Potential Republican Presidential Contenders 101

Just a few items came to light today on future presidential contenders from the Republican Party. (Be afraid. Be very afraid.) Three of them are in the news today for something other than discussion concerning ramped up rhetoric.

First up, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty makes a pledge to repeal DADT. In this video, Pawlenty self identified as a ‘social conservative’ to right wing talk show host and spokesjerk for the American Family Association Bryan Fischer. Bryan Fischer is a well known for his hate speech and “openly hostile bigotry against gays, Muslims, and all those who do not share his radical worldview”.  The video and article come via People For The American Way.

Pay attention closely or read the transcript because you’ll hear Pawlenty use all the code words like “strict constructionist” for a discussion of Roe v. Wade.  If you are not familiar with the winks and nods that extreme right wing candidates use to signal how extreme they really are to their key constituencies, you really should take the time to learn.

The Grand Forks Herald announces the governor is undecided but is just touring around promoting his book.  Does any one else see a theme here? Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal and former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin have also been touring around the country fund raising and getting some face time using book tours. I am definitely sensing a theme here.  Pawlenty says his book highlight his ‘faith’. He has a blue collar upbringing and has republican populists roots like Palin and would have to fight Huckabee and Palin for the religious right/’Reagan Democrat’ crowd.

Little known compared to rivals Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and others, Pawlenty uses the book to trace a path from a boyhood handling rotten meat in a stockyards town to a political career that made him a vice presidential contender in 2008.

And Pawlenty, who was raised Catholic and later converted to an evangelical church with Baptist roots, heavily emphasizes religion. It’s befitting a book from Christian publisher Tyndale House Publishers and a possible political calculation for someone sizing up a White House bid since ruling out a third term as governor.

Social conservatives have an outsized voice in the GOP nominating process, especially in Iowa, where Pawlenty has focused much of his campaign-building work.

An entrance poll done during the 2008 Iowa caucuses found that more than half of the Republicans who turned out described themselves as evangelical Christians, and more than eight in 10 of caucus winner Mike Huckabee‘s supporters described themselves as born again or evangelical.

I’m sensing we’re going to get heavily doused with that old time religion as we get closer to the Iowa primaries.  Can some one hand these people a copy of the constitution and tell them to stop skipping number 1 in favor of number 2?

Another possible Republican candidate is the corporate ex-CEO of the pizza chain Godfather’s. I used to hang out on Fridays afternoons with the University of Nebraska’s University Women’s Action Group at Godfather’s when it was the second location of two pizza parlors run by one man.  Herman Caine  now lives in Georgia and is a popular talk show host.  (Do all of these right wingers eventually do a stint as talk show hosts?)

The announcement came on his website, where Cain wrote:

“The American Dream is under attack. In fact, a recent survey found 67% of the American People believe America is headed in the wrong direction. Sadly, this comes as no surprise to those of us who have watched an out-of-control federal government that spends recklessly, taxes too much and oversteps its Constitutional limits far too often.”

Cain, an African-American Republican, holds a master’s degree in computer science from Purdue University and was a corporate vice president for Burger King before running Godfather’s Pizza. Previously, he served as chairman of the board of directors for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City — and was chairman of the board for the National Restaurant Association.

Caine has been omnipresent in Republican Fund raising.  Does he have an appeal outside the business base?  That will be a big question.  He’s got far more gravitas than most of the other Republicans that are running since he’s always held a job outside of politics.  Folk are implying that he may have a solid base in the conservative blogosphere.  Frankly, I think he’d be a formidable candidate.  I’ve heard him talk back when he took over Godfather’s and back in his Fed Days too.   Those were business talks but he knows his stuff.

But though Cain has himself admitted that he would be a “dark horse” candidate, he will be greatly aided by the fact that he is a full-spectrum conservative with solid fiscal and social credentials. Christian conservatives love him, and The Club for Growth endorsed him for Senate in 2004. Cain is also close with fiscal conservative and two-time presidential candidate Steve Forbes. Depending on the field, there is great potential for him to rally conservative activists and bloggers to his cause.

For months now, Cain has been rumored to be seriously considering a presidential run. Perhaps not coincidentally, RedState’s Erick Erickson recently announced the launch of a new radio show, “The Erick Erickson Show” on Atlanta’s WBS radio — a station which also broadcasts Cain’s popular radio show.

Finally, we’re seeing Romney solidifying his campaign to move the helmet hair tradition of the Richie Rich side of Republican party forward in this RCP piece.  He’s hiring staff.

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has secured both a pollster and a political director for his near-certain presidential bid this coming cycle, according to sources connected to Romney’s 2008 presidential effort.

Rich Beeson, a Republican operative who has worked as a political director at the Republican National Committee and was most recently a partner at the voter contact firm FLS Connect, will be Romney’s political director. Beeson has already moved his family to Massachusetts for his new role.

A GOP source who worked against Romney in the last campaign said Beeson was a savvy hire for Romney’s team, as he brings an outsider perspective to Romney’s Boston inner circle.

Romney’s political director for his last bid was Carl Forti, who now has a high-profile job at the Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie GOP group, American Crossroads.

There’s no news up today on Gingrich but you can be assured that ol’ Georgia Bull Dog is up to something.  It’s going to be an interesting few years.