MD Duke University School of Medicine**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Official Website: ** [|**www.ronpaul2012.com/**]

Ron Paul (born Aug. 20, 1935) is a Republican U.S. representative from Texas and officially entered the campaign for president with an announcement in New Hampshire on May 13, 2011. He used an ABC "Good Morning, America" segment shot in Manchester to make the announcement then went on the road to give his first campaign speech in Exeter. This is his third try for the presidency. He finished fifth in the primary here in 2008. He has a strong following among conservative Granite Staters, finishing second behind Mitt Romney in a January straw poll of Republicans at their annual state convention. He is probably the strongest among Tea Party-minded Republicans who may or may not run, having established his small-government national credentials long before Sarah Palin or Michele Bachmann. He has had enthusiastic showings of support during appearances at the University of New Hampshire and a GOP fundraiser in Dover in late March. His official entrance into the campaign (in the same week that Newt Gingrich declared his candidacy) means his son Rand Paul won't run. The two had agreed that only one member of the family would run. He signaled his commitment to the presidential race by saying he won't run again for his congressional seat. His campaign received a big boost with a second place finish on Aug. 13 in the Ames, Iowa, straw poll, an early test of popularity and organization. He finished just behind winner Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota congresswoman.He also finished second, this time to Romney, in a poll of likely NH primary voters taken in late September by Suffolk University/WHDH-TV.

**<span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Rick Perry **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">(R)
Rick Perry (born March 4, 1950) is the current Republican governor of Texas. He announced his candidacy for president on Aug. 13 in South Carolina and promptly traveled to New Hampshire for a house party. In making his announcement, he said he hoped to make the federal government as inconsequential as possible in people's lives. Perry's move from the sidelines to the playing field all occurred within the last few months. As the Republican field for president began to fill up, Perry said he wasn’t interested in becoming a contender. But the clamor within the GOP to bring him into the race grew as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney solidified his lead as the frontrunner. His political benefactors see his conservative appeal as being more widespread among Republican voters than others in the current field of candidates. He reached out to the political power brokers both in New Hampshire and Iowa. Among the people he contacted in the Granite State were U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and Ovide Lamontagne, considered a key state contact among the conservative voter bloc. And people reached out to him: A contingent of NH GOP activists, including former national committeeman Sean Mahoney, made a pilgrimage to Texas to encourage Perry to run. His first order of business after officially becoming a candidate was a house party at the Greenland home of Republican state Rep. Pam Tucker. A trip to Iowa followed. He quickly rose to the top of national polls, but, as people have gotten a closer look, particularly during nationally televised debates, the support has begun to slip. He finished far behind Romney in a poll of New Hampshire voters conducted by Suffolk University/WHDH-TV in late September. That was followed by what many considered a stunning upset, losing to businessman candidate Herman Cain in a Florida straw poll that analysts predicted Perry was a lock to win.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Governor of Texas**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Residence: **Austin, TX**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Family: **Married, 2 children**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Education: ** Texas A&M University**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Official Website: ** [|RickPerry.org]

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Buddy Roemer (R) **

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Former Governor of Louisiana **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Residence: ** Baton Rouge, LA**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Family: **Married, 3 children**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Education: **BS, MBA Harvard University**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Official Website: **www.buddyroemer.com

Buddy Roemer (born Oct. 4, 1943) formally announced his candidacy for president on July 21, 2011 at Dartmouth College. He sees the New Hampshire primary as key to his candidacy, so much so that he is renting an apartment in Manchester. Roemer served four terms in Congress as a Democrat between 1981 and 1988 before being elected governor in 1987. He was still serving as governor when he switched parties and became a Republican in 1991. He has a long way to go in terms of gaining voter recognition and getting the kind of traction his campaign will need to proceed beyond Iowa and New Hampshire. A WMUR Granite State Poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center in early July shows Roemer with less than 1 percent of voter support. The same poll showed a high degree of unfavorability among likely primary voters. He has rented an apartment in Manchester to help him stay active and gain support here in New Hampshire, but the effort he's put into the state isn't translating into a good poll showings just yet. A Suffolk University/WHDH-TV poll in late September put his support at about 1 percent.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Mitt Romney (R) **

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Former Governor of Massachusetts **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Residence: **Belmont, MA**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Family: **Married, 3 children**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Education: **BA, Brigham Young University; MBA, Harvard Business School; JD, Harvard Law <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Official Website: **www.mittromney.com

