Firebrand Candidates, a Trend

The 2012 Republican nomination contest can be likened to a campfire on a chilly autumn night. Each of the campers is huddled around the fire for warmth, something they both desire and need. In this fire is a log, burning evenly and unwaveringly. Every once in a while, however, the campers become excited when somebody throws in some napkins; the ensuing flames outshine the fire of the log and generate a great deal of comfortable heat, but the experience is nevertheless short-lived. In this scenario, the supporters of the Republican Party are the campers themselves, and the potential GOP nominees are the different sources of heat. Mitt Romney is the log, which may have taken a long time to light, but which also provides the stability of the entire campfire scene. The different wads of paper towel are the Tea Party favorites, which so far have proven to catch fire quickly and then lose energy equally as fast. Michele Bachmann fits this trend, along with Rick Perry. And now, Hermann Cain seems to have acquired almost superficially high poll numbers, becoming a "top tier" candidate in very little time. The question is, then, is Cain simply another "Republican flavor of the month," as described by Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post? That is, is he merely another wad of paper towels thrown into the fire? If he is, then for the flame to be maintained until dawn would be a miracle.



One possible explanation posed for this trend of firebrand candidates is the relative anonymity of the playing field. In other words, candidates emerge seemingly from nowhere, yet they seem very exciting. They are adept at generating enthusiasm and offer ideas that appeal greatly to those Republicans who want to make significant changes to government and ultimately defeat President Obama. Rick Perry is an example of a candidate who was not highly scrutinized until he became the clear frontrunner, at which time he was placed under a magnifying glass and had to defend against attacks from all sides. As a result, his popularity dropped, and the frontrunner spot was left open for another candidate – in this case, Hermann Cain. Cain has charisma and can claim a great deal of experience in the business/private sector. Nevertheless, there are certain factors that could very easily prevent the public from perceiving him as presidential material. One clear example is his potentially inflammatory stance on Muslims in government; he vowed to “take extra precautions” to protect the American people from “people who want to kill all of us.” Although he did not claim to be discriminating against Muslims – he asserted that he hired people of all races, ethnicities, and sexual orientation while he was in the private sector – he did seem to single them out. Moreover, Cain hinted that it is not important to know the names of various world leaders until the day before he meets them, and that he will only offer a plan on the situation in Afghanistan when he is briefed by the experts as president.

Such factors could very well perpetuate the trend we have thus far seen in the GOP nomination race. If so, it is likely that the trend will be confirmed very soon.