A poll from Rasmussen Reports finds President Barack Obama easily handling candidates in the back of the Republican pack. The poll has Obama leading Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey among likely voters by 43 percent to 35 percent. Obama leads Gov. Rick Perry of Texas, who like Christie has indicated he will not run in 2012, 45 percent to 28 percent. While U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is not expected to run -- especially as his father Congressman Ron Paul of Texas is running for the Republican presidential nomination -- he is losing to Obama by double digits, taking 32 percent to the presidents 45 percent In the same poll, the president easily outpaces three candidates who are expected to run. He beat U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, taking 49 percent to her 27 percent, and leads maverick former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico by a smaller margin, taking 43 percent to the Republicans 27 percent. Obama also has a very strong lead over former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana, beating him 46 percent to 21 percent The poll also has grim tidings for U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter of Michigan. While there has been buzz in the Beltway that McCotter could run for the Republican nomination, he has yet to take any formal steps in the race. Obama leads him in the poll 43 percent to 19 percent
Former Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota, who has already launched an exploratory committee, will announce on Monday that he will be formally launching a bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Pawlenty will speak at a town hall event in Iowa, home of the first caucus. He then will turn his eyes to the Sunshine State with an event in Coral Gables on Tuesday after he holds a town hall on Facebook earlier in the day Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore announced on Thursday that the Foundation for Moral Law, an organization defending religious liberties that he is affiliated with, filed an amicus curiae brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case launched by atheists challenging memorial crosses along Utah highways to honor fallen police officers. Moore, best known for his defense of a Ten Commandments monument in his courthouse, has launched a bid for the Republican presidential nomination Fresh off an appearance on Fox News, Roemer, who also has his eyes on the Republican presidential nomination, is stumping New Hampshire this weekend. Hell be in the Granite State on Tuesday, campaigning in Dover
While former Gov. Jon Huntsman of Utah spent this week hitting New Hampshire, he also announced that, if he runs for the Republican presidential nomination, his campaign will be based out of Orlando. If he does run, Huntsman will turn to a familiar face in Florida politics -- Nikki Jerger Lowrey who used to be on Jeb Bushs team While there has been speculation that former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts would look to avoid the South Carolina primary, his campaign hired David Raad -- who helped George W. Bushs efforts there in 2000 --to lead efforts in the Palmetto State, which holds the first primary in the South. With both Gov. Haley Barbour of Mississippi and former Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas choosing not to run, and former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia imploding, the Romney camp may be reassessing how their candidate will do way down South in Dixie While there had been talk that former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton intended to seek the Republican nomination, he has done little so far in 2011 that shows he is serious about making a stab at the White House. It was announced this week that he will be speaking to a Republican group in New Hampshire -- in September
The Obama re-election team is starting to increase its fund-raising efforts. While the president and Vice President Joe Biden have been raising dollars for months, this week the campaign unleashed another figure on the fund-raising circuit: first lady Michelle Obama. The first lady hit the trail, speaking at fund-raisers in Washington and Chicago -- something she did not do in the 2010 cycle This week Roger Gary announced that he was seeking the Libertarian Partys presidential nomination. Gary is no stranger to Libertarian politics, having been a member of the party since 1977 and serving two stints as state chairman of the Texas party. A former director of the San Antonio River Authority, Gary ran a strong campaign to be state railroad commissioner in 2010, taking almost 140,000 votes Speaking of the Libertarians, this week party activists submitted more than 16,000 signatures as they seek to get party status in Arkansas -- and ballot access for the 2012 elections. As long as 10,000 of those signatures are valid, the Libertarians will have ballot access in the Natural State.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
