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Washington Watch: Republicans in 2012

November 26, 2008
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The word is that Mike Huckabee has already started to campaign in Iowa. If that isn't enough, the first chapter of his new book is none-too-subtly titled "I love Iowa." Whatever could he be up to? But, four years out, so far it's a more of a three-way race for the Republicans in 2012, between former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, Alaska's Sarah Palin and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal (né Piyush Jindal), a clever young policy-wonk of Indian ancestry who claimed he and Louisiana were like curry and gumbo: a perfect match. A post-election Rasmussen poll makes Palin the frontrunner: 91 per cent of Republicans view her favourably. Presented with a list of all the candidates who ran in this cycle, nearly two thirds picked Palin. (Only one in ten plumped for either Mike Huckabee of Arkansas or Mitt Romney of Massachusetts.) Rupert Murdoch's favourite conservative scribe Bill Kristol has even appointed himself Palin's personal policy tutor. But it looks as if Newt will try to take over the party machine with a bid to become the new chairman of the Republican national committee. Jindal is biding his time. The likeable Cajun newcomer, the nearest thing the Republicans have to an Obama figure, is worth a flutter.

This post is taken from Prospect's monthly Washington Watch, available in the magazine.