Volatile GOP Presidential Field Prepares for Primaries

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney currently leads the pack in terms of money. The Washington Post reports that Romney has raised more than $32 million this year and has a large amount in the bank to pay for staff, grassroots organizing and television ads.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry is a close second when it comes to fundraising -- he has raised $17.2 million with the majority of the funds still unspent.

Despite Perry’s fundraising success, many believe he peaked as a candidate shortly after he got into the race and some disappointing debate performances could give him trouble as the campaign continues.

"Stunningly bad," is how New York Times columnist David Brooks, appearing on the NewsHour, described one of Perry’s debate performances. "He just had nothing... And it was, I think, a sign of lack of preparation, lack of skill. And I think a lot of people are getting close to dismissive of him."

Cain, Bachmann offer different visions

	Candidate Herman Cain used to be the CEO of Godfather's Pizza.

Cain said that “money isn’t what’s driving my momentum -- my message is driving my momentum.”

Cain is especially known for his "9-9-9 tax plan, which would eliminate the current federal tax code and replace it with a 9 percent sales tax, a 9 percent income tax and a 9 percent corporate tax rate. The plan would eliminate taxes on capital gains (money made on investments) and on money and property inherited from someone who has died (the estate tax). Some criticize the 9-9-9 plan because it would be difficult to implement and could place more tax burdens on the poor and middle class. However, many Americans say they relate to the 65-year-old former pizza baron and his message.

“What they liked about him was that he had no political experience, that he had never held public office, that he didn't talk like a politician,” syndicated columnist Mark Shields said on the NewsHour.

Michele Bachmann, the three-term Minnesota congresswoman and chair of the congressional Tea Party Caucus, is the only woman in the race for the Republican nomination. She has been a favorite of members of the right-wing Tea Party movement  but took a sharp downward dive in the polls after she made a controversial statement about the HPV vaccine being dangerous to young women.

Other candidates such as Rep. Ron Paul, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum remain in the race, although they have not raised much money and have not been frontrunners in recent polls.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Thaddeus McCotter, a Michigan congressman, recently ended their campaigns. Former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin also announced she would not run.

Many Republican voters called for New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie to run for president, but he eventually said he would not and endorsed Romney instead. Many Republican strategists say that Christie's endorsement was a game-changing event that considerably increased Romney’s chances of becoming the GOP nominee.

Candidates’ fortunes can turn on a dime

	The Republican primaries will decide who will run against President Obama in 2012.

When Republicans began announcing their candidacies for president, there was no clear leader.

The Republican field is likely to continue shifting before voters head to the polls early next year decide who should represent the party on the presidential ticket against President Barack Obama.

In her weekly column, the NewsHour’s Gwen Ifill attributes the constantly shifting candidate landscape to today’s difficult economic situation.

“This volatility speaks more to the times we live in than to the candidates," Ifill writes. “Unhappy, economically stressed Americans are clearly casting about for something different.”