153: 2012 Republican Nomination Process

Currently the Republican Party is in the midst of selecting its candidate to run against President Barack Obama in the general election. Through a series of caucuses and primaries across the country, Republicans will choose a candidate. This process is extremely long, and at times can be exceptionally complicated. In order to make it less complicated, we're going to simplify it as much as possible. 

The goal of the nomination process is to, well, win. In order to achieve that, a candidate must accumulate at least 1,144 delegates out of a possible 2,286 delegates to secure the nomination. A candidate will receive delegates as he or she wins primary elections and caucuses. For instance, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney won the New Hampshire primary, and thus received 12 delegates to count towards his total. 

In most primary seasons, a clear front runner will emerge by gaining early momentum from early contests. As of right now, Mitt Romney is considered the front runner because he won the Iowa Caucus, by eight votes, and the New Hampshire primary. However, candidates such as Congressman Ron Paul from Texas and former Senator from Pennsylvania Rick Santorum are nipping at his heels. Romney leads the delegate count with 14. Paul and Santorum are behind him with 10 and 8 respectively. The next contests, such as the South Carolina primary on January 21st and Florida's primary on January 31st, will be indicative of whether Romney will continue with his momentum or if he faces a significant threat  from other candidates. 

Important Definitions 

Caucus: e.g. the Iowa Caucus, which is known as a "gathering of neighbors." Registered Republicans and Democrats will gather at their local designated precinct, which can be at schools, churches, or even at a private residence. Supporters will stand up and speak on behalf of their candidate. Voters will then vote by secret ballot. 

 A primary is an election where party members select their candidate for the general election. There are three types of primaries: 

1. Closed Primary-- only registered party members can vote, unaffiliated voters (Independents) cannot participate. 

2. Open Primary--all voters regardless of party affiliation can vote. 

3. Semi-Closed--only registered party voters can vote. However, unaffiliated voters can participate by either registering with a party on election day or by declaring in the election booth. North Carolina has a semi-closed primary. 

Superdelegates: delegates who are not bound by their state's primary or caucus. They are selected instead on their loyalty and importance in state Democratic and Republican Parties. To see the current delegate count for the Republican Nomination you can read further on this link http://www.democraticconventionwatch.com/diary/4726/republican-superdelegate-endorsement-list. 

To see a list of state primaries and caucuses: http://www.2012presidentialelectionnews.com/2012-republican-primary-schedule/.