In the middle of a hot dry summer in Georgia, there is little doubt that the nominee for the Democrat party for President of the United States of America will be the current president. Many pundits have already pronounced President Obama as the anointed winner in his second run to be the nominee of his party. Opinions will vary as to whether his nomination will mean an automatic second term in the White House.
On the Republican side of the aisle, the field of candidates for the nomination continues to grow. It is hard to predict how many people will ultimately be running to carry the banner for the Republican Party from the primaries into the General Election. National columnists and bloggers are abuzz with rumors of who is in and who is out in regard to being the final winner for the nomination to seek the highest office in the world. The question I am hearing most often these days is the prediction of who among the current field of candidates will be the first to drop out. There seems to be a tie in trying to determine if the first drop out would be Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich. Neither of these men has yet to gain the momentum that was been expected by their supporters. Almost every conservative column writer is showing Mitt Romney as the front runner in money support as well as poll results. There is a hedge on this prediction, however, by some writers when the as-yet unannounced candidacy of the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry, is added to the field of candidates. Fellow Georgian, Herman Cain, has a way of bringing great energy to a crowd and has enjoyed fair success in his fund raising attempts. Former Utah Governor, Ambassador Jon Huntsman, has been able to stir some waves after jumping into the fray. Minnesota Representative, Michele Bachmann, has been able to rise near the top in some of the daily tracking polls. There is some speculation as to whether Sarah Palin, former vice presidential candidate with Senator John McCain, will enter the race. There is Ron Paul who appeals to a certain segment of the population, but has yet to turn that appeal into a prediction of victory for him. Tim Pawlenty shows promise but is struggling to have his message heard. Thaddeus McCotter is also often mentioned as having entered last, and might be the first to drop out. Naming each of these candidates should not be seen as an endorsement or prediction concerning any of them. I have listed them for information only. We continue to hear that others will be joining the race.
With all that is going on in Washington over the increase in the debt ceiling, and other national and international upheavals, some would say it is too early to begin following presidential candidates. I would argue however, that the time is now that we need to become aware of the positions of each candidate in order to make an informed decision when the time comes for voting.
Admittedly, it is early, but it is never too early to begin comparing the values, experience (in and out of government service), platforms and promises of each of the people who would want our vote to become the next President of the United States. With the availability of information via the Internet and with social media on the upswing all the candidates attempt to make known their beliefs and policy convictions in order for everyone who agrees with them to jump on their wagon as they move toward the primary vote next year.
There is no excuse for any person to say they are not informed about candidates. There should be no viable excuse to stay home on Election Day, especially to say that you don’t know the people running for President of the United States of America.
Ray Newman
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