Three Pro-Life Republican Governors Won’t Speculate on 2012 Against Obama
by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
February 23, 2009
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Three pro-life Republican governors who are considered on the short list of potential presidential candidates in 2012 would not speculate over the weekend in separate interviews about whether they would run for president against President Barack Obama during his re-election bid.
South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford told Fox News Sunday that he currently has no plan to run for president and doesn’t expect to run.
At the same time, he admitted that he never makes any guarantees about future political decisions.
"Is it a plan? Absolutely not. Is it a likelihood? Absolutely not. But I’ve learned that you never say guaranteed on tomorrow when you don’t know tomorrow," Sanford said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty also refused to say one way or the other about whether he would run against the pro-abortion president.
He said on the Fox News show that he is focused on winning another term as governor of the battleground state and would be focused on that election and serving the people of Minnesota.
"I’m first thinking about running for reelection for governor in the state of Minnesota, and that’s my focus. And if I do, you know, people would expect you to serve out that term," he said.
Meanwhile, appearing on NBC’s "Meet the Press," Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has already ruled out a 2012 run, was cryptic as well.
Jindal said he plans to seek re-election in 2011 but would not give an answer about a potential presidential bid.
"What I’m saying is I’m running for re-election. I have no, no plans beyond that," he said.
The answers leave room for discussion, but they are more vague than the confirmation Barack Obama gave in 2006 that he would not run for president.
"I will serve out my full six-year term," he said in January 2006 on Meet the Press. "My thinking has not changed."
Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, the former governors who ran against John McCain for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination are also seen as potential candidates for 2012.
Florida governor Charlie Crist and California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as well as Mississippi’s governor Haley Barbour are also potential candidates.
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