Jump to content

2012 Republican Party presidential primaries

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 209.136.161.135 (talk) at 16:09, 26 January 2012. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Republican presidential primaries, 2012

← 2008 January 3, 2012, to present 2016 →
 
Candidate Newt Gingrich Mitt Romney
Party Republican Republican
Home state Georgia Massachusetts
Delegate count 28[1] 32[1]
States carried 1 1
Popular vote 282,907 294,813
Percentage 29.12% 30.35%

 
Candidate Ron Paul Rick Santorum
Party Republican Republican
Home state Texas Pennsylvania
Delegate count 10[1] 8[1]
States carried 0 1
Popular vote 160,944 155,357
Percentage 16.57% 15.99%

Results of the 2012 Republican Party primaries and caucuses
Green denotes a state won by Rick Santorum.
Purple denotes a state won by Newt Gingrich.
Orange denotes a state won by Mitt Romney.
Gold denotes a state won by Ron Paul.
Grey denotes a state that has not yet started/completed voting.

Previous Republican nominee before election

John McCain

Republican nominee

TBD

The 2012 Republican presidential primaries are the selection processes in which voters of the Republican Party will choose their nominee for President of the United States in the 2012 presidential election. There are 2,286 delegates.[2] A candidate must accumulate 1,144 delegate votes to win.[3]

The primary contest began with a fairly wide field, and is the first presidential primary influenced by the Tea Party movement. This was the first presidential primary affected by a Supreme Court ruling that allowed unlimited fundraising for candidates through super PACs. Two candidates who ran in 2008, Congressman Ron Paul of Texas and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, also ran in 2012.

Romney took an early lead in polls with the support of much of the Republican establishment.[4] However, his lead over the Republican field has been precarious, due to the entry of new candidates who drew considerable media attention between April and August 2011. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann of Minnesota received significant support in polls after winning the Ames Straw Poll, but she lost some of her momentum when Texas Governor Rick Perry was propelled by significant national Republican support to join the race in August 2011; he performed strongly in polls, immediately becoming a serious contender.[5][6]

Following a series of poor performances in debates, Perry lost his momentum to Herman Cain. Cain's viability as a candidate was seriously jeopardized after allegations of a history of sexual harassment surfaced in the media, with his campaign being suspended on December 3, 2011 despite his unyielding denials of any misconduct. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich of Virginia, who stressed the need to beat incumbent President Barack Obama and to avoid intra-party disputes, began making a comeback in November 2011, both in polls and fundraising.[7] Gingrich's popularity began to wane in mid-December under focused attacks by Mitt Romney[8] and Ron Paul.[9]

Former Senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania enjoyed a late surge in support immediately prior to the January 3, 2012, Iowa caucuses, the first contest of the primary season, and narrowly prevailed over Mitt Romney there. After a disappointing sixth place finish in Iowa, Bachmann exited the race. Romney won the New Hampshire primary by a significant margin on January 10, 2012, as was expected. Former Utah Governor Jon Huntsman, Jr. failed to get significant national support during the race and focused nearly all of his efforts on New Hampshire; however, he dropped out of the race after finishing third there. Perry, after finishing fifth in Iowa and with 1% in New Hampshire, dropped out two days before the South Carolina primary and endorsed Gingrich. Romney was expected by many to carry on that surge of momentum going into South Carolina to win, with some expecting him to virtually lock up the nomination in South Carolina. However, after two debates in South Carolina on the week of the primary, yielding poor Romney performances and strong Gingrich performances, on January 21, 2012, Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary.

As of January 24, 2012, the only remaining national candidates for the Republican nomination were Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, and Rick Santorum.

Background

The U.S. economy suffered a recession from 2007 to 2009, median incomes fell for Americans, and unemployment, while falling from a high of 9.9% in 2008,[10] has remained above 8% so far through Obama's term in office.[11] Polling showed voters who approved of his "handling of the economy" fell from 60% at the start of his term to the mid-30s by 2011.[12] Since 2008, the Republican Party has experienced big gains in white voters, including younger and poorer Whites who trended Democratic.[13][14][15] The results of the 2010 census also reduced the influence of traditionally blue states in the electoral college.

Polling found that Americans were increasingly frustrated with the U.S. government as a whole, and the Republican Party shared in those high disapproval ratings.[16] In particular, although the majority of Americans felt Obama did not have a successful plan to bring jobs, they trusted Congress even less to create them.[17][18] The House of Representatives, now with a substantial Republican majority since January 2011, refused to raise taxes and was engaged in a lengthy dispute over the debt ceiling. House Speaker John Boehner led negotiations with President Obama over raising the debt ceiling. The Tea Party movement, which was active in political town hall meetings, was opposed to raising the ceiling.[19] LGBT issues have been one of the major discussion topics among candidates. Amid intense debates, all Republican candidates have opposed same-sex marriage, expressing support for "traditional marriage" between a man and a woman. Only Jon Huntsman has supported civil unions.[20][21] Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Rick Perry have particularly spoken out strongly against gay marriage.[22] Santorum has opposed gay adoption, Gingrich and Herman Cain have described being gay as "a choice", and Bachmann has described gays as having a "sexual dysfunction".[23][24][25][26]

Concerns about the security and support of Israel have also been apparent in the lead-up to the 2012 elections, affecting Jewish support for both Obama and the Republican Party. Beginning in 2010, Obama's insistence that Israel stop construction of new settlements in the West Bank and in East Jerusalem,[27] and endorsement of the 1967 borders with land swaps as the basis for negotiations, weakened his support in the Jewish community.[28][29] The New York Times reported that Obama remained a clear favorite among Jewish fund-raisers and held a majority of Jewish voters in swing states,[30] but Ari Fleischer predicted that even a small shift in the Jewish community could cost Obama the states of Ohio and Florida.[31] The Obama administration attempted to postpone a September UN vote on recognizing statehood for Palestine, albeit to no avail.[32][33] In 2011, a record one-fifth of the U.S. Congress, 81 congressmen, visited Israel for firsthand education on Israeli foreign policy, sponsored by the American Israel Education Foundation.[34][35] Many of the potential Republican contenders—Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee,[36] Sarah Palin,[37] Haley Barbour, Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain—visited Israel in 2011.[38][39][40] RealClearPolitics suggested that a visit to Israel was a "near requisite" for running for President in the Republican Party as these visits influenced evangelical voters and promoted awareness of serious security issues in the region.[41] Israel's security situation was exacerbated during the Arab Spring when significant violence arose in Egypt and Syria, and Iran's nuclear capacities were increasing.[42][43][44] Republican candidates took increasingly hardline stances on Israeli-Palestinian issues during the campaign; Newt Gingrich described the Palestinians as an "invented people" who "had the chance to go many places" and should have left Palestine. He also said there was no real difference between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, described both as terrorists who wanted to destroy Israel, and said the peace process and the two-state solution were a "war against Israel". This stance marks a major departure from the policies of all previous administrations, including those of Obama and Bush.[45]

A record number of advocacy group pledges were signed by Republican candidates this election cycle. The pledges candidates promised included social issues and fiscal policy.[46][47] Every major Republican candidate promised to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) if elected president in 2012, and many said it would be a top priority.[48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55][56] Rick Santorum was an enthusiastic supporter of pledges, and was called a "Super Pledger" for his participation and defense of the practice.[57] Jon Huntsman declined to sign any pledges, making him the only candidate in the 2012 cycle without one.[58] The Susan B. Anthony List released a pro-life pledge signed by several candidates but not Romney;[59] pledges against same-sex marriage from the National Organization for Marriage and the Family Leader were signed by several to affirm that they would uphold the Defense of Marriage Act and prevent federal recognition of state marriages.[60] The Family Leader's pledge was highly controversial for its statements about Muslims, slavery and pornography.[61] Rick Santorum and Michele Bachmann signed the pledge, which also included a clause for the candidate to pledge to stay faithful to his or her spouse.[57][62][63] Bachmann denied her pledge included the slavery language, despite insistence by the Family Leader that she received the full document.[64][65][66] Santorum said he was "taken aback initially" when reading the document, but signed.[67][68] Candidates also signed promises to push for a balanced budget amendment (the pledge was released by the group Let Freedom Ring), to reduce the national debt (Strong America Now[dead link]), and to prevent any tax increases (Americans for Tax Reform).

