Once the midterm elections end, the next big political campaign will be the 2012 presidential election. While President Obama will likely be nominated by the Democrats for a second term, the Republican opposition has no clear frontrunner. Based on the midterm election cycle, the GOP presidential primary might be one of the most thrilling and competitive in years and might see a bloody civil war between social and fiscal conservatives. Such a battle has the potential to either strengthen the party and the candidates involved or devastate the GOP’s 2012 chances.
This brief list will discuss some of the top contenders for the 2012 nomination, with some facts that extempers should consider when weighing in on 2012 topics. Polling agencies like Gallup, the Pew Research Center, and Rasmussen provide regular polls on the 2012 field and extempers would be wise to cut them. One useful Gallup poll that was released today can be found here. I would highly recommend that extempers cut it and place it in their files.
Pakistan Halts NATO Supplies to Afghanistan After Attack
Champion: Maria Vasser (Ridgeland High School)
United States Extemp
Friend says sacked Moscow mayor to file lawsuit
The final results from the Yale Invitational are in. In the final round, Curan Mehra of Scarsdale High School in New York defeated Nathaniel Donahue of Durham Academy in North Carolina to become the 2010 champion. Mehra’s victory marks the third time since 2006 that an extemper from Scarsdale High School has won the tournament. Donahue, last year’s third place finisher, has now finished second at the first two major national circuit events of the season.
Five most competitive Senate races