This year, the political stakes are high. The four Republican candidates, Romney, Gingrich, Santorum and Ron Paul, still left in the race are tailing each other all the way to the finish line. The common goal of replacing Obama has united these candidates, but at the same time their political and personal differences are setting them against each other.
“Because the race is so close between the candidates, the Republican field for presidential nomination is still up in the air.” Mr. Lindsay, U.S. History teacher, said.
Mitt Romney:
Political Past:
He ran as the Republican candidate in the 1994 U.S. Senate election in Massachusetts and lost to Ted Kennedy. He then organized and steered the 2002 Winter Olympics as head of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee. He was then elected Governor of Massachusetts. He signed the Massachusetts Health Care Reform into law during his governorship which is nicknamed Romney Care, in mockery of Obama Care. He then ran for the Republican nomination for presidency in 2008 but was beat by John McCain
Personal Past:
Mitt’s father, George Romney (the former governor of Michigan), was born in a Mormon colony in Mexico and later migrated into America with his parents. Mitt Romney was named after hotel magnate J. Willard Marriott, his father’s best friend, and his father’s cousin Milton “Mitt” Romney, the former quarterback for the Chicago Bears. Mitt went on to become the CEO of Bain & Capital. He was then elected governor of Massachusetts, ran in the 2008 and now the 2012 Republican nomination campaign.
Religion:
Mormon
Political Positions:
Romney is very Pro Life and believes in the Three Strike Law, sex education in public school, “Don’t ask, Don’t tell,” stem cell research, oil drilling in the U.S. and federal health insurance. But he is against prayer in school, SOPA, and very against illegal immigrants.
Romney Campaign Results:
Iowa Caucus: First place with 24.6% of votes
New Hampshire: First place with 39.3% of votes
South Carolina Primary: Second place with 27.8% of votes
Florida Primary: First place with 46.4% of votes
Newt Gingrich:
Political Past:
He is most known for mounting campaigns for the House of Representatives, serving as House Minority Whip for six years, running in the forefront of the Republican congressional election, and passing the first balanced budget as House Speaker since 1969.
Personal Past:
His campaign is burdened, however, by his personal baggage. He married his 26 year old high school geometry teacher at 19 and had two daughters. He later divorced her while she was in the hospital for leukemia after having an affair with a Marianne Ginther, who is nine years younger than him. He then married Ginther and six months later had an affair with Callista Bisek, who is 23 years younger than him. He divorced his second wife after a failed attempt of asking for an open marriage. He is now married to Bisek, his third wife.
Religion:
Catholic
Political Positions:
He supports Contract with America which outlines economic and social designs to improve the American government and take away the burdening taxes of the citizens. He believes in Pro Life, marijuana legalization, prayer in school, domestic energy production, conservation of biodiversity in the environment, job growth, marriage between only a man and woman, strict border laws and no Obama Care or SOPA.
Gingrich Campaign Results:
Iowa Caucus: Fourth place with 13.3% of votes
New Hampshire Primary: Fourth place with 9.4% of votes
South Carolina Primary: First place with 40.4% of votes
Florida Primary: Second place with 31.9% of votes
Rick Santorum:
Political Past:
Santorum started out his political interest when he volunteered for Senator John Heinz, a Republican in Pennsylvania and later, while working on his lawyer degree, he was the administrative assistant to Senator Doyle Corman. Santorum was then elected to the House of Representatives as the representative to Pennsylvania’s 18th district. He then went on to represent Pennsylvania in the Senate and became the third ranking Republican there. He served as the Chairman for the Republican Party Task Force on Welfare Reform before becoming a lawyer and then running for the 2012 Republican nomination.
Personal Past:
Santorum’s father was an Italian immigrant and clinical psychologist and his mother was an administrative nurse. Santorum went to Pennsylvania State University where he got a B.A. for Political Science and then a M.B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh. He went on to marry Karen Garver and have nine children with her, two of whom died shortly after birth.
Religion:
Catholic
Political Positions:
Santorum is fervently Pro Life and ardently against homosexuality. He believes in current illegal immigration laws and privatization of social security, but does not believe in the right to privacy or global warming.
Santorum Campaign Results:
Iowa Caucus: Second place with 24.5% of votes
New Hampshire Primary: Fifth place with 9.4% of votes
South Carolina Primary: Third place with 17% of votes
Florida Primary: Third place with 13.3% of votes
Ron Paul
Political Past:
Ron Paul is most known for his serving in Congress for three different periods and running a successful medical practitioner. In 1988, Ron Paul ran for presidency for the Libertarian Party and scored third in popular vote. He then ran for Republican nomination in the 2008 presidential election and but withdrew from the race in June of 2008. He is now running in the 2012 Republican nomination race, but has not won any of the primaries thus far.
Personal Past:
Ron Paul was born in Pittsburgh and attended married Carol in his last year of college. The two then moved to Durham, North Carolina, where Ron Paul attended the Duke University School of Medicine. They later moved again to Detroit, Michigan where Ron Paul completed his internship and residency at Henry Ford Hospital. He started out as a doctor in the United States Air Force from 1963 to 1965 and then with the United States Air National Guard from 1965 to 1968. Specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, Ron Paul opened his own practice in Texas. During the course of his career, he is said to have delivered more than 4,000 babies. From then on, he began showing interest in politics.
Religion:
Baptists
Political Positions:
Ron Paul believes in budget cuts, small federal government, low taxes, private health care, state level decisions of prayer in school, same sex marriage, “Don’t ask, Don’t tell,” stem cell research, medical marijuana, and non-intervention in foreign affairs. But he is against any abortions, Social Security (saying that it is unconstitutional), affirmative action, the Patriot Act, and global warming.
Ron Paul Campaign Results:
Iowa Caucus: Third place with 21.4% of votes
New Hampshire Primary: Second place with 22.9% of votes
South Carolina Primary: Fourth place with 14% of votes
Florida Primary: Fourth place with 7% of votes