Calendar

Republican primaries and caucuses calendar 2012

In April 2008, the Standing Committee on Rules of the Republican National Committee recommended the adoption of the "Ohio Plan", that would, starting in 2012, divide the primary states into three tiers: early states, small states, and large states. It would allow the early states to retain their status and tradition of being states that vote first. By the end of February 2012, nineteen small states comprising fifty electoral votes would be allowed to vote. In March, the last states, the largest ones, would then have their primaries.[69]

The 2008 Republican National Convention did not approve the Ohio Plan. Instead, the Rules of the Republican Party adopted by the Convention provided that the timing of binding delegate selection contests would generally be subject to the same rules as the 2008 delegate selection contests.[70]

On August 6, 2010, the Republican National Committee (RNC) adopted new rules for the timing of elections on August 6, 2010, with 103 votes in favor out of 144.[71] Under this plan, elections for delegates to the national convention were to be divided into three periods:[72]

  • February 2012: Contests of traditional early states Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina,
  • March 2012: Contests that proportionally allocate delegates,
  • April 2012, and onward: All other contests including winner-take-all elections.

The only early state that adhered to the new rules was Nevada. Florida scheduled its contest early in violation of the rules, pressuring other states to push back their contests. Being in violation of RNC rules, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, Arizona and Michigan were penalized with a loss of half of their delegates, including their RNC delegates. New Hampshire was penalized from 23 delegates to 12, South Carolina from 50 to 25, Florida from 99 to 50, Arizona from 58 to 29 and Michigan from 59 to 30.
Iowa, Maine, Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri also violated the rules by scheduling early contests, but since these contests do not bind any national delegates they were not penalized.[73]

Primary schedule

Template:Multicol January 3

January 10

January 21

January 31

February 4

February 4–11

February 7

February 28

March 3

Template:Multicol-break March 6 (Super Tuesday)

March 6-10

March 10

March 13

March 17

Template:Multicol-break March 18

March 20

March 24

April 3

April 24

May 8

Template:Multicol-break May 15

May 22

June 5

June 14-16

June 26

July 14

  • Nebraska (binding) caucus (Cf May 15)

Date to be determined

  • Guam
  • Northern Mariana Islands

Template:Multicol-end

Candidates

Major contenders

Candidates

Newt
Gingrich

Mitt
Romney

Ron
Paul

Rick
Santorum

Jon
Huntsman

Rick
Perry

Michele
Bachmann
Home state Georgia Massachusetts Texas Pennsylvania Utah Texas Minnesota
Projected delegates 28 32 10 8 0 0 0
Total votes 282,907
(29.1%)
294,813
(30.4%)
160,944
(16.6%)
155,357
(16.0%)
43,864
(4.5%)
16,812
(1.7%)
6,855
(0.7%)
States won South Carolina New Hampshire Iowa
States - 2nd place South Carolina, Iowa New Hampshire
States - 3rd place Iowa South Carolina New Hampshire
Withdrawal date January 16, 2012 January 19, 2012 January 4, 2012

Withdrew before primary elections

2012 election cycle

"Invisible primary"

The race for the Republican primaries began slowly in 2011. Gallup polls found that historically the Republican Party had a clear front-runner by March. In surveys, Republicans said they wanted to see Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich run.[74]

In February and March 2011, the Republican candidates, as well as the party as a whole, were involved in a discussion on radical and political Islam. The Republican Party courted Muslim voters during Bush's 2000 campaign but had lost nearly the entire demographic by 2008.[75] In the 2012 cycle, the supposed threat of Sharia law in the United States became a political issue.[76] Speculated candidate Mike Huckabee made statements criticizing Islam.[77] Rick Santorum was noted as saying Sharia law was "evil". He also said that American history books were corrupted, and that the Crusades were not an act of aggression by the Christians.[78]

When Herman Cain was asked if he would appoint a Muslim to his Cabinet as President, he said, "I will not. And here's why. There is this creeping attempt, this attempt, to gradually ease Sharia law and the Muslim faith into our government. It does not belong in our government. This is what happened to Europe. And little by little, to try to be politically correct, they made this little change. They made this little change. And now they've got a social problem that they don't know what to do with hardly."[79] The phrase "creeping Sharia" became a political catchphrase. By May, Sharia law was a political "litmus test" for the Republican candidates.[80]

Donald Trump dominated headlines as a possible candidate in April 2011, discussing foreign policy and the controversial "birther" issue.[81]

Republican enthusiasm for the field of candidates was weak in April, and polling found few Americans could even name the Republican contenders.[82][83] Considerable media attention was given in April 2011 to Donald Trump, who considered running for the nomination and repeatedly criticized Obama, saying his policies were failing the U.S. economy. Trump said the United States was suffering in the global economy because of poor trade deals, saying "I think the biggest threat is that our jobs are being stolen by other countries. We’re not going to have any jobs here pretty soon." He pointed to the Chinese economy in particular and proposed a 25% tariff on Chinese imports to solve the trade discrepancy between the U.S. and China.[84] Trump seized the issue of conspiracy theories about whether Barack Obama was an American citizen and was vocal in insisting that Obama show his "real" birth certificate. On April 28, Obama released his long form birth certificate.[85] Trump never officially declared or filed an FEC report, and made it clear on May 15 that he would not be running for the GOP nomination.[86]

Governors Mitch Daniels, Chris Christie and Haley Barbour all decided not to run in May, citing family concerns.[87][87][88] In May, Newt Gingrich joined the race, but his credibility suffered a setback one week later, following his criticism of the Ryan Plan, a popular budget among Republicans.[89] One month later, his entire senior staff quit en-masse, citing personal difficulties with Gingrich, known to be highly-independent and un-choreographed.[90] In the aftermath, polls indicated Gingrich had lost ground with primary voters[91] and he struggled in polling until September 2011.[92][93]

With few declared candidates, sponsoring news organizations postponed many of the debates in 2011.[94][95] In the first debate, held on Fox News, candidates were asked for their opinion on the U.S. debt crisis. Host Bret Baier asked candidates if they would agree to raise taxes by $1 for each new $10 in budget cuts; each candidate refused, rejecting raising taxes.[96][97][98] Ron Paul stood out from other candidates, arguing for ending the war on drugs to great applause.[99][100][101] At the end of the debate, in which most of the leading candidates did not participate, a focus group assembled for Fox News declared Herman Cain the winner.[102][103] Viewers said he articulated clearly and directly on conservative principles, and outshined Tim Pawlenty, who at the time was regarded as the only "top-tier candidate" in the debate.[104][105][106][107][108] Cain succeeded in gaining some momentum, and his supporters were said to have the most enthusiasm for their candidate.[109][110][111][112]

Later campaigns

Two candidates from the 2008 presidential primaries, Mitt Romney and Ron Paul, ran again in the 2012 primary campaign. Mitt Romney was an early frontrunner, and he maintained a careful, strategic campaign that centered on being an establishment candidate. Time magazine predicted his approach would fail, saying the Republican Party had changed from "country-club aristocracy" to "pitchfork populism" in 2011.[113] Republicans questioned Romney's commitment to conservative ideals, and often accused him of being a flip-flopper for his changing positions on issues such as state-mandated health care, abortion, climate change, and same sex marriage.[114][115] Romney maintained a weak lead of 20% nationally throughout 2011, raising doubt that he was a "true frontrunner". He enjoyed a significant money advantage and had the highest name recognition in the field, and many voters found him to be the most "electable" in the general election.[116]

Ron Paul, who ran for president in 1988 and 2008, received warmer support than in previous years. He was a strong fundraiser,[117] raising millions over the Internet through "money bombs",[118][119][120] one-day fundraising events launched by his grassroot supporters.[121][122] His libertarian positions on the IRS, the Federal Reserve, and non-interventionist foreign policy were taken by other candidates, unlike in 2008.[123] He finished a close second in the Iowa Ames Straw Poll and first in the California straw poll,[124] demonstrating that he was a mainstream candidate.[125] A study found that Paul was not widely-covered by news sources in 2011, although he easily shadowed Gary Johnson from much public recognition.[126]

Michele Bachmann speaks at a rally. She was propelled in the race with support from the Tea Party movement.

Michele Bachmann, a Tea Party favorite, started her campaign for president in June 2011, and soon began to poll near front-runner Mitt Romney.[127] She received national publicity and was featured at length in The New Yorker and Newsweek.[128] In Iowa, she engaged in a bitter rivalry with Tim Pawlenty, as she overtook his constituency in evangelical Christian voters. When, on August 14, she won the Ames Straw Poll by a close margin over Ron Paul, she effectively ended Pawlenty's viability as a candidate and he withdrew from the race the next day.[129] Pawlenty had invested heavily in Iowa and needed a strong bump in the polls to improve his poor fundraising.[130] Bachmann's public profile grew during the race, and Forbes rated her the 22nd most powerful woman in the world in August 2011.[131] The Forbes list denoted Bachmann as influential in politics, while ranking Sarah Palin at 34th most powerful for her place as a celebrity.[132] However, Bachmann lost momentum and fell back into single digits.

