Former Governor of Arkansas, Mike Huckabee, is repeating his appearance as a speaker in the 2012 Convention; in 2008 he was one of the speakers at the Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is one of the best known conservatives and he will surely help Mitt Romney.

Huckabee remarked on the importance of the 2012 election, stating:

“I’m honored to be invited by Governor Romney to address my fellow Republicans at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, but especially grateful for the opportunity to explain to my fellow Americans why this election provides the most stark contrast of political platforms in American history.

“Four years ago, we were promised an economic recovery and the creation of millions of jobs, but have now seen the longest period of record unemployment since the Great Depression. We were promised that the sacred institution of marriage would be protected, but now we have the first president in history to support changing the nature and definition of marriage.

We were promised that faith would guide these decisions, but instead we have seen a full frontal assault on the conscience and convictions of religious liberty by insisting that this new government run health care system include forcing churches, colleges, hospitals, and businesses to bow their knee to the Baal of the federal government. I will do all I can to help Mitt Romney become our president.”

In his 2008 speech he warned Americans that Obama’s election “would elevate our taxes and our risks in a dangerous world.” He also criticized Obama for taking his campaign to Europe, by saying that Europeans did not vote or pay taxes in the United States. In one of his harder critics towards Europe he stated: “let me hasten to say that it’s not what he took there that concerns me. It’s what he brought back: European ideas that give the government the chance to grab even more of our liberty and destroy our hard-earned livelihood.”

Romney recently made his own trip to Europe in which he visited London and Poland. He also visited Israel. He received a lot of criticism for his trip, and one senior Republican strategist who was granted anonymity to speak candidly said: “Why on earth is he seeking to improve his foreign policy cred when there will not be a single vote cast on that subject?”

Most of the Republican criticisms towards Obama are the same that Huckabee expressed in his 2008 speech, in which he explained that Americans do not want more government but rather a smaller one. This is still one of the main criticisms against the Democrats, that they are trying to make a huge government. Huckabee quoted Abraham Lincoln, and said it was he who “reminded us that a government that can do everything for us is the government that can take everything from us,” which shows how dangerous a huge government really can be.

Critics against Obama during the 2012 campaign are basically giving the same arguments as the ones Huckabee made in his 2008 speech; let’s see if Mike Huckabee surprises us with his speech in the Tampa Convention.

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Swing states, or those with undefined political preferences, will decide who will be the next president of the United States. In the 2008 election President Obama obtained 365 electoral votes, when only 270 are needed to become president. The result proved his overwhelming success compared to the previous President George W. Bush, who only obtained 286 electoral votes in the 2004 election. But in November, reelection will not be that easy for President Obama because of the swing states.

In the 2008 election, Barack Obama won back crucial states to the Democrats, such as Florida or North Carolina, which had been in Republican control since the 2000 elections. But this could change this year; the Republicans want to regain control of Florida and hosting the Republican Convention there is proof of it. The Democrats want to remain in control of North Carolina, explaining why they organized their convention in Charlotte.

President Obama’s road to reelection will not be an easy one. Although the last two presidents have achieved reelection, the economic crisis has weakened Barack Obama, and that’s why Mitt Romney will have a chance, since he is seen as someone who knows how to handle economic problems. A recent Gallup poll shows that 60% of the people surveyed said Romney would do a good job handling the economy over the next four years; 52% said president Obama would.

The recent Gallup poll showed in which aspects Mitt Romney is stronger, but it also shows his weak points: he doesn’t generate enthusiasm from his voters and he hasn’t been able to establish a strong connection with the people. The results of the poll show it, and Obama is perceived as a much more likeable candidate with an advantage of over 27 points against Romney.

USA Today/Gallup lists twelve states that can determine this election: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Michigan, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and Wisconsin.

One state that is not considered a swing state, but could become one at any moment, is Arizona. In the U.S. electoral history this state has only voted for the Democratic Party once since President Truman, but the number of independent voters has grown in recent years in this state. This scenario makes Mitt Romney’s victory uncertain because there are a large number of undecided voters waiting to hear proposals, and that’s why closed elections are expected.

An interesting case of another closed state is New Mexico. In the 2008 election President Obama won with 56.7% of the votes. The Hispanic vote was decisive in this state, but the Arizona Republican Governor Susana Martinez, who has high approval ratings, and the economic crisis, has given Mitt Romney a slight chance to win this state.

