It should surprise to no one that the 2012 Primary elections are as fascinating as they are. For the past 15 months, the Republican Party has sought desperately for a more “promising” field of candidates; and yet, with no viable additions surfacing in time for the vital race, Republicans were left with largely disappointing debates and an unpredictable primary season. Charismatic but perhaps lacking-in-substance candidates Michele Bachmann and Herman Cain both dropped out of the race before the primaries began, and Governors Rick Perry and Jon Huntsman both dropped out after the New Hampshire primary due to a lack of consistent support. The country has consistently looked, however unfavorably, upon Governor Mitt Romney as the most likely Republican candidate; yet in recent weeks, Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich has been seen rising in the polls and even won the primary in South Carolina. Florida, a crucial election as a state that has a historically “Winner Takes All” policy, was won substantially by Mr. Romney, as was Nevada leaving Romney in the lead with 40.6% of the delegates, Mr. Gingrich with 30.8%, Senator Rick Santourum with 14.3%, and Congressmen Ron Paul with 10.6%.

The elections aren’t the only thing that makes this Republican Primary so fascinating; while often nonsensical and filled with excessive demagoguery, even the debates aren’t the most interesting element. Rather, the impressive array of opinions regarding each candidate, even within our own Academy community, makes the presidential race an exciting one to follow. The majority of students seem to sympathize with Mitt Romney, for a variety of reasons. Some view him as the most serious contender to oppose Obama in the General Election in November; others simply have preferred his performance in recent debates and view his recent election performances as impressive. Many Democrats instead support Newt Gingrich, as they view him as a less viable contender against Obama. The more conservative members of the Academy community find Rick Santorum the preferable candidate, as they find him most in tune with their conservative values.

Though many members of the Academy community are passionate about the election, there is still a significant number of students who remain uneducated, even though many of them are within two years of reaching legal voting age. With the arrival of the General Election in November, hopefully more members of the community will get involved and the school will play a role in their education.