Over the summer of 2011, several Republican groups began a nationwide campaign to draft Texas governor Rick Perry to compete for the nomination. Perry began an aggressive networking and fundraising strategy to launch a viable campaign. He depended largely on evangelical Christians as his base, and held a prayer meeting with supporters one week before announcing his campaign. The prayer was held to save "a nation in crisis".[133] His entry on August 14, 2011, garnered tremendous publicity and made him an instant top-tier candidate. He polled as the Republican frontrunner within days of his entrance into the race, posing a serious threat to other Christian conservatives, such as Michele Bachmann.[134][135]

Rick Perry speaking to voters in Iowa

Perry's campaign focused on themes of economic recovery. Touting his record as governor of Texas, he pointed to the 1 million jobs that were created during his 10-year tenure. The Associated Press found Perry to be a confident, personable campaigner.[136] On Perry's first day of campaigning, he stated, "I respect all the other candidates in the field but there is no one that can stand toe-to-toe with us."[137] Even his critics consistently complimented his good-spirited personality and tireless campaigning.[138] Criticism of Perry began almost the moment he entered the race. His connection to Texan cowboy culture and his Southern drawl sounded similar to George W. Bush, for whom he had served as lieutenant governor. Critics drew many parallels between him and the former president. Perry drew wide criticism when he said that it would be "almost treacherous – or treasonous in my opinion" for the Federal Reserve to be "printing money to play politics".[139][140][141] Perry's campaign was scrutinized for conservative ideas in his book, Fed Up. Perry back-tracked from views he had on repealing the income tax and his criticism of Medicare.[142][143][144] Perry stood firm by his statements on Social Security, calling it an "illegal Ponzi scheme" during his campaign.[145] His record on tort reform in Texas also drew criticism from trial lawyers, who feared that a Perry administration would lead to wide tort-focused legislation.[146] Perry's lackluster college grades at Texas A&M raised fears that he was not an intellectual leader.[147] On the campaign trail, he told a boy that evolution by natural selection was "a theory with holes in it" and suggested that the data on global warming was manipulated. His disagreement with scientific consensus turned off socially moderate Republicans and prompted a search for fresh, more-centrist candidates.[148]

Dissatisfaction with the Republican field was highest amongst the college-educated, who hoped Mitch Daniels or Paul Ryan would enter the race.[148] By the end of the summer, the field of candidates seemed to be settled,[19] as Chris Christie, Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush all said no to activists who asked them to run.[149][150][151] George Pataki, a moderate former governor, decided against running, and time was running out for Rudy Giuliani[152] and Sarah Palin, who were losing speculation as candidates.[153][154] Sarah Palin had received heavy speculation beginning in 2009, when she resigned as governor of Alaska.[155] Throughout 2010 and 2011, she remained politically active, endorsing candidates in the midterm elections,[156] and launching a "One Nation" bus tour across the United States.[157] Palin further increased speculation in May 2011 when she purchased a house in Arizona that many saw as a possible campaign headquarters.[158] Enthusiasm for her potential run dropped as time went on, and by September 2011, a majority of Republicans and independents preferred that she would not run.[159][160] On October 5, Palin officially removed her name from consideration for the nomination.[161] In September, large donors encouraged Chris Christie to reconsider the presidential race, owing to their dissatisfaction with Perry and Romney.[162][163] On October 4, 2011, Christie announced definitively that he would not run, saying "now is not my time".[164]

Debate season

File:Republican presidential debate in Iowa.jpg
Candidates at a 2012 Republican presidential debate in August 2011.

Beginning in September 2011, the Republicans held a frequent pace of televised debates—5 debates in 6 weeks.[165] The ratings for the debates was far higher than those of the 2008 primaries, and the impact of the debates on the candidates' success was significant.[166] Perry and Romney, the frontrunners, sparred with each other and received criticism from other candidates.[167] Huntsman distanced himself from the Republican Party as a whole, saying it was becoming the "anti-science party", and would be in a losing position for the general election if it chose Perry.[168][169][170][171]

Huntsman debated Romney's positions on China, saying Romney could incite a trade war for calling China a "currency manipulator".[172] Huntsman argued that he was more electable in the general election than all of his opponents, and predicted that the Perry–Romney rivalry would fizzle into obscurity; he drew parallels to Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson from the 2008 election.[173][174][175]

Bachmann, who had been losing ground to Perry, attacked his actions as governor of Texas to vaccinate teenage girls against HPV.[176] Bachmann said Perry was influenced by the Merck pharmaceutical company, and said the vaccination trampled on the girls' rights, who she said "didn't have a choice". Bachmann told the media that a voter came to her and claimed her child developed mental retardation from the vaccine.[177] After scientists disputed her claim as baseless, she refused to retract the statement, and insisted the vaccine had dangerous side effects.[178][179][180] According to The Weekly Standard, Bachmann's scientific illiteracy on the HPV scare created an implosion for her campaign, which lost significant support.[181][182]

Perry's performance at the debates was widely panned, as political analysts noticed him in a pattern of becoming lethargic and incoherent as time wore on, and found some of his statements "cringeworthy" to conservatives.[183][184][185][186] In one debate, he froze when stating the three government agencies he wanted to eliminate, forgetting the third.[187] As a result,[188][189] he lost supporters to Herman Cain.[190][191][192] Cain insisted that his momentum was not a rebuke of Perry.[193]

Herman Cain gained frontrunner status in October 2011. He ended his campaign December 3, 2011, after media reports of alleged sexual misconduct surfaced.

During the debates, Herman Cain pushed his "9-9-9" economic plan and a Chilean-inspired model for reforming Social Security, receiving lively applause.[194] Cain rose above Mitt Romney in several polls and became a frontrunner with strong fundraising. His campaign was dogged by a series of surfacing sexual harassment allegations, which detracted from Cain's campaigning.[195][195] Cain stated that the accusations were politically[196] and racially motivated,[197] and said he could not remember if he knew one of the accusers or not.[198] Despite the allegations, Cain continued to lead in polls[199] but experienced a sharp drop in female support.[200]

Cain unequivocally denied all sexual misconduct charges on national television. Using vocal tone technology available to law enforcement, a private investigator determined that Cain was telling the truth about one accuser.[201] The Associated Press revealed that another accuser had a history of making workplace allegations for legal settlements,[202] and no others had come forward to publicly corroborate their stories.[203][204] A fourth woman told the press that she had a 13-year extramarital affair with Cain, and that the two had been having a sexual relationship up until the start of his presidential campaign.[205] Cain denied that he had had an affair with the fourth woman, but her story was particularly damaging because Cain's wife did not know that he was financially supporting the woman.[206][207][208] On December 3, 2011, Cain suspended his campaign.[209][210]

Gingrich consistently earned favorable reviews from his debate performances,[211] leading to an uptick in volunteers and fundraising.[212][213][214][215][216] Gingrich engaged in a pattern of challenging debate moderators for the wording and time limits of their questions,[217] and invoked Reagan's Commandment, vowing to restrain from negative campaigning.[218][219] Gingrich repeatedly complimented his rivals and focused on unity, saying "We only have one opponent. That’s Barack Obama."[220][221] By December 2011, Gingrich became frontrunner and was attacked by the media and his rivals for his past work with Freddie Mac.[221] Romney argued that Gingrich should return money he was paid for work for Freddie Mac, a government-sponsored enterprise that was unpopular for its role in the United States housing bubble. Gingrich defended his work with Freddie Mac, saying that he supported efforts to increase home ownership and denied doing any lobbying. Gingrich fired back at Romney, who called him a career politician, telling him the "only reason you didn't become a career politician is you lost to Teddy Kennedy".[222][223]

Romney's attacks intensified on Gingrich, as he said he was too "zany" and "unreliable" in his personal temperament to be President.[222] Gingrich pointed out that Romney had made money from "bankrupting companies and laying off employees", a reference to Romney's business practices as head of Bain Capital.[224] A New York Times article examined Romney's business career and found that Bain Capital left several companies bankrupted and weakened after its management consulting. The story also surfaced a pattern of slashing costs and employees to maximize profitability, creating a net loss of jobs.[225] Reporters investigated Mitt Romney's past and found that before departing as governor he had spent nearly $100,000 of taxpayer money to destroy his computer records.[226] A New York Times story featured Gingrich's record on health care, finding that he supported bailout monies that funded electronic health records, and often sided with Democrats such as Tom Daschle and Hillary Clinton on Medicare's expansion for prescription drug benefits.[227]

In the November 12 debate, Romney and Gingrich said that they would authorize military strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities if other means of stopping Iran's attempt to develop nuclear weapons failed.[228]

After being excluded from almost all of the debates, former New Mexico governor Gary Johnson announced on December 28, 2011 that he would leave the Republican race and seek the nomination of the Libertarian Party.

