A Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released on Thursday showed that the Republican presidential nomination battle will be competitive with no clear favorite emerging. Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee led the poll with 25 percent. Former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts placed second with 21 percent. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich edged former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin for third place, taking 13 percent of the poll compared to her 12 percent. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas placed fifth with 6 percent. The rest of the pack trailed -- former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Gov. Mitch Daniels of Indiana tied for sixth place with 3 percent, followed by former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania with 2 percent and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman with 1 percent A new poll from Public Policy Polling, a firm with connections to prominent Democrats, shows that none of the Republican hopefuls can claim that Virginia is in the bag. The poll, also released on Thursday, found Huckabee ahead with 20 percent followed by Palin and Romney with 16 percent apiece. Gingrich took fourth with 14 percent, followed by Paul at 8 percent, Daniels with 7 percent and Pawlenty and Barbour tied in seventh with 4 percent each Santorum has been one of the more active potential Republican candidates in hitting some of the early states that will help determine the GOPs next presidential candidate. Santorum will hit Iowa, home of the first presidential caucus contest, on Monday and Tuesday before heading off to South Carolina on Thursday and New Hampshire on Friday
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was in Israel this week, warning about Irans nuclear ambitions. Giuliani, who ran in 2008, has left the door open for another shot at the Republican presidential nomination in 2012 ... Giuliani was not the only New York Republican in Israel in recent weeks --an old rival, the mayor, was over there last month. Former Gov. George Pataki of New York, who also has his eye on the Republican presidential nomination, was there in late February. Giuliani endorsed incumbent Democrat Gov. Mario Cuomo over Pataki back in 1994 ... Veteran Republican activist Fred Karger, who launched an exploratory committee earlier in the year, is focusing on getting into a debate hosted by the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition. Karger, who is the first openly gay presidential candidate in American history, insists he is being excluded due to his sexual preference
Campaign manager Jim Messina continues to pave the way for President Barack Obamas bid for a second term. Messina was in Chicago, meeting with potential donors and scouting out locations to set up a campaign headquarters In the meantime, the president could be facing greater scrutiny in making the ballot in Georgia. There is a proposal in the Peach States Legislature to ensure that any presidential candidate must provide proof of birth in the United States, including birth certificates Alvin Greene came out of nowhere to win the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination in South Carolina in 2010 but is having a hard time keeping his momentum going. In a special election primary for an open state House seat in South Carolina, Greene pulled just 37 votes out of the almost 4,000 cast. Greene is running for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2012 ...
Lee Wrights appears closer to entering the contest for the Libertarian presidential nomination. Longtime activist Wrights will spend early March hitting the road, attending state party conventions in both Georgia and Kentucky. If Wrights runs, he is expected to make his opposition to American military actions the cornerstone of his campaign Former U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney of Georgia, who was the Green Partys presidential nominee in 2008, is keeping the door open to running another presidential campaign in 2012. If she makes another bid, unlike previous Green nominee Ralph Nader, McKinney appears likely to continue running on the partys line. McKinney took part in the Green Partys official radio show this week The Reform Party, which has backed the various presidential bids of Ross Perot, Pat Buchanan and Nader during its colorful decade and a half of existence, may not be much of a factor in national politics but it remains a force in Mississippi, home of its 2008 presidential nominee, late businessman Ted Weill. There are more Reform Party candidates running for statewide office in 2011 in the Magnolia State than there are Democrats Keep an eye on California on Friday. A judge will be holding a hearing in the latest round between two factions looking to run the American Independent Party.One side is affiliated with the Constitution Party and backed Chuck Baldwin back in 2008. The other side is affiliated with Americas Independent Party and supported Alan Keyes in 2008.
Reach Kevin Derby at kderby@sunshinestatenews.com or at (85) 727-0859.
