The first Republican presidential primary took place on May 5, 2011, and there have been many more since then. There are three debates coming up in the next few weeks between the four remaining candidates.
The question on our minds: What is left for the candidates to debate?
I’ve watched three or four of the debates thus far, and they all seem indistinguishable from one another. The only difference between individual debates is the cast of characters populating the stage each night.
First, former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, Herman Cain dropped out. He was followed by U.S. Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., former Utah Gov. John Huntsman, Jr. and finally, Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas.
The remaining four contenders seem, at first glace, difficult to differentiate.
Former Gov. Mitt Romney is known for a slightly more liberal record than any of the others, as he was the Republican governor of the traditionally liberal Massachusetts.
U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, is the Libertarian grassroots candidate, whose non-interventionist foreign policy has done little to endear the Republican base.
Former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum has the support of many conservative and evangelical Christian voters, and is most known for his hardline social conservatism.
Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., was known for his stalwart opposition to former President Bill Clinton in the ‘90s and now for his interesting personal life.
Each of the candidates — except for Huntsman — saw a swift rise in enthusiasm and support among Republican primary voters.
This phenomenon elevated Bachmann to front-runner status, followed by Perry, then Cain and so on.
Santorum’s surge came just before the Iowa caucus on Jan. 3, contributing to his success.
Ultimately, however, Romney edged out Santorum in the Iowa caucuses. Romney earned 13 delegates while Santorum got 12.
Romney easily won New Hampshire, with Paul placing second followed by Huntsman, who left the race just a week later.
Gingrich climbed from mediocre showings in Iowa and New Hampshire be the winner of 23 of South Carolina's 25 delegates.
In total, 2,286 delegates will cast their votes to determine the Republican nominee. A candidate needs 1,144 delegates in order to win.
As it stands now, Romney is the leader with 33 delegates, followed by Gingrich’s 25. Santorum has 14 delegates; Paul has 4.
Bachmann, however, floundered in Iowa and received no delegates. Her departure from the race left a void not easily filled.
She poked and prodded at the other candidates, once challenging Perry’s decision to require vaccination against HPV during a televised debate.
As a woman in a male-dominated political party, Bachmann faced different expectations than her rivals, perhaps lower, perhaps higher.
The other candidates’ successes as the race continued kept Bachmann from recovering her momentum, especially given that Perry and Santorum were each coveting the same bloc of Christian evangelicals in their campaigns — the “Tim Tebow vote” — as several commentators have quipped.
Will the overwhelmingly mainstream Christian religious right see fit to throw their support behind a less electable candidate or will they allow a nominee hailing from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?
The “minority candidates,” Cain, Bachmann and Romney’s fellow Mormon, Jon Huntsman, have already left.
Will the Republicans let Romney, their best bet to retake the White House, lead the party, or will the mainstream candidates win out again?
Reach the columnist at skthoma4@asu.edu
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