Early states

From January 3 to March 5, the early series of primaries and caucuses take place. The rules are different for many of the states, as delegate selection is proportionate rather than winner take all as it has been in earlier cycles. On March 6, a dozen states hold their primaries at the same time, and this event has long been called Super Tuesday.

Iowa

Gingrich and his wife at a campaign event. Gingrich lost his lead in Iowa quickly before the caucus, attributed to super PAC-funded negative ads.[229][230][231]

In the few weeks before the Iowa caucus, Gingrich's lead quickly began to evaporate. Iowans were bombarded with over $4.4million in negative advertising on Gingrich from super PACs sympathetic to Mitt Romney and others.[232][233][234][235] Romney refused to denounce the attacks and claimed that it was illegal for him to repudiate their TV ads, which was an exaggeration; Politico found that Romney personally coordinated a fundraiser with the super PAC.[235] Gingrich attempted to defend his public image in Iowa through meeting with voters, and criticized his rivals for their inaction in speaking up on the super PACs.[236] He acknowledged that his positive campaign had been a weakness, and had allowed his rivals to gain the upper hand through negative attacks.[237] Ron Paul bought TV ads attacking Gingrich for his apparent flip-flops on abortion,[238] a hot button issue for evangelical Christians.[239] Ron Paul enjoyed a significant upswing in Iowa, and was noted for a well-organized and well-funded campaign infrastructure.[240] In the last few days before the caucus, Rick Santorum's campaign experienced more media attention and his popularity surged to caucus day. On the night of the caucuses, Romney was reported the winner of Iowa by only eight votes over Santorum,[241] but after the results were certified, despite losing the results from 8 districts, Santorum was given the win, beating Romney by 34 votes.[242] The results of the Iowa caucuses are nonbinding and all delegates from the state are free to vote for the candidate of their choice in the Convention.[243] Following the caucus, Michelle Bachmann dropped out. Rick Perry briefly reassessed his campaign, but decided to continue.[244]

New Hampshire

Jon Huntsman invested heavily in New Hampshire. After finishing third, he withdrew from the race.

Mitt Romney easily won the primary with 39% of the vote, followed by Ron Paul and Jon Huntsman. Romney's win in New Hampshire was seen as a given; he had persistently showed popularity in that state, but rivals were intensely fighting for a second-place finish there.[245] Romney won seven of the state's delegates to the Republican National Convention, while Ron Paul won three and Jon Huntsman two.[246] Huntsman, a moderate, had staked his candidacy on New Hampshire and invested heavily in at least a strong second place showing there. Huntsman polled at 1-2% nationally and his 17% finish in New Hampshire, after 150 campaign events, $2 million in self-financing, and $2.5 million from his father,[247][248] was seen as lackluster.[249][250] Campaigns & Elections noted that his singular focus on New Hampshire made it impossible for him to spin around his third place finish as anything but a failure.[251]

South Carolina

Romney appeared to be the eventual Republican nominee in national polls, and analysts predicted that the race for the Republican nomination would soon be over if Romney prevailed in South Carolina; the state has reliably voted for the winner of the Republican nomination since 1980.[252] However, South Carolina, with its higher percentages of veterans, evangelicals and social conservatives, was seen as an unlikely territory for Romney, who was generally considered a moderate. Gingrich, who was originally from neighboring Georgia, waged an aggressive and successful campaign in South Carolina and underscored its importance, saying bluntly, "If I don't win the primary Saturday, we will probably nominate a moderate. And the odds are fairly high he will lose to Obama."[253][254] Gingrich urged Santorum and Perry to drop out and support him in the days before the primary, arguing that their support could coalesce the "anti-Romney" vote and stop him from a victory.[255] Two days before the vote, Rick Perry dropped his bid and endorsed Newt Gingrich, who went on to win the primary.

Gingrich gained momentum in South Carolina after two strong debate performances, and detractors began to increase their attacks on him, including criticism of his past divorces.[256] Two days before the primary, ABC News aired an interview with his former wife criticizing Gingrich, and fraudulent emails circulating rumors that Gingrich had coerced his former wife into having an abortion were sent in the days before the election.[257] Gingrich was aided by a $5 million donation from Sheldon Adelson, which helped fund TV ads critical of Romney's corporate success at Bain Capital.[258][259][260] Romney's deflection of criticism towards his business practices at Bain Capital as well as his reluctance to reveal his income tax returns raised suspicions that he was hiding something. His supporters and detractors urged him to reveal his tax returns in January,[261] but Romney insisted on doing so later in April, when he would likely have already won the nomination.[262][263] Romney attempted to deflect the issue and invoked Gingrich to release his ethics charges as Speaker, despite the fact that Gingrich's congressional record has been public for over 15 years.[264][265][266] Polls taken as recent as the day before the election showed Gingrich with a commanding lead, leading Romney by double digits.[267] On January 21, 2012, Gingrich scored an "easy victory" in the South Carolina primary with over 40% of the vote; Romney finished second with 28%, Santorum finished in third with 17%, and Paul was fourth with 13%.[268] For the first time since 1980, three different Republican candidates captured Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina.[269]

Florida

Florida would have been represented by 99 delegates, but the Florida Republican Party set the date of the primary for January 31, violating the guidelines of the Republican National Committee (RNC), so the Florida delegation to the National Convention has been reduced to 50 delegates; none of them are RNC (or super) delegates. Delegates will be selected by the State Executive Board and awarded to the winner of the primary on a winner-take-all basis. The delegates are bound for three ballots at the National Convention.

Nevada

Nevada was originally going to hold their caucuses on February 18, but after Florida moved their primary into January, Nevada contemplated following suit. As a compromise, Nevada moved it to February 4, and the RNC promised that the Nevada delegates would be seated on the National Convention floor "in the best positions" and they would have prime hotel space.[270]

Maine

Maine will hold their non-binding caucuses February 4-11 for 24 delegates, which includes three party leaders and 10 at-large delegates.[271]

Colorado, Minnesota, and Missouri

Colorado will hold their non-binding caucuses February 7 for 36 delegates, which includes three party leaders and 10 at-large delegates.
Minnesota will hold their non-binding caucuses February 7 for 40 delegates, which includes three party leaders and 10 at-large delegates.
Missouri will hold their non-binding primary February 7 for 52 delegates, which includes three party leaders and 10 at-large delegates.[272]

Arizona and Michigan

Arizona will hold their closed primary February 28 for 29 delegates, which includes three party leaders and 10 at-large delegates.
Michigan will hold their closed primary February 28 for 30 delegates, which includes three party leaders and 10 at-large delegates.[273]

Washington

Washington will hold their non-binding caucuses March 3 for 43 delegates, which includes three party leaders and 10 at-large delegates.[274]

Super Tuesday

"Super Tuesday" refers to the event when the greatest number of states hold primary elections on the same date. Traditionally, Iowa and New Hampshire vote first. In the 2008 election cycle, 24 states voted on March 5, but with South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada voting earlier and other states distinguishing themselves, only 10 states will vote on Super Tuesday, March 6, 2012: Alaska (27), Georgia (76), Idaho (32), Massachusetts (41), North Dakota (28), Ohio (66), Oklahoma (43), Tennessee (58), Vermont (17), and Virginia (49). [275]

Of the 2,286 total Republican delegates, 1,144 are needed to win nomination at the Republican nominating convention.[276]

Later states

From March 6 to July 14, a later series of primaries and caucuses will be held. The rules differ from state to state—delegate selection can be proportionate rather than winner take all, and the votes can be binding or non-binding on the representative delegates. In August, the Republican nominating convention will be held in Florida. [277]

Wyoming

Wyoming will be the first state to vote after Super Tuesday. They will hold binding caucuses March 6-10. [278][279]

