THE SHOW’S NOT OVER UNTIL THE GOP LADY SINGS!

“Pre-election America-2012” cycle

The U.S. presidential election campaign is under way. There’s much less intrigue in it than during the last one in 2008. And it’s not even because the Russian campaign also started. It’s all about the fact that one bidder for the Presidential post is already known — it is the incumbent President Barack Obama. So the most part of action is on at the side his rivals — the Republican Party also known as the Great Old Party (GOP).

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In order to meet Obama face to face during the final battle at the election barrier, his rival is to go through the numerous internal challenges — the multistep primaries.

Sarah Palin

When the McCain-Palin couple lost the presidential elections of 2008, it only seemed obvious that in 2012 former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will become the GOP candidate. Being conspicuous by her third-grade IQ at almost every TV-channel, the governor has produce an indelible impression upon the citizens of the “one-storied America” — poorly-educated Protestant majority of the “last superpower”. Having failed to make it into the West Wing in 2008, Sarah Palin has claimed that she will do her best to drive Obama from the living quarters she fancied. Although, since the Tea Party, obviously competing for the same Palin’s grass-roots voters, appeared in the USA, the star of the former U.S. Vice President-would-be has somewhat faded.

So, few days ago Sarah Palin stood up with an address to her political rivals and adherents at the regular Tea Party convention in Iowa. Recently Palin has often mentioned that she ponders over the possibility of running for presidency in 2012, yet she hasn’t made the final decision as of yet. She has repeatedly told journalists that she is to make the decision by the end of September. “I think that we’re witnessing the awakening of America today, Americans are willing to restore the extraordinary status of their country” — Palin states. Black PR genius, political aide of the former U.S. President George Bush Jr., Karl Rove told the Fox News that Palin is to decide, whether she wants to enter the fight for the White House in 2012 or not and do it soon enough. “Her problem is that soon people will say ‘All right, she’s not running, and even she decides that she is, I’m not going to support her’. You can’t bait the voters with participation or non-participation forever”.

Michelle Bachmann

CNN public opinion poll has revealed yet another madam from the Republican party, who is at Sarah Palin’s heels. This is a Congresswoman Michelle Bachmann, who falls short of Palin for a mere one percent (9% versus 10%). She won the first Republican primaries in Iowa on the 13^th of August.

The advantage that Bachmann won at the Republican Convention of Iowa, this agricultural state, is quite hand-to-mouth. She is followed by the Congressman Ron Paul and — after a huge gap — former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty. Former Senator Rick Santorum placed the last. Formally, this victory is insignificant in any sense. Iowa Republicans will elect their candidate only in half a year. Yet, according to the numerous American election superstitions, victory at Iowa primaries is considered important. Mitt Romney won the last elections in 2007, yet half a year later he lost the formal primaries to Mike Huckabee, who, in his turn, was outdone by John McCain. In 1987 George Bush Sr. lost the Iowa elections with a scandal, becoming the U.S. President despite this. In 1995 Bobe Dole lost Iowa in the same manner, still becoming a Republican nominee, yet losing elections to Bill Clinton.

“This is our first step on the path towards the White House” — triumphant Bachmann shouted to her followers at the election rally. In fact, it’s much more complicated than that. American analysts believe that it’s easier to wage one’s campaign from behind the back of a favorite, burdened with higher expectations of his voters — this increases the probability of campaigning mistakes and, therefore, disappointment of the voters.

Bachmann represents the right-populist GOP wing, i.e. the Tea Party. It’s curious that her spouse co-owns the clinic, treating people from…homosexuality, which is already a challenge to the mainstream. However, Bachmann is to have a hard time, getting the votes of moderate Republicans.

Speaking of Michelle Bachmann’s prospects, we have to keep in mind that neither Sarah Palin, nor Texas governor Rick Perry still visited Iowa. The latter one has his own economic program, which he recently described to his voters in South Carolina. Still, tax cut, reduction of state legal regulation and state authorities in general (which make up the essence of Perry’s program) will hardly draw America out of crisis, which will be the topic #1 throughout the campaign. At least, Perry has some program to present.

Despite the dubious first victory of Michelle Bachmann, it has already become a bitter disappointment for some of her rivals. Former Minnesota governor, who wasted more than a $1 million on his campaign, may surely be dubbed the main “loser” of it. Most experts believe his withdrawal from the election race to be a matter of time now. Yet, Mitt Romney, White-House-fight veteran is doing far worse still. He fetched himself on the 7^th place of the candidates’ rating.

Actually, 17 thousand of GOP followers took part in the Iowa vote. This is the second largest number of voters since 1999, when Texas governor George Bush got the majority of 24 thousand voted Republicans and became the GOP nominee, becoming the U.S. President afterwards. For now, Texas governor Rick Perry leads this rating with confidence and the result of 27% of the votes.

Rick Perry

He’s constantly compared to George Bush Jr., who came to the White House from this very post. Perry was his deputy, by the way. Observers mock his Texas dialect and provincial uncouthness.

“He looks like Bush but he lack’s Bush’s intelligence” — one of the former Republican governors has anonymously told the journalists. Quite a spiteful description it is, given the fact the Bush became famous for the lack of this very feature, vital for any politician. Los Angeles Times states that the former President himself has often complained of Perry’s slow-mindedness during the private conversations. Better still, Bush, whose numerous blunders became legendary, graduated the prestigious Yale University, he descended from the millionaire dynasty and his father was the U.S. President, too. Perry, though, only studied veterinary medicine in a little known Texas University. The latter, however, may as well be his pro, having once again reminded everyone that he’s not an establishment nominee but rather a poor man by birth himself (once, mother of the current Texas governor used to darn his clothes with her own hands).

Rick Perry doesn’t know much about foreign policy, but his spokesman announced that the contender for the top post of the state service has already started to read Henry Kissinger’s book about China, in order to make up for this. R. Ratcliffe, author of Perry’s biography, claims that the GOP establishment treats him like a poor village relation, but that doesn’t matter to the voters. What’s important is that since June of 2009, when Perry headed the Texas administration, almost a half of all jobs created in America, was created in Texas. 9% unemployment rate of the pan-American scale is the weak spot of Barack Obama and big ace of his Republican rival.

The U.S. election campaign is merely on the rise and it’s far too early to say which GOP candidate will be able to jump over the barriers and say halloo. Rick Perry may be well behind the female candidates, yet, being truly a “southern gentleman” he surely knows how to concede to ladies.