2012 U.s. Presidential Election, 2012 | featured news

President Obama’s support is eroding among elements of his base, and Republicans have not coalesced around a candidate, a New York Times/CBS News poll found.

Republican Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign fell just as quickly as it rose. Now, she's looking to Iowa - at the expense of other early voting states - to get back on track....

Republicans Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee hold a slight lead over President Barack Obama in a new poll of Florida residents on next year's presidential election. If the election were held now, 48 percent said they would vote for Romney while 43 percent preferred Obama. Huckabee was favored 49 percent to 44 percent in the same matchup. The two former governors were the only Republicans leading the incumbent president in a survey of 800 likely voters taken between April 4 and April 7 by Washington-based Mason-Dixon Polling and Research. The random telephone survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points was completed the day before Obama and Congress announced their compromise on the federal budget.

Seeking to quell renewed speculation about any presidential aspirations, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg once again ruled out running for the White House.

Major Democratic strategists, still reeling from a barrage of midterm spending by conservative groups, are planning a similarly well-funded campaign by liberal organizations aimed at reelecting President Obama in 2012.

Property tycoon Donald Trump says he is considering running for US president as a Republican in 2012, in an interview with ABC News.

That's been the Romney way this fall. Head down, low profile, tending to the business of deepening relationships in a Republican Party that turned aside his bid for the presidential nomination in 2008. While other potential GOP presidential candidates have sought or drawn attention this fall, Romney seemingly has done the opposite.

On CNN’s John King, USA last night at 7 pm, award-winning reporter Bob Woodward said that advisers to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton expect that an Obama/Clinton ticket in 2012 is “a real possibility.” Moreover, he believes that in that scenario, Clinton and current Vice President Joe Biden would switch roles, making Biden Secretary of State.

Sarah Palin said she would consider a run for president in 2012 “if I believe that that is the right thing to do for our country and for the Palin family.”

Sarah Palin is embarking on a book tour. Tim Pawlenty is building a national political operation. Mitt Romney is weighing in on the recession. They are all jockeying for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination -- even if they won't say so.