Will there be a Republican dark horse in 2012?

Since 1899, Who's Who in America has chronicled the lives and careers of America's most noteworthy people. The 2007 edition made no mention of Barack Obama. Two years later, he was elected president.

To no small degree, President Obama’s appeal was based on the fact that he was perceived as a political outsider — a community organizer who could bridge the gap between the parties. This got me wondering, who might be a dark-horse candidate for the Republicans in 2012?

Among conservatives, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney are widely regarded as the Republican front-runners for 2012, followed closely by Texas Rep. Ron Paul and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. But it is hard to imagine any of these candidates garnering crossover appeal. While they speak directly and potently to the conservative base, none of them seems particularly gifted at reaching out to middle- and lower-class voters — a group that was instrumental in voting candidate Obama into office.

The time is ripe for new blood in the Republican Party. Undeniably, President Obama is a gifted politician. But Americans are becoming increasingly fed up with his fiscal irresponsibility, the rising national debt and his government takeover of businesses. More and more Americans do not see their values reflected back in the president’s socialist agenda.

So who will burst onto the scene for the Republicans? It’s nearly impossible to predict this early. After all, preliminary polling in the last election pegged Rudy Giuliani as the front-runner. And who even imagined that Obama would be a credible candidate in 2007?

But perhaps a GOP dark horse could emerge from this list: Tim Pawlenty, Newt Gingrich, Bobby Jindal; maybe even Jeb Bush. I am curious to know your thoughts. Who do you think will emerge as the GOP savior in 2012? Please register your response and let me know.


Williams can be heard nightly on Sirius/XM Power 169 from 9 to 10 p.m. EST.

Visit www.armstrongwilliams.com .