With Super Tuesday fast approaching, THE IRISH ROVER brings you some context on the 2012 GOP primary and the candidates involved. Currently, the two frontrunners are Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich.
Mitt Romney has served in numerous distinguished capacities. After graduating from Brigham Young, Romney attended and received a joint JD/MBA from Harvard University. He then entered management consulting at Bain & Co. where he eventually cofounded Bain Capital, a spinoff private equity company. The company was immensely successful and has provided Romney the wealth by which he has financed many of his subsequent political endeavors.
In 2002, Mitt Romney worked as head of the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing committee. He is widely credited with turning the games into a financial success. From 2002 to 2006, Romney then served as governor of Massachusetts. Rather than seeking a second term in 2006, Romney pursued the 2008 Republican presidential nomination. He was ultimately defeated by John McCain.
Despite his moderate nature, Romney has faced much criticism. While governor of Massachusetts, Romney supported a healthcare law that closely resembles the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed by the Obama Administration. Additional criticism concerns both Romney’s personal Mormon faith and his flip-flopping on certain political issues. Personal attacks attempt to paint the candidate as a ruthless business man who is out of sync with the ordinary American. These attacks, while perhaps not entirely effective, may contribute to Romney’s inability to excite the conservative base.
The second frontrunner in the GOP nomination is Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House from 1995 to 1999. Co-author of the Republican Party’s electoral promise, “Contract with America,” Gingrich was instrumental in returning a Republican majority to the House. As speaker, he was praised by conservatives for his leadership in passing several conservative bills.
That said, as has been evident during the primary race, Gingrich is a controversial figure. His language is often harsh, and during his time as speaker, Gingrich upset individuals on both sides of the aisle. His support among independent voters is debatable.
Newt Gingrich is also criticized for previous ethics violations committed during his tenure in the House. For one such violation, he was penalized $300,000. Opponents use these violations and Gingrich’s tumultuous past marriages to question the candidate’s character.
To an extent, Gingrich can be classified as the other-than-Romney candidate. He has attempted, and to an extent, succeeded, in gaining support from social conservatives who doubt the truthfulness of Romney’s conservatism. Gingrich has most effectively exploited this concern throughout the debates. In stark contrast to Romney, Newt Gingrich speaks in a professorial manner. He has earned additional support for his constant criticism of the media’s liberal bias.
Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are the other contenders remaining in the GOP primary. A former senator from Pennsylvania, Santorum is a staunch fiscal and social conservative and identifies himself as the populist candidate. Such effort was rewarded in his narrow victory in the Iowa Caucus. Since then, however, Santorum has struggled to raise the funding necessary to compete in a national primary, resulting in substantial defeats in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Victory, while still possible, is hence unlikely.
Per his own description, Ron Paul is the “flavor of the decade.” He represents a stark contrast to the other three contenders in that while a Republican, he is not a true conservative. A former House representative, Paul embodies a libertarian ideology that has gained the most attention from younger voters. While Paul maintains a group of dedicated followers, the possibility of his attracting widespread Republican support is doubtful.
To date, there have been three Republican primaries and one caucus. After losing the closest Iowa Caucasus in history (after having previously been declared the winner), Romney netted a large win in New Hampshire. However, momentum then shifted after Gingrich delivered several strong debate performances. Subsequently, Gingrich won the South Carolina primary.
The most recent results show Mitt Romney to have won in the Florida primary. In addition to a strong debate performance, his resurgence can be attributed to his substantial financial advantage and numerous third-party attacks against Gingrich. Given the factors that influenced the Florida primary, it is reasonable to consider Mitt Romney the frontrunner. Thus far, while failing to excite the “conservative base,” the former governor has successfully presented himself as the moderate candidate most capable of defeating President Obama.
Scott Englert enjoys a glass of sweet tea. Contact him at senglert@nd.edu.