Convention

The 2012 Republican National Convention is scheduled to take place the week of August 27, 2012,[280] in Tampa, Florida,[281] one week before the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina.[282]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "GOP Delegate Calculator". CNN.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  2. ^ Berg-Andersson, Richard E. (2011), Republican Detailed Delegate Allocation - 2012, retrieved Jan. 3, 2012 {{citation}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ^ "2012 Republican Convention ('GOP Delegate Count' table)". Democratic Convention Watch. Retrieved Jan. 3, 2012. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ "Romney leads the way in Florida". Public Policy Polling. 2011-06-23. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  5. ^ "GOP Primary: Perry 29%, Romney 18%, Bachmann 13%". Rasmussen Reports. August 16, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  6. ^ "Perry 44% Obama 41%; President Leads Other GOP Hopefuls". Rasmussen Reports. September 1, 2011. Retrieved September 14, 2011.
  7. ^ Khan, Naureen. "Gingrich Making the Right Moves in Primary States - Naureen Khan". NationalJournal.com. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  8. ^ Montopoli, Brian. "Poll: Newt Gingrich's lead over Romney is gone". CBS News. Retrieved 2012-01-03.
  9. ^ "Ron Paul video hits Gingrich for 'serial hypocrisy'". Content.usatoday.com. 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
  10. ^ "Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey". US Department Of Labor. 2012-1-23. Retrieved 2012-1-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help)
  11. ^ "One Year to Go: President Barack Obama's Uphill Battle for Reelection in 2012 - Brookings Institution". Brookings.edu. 2011-11-07. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  12. ^ "Obama Administration". Pollingreport.com. 2011-09-01. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  13. ^ "GOP Makes Big Gains Among White Voters". Pew Research Center. 2011-07-22. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  14. ^ Zengerle, Patricia (2011-07-22). "Republican Party makes big gains among whites". Reuters. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  15. ^ Edsall, Thomas B. (2011-11-21). "The White Party". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  16. ^ "Obama Leadership Takes A Hit, But GOP Approval Ratings Decline To 34%". Albany Tribune. 2011-08-26. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  17. ^ "Economists: GOP jobs plan better than Obama's". USA Today. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  18. ^ Younglai, Rachelle (November 3, 2011). "Republicans block another part of Obama jobs plan". Reuters. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  19. ^ a b "Republicans may never get 2012 dream candidate". Reuters. August 22, 2011.
  20. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/08/republican-debate-mitt-romney-gay-rights_n_1192867.html
  21. ^ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/24/new-hampshire-gay-marriage_n_1112043.html
  22. ^ http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/shortcuts/2012/jan/08/republican-candidates-gay-rights-karger
  23. ^ http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/republican-presidential-candidates-romney-santorum-challenged-on-gay-rights/2012/01/08/gIQAPj99iP_story.html
  24. ^ http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Anti-gay-marriage-pledge-amendment/2011/12/16/id/421247
  25. ^ http://thenewcivilrightsmovement.com/herman-cain-being-gay-is-a-choice-show-me-the-science-its-not/news/2011/10/04/27870
  26. ^ Black, Eric (August 20, 2006). "Sixth Congressional District Race; It's what they say and how they say it; For each main candidate, style and substance will be important factors in the race for this wide-open congressional seat". Star Tribune (Minneapolis). p. 1.B.
  27. ^ "Obama's Treatment of Israel is Shocking". RealClearPolitics. 2010-03-29. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  28. ^ "Koch Outraged By Obama's Treatment of Israel Over Housing Construction". Fox News. April 1, 2010.
  29. ^ Johnson, Eric (2011-05-21). "Top Jewish Americans ponder support for Obama". msnbc.com. Retrieved 2011-09-27.[dead link]
  30. ^ Calmes, Jackie; Cooper, Helene (May 25, 2011). "Parties See Obama's Israel Policy as Wedge for 2012". The New York Times.
  31. ^ "Republicans Use Israel To Attract Jewish Voters – And Jewish Money". The Forward. May 25, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  32. ^ "Palestinians won't give up on UN as U.S. stalls statehood bid". All Headline News. September 5, 2011. Retrieved September 12, 2011.
  33. ^ "U.S. Is Appealing to Palestinians to Stall U.N. Vote". The New York Times. September 3, 2011.
  34. ^ "Why one-fifth of US representatives went to Israel this summer". MinnPost. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  35. ^ "Palestinian statehood and the UN vote". Arab News. 2011-09-03. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  36. ^ Oliphant, James (February 5, 2011). "Israel is popular stop for possible Republican presidential candidates". Los Angeles Times.
  37. ^ McCormick, John (2011-09-01). "Palin's Posturing on White House Contest Signals Last Call for Candidates". Bloomberg. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  38. ^ Benari, Elad (2011-05-20). "GOP Slams Obama on Israel - Politics & Gov't - News". Israel National News. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  39. ^ Jim Malone (2011-08-18). "Republican Presidential Contenders Speak Out on Israel, Iran, China". Voice of America. Retrieved 2011-09-27. {{cite web}}: Text "Washington, D.C." ignored (help)
  40. ^ Rothkopf, David. "Foreign Policy: What Does Mitt Really Mean?". NPR. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  41. ^ "Israel Is Top Foreign Destination for 2012 Republicans". RealClearPolitics. 2011-02-02. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  42. ^ "Ambush strains Israel-Egypt ties; violence spikes". Khaleej Times. 2011-08-20. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  43. ^ [1][dead link]
  44. ^ "Israeli Military Reportedly Plotting to Cripple Iran in Cyberspace". Fox News. August 7, 2011.
  45. ^ "Newt Gingrich: Palestinians are "invented" people - Political Hotsheet". CBS News. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  46. ^ Gabriel, Trip (July 16, 2011). "Candidate Pledges Increase in Hope of Republican Victory". The New York Times.
  47. ^ "GOP candidates: All together now, I pledge ..." SourceMedia Group. Associated Press. July 19, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  48. ^ "Health care reform's fate could be determined by 2012 races - David Nather". Politico.Com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  49. ^ "GOP 12: Pawlenty: Romney will repeal ObamaCare". Gop12.thehill.com. 2011-09-12. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  50. ^ Klatell, James (2011-09-30). "Gingrich on Obama's healthcare law: 'About 300 pages are pretty good' - The Hill's Video". Thehill.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  51. ^ om een reactie te plaatsen!. "Gary Johnson repeal President Obama's Health Care Plan!". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  52. ^ "Health Care | Herman Cain for President". Hermancain.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.[dead link]
  53. ^ panic (2011-09-07). "Health Care: Romney, Perry, and Huntsman - By Avik Roy - The Corner - National Review Online". Nationalreview.com. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  54. ^ "If I Were President: Obamacare, One Year In - By Mitt Romney - The Corner - National Review Online". Nationalreview.com. 2011-03-22. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  55. ^ Rick Perry. "Rick Perry for President 2012 | Healthcare". Rickperry.org. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  56. ^ "ROCPAC Candidates". Repeal ObamaCare PAC. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  57. ^ a b "Santorum embraces 'Super Pledger' moniker". The Des Moines Register. 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  58. ^ "Who is Grover Norquist and how did he defeat Speaker Boehner?". The Washington Times. 2011-07-29. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  59. ^ "Susan B. Anthony List keeps up anti-abortion pledge pressure". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  60. ^ "Elections 2012: Pledge Hype Sweeps GOP Presidential Field". The Huffington Post. July 18, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  61. ^ "The Family Leader Drops Controversial Section Concerning Slavery From 'Marriage Vow' Pledge". The Huffington Post. July 9, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  62. ^ Gabriel, Trip (July 16, 2011). "Candidate Pledges Increase in Hope of Republican Victory". The New York Times.
  63. ^ Linkins, Jason (July 1, 2011). "GOP Candidates Pledge Allegiance To Kingmakers To Avoid Dealbreakers". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  64. ^ "GOP suffers from pledge fatigue - Scott Wong". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  65. ^ Siegel, Elyse (July 13, 2011). "Michele Bachmann Addresses 'Marriage Vow' Pledge, Slavery (VIDEO)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  66. ^ "Michele Bachmann signs controversial slavery marriage pact". The Daily Telegraph. London. July 10, 2011.
  67. ^ "Romney, Bachmann, Santorum sign marriage pledge". USA Today. 2011-08-04. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  68. ^ "Romney says he won't sign controversial marriage pledge". CNN. July 13, 2011.
  69. ^ "GOP Weighs Calendar Changes for 2012". Washington Post.
  70. ^ "The Rules of the Republican Party" (PDF). Republican Party.
  71. ^ Binckes, Jeremy (August 6, 2010). "GOP Approves Changes To 2012 Primary Calendar". The Huffington Post. Associated Press. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
