The Stafford Voice

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Election

Trump Takes Self Out of 2012 Election

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CNN | In his own words:

“After considerable deliberation and reflection, I have decided not to pursue the office of the Presidency. This decision does not come easily or without regret; especially when my potential candidacy continues to be validated by ranking at the top of the Republican contenders in polls across the country. I maintain the strong conviction that if I were to run, I would be able to win the primary and ultimately, the general election. I have spent the past several months unofficially campaigning and recognize that running for public office cannot be done half heartedly. Ultimately, however, business is my greatest passion and I am not ready to leave the private sector.”     MORE

The Problem With GOP Frontrunners: There’s No Lincoln

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RCP (Washington Post) | Republicans are unhappy with their field of presidential candidates and yearn for someone who will come along to save them. But here’s what the GOP doesn’t want to confront: its problem lies not in its candidates, but in itself.

The candidates appear much smaller than they are because the party’s primary voters and core interest groups insist upon cutting them down to size. To win a Republican nomination, a candidate has to move right, recant absolutely any past position that violates the current consevative catechism, and never dare to speak the truth that solving our deficit problem will require new revenues — aka, taxes.

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Huckabee Says No to 2012 Run

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CNN | Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee announced Saturday that he will not seek the GOP nomination for president in 2012.

Huckabee ended speculation that he would run for president during his weekly Fox News Channel show saying, “All the factors say go, but my heart says no. And that’s the decision that I have made.”

Indications had been mounting recently that the 2008 presidential candidate would not pursue a repeat bid for the Republican nomination for president. He switched his residency to Florida, where he and his wife have built a home, he co-founded a company with the mission of teaching history lessons to children, and key 2008 aides moved to other campaign teams, including those of former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann.

Huckabee also failed to form a presidential exploratory committee, a critical first step in building a presidential campaign.

And with a successful television show, book deals and lucrative paid appearances, another presidential bid may be less desirable for the television and radio host – even though he’s topped recent major national polls as the favored 2012 GOP candidate.     MORE