Published: 04/19/2011
Republicans have begun their search for a possible 2012 presidential candidate as President Barrack Obama officially begins his campaigning efforts this week.
Obama recently made his announcement that he intends to run for re-election, and kicked off his campaigning efforts April 14 in his hometown of Chicago.
On the Grand Old Party (GOP) side, there has yet to be a leader for the party nomination, but a few are making noise and are vying for the position.
Mitt Romney, former governor of Mas- sachusetts, made his announcement that he has created an “exploratory committee for the presidency,” and might be seeking the Republican nomination. Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum has also created a committee exploring his possible election bid.
Other possible GOP candidates include former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich.
With so much time before the election next November, things will only get more interesting as new candidates begin to announce their official plans and begin their campaign efforts.
One notable figure to keep an eye on is Donald Trump. He recently made an announcement that he intends to run for the Republican nomination for president. Some speculate that the announcement was a tactic to increase viewership of the newest season of his show, “Celebrity Apprentice.”
With so much unknown about his real intentions, only time will tell if Trump is a viable option or not.
President Obama has already held three fundraising campaign events in Chicago.
Restaurants MK Chicago and N9NE Steak house hosted dinners with around 225 attendees at each event; the final event at the Navy Pier included Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose, and an attendance of around 2,000 people. All the proceeds from the events go to the Democratic National Committee and the Obama Victory Fund, his re-election fund.
A year and a half remains before the elections and it is highly unlikely that any Democrat will challenge an incumbent president for the election. This puts all the pressure on the GOP side to find a candidate who will represent the GOP voters.
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