Who can defeat Obama in 2012?

Who would be the better candidate to defeat President Obama?

The conventional wisdom will tell us that Romney has the best chance,
for he can attract the moderate voters. There may be truth to this,
because many moderate and independent voters still believe that Gingrich
is a loose cannon, as he has demonstrated in the past.

However, there is also a school of thought that tells us that Gingrich
brings more energy to the electorate and would perhaps engender a larger
turnout, particularly among the conservative base.

Could we also be overlooking the true sleeper in the race, Ron Paul, who trails Gingrich by 1 percent in the Iowa polls? Ron Paul’s supporters are very enthusiastic, but is he truly a viable national candidate given his positions particularly in foreign affairs? He feels its OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon and we should be isolationist and mind our own affairs. While he might win in Iowa, the likelihood of him continuing to gain momentum is extremely small.

As the months go on it will be relatively easy to determine if in fact Gingrich is a different person from whom he once was. If in fact this proves to be the case, he is likely to win the nomination and if it’s a façade, that, too, will become apparent. A house divided cannot stand, and Republicans don’t seem unified on a particular candidate.

There have been several lead changes within the race, and it remains unclear. The party must stop the mudslinging and focus on the true objectives of 2012. While differences are examined, the true goal should be putting the best interest of the country above all. The economy is in bad shape and we must judge a candidate on his ability to guide the country out of turmoil.