Dick Morris: Frontrunner Status for Romney

As I reasoned before, the decisions by Trump and Huckabee not to seek the GOP presidential nomination has essentially placed a frontrunner status on Mitt Romney.

Make sure to watch this video as Dick Morris takes you through the most recent polling on how Romney is impacted by the dwindling GOP field. He also points out Romney two biggest weakness with voters. The first is his support for a healthcare system, RomneyCare, that is eerily similar to ObamaCare. The second is Romney's faith.

Voters do feel good about Romney's business background and believe that he could do a much better job at solving the economic problems facing the country than is President Obama. Morris also hypothesizes what will happen if Mitch Daniels and/or Michele Bachmann jump in the race.

Dick Morris ends his video by stating a very real truth: No matter how you feel about Mitt Romney, President Romney is much better than President Obama.

As far as I'm concerned, I'm not a big Romney fan. In fact, I'll do what I can to make sure he doesn't get the nomination. That being said, if Romney wins the nomination, I'll fully support his effort to become President Romney. That's because Dick was right--President Romney does have a much better ring to it than President Obama!

Filling the Gap: Rick Perry for President?

Courtesy: Real Clear Politics

The Texas governor has long denied any interest in pursuing the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. In fact, I was at CPAC where many of these denials took place.

Real Clear Politics (RCP) is reporting that a few Perry confidants are reaching out to other consultants and operatives--especially in states with early primaries. It seems that, at least in recent months, Perry's close associates have begun to say that the governor would not consider a run until after the end of the Texas legislature's term. Since that date is only a few weeks away, could it be that something is in the mix?

I've discussed how some speculate that Romney benefits from both Huckabee and Trump deciding not to run. A factor that hasn't been taken into consideration is what would happen if no Southern top tier GOP candidate entered the race. This is exactly what has happened--both Haley Barbour and Mike Huckabee passed. Newt Gingrich is generally considered a top tier candidate but has stumbled mightily in the last few days.

This leaves a chasm into which a strong candidate like Rick Perry could jump. Will he or won't he? That remains to be seen. There is no question, however, that Perry's entrance into the race could prove to be "game-changing."

Rick Perry has an excellent record as governor, is extremely likable, and has fought the Obama Administration tooth-and-nail every step of the way. Despite Romney's success in polls and fundraising, he would be amiss to take lightly Perry's potential candidacy.

Needless to say, Rick Perry brings a great deal to the table. Check out his statements below on ObamaCare and the 10th Amendment.

Urgent: Newt Gingrich Supports "Variation" of Individual Mandate

Courtesy: NBC/AP

This morning, on NBC's Meet the Press, Newt Gingrich took an ax to the base of the party from which he is seeking a 2012 presidential nomination.

Gingrich first criticized Paul Ryan and the GOP plans for healthcare. He then proceeded to detail how he and Mitt Romney were not that far apart on the issue of the individual mandate and healthcare overall. This, of course, makes neither of the two GOP candidates very far from President Obama and his plan.

This hurts Gingrich at a time when he could stand to gain at least some of Huckabee's supporters. It now looks as though any path to the nomination Gingrich may have had is gone.

Some might ask why has Romney's stance on healthcare not already sunk his nomination chances? To be certain, his nomination chances haven't been helped any. Even so, it seems that many simply believe he is the most electable. This could explain why he polls so highly despite the GOP electorate's general disdain for Obama's healthcare initiative.

Without question, this story is far from over. More on this subject will be coming in the following days. Check back for further updates, and don't forget to vote in the poll.

Also, take a look, below, at Huckabee's full announcement on his Fox News show.

He's Out: Huckabee Will Not Seek GOP Presidential Nomination

If you haven't already heard, Mike Huckabee will not seek the 2012 GOP nomination for president. This is despite the fact that he is currently leading or placing second in the major polls.

Even before Huckabee made his announcement on his FoxNews program on Saturday night, many had speculated that he would not run. This was due largely to his inactivity in the realm of putting together a campaign staff. Many of his 2008 staff members and/or consultants had already signed up to work for other candidates.

Another one of Huckabee's considerations was his ever expanding media empire. Admittedly, it would be difficult for anyone to walk away from a position which allows him to have a sense of security. More importantly, Huckabee's television and radio programs allow him to have a very large say in issues of public policy.

Everyone is already wondering who will benefit most from Huckabee's dropping out of the race. This, of course, is still very up in the air. Many, for some reason, would suspect that Romney would benefit most since he is polling second. While Romney may pick up some "Huckabee votes," it is unlikely that he will get the lions-share of them. 

