Who Will Be the Next GOP Candidate to Drop Out of the 2012 Race?

Will Rick Perry go next? Jon Huntsman? Rick Santorum? Newt Gingrich? Ron Paul?

January 6, 2012 RSS Feed Print

There are many make-or-break moments for presidential hopefuls in the lead up to the nomination. August's Ames Straw Poll broke former Gov. Tim Pawlenty's campaign, Tuesday's Iowa caucuses derailed Rep. Michele Bachmann's. Next week's New Hampshire primary may be another such test for the field of GOP 2012 contenders. Former Gov. Jon Huntsman, who has yet to enjoy the sort of "boomlet" other candidates have experienced, is betting big on New Hampshire. The Boston Globe's endorsement of the former ambassador to China gave him some much needed attention, but if Huntsman cannot energize his campaign with a strong showing in the Granite State there is little hope for him in the primaries that follow. Former Sen. Rick Santorum profited off a similar gamble in Iowa. Though he has spent most of the last months in the lower tier, he nearly defeated former Gov. Mitt Romney in the caucuses in the Hawkeye State where he spent considerably more time than the other candidates. However, his new-found momentum may come to a screeching halt in New Hampshire, as many residents are turned off by his very conservative social views. Former Gov. Rick Perry, to the surprise of many including some of his own staff members, decided to stay in the race despite a poor performance in Iowa. However he is skipping New Hampshire altogether, choosing rather to campaign in South Carolina, the site of the next primary January 21.

[See pictures of Republican candidates campaigning in in New Hampshire.]

What do you think? Who will be the next GOP presidential candidate to drop out of the race? Take the poll and comment below.

Who will be the next GOP presidential candidate to drop out of the race?

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Previously: Will Cuts to the Defense Budget Put National Security at Risk?

Tags:
2012 presidential election,
New Hampshire primaries,
New Hampshire

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One thing's for sure: Mitt Romney will not be the GOP nominee. He is and will be viewed as a financial pedator.

Ron Gephardt of SC 6:41AM January 11, 2012

Only Romney and Ron Paul have the money. Romney gets his from Wall Street. Paul gets his from Main Street.

Joanne of PA 9:49PM January 09, 2012

There are only three (3) candidates with sustainable campaign funds thus far: Romney, Perry and Paul.

Santorum got a "surge" of $1M last week while Ron Paul the week before got $5.5M. Gingrich is also hurting. But were it not for his "dad" funding his PAC, John Huntsman wouldn't have even made it to/through New Hampshire. So he's the most logical to go next.

Perry and Gingrich are going to go after it and each other in South Carolina, with Santorum "hoping" for some crumbs down there. But again, only Perry has the money to do the necessary ads, mailings, etc. of those three.

JeffnDallas of TX 6:23PM January 09, 2012

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