  72. ^ "The Rules of the Republican Party" (PDF). Republican National Committee. August 6, 2010. pp. 18–19. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  73. ^ Burns, Alexander (September 16, 2011). "GOP presidential calendar threatened by rogue states". Politico. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  74. ^ Drake, Bruce. "Lack of a GOP Front-Runner for 2012 at Odds With Republican History". Politicsdaily.com. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  75. ^ "Right fractures over Islam - Byron Tau". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  76. ^ Smith, Ben (2011-04-11). "2012 candidates stake out positions on sharia". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  77. ^ Articles by Bob Allen (2011-02-21). "Huckabee draws heat for anti-Islam remarks". The Christian Century. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  78. ^ Barr, Andy. "Santorum: Left hates 'Christendom'". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  79. ^ Ward, Jon (March 30, 2011). "Herman Cain May Sneak Up On 2012 GOP Primary Field If He Doesn't Trip Himself Up First". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  80. ^ "GOP litmus test: Sharia opposition - Juana Summers". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  81. ^ "Donald Trump dominates GOP presidential poll". International Business Times. 2011-04-15. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  82. ^ Shahid, Aliyah (April 21, 2011). "Most Americans can't name a single 2012 GOP presidential candidate, Donald Trump most visible: poll". Daily News. New York.
  83. ^ "Poll: GOP's 2012 contenders unknown, unloved". WTSP. 2011-04-21. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  84. ^ Isidore, Chris (2011-04-18). "How Donald Trump's 25% tariff on China could start trade war". CNNMoney.com. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  85. ^ Adams, Richard; Owen, Paul (April 27, 2011). "Barack Obama birth certificate statement – live coverage". The Guardian. London.
  86. ^ Kucinich, Jackie (May 17, 2011). "Donald Trump will sit out 2012 race". USA Today.
  87. ^ a b Ward, Jon (May 22, 2011). "Mitch Daniels' Decision Not To Run For President Leaves GOP Floundering". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  88. ^ Hamburger, Tom (May 22, 2011). "Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels won't run for president". Los Angeles Times.
  89. ^ Press, Associated (2011-05-18). "Gingrich campaign off to a bad start". The Washington Times. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  90. ^ Wallsten, Peter. "Gingrich presidential campaign implodes". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  91. ^ "Quick Facts: Newt Gingrich's presidential ambitions". Press TV. August 13, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2011.
  92. ^ Wingfield, Kyle (September 29, 2011), Cain’s rise dispells theory the media made it a two-man race, Atlanta Journal Constitution
  93. ^ Ferrechio, Susan (September 30, 2011), "Cain, Gingrich surge in GOP presidential race", Washington Examiner
  94. ^ "First Republican presidential debate postponed". Reuters. March 30, 2011.
  95. ^ "First Republican presidential debate postponed". CBS News.
  96. ^ "Complete Text of the Iowa Republican Debate on Fox News Channel". Fox News Insider. Fox News. 2011-08-12. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  97. ^ Cameron, Carl (May 4, 2011). "GOP Hopefuls Get Ready to Rumble in First 2012 Presidential Debate". Fox News. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  98. ^ "Details: First Republican Presidential Debate on Fox News Channel". Fox News. May 4, 2011. Retrieved May 5, 2011.
  99. ^ Wallsten, Peter (August 11, 2011). "Ron Paul will hew to his tea party roots in Iowa debate". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  100. ^ "Ron Paul makes case for drug legalization during first GOP debate". The Baltimore Sun. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  101. ^ Shear, Michael D. (May 13, 2011). "Does the Tea Party Make Ron Paul Mainstream?". The New York Times.
  102. ^ Wallsten, Peter (2011-07-15). "Herman Cain, former Godfather's Pizza CEO, announces GOP bid for president". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  103. ^ "Herman Cain Won Fox News GOP Primary Debate?". YouTube. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  104. ^ Whitesides, John (May 4, 2011). "UPDATE 1-U.S Republican debate will feature depleted lineup". Reuters.
  105. ^ Linda Feldmann. "Herman Cain: GOP debate winner?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  106. ^ Swerdlick, David. "The Root: Cain Was Able In GOP's First Debate". NPR. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  107. ^ Matt Latimer (2011-05-05). "Trump, Romney, Huckabee Absent: Fox News' 2012 GOP Debate Debacle". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  108. ^ "Herman Cain makes splash at first 2012 GOP debate". CBS News.
  109. ^ "Pollsters: Debate Makes Herman Cain Overnight 'Star'". Newsmax.com. 2011-05-06. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  110. ^ King Jr, Neil (May 9, 2011). "GOP Debate Fuels a Long Shot". The Wall Street Journal.
  111. ^ Zernike, Kate (June 4, 2011). "Signs of Rising Momentum for Herman Cain". The New York Times.
  112. ^ "Perry, Cain Widen Lead in Positive Intensity Over GOP Field". Gallup. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  113. ^ Klein, Joe (June 16, 2011). "Outsiders vs. Insiders: The Struggle for the GOP's Soul". Time.
  114. ^ Weisman, Jonathan (November 11, 2011). "For Mitt Romney, 2005 Was Key Year of Policy Shifts - WSJ.com". Online.wsj.com. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  115. ^ Leblanc, Steve (November 12, 2011). "Mitt Romney Flip-Flopper? GOP Hopeful's Political Shifts Stir Criticism". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  116. ^ "Barbour: Romney "not a true frontrunner"". CBS News. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  117. ^ Barr, Andy. "Exclusive: Ron Paul's $3M pot of gold". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  118. ^ Camia, Catalina (May 6, 2011). "Ron Paul throws a presidential 'money bomb'". USA Today. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  119. ^ Barr, Andy (May 6, 2011). "Ron Paul hauls more than $1 million". Politico. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  120. ^ Ellis, John (May 6, 2011). "Ron Paul Raises $1 Million In One-Day 'Money Bomb'". Business Insider. Retrieved August 7, 2011.
  121. ^ Linda Feldmann. "Campaign 2012: what fundraising totals will tell us about the candidates". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  122. ^ Fabian, Jordan (2011-06-23). "Ron Paul kicks off weeklong fundraising push to raise $3M". The Hill. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  123. ^ Shear, Michael D. (April 26, 2011). "Could Ron Paul 2012 Outperform Ron Paul 2008?". The New York Times.
  124. ^ "Ron Paul wins California straw poll". September 17, 2011.
  125. ^ Gabriel, Trip (July 26, 2011). "Iowa Polling to Test Paul's Move to Mainstream". The New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2011.
  126. ^ "Study Finds Mainstream Media Devotes Little Attention to Ron Paul". Retrieved September 15, 2011.
  127. ^ "Michele Bachmann's Rise Has Conservatives Bullish About Taking On Obama". The Huffington Post. June 29, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  128. ^ Lizza, Ryan (2011-08-01). "The Transformation of Michele Bachmann". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  129. ^ "Tim Pawlenty sets new record for post-Ames exit - Dan Hirschhorn". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  130. ^ "Pawlenty Drops White House Bid". PBS. 2011-08-14. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  131. ^ "Michele Bachmann". Forbes. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  132. ^ "World's Most Powerful Women List". Forbes. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  133. ^ MacAskill, Ewen (August 7, 2011). "Rick Perry's call to prayer draws crowd of 30,000". The Guardian. London.
  134. ^ "GOP Primary: Perry 29%, Romney 18%, Bachmann 13% - Rasmussen Reports™". Rasmussen Reports. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  135. ^ Kurtzleben, Danielle (2011-08-24). "Four Ways Rick Perry Hurts Michele Bachmann's GOP Bid". U.S. News & World Report. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  136. ^ Elliott, Philip (August 18, 2011). "Perry exudes confidence, swagger on campaign trail". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  137. ^ "AP Interview: Perry calls jobs record a big plus". Fox News. Associated Press. August 15, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  138. ^ Clayworth, Jason (July 1, 2011). "Texas' Rick Perry starting to feel 'called' to run for president". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  139. ^ McGreal, Chris (August 16, 2011). "Rick Perry attacks Ben Bernanke's 'treasonous' Federal Reserve strategy". The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  140. ^ "Perry's big talk invites big scrutiny". The Boston Globe. August 18, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  141. ^ Kuhnhenn, Jim (August 16, 2011). "White House fires back at Perry's Bernanke comments; says threatening Fed head not a good idea". Newser. Associated Press. Retrieved September 4, 2011.[dead link]
  142. ^ Marcus, Ruth (August 30, 2011). "Rick Perry, by the book". The Washington Post. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  143. ^ Sargent, Greg (August 23, 2011). "Rick Perry Campaign Distances Him From Call To Repeal 16th Amendment". The Washington Post. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  144. ^ Madison, Lucy (August 23, 2011). "Perry campaign backs away from call to repeal 16th Amendment". CBS News. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  145. ^ Grier, Peter (September 16, 2011). "Rick Perry's 'Ponzi scheme' problem: new evidence it's real". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  146. ^ Burns, Alexander (August 22, 2011). "Trial lawyers prep for war on Rick Perry". Politico. Retrieved November 18, 2011.
