2012 GOP Race: Off to a Slow Start

Kevin Drum raises an interesting question: why has no Republican formally declared their candidacy for president?

Jim Geraghty reminds that today is the fourth anniversary of Barack Obama's declaration for presidency.

Kevin Drum follows up with a question: why has no Republican yet formally declared?

Drum's question may be nit-picky: Do we need a formal declaration from Mitt Romney or Tim Pawlenty?  They are manifestly running, all the infrastructure of the operation is rising before our eyes.

Yet there is a serious point here. Large ambiguity still surrounds the intentions of three potential leading candidates: Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich. A new report from Media Matters for America offers one clue as to the reason for the slow rollout.

Once a candidate declares, they will be obliged to resign their jobs as media commenters. Media Matters calculates the value of airtime devoted to Fox commenters Huckabee, Palin, Gingrich, and also John Bolton and Rick Santorum at $55 million.

That does not include the value of whatever fees are paid those commenters.

A lot has been said about the role of Fox in 2012. One effect could be unexpectedly perverse: a late start.

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