The swing states are the ones that will determine the election. If the electoral votes for each one of them are summed up, there are 150 electoral votes, and if Arizona is added, which may become a swing state at any moment, that brings it up to 161 electoral votes that don’t have a clear destiny: they may go Republican or Democrat. The only thing certain about this election is that it would be a close race and if Obama wins, it may not be a comfortable victory like in 2008. Both candidates will have to work hard to achieve the magic number of electoral votes: 270.

Image Courtesy of  Steve Adamson / Shutterstock.com

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Looking back, many Americans now believe that Hilary Clinton would have been a better president over Barack Obama. Clinton was a 2008 presidential nominee against President Barack Obama, but lost in the race and instead made Secretary of State for the Barack administration.

Although a  popular figure among most Americans, a recent Bloomberg poll conducted this month demonstrated that 64 per cent of Americans currently have a more favorable view of Clinton. The poll also included a study asking if the United States would be better off today with Clinton in the White House than it is under President Obama and 34 per cent agreed.

Only 13 per cent thought that the country would be worse off if Hilary Clinton was in office, along with 35 per cent of people who thought the country would be worse off with McCain as president. A share of 46 per cent think that the country would be about the same with either Clinton or President Obama in office.

After surveying 997 people, participants ranked Hilary Clinton at 27 per cent ‘very favorable’ which surpassed the current president with his 21 percent ‘very favorable’ rating. Dick Cheney even chimed in stating on Fox News while promoting his new book, that “perhaps she might have been easier for some of us who are critics of the President to work with.”

He also said, “I have the sense that she’s one of the more competent members of the current administration, and it would be interesting to speculate about how she might perform were she to be president.” Clinton’s recent speech at the U.N event on Monday encouraged women to get involved in democracies throughout the world.

She stressed the importance of a “true democracy” that includes women and was there to promote the future of women in politics. She stated, “If we want a safe, secure, prosperous, peaceful future [...] women must be equal partners and free to realize their own God-given potential.”

Last week Clinton also made an appearance at the UN General Assembly, urging a peaceful solution through negotiations for Israel and Palestine. This speech was intended to smooth over plans by Palestine to ask the United Nations to declare the Israeli-occupied land independent and recognize the Palestinian territory as sovereign.

Unfortunate for many hopefuls, Hilary Clinton thus far has not shown any steps towards entering the 2012 presidential race. She said that she wouldn’t run for president again and was looking forward to retirement in an interview with Anne Curry in 2009.

Her approval rating and popularity might make it hard for her to turn down the opportunity though, and the polls show that many people wish they could get another opportunity to vote differently and elect Clinton into office.

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Paul, who recently moved up as one of the leading GOP presidential candidates of the 2012 election, has had previous experience with the roller coaster of campaigning in his run in 2008.

Paul has the same views he did four years ago, but they are attracting attention this time around and setting his campaign apart from other candidates.

Paul could have an advantage in the race, because he knows what to expect during his early stages of campaigning. He knows what the people want because many of the issues he built his campaign on in 2008 are more crucial from four years ago and are vital in the 2012 election.

He stated in Iowa, “I believe there are literally millions of more people now concerned about the very things I talked about four years ago. The excessive spending, the entitlement system, the foreign policy, as well as the monetary system.”

People who are fed up with the government’s excessive spending and involvement in our daily lives will most likely turn to a candidate who promotes more freedom and small government along with other libertarian views. Paul is answering the tough questions that some other candidates haven’t focused much attention on, which may be beneficial in the end.

Taking second place in the Ames straw poll may have been because of his bold statements that set him apart from other candidates.

In one response he stated, “I believe in a very limited role for government. But the prime reason that government exists in a free society is to protect liberty, but also to protect life. And I mean all life.”

In response to the second place win at the straw poll, Ron Paul’s campaign chairman Jesse Benton stated, “Our message was the same in 2007 as it is now in 2011, but this time we have quadrupled our support. That means our message is spreading, our support is surging and people are taking notice.”

Paul is gaining support from college students, libertarians, as well as other conservatives that have seen many of his predictions become realities.  He is sparking a new movement and attracting not just followers, but dedicated supporters who believe in his vision.

Even though Ron Paul’s ideology is not always the most mainstream or agreeable, such as his views on military spending and the federal reserve, he has been a candidate who has stayed true to his remarks. He has had a continuous message that has resonated not only in this election but also for the past four years since his campaign in 2008.

It will be interesting to see if Paul’s libertarian ideals will continue to gain support, or if they will distract voters into voting for a more mainstream candidate such as Bachmann, Perry, or Romney.

Image Courtesy of  R. DeYoung [CC-BY-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

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