Last week, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley had some advice for the field of potential GOP candidates: “It’s go time.” This week, they seem to have listened to her. In the most eventful stretch yet of the 2012 presidential campaign primary season, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.), a tea party favorite, launched his third bid for the White House, former House speaker Newt Gingrich launched his first, and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney began what will be an ongoing defense of his approach to health care. Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels remains inscrutable, but perhaps closer to a decision, and former ambassador to China Jon Huntsman will get a some face time in New Hampshire.
Here’s what else happened this week in the 2012 presidential campaign:
The Declining Donald: For proof that real estate tycoon Donald Trump may have already peaked in his bid for the White House, look no further than New Hampshire. Two weeks ago, a small army of reporters trailed his every move when he arrived in his black helicopter. This week, hardly any showed up to cover his address to a Nashua business gathering. A recent poll shows that Republicans have moved on as well . And even the ratings for his show “The Celebrity Apprentice” have plunged. Part One of the season finale of his show is set to air next week, and an announcement of some sort will come before June. But absent the birther controversy, the question for Trump is will anything he says or does gain any political traction.
Romney vs. Everyone Else: In dealing with Romney, the White House has at once elevated him and leveled him by praising his approach to health care in Massachusetts. Now, with his health-care speech this week, conservatives have piled on, unleashing a barrage of criticism. Editors of the National Review, which endorsed Romney in 2008, dubbed his speech a PowerPoint failure. The Washington Post’s Jennifer Rubin said that the speech will only “deepen conservative criticism.” But so far, very little of that criticism has come from Romney’s potential rivals. For now, former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty, for instance is sticking to the Reagan rule and not attacking Romney. But how long will Pawlenty, and the rest of the field play nice?
Latinos: Every week for the past month, Obama has made a heavy, very obvious play for Latino support. He has met with Latino stars, reporters and lawmakers. And this week, he gave a speech in Texas about border security and immigration. Legislatively, nothing is likely to get checked off the president’s wish list, which includes a bill to grant residency to students brought here illegally. But in portraying Republicans as the obstructionists to any movement on Latino issues, Obama is setting up a contrast that will be his main pitch to this key group. It will matter out west in swing states like Nevada and Colorado, and even in non-western states with growing Hispanic populations like North Carolina.
Wives to Watch: Running for president is always a family affair, and no role is more important than that of a candidate’s spouse. They help humanize a candidate — Gingrich’s wife, Callista, has her own space on his Web site, an attempt to blunt possible blowback about his messy personal life. But Daniels’s wife, Cheri, became the most watched political wife of the campaign season this week when she delivered a smart and funny address at a GOP fundraiser. She revealed that she’s plenty familiar with the pigs at the Indiana state fair but spilled nothing about her husband’s future plans. Proving that Daniels remains the most-wanted Republican for 2012, former first lady Laura Bush called Indiana’s first lady to persuade her to support a Daniels bid for the White House. Similar calls will come.
Questions for Next Week: Will Newt elevate the debate? Will businessman Herman Cain make it official and will he matter? Mike Huckabee, in or out?
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