I’ll preface this post by stating that I am a registered Republican with center-right views.

The Republican party used to nominate for president the candidate, who was “next-in-line.”  John McCain held that position.  However, in selecting Sarah Palin, an extremely polarizing individual, who attracts mostly the “evangelical” faction of the right, as the VP candidate, GOP initiated a course of action, which continues to hurt the party.

Now, Michelle Bachmann and Rick Perry are the frontrunners for the Republican nomination for president.  Neither Bachmann nor Perry can earn significant votes from minorities, independents, or undecided voters to carry a majority in the general election.  Bachmann is overtly anti-gay. Most of the American public does not agree with her homophobic sentiments.  Further, her notable legislation in the U.S. Congress is the Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act [I do not know the precise name of the bill].  It is VERY comforting to know that Ms. Bachmann focused her time and energy on such important matters as the type of light bulb I may use.  On the other hand, while he does have ample experience as a legislator, Rick Perry possesses beliefs, which are too far right to win a majority vote in the American electorate.  Dude questions the theory of evolution and the existence of man-made global warming.  Views like these may earn sufficient support amongst the GOP’s base to earn the nomination, but he will get doored in a head-to-head election against the President.

Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman are the two candidates with a legitimate chance of beating Barack Obama in a general election.  However, these men are unlikely to survive the Republican primary season, where the voters in places like Iowa and South Carolina choose candidates with the most conservative, some might say radical, attitudes and not the person best able to win a general election.  Thus, the GOP candidate for President of the United States will have fervent support amongst a minority of the American public. President Obama will serve a second term despite his manifest vulnerability to defeat.