2012 Presidential Politics

In some ways the 2012 contest was in full swing months before Barack Obama took the oath to become the nation's 44th President. In other ways the contest has been slow to commence.

Iowa has already seen its fair share of potential Republican candidates, and currently the field is so wide that it can be a little difficult to keep up.

While no serious Democratic challengers have yet emerged to threaten the re-election bid of Barack Obama, there have been numerous candidates rumored to be at least considering a Republican run. Some of those are:

• Michele Bachmann
• Haley Barbour
• Mike Bloomberg
• John Bolton
• Scott Brown
• Jeb Bush
• Herman Cain
• Chris Christie
• Charlie Crist
• Mitch Daniels
• Jim DeMint
• Tim Gay Sr.
• Newt Gingrich
• Lindsey Graham
• Mike Huckabee
• Bobby Jindal
• Gary Johnson
• Fred Karger
• Bob McDonnell
• Tom Miller
• Sarah Palin
• Ron Paul
• Tim Pawlenty
• Mike Pence
• David Petraeus
• Mitt Romney
• Wayne Allyn Root
• Marco Rubio
• Rick Santorum
• John Thune
• Donald Trump

There is little doubt that the field will narrow prior to the current Feb. 6, 2012 date for the Iowa Caucus.

Latest Iowa Caucus 2012 News from the Iowa Independent

Kettering says ‘it is time’ to retire from Senate

by Douglas Burns | 11.16.2011 | 2:03 pm

LAKE VIEW — State Sen. Steve Kettering says he will not seek re-election next November, creating what amounts to an open seat for a new district that includes Carroll County and a vast swath of western Iowa.

Gingrich: ‘I’m a genuine, intellectual conservative’

by Douglas Burns | 11.16.2011 | 12:05 pm

CARROLL -- As he surged to the top of two national polls, Newt Gingrich spent nearly three hours at the Santa Maria Winery, speaking with voters, taking questions, signing books and screening a move he co-developed to celebrate Pope John Paul II.

Perry, pro-Perry super PAC leading network TV ad buys in Des Moines

by Andrew Duffelmeyer | 11.16.2011 | 10:15 am

Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his Super PAC are continuing a media blitz at Des Moines' top network TV stations, while other candidates and issue groups have gone off the airwaves.

Sierra Club: Misleading Cain ad not worth response

by Andrew Duffelmeyer | 11.16.2011 | 9:28 am

False claims on Environmental Protection Agency regulations made in a Herman Cain ad aren't worth responding to, a spokeswoman for the Sierra Club says, claiming voters are smart enough to see through political rhetoric in the ad.

Cain preparing to run network TV ads in Iowa

by Andrew Duffelmeyer | 11.15.2011 | 4:10 pm

Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain's campaign appears to be readying to run ads at Iowa's leading network TV station, according to filings at KCCI-TV in Des Moines.