Well short and simple, yes! But not as much as in 2008. Where is this coming from? As Republican candidates are debating for their chance to face president Obama in the 2012 election we as the American people get a front-row seat on televised, or YouTube if you are like me and live overseas currently, debates. Now the thing we all have to remember is that the people who vote in primary elections are not the “average” voter. They are not the everyday middle of the road voter. 70-80% of the voters in primary elections are the most conservative of Republicans and the most liberal of Democrats, and who are the most conservative of Republicans, that’s right those who belong to the Tea Party. Now Mitt Romney has a problem, in a general election he could face Obama head to head, and has the charisma and the voting record to get conservative leaning Democrats and undecideds to vote for him, but the Tea Party and most conservative Republicans hate him. Rick Perry on the other hand, governor of Texas, a good start for Republican presidents, but I don’t think will be able to win a debate against Obama, this is the whole Nixon-Kennedy debates, and Obama is an excellent speaker. We then have Michele Bachmann, this Senator is an excellent speaker, could easily go toe to toe with Obama, the problem is she’s too conservative, and there is no way she could carry win into the general election, she’s too Tea Party. So what will happen? I don’t have a crystal ball, but I can easily see the Tea Party splitting the Republican Vote, either having a candidate against Obama who is too conservative, i.e Bachmann, or a third-party. I would be surprised in Obama doesn’t win this election simply because the Republican party is still too divided.
