Here We Go Again

Politico’s front page story this morning is on the 2012 GOP race. There isn’t any real ground breaking news inside.  Here are the potential contenders they list:

• Mike Huckabee: Huck is doing some extensive traveling in the coming months to promote his new book which was written to help “make the connection between conservative fiscal and social policy.” His travels will, of course, take him to Iowa and South Carolina.
• Bobby Jindal: The GOP’s rising star is heading to Iowa later this month to keynote a dinner for Christian conservatives.  No politician goes to Iowa by accident.
• John Thune: The South Dakota Senator has to worry more about being re-elected than preparing for a 2012 run.  Still, he’s done a lot of travel in recent years for down ballot Republicans in places like Michigan.
• Tim Pawlenty: Focused on his day job as Governor of Minnesota.  That ends, however, in 2010.
• Charlie Crist: The Florida Governor keeps talking about expanding the GOP base.  Of all the candidates mentioned, I think he is the least likely to go for the White House in 2012.
• Sarah Palin: The GOP’s golden girl said she couldn’t think that far in the future.
• Mitt Romney: Surprisingly, the article says the former Massachusetts governor is really unsure of whether to run in 2012.  They note his family is against another campaign.
• Newt Gingrich: His spokesman comes the closest to declaring the former Speaker of the House a candidate by saying it “depends on what Obama does.”  As I’ve said before, Gingrich should stay as the party’s policy wonk-in-chief.  He’s had his time in elected office (besides I bet Democrats would love to run against him).