  147. ^ Cherkis, Jason (August 5, 2011). "Rick Perry's College Transcript: A Lot Of Cs And Ds". The Huffington Post. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  148. ^ a b Martin, Jonathan; Smith, Ben (August 23, 2011). "Conservative elites pine for 2012 hero". Politico. Retrieved September 4, 2011.
  149. ^ "From Sarah to Rudy, four Republicans say they are eyeing 2012 run". The Daily Caller. August 25, 2011. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  150. ^ Feldmann, Linda (August 20, 2011). "Will Sarah Palin still enter the GOP race? Rudy Giuliani or Chris Christie?". The Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  151. ^ "AP News: Headlines". M.apnews.com. Retrieved September 27, 2011.[full citation needed]
  152. ^ Scott, Marvin (August 15, 2011). "Rudy Giuliani Still Undecided In Race For White House". WPIX. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  153. ^ Madison, Lucy (August 23, 2011). "Could a Palin presidential bid rewrite the campaign rulebook?". CBS News.
  154. ^ Ball (August 25, 2011). "Clock ticking on Sarah Palin entry into 2012 presidential race". Politico. Retrieved September 27, 2011. {{cite web}}: Text "Molly" ignored (help)
  155. ^ McGreal, Chris (July 3, 2011). "Sarah Palin resigns as Alaska's governor, raising speculation on 2012". The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  156. ^ "Biggest 2010 Election Winners - Sarah Palin". KECI-TV. November 3, 2010. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  157. ^ McGregor, Jena (May 27, 2011). "Sarah Palin's magical mystery tour". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  158. ^ Nowicki, Dan; Reagor, Catherine (2011-05-21). "Sarah Palin buys a luxury house in north Scottsdale?". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  159. ^ "Palin Opts Against 2012 Presidential Run". Fox News. 2010-04-07. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  160. ^ "Sarah Palin's Poll Numbers Down, But Path To GOP Nomination Not Out". The Huffington Post. June 2, 2011. Retrieved August 19, 2011.
  161. ^ "Palin will not seek presidential nomination". CNN. October 6, 2011. Retrieved October 18, 2011.
  162. ^ Oliphant, James (September 27, 2011). "Chris Christie comes to California amid rising talk of run". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 27, 2011.
  163. ^ Confessore, Nicholas (September 26, 2011). "Wealthy, Influential, Leaning Republican and Pushing a Christie Bid for President". The New York Times.
  164. ^ King, Neil, Jr. (October 4, 2011). "Christie Won't Seek GOP Nomination". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 4, 2011.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  165. ^ "Presidential debate season could alter GOP race - Alexander Burns". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  166. ^ Stelter, Brian (2011-10-16). ""Republican Debates Are a Hot Ticket on TV". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  167. ^ Thompson, Krissah (2011-09-23). "GOP candidates go after Perry in Tea Party debate". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  168. ^ "Shawn Lawrence Otto: Rick Perry's Anti-Science Character". The Huffington Post. August 19, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  169. ^ "Shawn Lawrence Otto: Science And Anti-Science At The Reagan Debate". The Huffington Post. September 8, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  170. ^ "Trailing in the polls, Huntsman goes on the attack". CNN. 2011-08-21. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  171. ^ Krugman, Paul (September 4, 2011). "The Republicans are now the anti-science party". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  172. ^ Post (2011-09-17). "Review & Outlook: Romney's China Blunder". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  173. ^ Bacon Jr., Perry (2011-09-22). "Jon Huntsman still playing catch up at Fox News GOP debate". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  174. ^ "Conservatives not interested in Huntsman pitch on need to broaden Republican base". CBS News. 2011-09-23. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  175. ^ Reinhard, Beth (2011-09-23). "GOP's September Face-offs: Advantage Romney". National Journal. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  176. ^ "Ex-campaign manager: Bachmann lacks the 'ability or the resources' without winning Iowa". msnbc.com. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  177. ^ "Doctors Offer $11K for Proof of HPV Story - Bachmann implied vaccine caused 'mental retardation'". Newser.com. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  178. ^ Jay Leno. "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno - Michele Bachmann, Part 1 (9/16/11) - Video". NBC. Retrieved 2011-09-27. {{cite web}}: Text "featured" ignored (help); Text "home" ignored (help); Text "recent" ignored (help)
  179. ^ "Bachmann's vaccine claim draws fire". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. 2011-09-14. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  180. ^ Grady, Denise (September 19, 2011). "One Statement from Bachmann, Two Steps Back for HPV Vaccine". The New York Times.
  181. ^ Specter, Michael (2011-08-01). "News Desk: Bachmann's Political Contagion". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  182. ^ "Poll: Perry, Romney draw support from distinct groups". USA Today. September 19, 2011. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  183. ^ Thompson, Krissah (September 23, 2011). "Perry's challenging road ahead". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  184. ^ "Web verdict on Perry: Brutal - Juana Summers". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  185. ^ "Rick Perry reels after Florida flop - Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  186. ^ Thompson, Krissah (2011-09-23). "Rick Perry says he offers 'bold, bright colors, not pastels'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  187. ^ Chait, Jonathan (2011-11-09). "Rick Perry Commits Political Suicide Onstage at the Ninth GOP Debate - Daily Intel". Nymag.com. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  188. ^ "Activists question Rick Perry's commitment - Maggie Haberman". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  189. ^ "Rick Perry rebuffed as Herman Cain wins Florida straw poll - Alexander Burns and Maggie Haberman". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  190. ^ Chabot, Hillary. "Herman Cain wins Florida GOP straw poll, Perry finishes 2nd". Boston Herald. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  191. ^ Tartar, Andre (2011-09-23). "Straw Poll Weekend: Herman Cain Resurgent After Win in Florida, While Perry Is Rebuked and Bachmann Fades". New York. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  192. ^ Thompson, Krissah (2011-10-14). "With Christie out, will Romney or Perry prosper?". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-10-22.
  193. ^ Haberman, Maggie. "Cain: It wasn't a protest vote". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  194. ^ Thompson, Krissah (2011-05-23). "Herman Cain trying to break out of second tier in Fox News GOP debate". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  195. ^ a b "Pressure rises on Cain amid allegations". USA Today. 2011-11-02. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  196. ^ "Herman Cain goes after detractors in radio interview". USA Today. November 3, 2011.
  197. ^ "Herman Cain plays the race card, unfortunately - Los Angeles Times". Articles.latimes.com. 2011-11-03. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  198. ^ Philip Elliott And Holbrook Mohr (November 14, 2011). "Victor Zuckerman, Sharon Bialek Ex-Boyfriend, Talks Sexual Harassment Allegations Against Herman Cain". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  199. ^ "Cain Tops New Poll Despite Harassment Claims". Fox News. 2011-11-03. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  200. ^ Laurie Kellman (November 15, 2011). "Herman Cain 2012 Campaign Threatened By GOP Candidate's Problems With Women". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  201. ^ Paluska, Mike (2011-11-09). "Investigator: Herman Cain innocent of sexual advances". Cbsatlanta.com. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  202. ^ "AP Exclusive: 1 of Herman Cain's accusers filed a workplace complaint in her next job, too". The Washington Post. Associated Press. 2011-11-09. Retrieved 2011-11-14. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) [dead link]
  203. ^ Shear, Michael D.; Rutenberg, Jim (November 10, 2011). "Kraushaar Will Discuss Cain Only If Other 3 Accusers Join Her". The New York Times.
  204. ^ Camia, Catalina (2011-11-10). "Press conference with Cain accusers may not happen". USA Today. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  205. ^ Ewen MacAskill (November 28, 2011). "Herman Cain accused of 13-year affair with Atlanta woman". London: Guardian. Retrieved 2011-12-11.
  206. ^ "Cain: Wife didn't know about friendship with Ginger White - Political Hotsheet". CBS News. 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  207. ^ "Herman Cain admits he DID give cash to 'affair' woman Ginger White". London: Dailymail.co.uk. December 2, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  208. ^ Thomas Durante (December 6, 2011). "Herman Cain's alleged mistress Ginger White tells all about 'sex life that made her cry'". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  209. ^ Oliphant, James (December 3, 2011). "Herman Cain drops out of presidential race". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  210. ^ Lin, Joy (December 2, 2011). "Cain Poll Numbers Plummet in Iowa". Fox News. Retrieved December 3, 2011.
  211. ^ "Newt Gingrich charms crowd from back of pack - Kendra Marr". Politico. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  212. ^ September, Jaaayyy (2011-09-21). "Still standing, Gingrich uses debates to remain a factor". CBS News. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  213. ^ Douglas, William (2011-09-21). "Trailing in the polls, Gingrich vows to ramp up ground campaign". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 2011-09-27.[dead link]