<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Mitt Romney (born March 12, 1947) is a former Republican governor of Massachusetts and the first major candidate to formally declare his candidacy for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. He placed second behind eventual nominee John McCain in the 2008 New Hampshire primary. Romney has let his money speak for his intentions in the Granite State’s first-in-the-nation primary. Through his political action committee, Free and Strong America, he donated money to the GOP slate of candidates during the 2010 mid-term election. After the election he gave $129,500 to 14 senators and 37 House members. That included donations to New Hampshire’s big winners (and those with a lot of political influence) -- $2,500 to U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and $2,000 each to U.S. Reps. Charlie Bass and Frank Guinta. He can almost be considered a favorite son, given Massachusetts’ proximity to the Granite State and the fact he has a vacation home here. That status is evident in a series of New Hampshire polls where he has consistently led other potential presidential candidates.He formalized his candidacy June 2, 2011 with an announcement at the Scamman family farm in Stratham. The fact that he announced in the Granite State demonstrates how much he wants to win here. His frontrunner status emerged unscathed from the first Republican presidential debate held June 13, 2011 in Manchester. He leads not only in poll number, but also in fundraising, according to financial reports filed in July. His closest competitor is Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann. Romney finished in seventh place with 3.36 percent of the Ames, Iowa, straw poll vote on Aug. 13. He wasn't expected to do well since he didn't put much effort into Ames. The entrance of Texas Gov. Rick Perry into the presidential race the same day as the Ames straw poll could upset the dynamic as the campaigns roll into the fall. Perry quickly shot to the top of some national polls, but Romney's footing in New Hampshire has remained solid. He polled well ahead of Perry and others in a late September survey released by Suffolk Unversity/WHDH-TV.

**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Rick Santorum (R) **

 * <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;">Experience: **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif'; font-size: 13px;"> Former U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania **<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Residence: ** Penn Hills, PA**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Family: **Married, 7 children**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Education: **BA, Pennsylvania State University; MBA, University of Pittsburgh; JD, Dickinson School of Law**<span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">Official Website: **www.ricksantorum.com

Rick Santorum (born May 10, 1958) is a former Republican U.S. senator from Pennsylvania. Santorum has been the most visible of all potential presidential candidates here in New Hampshire, having visited the state several times. He has also been the most active in pulling together his local political network by naming two New Hampshire residents to run the state organization of his political action committee, American’s Foundation. His interest in being a presidential candidate is long-standing. He informed his supporters more than a year ago: “I'm convinced that conservatives need a candidate who will not only stand up for our views, but who can articulate a conservative vision for our country's future.” He officially announced his candidacy for president on June 6, 2011 in his home state of Pennsylvania. But, with low poll numbers in New Hampshire continuing to dog him, he is staking his candidacy on the Iowa caucuses and has decided to move his family there to concentrate his efforts. He finished fourth in the Ames, Iowa, straw poll that was held on Aug. 13. He received 9.8 percent of the vote, far behind winner Michelle Bachmann (28.55 percent), Ron Paul (27.65 percent) and Tim Pawlenty (13.57 percent), who withdrew from the presidential race. His lack of attention in New Hampshire shows -- he received 1 percent support of likely NH primary voters in a late September poll conducted by Suffolk University/WHDH-TV.


 * Who is the front runner? Mitt Romney
 * What are people saying the Republicans need to do in order to win? Have strong debates.. propose realistic deals.
 * What are people saying the Republicans need to do in order to win? Have strong debates.. propose realistic deals.


 * What independent/other political parties have candidates in the mix? democratic and independent


 * Generate a list of any websites or sources that you feel like would be useful. **


 * Other optional things to read about: **


 * What issues are the people most concerned about being addressed?


 * What are the polls saying about the chances of reelection for Obama?

What has happened so far in the Republican bid for = = =** Herman Cain Profile: **=

short runner for in october
==Cain writes a [|syndicated] [|op-ed] column, which is distributed by the [|North Star Writers Group].[|[][|58][|]]== ==Cain wrote "The Intangibles of Implementation" in the technical journal //[|Interfaces]// (Vol. 9, No. 5, 1979, pp. 144–147), published by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences ([|INFORMS]).==

=="Cain briefly ran for the Republican presidential nomination in [|2000]; he says it was more about making political statements than winning the nomination. "[|George W. Bush] was the chosen one, he had the campaign DNA that followers look for." However, Cain went on to state, "I believe that I had a better message and I believe that I was the better messenger."[|[][|65][|]] After ending his own campaign, however, he endorsed [|Steve Forbes].[|[][|66][|"]]==

Main article: [|Political positions of Herman Cain]
==In July 2011, an advisor suggested that his campaign's tax policy plan be called "the Optimal Tax", but Cain rejected the name, saying "[w]e're just going to call it what it is: 9-9-9."[|[][|82][|]] The plan would replace the current tax code with a 9-percent business transactions tax, a 9-percent personal income tax, and a 9-percent federal sales tax. During a debate on October 12, Cain said his plan "expands the base," arguing that "[w]hen you expand the base, we can arrive at the lowest possible rate, which is 9-9-9."[|[][|83][|]] An analysis released to [|Bloomberg News] by the campaign claimed that the rate for each of the three taxes could in fact be as low as 7.3%, but "poverty grants" — which Cain has described as a lower rate in targeted "empowerment zones"[|[][|84][|]] — necessitated a national rate of 9%.[|[][|83][|]] [|Paul Krugman] has criticized the plan, saying it shifts much of the current tax burden from the rich to the poor.[|[][|85][|]] [|Arthur Laffer],[|[][|82][|]] [|Lawrence Kudlow],[|[][|86][|]] the [|Club for Growth],[|[][|87][|]] and Congressman [|Paul Ryan][|[][|88][|]] have spoken favorably of "9-9-9". On October 21, Cain told a crowd in Detroit that the plan would be 9-0-9 for the poor, saying that "if you are at or below the poverty level ... then you don't pay that middle 9 on your income."[|[][|89][|]]==