For starters, you might recall that Huckabee and Romney did not have the greatest of relationships during the 2008 campaign. In his announcement, Huckabee even mentions the mildly bad blood between the two. Another reason is that many Huckabee voters are social conservatives and will likely look for a candidate with better social conservative credentials than Romney. Some have speculated that candidates, or potential candidates, like Santorum, Cain, or Palin would benefit most from Huckabee's decision not to run.

Whatever, the case, it is fairly clear that the most consistent early frontrunner has now taken himself out of the race. Only time and GOP voters will reveal the current frontrunner.

Huckabee to Announce Presidential Plans on His Fox Show Tonight

Is he in or is he out? Nobody knows. What we do know is that everyone will know tonight after Huckabee's show of the Fox News Channel.

I has to be a tough decision for Huckabee. If he decides to run for president, he will have to give up, at least temporarily, his very successful news career. That, of course, is not to mention the incredible stress of the campaign for which he would be signing he and his family.

So, make sure  you check out Huckabee's show tonight if you want to be among the first to know. Many of Huckabee's close friends don't even know what he has decided. Read, below, the e-mail he sent to many of the people close to him, and watch the show tonight!

Tomorrow night (Saturday) I will announce the next step in my plans for 2012 during my show on the Fox News Channel. I would like to be able to call you or email you personally and in advance of the announcement, but due to the fact that the decision was not finalized until today and that I committed to Fox that I will absolutely not release it prior to doing so on the channel, that became impractical.

A lot of information and speculation was already rampant in the press today, and it frankly isn't fair to you to tell you the details and then put you in the awkward position of saying you didn't know (which at that point wouldn't be true) or saying you did know, but couldn't reveal or discuss it.

It was this afternoon before I could even get word to all of my own children and even now, the executive producer of my show and the staff and crew of the show don't know and won't until I actually do the final preparation literally minutes before I share the decision live Saturday night.

I will look forward to speaking with you soon and once I fulfill my sworn obligation to Fox, I will be free to discuss things that I can't now due to promises to them and to some possible legal considerations of the announcement.

Many friends have said, "how can we help you in the decision?" My answer has consistently been, "Pray that I have clarity." I have it and will share it Saturday night during the show. Please be patient if I don't respond immediately to an email because I expect that once I pull the trigger Saturday night, things will get even crazier, as if that's possible.

My heartfelt thanks for your friendship, prayers, and support,

Mike Huckabee

Read more: http://thepage.time.com/huckabee-e-mail-to-his-inner-circle/#ixzz1MMIuwOEI

South Carolina: First Republican Presidential Debate

At 9 P.M. EDT tonight, five potential contenders for the Republican nomination will square off against each other in South Carolina in the first Republican debate. While the big names of Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney, and Sarah Palin might be missing from tonight's debate, there will still be plenty of excellent points to go around. The five candidates participating in tonight's event are Herman Cain, Tim Pawlenty, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Gary Johnson.

Herman Cain previously served as the CEO of Godfather's Pizza and as is a former chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. Cain has never held public office--despite his popularity among the Tea Party faithful and a run for the US Senate in 2004. He recently hosted a successful radio show in Atlanta, GA.

Tim Pawlenty is the former governor of Minnesota, serving from 2002 to 2010. Prior to his stint as governor, Pawlenty served in the Minnesota House of Representatives from 1992 to 2002.

Rick Santorum is a former US Representative and US Senator. He served the citizens of Pennsylvania for two terms in each chamber. By 2001, he had become the Senate's third-ranking Republican. Santorum was defeated in his 2006 reelection bid amidst a Democratic wave.

Ron Paul is currently serving his 11th full term as a US Representative from Texas. By trade, Paul is an obstetrician-gynecologist. He brings a spark to the debate with his vocally faithful following. Paul was the Libertarian Party's nominee for president in 1988. He also sought the Republican nomination in 2008.

Gary Johnson is the former governor of New Mexico, serving from 1995 to 2002. Johnson worked his way up by building what became one of the largest construction companies in New Mexico. Interestingly, Johnson has participated in numerous triathlons and once climbed Mt. Everest.

Needless to say, we will get to hear a great deal from many of the candidates which have not been garnering a wide range of attention as of yet. This fact should make us listen to the candidates even more closely tonight. Each brings a unique perspective to the battle for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination.

Who is your favorite Republican candidate for 2012? If you don't know, find out tonight!

You can watch the debate online at FoxNews.com.