  214. ^ "Bill Clinton: Gingrich Could Be GOP Nominee in 2012". Newsmax.com. 2011-09-20. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  215. ^ Clayworth, Jason (2011-09-13). "Gingrich to open Iowa campaign office, looking for volunteers". The Des Moines Register. Retrieved 2011-09-27.
  216. ^ Gould, Aaron (2011-11-02). "Gingrich predicts GOP race will be 'Mitt and Newt'". ajc.com. Retrieved 2011-11-14.
  217. ^ Wallsten, Peter (2011-05-23). "Newt Gingrich's war on Republican debate moderators". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  218. ^ "Gingrich Benefiting From Reagan's 11th Commandment? - Interviews - Hannity". Fox News. 2011-12-07. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  219. ^ Brad Knickerbocker. "Newt Gingrich pushes back against critics". CSMonitor.com. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  220. ^ "Reagan Dinner: Newt Gingrich compliments competitors, reveals campaign strategy | Iowa Caucuses". Caucuses.desmoinesregister.com. 2011-11-04. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  221. ^ a b "Lexington: Flirting with fratricide". The Economist. 2011-12-17. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  222. ^ a b Daniel Bates (2011-12-15). "Mitt Romney calls Newt Gingrich too 'zany' to be president in latest interview". London: Dailymail.co.uk. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  223. ^ "Gingrich, Romney spar at GOP debate". CNN. 2011-12-10. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  224. ^ Gardner, Amy (December 12, 2011). "Gingrich would 'consider' returning Freddie money if Romney returned earnings from 'bankrupting' companies". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-12-12.
  225. ^ Barbaro, Michael (November 12, 2011). "After Mitt Romney Deal, Company Showed Profits and Then Layoffs". The New York Times.
  226. ^ Hosenball, Mark (December 6, 2011). "Romney staff spent nearly $100,000 to hide records". Reuters. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  227. ^ Rutenberg, Jim; McIntire, Mike (December 16, 2011). "Gingrich's Health Care Policy History at Odds With G.O.P". The New York Times.
  228. ^ Swaine, Jon (November 13, 2011). "Republican hopefuls would go to war with Iran". The Daily Telegraph. London. {{cite news}}: Text "November 14, 2011" ignored (help)
  229. ^ "Newt Gingrich suffers from super PAC buyer's remorse - Kenneth P. Vogel and Dave Levinthal". Politico.Com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  230. ^ "Super PACs shook up GOP Iowa race with attack ads". Sfgate.com. 2012-01-05. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  231. ^ "Newt Gingrich | Mitt Romney | Attack Ads". The Daily Caller. 2012-01-09. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  232. ^ Espo, David. "CTCentral - News from the Associated Press". Customwire.ap.org. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  233. ^ Fouhy, Beth. "CTCentral - News from the Associated Press". Hosted.ap.org. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  234. ^ Shear, Michael D.; Peters, Jeremy W. (December 19, 2011). "Gingrich Attacked by Campaign Rivals". The New York Times.
  235. ^ a b Conroy, Scott (2011-12-21). "Romney-Gingrich Super PAC Spat Highlights Hazy Rules". RealClearPolitics. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  236. ^ Gabriel, Trip (2011-12-19). "Gingrich Promises a 44-Stop Bus Tour to Fight Negative Ads". The New York Times. Retrieved 2011-12-28.
  237. ^ "Gingrich unleashes on Romney in NH | Campaigns & Elections". Campaignsandelections.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  238. ^ Marcus, Ruth (2011-02-24). "Gingrich's abortion contortions". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  239. ^ "Gingrich Breaks from Some in Anti-Abortion Community on When Life Begins - ABC News". ABC News. 2011-12-02. Retrieved 2011-12-27.
  240. ^ "What if Ron Paul wins in Iowa?". CNN. December 20, 2011. Retrieved December 27, 2011.
  241. ^ "2012 Iowa Caucus - Results". Fox News. January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  242. ^ "Rick Santorum Is Declared Winner of Iowa Caucuses by State Party Leaders". Mobile.bloomberg.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  243. ^ "Michele Bachmann drops out of GOP race after Iowa caucuses". Washington Post. January 4, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2012.
  244. ^ "Texas Gov. Rick Perry decides to stay in presidential race". The Kansas City Star. January 5, 2012. Retrieved January 5, 2012.
  245. ^ "Romney Secures Front-runner Status With New Hampshire Win, Looks To Take Momentum Into South Carolina". Fox News. 2010-04-07. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  246. ^ "NH Primary: Romney wins easily, despite weeks of rivals' attacks; Paul, Huntsman, others trail". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  247. ^ By KASIE HUNT and PHILIP ELLIOTT (2012-01-15). "Huntsman ends campaign, backs Romney". Pantagraph.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22. {{cite web}}: Text "Associated Press" ignored (help)
  248. ^ "Jon Huntsman Hopes to be New Hampshire's Santorum - International Business Times". Ibtimes.com. 2012-01-04. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  249. ^ "Source: Jon Huntsman to drop out of presidential race - CNN". Articles.cnn.com. 2012-01-15. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  250. ^ "Meet The Man Behind Jon Huntsman's Failed White House Bid". Buzzfeed.com. 2011-12-13. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  251. ^ "Who's to blame for Huntsman's flop? | Campaigns & Elections". Campaignsandelections.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  252. ^ "Candidates make final push in South Carolina - Political Hotsheet". CBS News. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  253. ^ "Newt Gingrich: If Mitt Romney Wins South Carolina, It's Over". Huffingtonpost.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  254. ^ "The question, just before S.C. polls open: Can Gingrich beat Romney?". Philly.com. 2011-12-17. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  255. ^ Shawna Shepherd CNN Political Producer (2012-01-17). "Gingrich Urges Santorum, Perry To Drop Out - Boston News Story - WCVB Boston". Thebostonchannel.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  256. ^ "Newt Gingrich, South Carolina front-runner?". The Washington Post. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  257. ^ "South Carolina Dirty Tricks Target Newt Gingrich - ABC News". Abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  258. ^ Confessore, Nicholas; Lipton, Eric (2012-01-09). ""A Big Check, and Gingrich Gets a Big Lift"". New York Times. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  259. ^ ""Pro-Gingrich group to air film critical of Romney, days after casino mogul gave it $5 million"". Washington Post. Associated Press. 2012-01-07. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  260. ^ Parmley, Suzette (2012-01-19). ""Casino mogul fills Gingrich's South Carolina war chest" publisher=The Philadelphia Inquirer". Retrieved 2012-01-22. {{cite web}}: Missing pipe in: |title= (help)
  261. ^ Associated Press/Huffington Post (2012-01-18). ""Chris Christie: Mitt Romney Should Release Tax Returns Immediately"". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  262. ^ Epstein, Reid (2012-01-20). ""Mitt Romney tax returns issue causes him to battle plutocrat image"". Politico.com. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  263. ^ Oliphant, James (2012-01-19). ""Romney pledges to release tax returns if he's GOP nominee"". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  264. ^ MacAskell, Ewen; McGreal, Chris (2012-01-20). ""Romney calls on Gingrich to release ethics violation report"". "The Guardian". Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  265. ^ Hunt, Kasie (2012-01-21). ""Romney Tries to Change the Subject From His Taxes"". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  266. ^ ""By criticizing Gingrich over 15-year-old ethics investigation, Romney tries to change subject"". newser.com. Associated Press. 2012-01-20. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  267. ^ ""Republican Primary Projections"". FiveThirtyEight. The New York times. Retrieved 2012-01-23.
  268. ^ Tumulty, Karen (2012-01-21). ""Newt Gingrich wins South Carolina primary"". Washington Post. Retrieved 2012-01-22.
  269. ^ CNN Wire Staff (2012-01-21). ""Gingrich Wins SC GOP Primary; Romney Second"". News4Jax.com. Retrieved 2012-01-22. {{cite web}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  270. ^ "Nevada moves caucus to Feb. 4 after backlash". USA Today. Associated Press. 2011-10-22. Retrieved 2011-11-04.
  271. ^ "Republican Detailed Delegate Allocations, sorted alphabetically". REBA Green Papers. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  272. ^ "Republican Detailed Delegate Allocations, sorted alphabetically". REBA Green Papers. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  273. ^ "Republican Detailed Delegate Allocations, sorted alphabetically". REBA Green Papers. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  274. ^ "Republican Detailed Delegate Allocations, sorted alphabetically". REBA Green Papers. Retrieved January 26, 2012.
  275. ^ "Republican Delegate Allocations, sorted by total delegate votes". REBA Green Papers. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  276. ^ "Republican Delegate Scorecard". CBS. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  277. ^ "Republican National Convention, 2012". Republican Party. January 25, 2012.
  278. ^ "Republican Delegate Allocations, sorted by total delegate votes". REBA Green Papers. Retrieved January 25, 2012.
  279. ^ "Presidential Primary Dates" (PDF). Federal Election Commission. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
  280. ^ Ambinder, Marc (March 3, 2010) "2012 News: RNC Has Its Convention Date", The Atlantic. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  281. ^ Lush, Tamara (May 12, 2010) "Tampa wins bid to host 2012 GOP convention"[dead link], The Associated Press. Retrieved May 13, 2010.
  282. ^ Smith, Ben (April 5, 2010) "DNC 2012: Mark your calendars", Politico. Retrieved April 13, 2010.

Template:2012 Republican primaries