At this point one would have to bet heavily that Barack Obama will be reelected in 2012 to his second term as president.
Where in the world are the people on the Republican side who are going to challenge Obama for the right to sit in the Oval Office starting in January, 2013?
Why are the 2012 presidential possibilities on the GOP side being so coy and lackluster and saying it is too early to make the decision to run for the White House?
Surely, former presidential candidate Mitt Romney is not going on David Letterman to do his top ten list for no reason after being on CNN earlier discussing his religion and politics.
The former Governor of Massachusetts told the viewers on the Piers Morgan show that he had not made up his mind-right -and that is why he is on two national talk shows in one night in February.
While President Obama is on the job discussing the events from Tunisia to Egypt and what the United States should be doing in these tense and chaotic situations his potential GOP opponents are on the sideline not commenting on the proper role for the United States.
At least a member of the Obama Administration seems inclined to run for the White House in 2012. The former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman is leaving Beijing to come back and see if the time is right for him to throw his hat in the ring. It might be a little difficult to criticize the Obama foreign policy especially towards China since he was our spokesman for the policy while serving as American Ambassador to China.
Huntsman brings some foreign policy credentials to the job if he decides to run which it looks as if he will when he resigns his post in April.
It is interesting that many analysts suggest that Romney couldn't make it to the White House because of his Mormon religion but I have heard very little about Huntsman being held back by his Mormon religion.
And, the question has to be asked: Why are some Americans so skeptical of Romney and his religious beliefs? Why do some American voters feel a sense of unease over the Mormon religion? Hopefully, Romney put that question to rest in 2008 and he and Huntsman won't have to face this issue in 2012.
In 2007, Mike Huckabee had already announced for president by this time but now he says he has all the time in the world to announce as he makes his mandatory trip to the Middle East to show his foreign policy credentials.
Sarah Palin seems to not be setting up any type of national organization to launch her expected run for 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. She needs to get a positive message going and establish some gravitas if she seriously wants to run in 2012. It seems as if Rep .Michele Bachman may be replacing Palin as a spokesman for Tea Party wing of the GOP.
The Republican who is getting the best coverage in the media these days is Ronald Reagan as the country celebrates his 100th birthday.
That is not really a good sign for potential GOP presidential candidates to be upstaged by an icon from an earlier time.
Why don't Pawlenty, Daniels, Barbour, Gingrich and Huckabee and Romney and Palin get their acts together and let the voters know if they are running and stop being coy and saying they haven't yet decided.
Of course, they have decided and it is time for them to be speaking out on Egypt, Tunisia, jobs, the stimulus, health care and the other issues Obama is dealing with every day.
We aren't going to vote for someone for the highest political job in the land if they cannot even make the initial decision to throw their hat in the ring and start sparring with the president on their views on these issues.
It makes them look weak and indecisive and afraid to mix it up with the president. Every day they hold back from announcing just makes it look like they are not presidential and Obama benefits from their not being willing to commit to the presidential campaign.
Give Ambassador Huntsman credit for resigning his position abroad to come back home to challenge his boss the president in 2012. At least, it shows some positive backbone and he is not being coy about his intentions.
After Huntsman the GOP list goes on and on. Beyond the obvious first tier of candidates for 2012 there are a number of potential candidates who could enter the presidential fray.
Condi Rice would make for a serious GOP candidate. So would retiring Senator Kay Bailey Hutchinson of Texas. Either of Maine's senators Olympia Snowe or Susan Collins would be good in a general election if they could make it through Republican primaries.
South Carolina Senator Jim DeMInt would be a crowd pleaser for the Tea party wing of the GOP. His colleague Senator Lindsay Graham has strong foreign policy credentials and would make a good presidential candidate.
George Petaki, the former governor of New York, and Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of the Big Apple, are discussing getting into the contest.
The current governor of Texas Rick Perry would bring some important electoral votes if he ran.
And who can forget Sharon Angle and Christine O'Donnell and former GOP presidential candidate Steve Forbes.
And John Bolton is angling to run and why not Meg Whitman-she certainly didn't spend all her money by any means in the California Senate race.
So all you Republicans out there: quit thinking about being a presidential candidate and announce already-you owe it to the American voter to get into the arena and pit your views, themes and goals against your opponent in 2012-Barack Obama.
Let the contest begin in earnest. Announce and tell us who you are and why you can do a better job than Obama in creating jobs and promoting democracy abroad.
The voters have to get used to a candidate and envision that person as being presidential and that takes time and that means announcing this month!
Every day that passes without an announced GOP presidential candidate debating the issues with the president makes Barack Obama look like a two term president.
You can't beat somebody with nobody!
Follow Robert Guttman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cpfr
Awesome on the rest of it - perfect pitch, nicely done.
As you guys say all the time,, he has only been in office 24 months,,,,, Plenty of time before Rubio, Christie, or Pawlenty announce
It's hard to take the point seriously if the writer cannot even do basic research, best ask Brown who he beat to become Governor.
He's done nothing for two years and most experts say it does not look good going forward, unless you work for some of Obama's best friends (Wall St.and Banks) or you are engaged in and make most of your profits in the global economy, meaning you reduce payroll and automate your manufacturing (using Obama's tax cuts for small businesses) and if you cannot automate, simply send the jobs off shore - Obama won't lift a 'finger' to stop it.
Obamacare has frozen job creation at places like McDonalds, who needed a waiver for their health insurance or else fire thousands of workers. They and many others, are not going to be hiring until they know for sure how much they will have to pay for health insurance under Obamacare. Ditto for 100's of other industries, mostly unions, whose employment ranks are frozen, thanks to Obamacare..
If we're still at 9.x% unemployment and Obamacare is still the law of the land, Obama loses in a close race.
If real (not saved nor government) jobs are being created, and unemployment is trending down and Obama does not have to run on 'We saved jobs', or "It would have been worse if ....", then Obama should win re-election.