Former adviser to President George W. Bush, Karl Rove reminded in his weekly WSJ column that the race for the GOP nomination is only just beginning and that historical races demonstrate much more will transpire before a clear leader emerges.
At this point in the race in 2011, Rove recalled, Gov. Rick Perry was in the lead among a similarly wide field with just under 30% in the RCP polling average.
After Perry’s meteoric drop following the “oops” debate gaffe, the race saw the lead traded successively by Herman Caine, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum before Mitt Romney finally clinched the indisputable lead.
More importantly, Rove argues, is that the primaries will begin in this cycle a full month later than in 2012, a fact that promises all the more intrigue as GOP candidates continue to jockey for position in the four months that remain before caucus-goers in Iowa begin casting votes.
