A slow start raises concerns about the GOP in 2012 race
The adage in American politics is that campaigns for the White House keep getting longer.
Well, toss out that idea.
The 2012 race for the Republican presidential nomination is a campaign in super slow motion, with only a handful of candidates raising money, a slew of possible contenders eye-balling the race and no consensus front-runner in sight.
Although few voters said they were eager for another multi-million-dollar campaign, some Republicans were worried that the slow start could undermine GOP prospects at a time when President Barack Obama was widely viewed as vulnerable. A recent Gallup Poll concluded that 42 percent of Americans approved of the job he was doing while 50 percent disapproved.
“I’m a little concerned,” said Blue Springs Mayor Carson Ross, a former Republican state lawmaker. “At this point, I’m not sure we will field a candidate that can beat Barack.”
Others are confident that a candidate will emerge who can galvanize the party.