USA 2012: Obama - the challengers and challenges

As the intrigue slowly begins to build for the next election, now is as good a time as ever to take a look at the challengers and challenges that President Obama faces in his bid for re-election, writes OBV intern Ben Fraimow.

A week ago US President Barack Obama announced his intentions to run for a second term in office. This announcement has been thought of by many as the unofficial start to the next US Presidential election, which will be held on November 6th, 2012.

Unlike British politics, American candidates are selected through a process known as a primary. Before the parties face off against one another in the general election, the prospective candidates for their party’s nomination must face off against one another.

Primaries are held in individual states, with each winner receiving delegates for victories in each state. The candidate with the most delegates at the end of the primary process is given the nomination from his party, which then kicks off the general election. For the 2012 election, the primaries begin on February 6th, 2012, in the State of Iowa.

As the sitting President, Obama is running virtually unopposed in the Democratic Primary, and is a certainty to be the Democratic candidate for President.

The Republican field has been slow to form, but appears to be picking up in the past few days as former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who challenged for the Republican nomination in 2008, began the first steps towards a run for the Presidency by forming an exploratory committee. Romney finished third for the Republican nomination in 2008, and is seen as the favourite for 2012 by many.

The Republican field is expected to be large and diverse heading into the primary season, with over a dozen prominent Republicans considering a run for the Presidency. Perhaps most well-known and controversial among these is 2008 Vice Presidential Candidate Sarah Palin.

The former Governor of Alaska became the first woman nominated by the Republican Party for the Vice Presidency, and has been a sometimes controversial figure among both Republicans and the public at large. Palin has yet to rule out a Presidential run, yet recent polls find just 25 percent of Americans view her with a favourable rating.

Three other potential challengers for the Republican nomination are former US Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Former Governor of Alabama Mike Huckabee, and Former Governor of Minnesota Tim Pawlenty.

In early polls, Romney and Huckabee, the most prominent Republican challengers to John McCain in 2008, have held narrow leads, but in the crowded field no candidate has yet begun to stand out from the pack.

Other potential candidates who have been mentioned as challengers include Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour, Minnesota congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, former Governor of Utah Jon Huntsman, and Texas congressman Ron Paul. Business tycoon Donald Trump has also suggested a potential run.

While the official race for the Presidency will not begin in earnest until September of 2012, when both Parties will have official nominees, candidates have already begun sharpening their attacks for what appears to be a hotly contested election. Obama, whose approval rating sits in the mid-40s, must try and recapture the broad coalition that led to his victory over McCain in 2008. Obama raised over 750 million in 2008, and is expected to reach 1 billion in fundraising this time around.

The issue of US deficit, spending cuts to major programs, and the unemployment rate are expected to be the major issues of the election, along with the continuing wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the recent involvement in Libya.

Ben Fraimow