Earlier this week, the Associated Press stated that “[t]he 2012 Republican [presidential] field is deeply flawed,” and that the eventual Republican nominee will be hindered by “at least one issue that looms as an obstacle” in that individual’s bid to unseat Obama.

While President Obama certainly has the inside track on winning reelection — we peg his reelection chances at 60 to 65 percent at this juncture — any candidate, including Obama, can be beaten.

Unfortunately the mainstream media, in its quest to meet the demands of the 24/7 news cycle, is fixated on identifying the perfect Republican presidential candidate. What the mainstream media fails to realize is that there is no such thing as the perfect candidate and there never has been. Even Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton, two presidents now widely respected even across partisan lines, were hardly without baggage at the times they initially chased their party’s nominations. Perfection in politics is a myth.

Each of the potential Republican presidential candidates has flaws, but this makes them human. Frankly, voters this time around are tired of fairy-tale candidates who preach “hope and change.” Voters, particularly in the potential 2012 battleground states, are looking for a candidate with substance and leadership who resembles them rather than a mythic demigod from Mount Olympus.

As long as America’s economy remains sluggish and the nation is mired in international turmoil, 2012 will not be a referendum on the eventual Republican presidential nominee; it will be a referendum on President Obama. At the end of the day when the voters head to the ballot box, they will be casting their vote for or against their perception of Obama’s record.

The candidates vying for the Republican presidential nomination will certainly have to confront their political demons, and could very well stumble on the stump in the process.  But remember this is not 2008; President Obama is not a superhero with a golden tongue, he is a candidate with an executive record that demonstrates him to be an unwise steward of American’s economy and shows him to be a deer in headlights when it comes to foreign policy.

So kick back and pay attention, because 2012 will be a wild ride not only for the GOP but also for President Obama.

Ford O’Connell and Steve Pearson are co-founders of CivicForumPAC and advisors to conservative candidates on Internet outreach, communications and campaign strategy.