The GOP 2012 field may not be full yet.
A dozen Republicans are already running to challenge President Barack Obama for the White House, but at least four more could plausibly enter the contest by the end of next month.
Those four include former 2008 vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, former New York Gov. George Pataki, former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie continue to be pushed to enter the race, although both have publicly said they will not run.
As of the four who admit they’re considering a run, this is what The Daily Caller knows of their thinking:
Sarah Palin
Palin continues to tease the possibility of a run, reiterating in interviews that she hasn’t made up her mind about joining the fight for the GOP nomination and suggesting an announcement could come sometime in September.
“I’m of the mind of ABO — Anybody But Obama, at this time,” Palin told The Daily Caller while strolling through the Iowa State Fair earlier this month.
Speculation was at a high last week when her political action committee, SarahPAC, released a video teasing a Sept. 3 keynote address at the Tea Party of America event in Indianola, Iowa. That prompted Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff to President George W. Bush, to predict she will run.
Palin was quick to respond, in a not-so-subtle swipe at Rove, saying through a statement on the SarahPAC website that any “professional pundit claiming to have ‘inside information’ … is … wrong.”
“Three years ago DC pundits predicted with glee the demise of Sarah Palin’s political career,” the statement said. “This past weekend their tune changed, citing false information that she has made a decision and set a date regarding a future campaign.”
Real Clear Politics, citing sources close to Palin, also reported that “an official announcement is unlikely” at the Tea Party of America event.
Despite these new signs that supporters say show she will run, others point to other factors that they say show Palin ultimately won’t pull the trigger.
That includes how both Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry are already filling the space she would inhabit. And it’s also been pointed out that she has not lost her Fox News contributor contract — unlike others running for president — signaling that her bosses there may not think it’s likely she will run.
The others
Palin’s entry into the race would have the biggest impact, but several others are keeping the option open too.
George Pataki, former governor of New York, told TheDC in May that he’s considering running, and New York publications are buzzing this week that an announcement could be soon.
Another sign Pataki, who isn’t well known outside his state, is serious about joining the race was the online appearance Wednesday of what looked like a draft Pataki for President website.
David Catalfamo, a spokesman for Pataki, didn’t return a phone call seeking comment.
And then there’s John Bolton, the former U.N. ambassador, who says he’ll make a decision within the next few weeks.
“Well I’m going to make a decision by Labor Day, there is no question about it,” Bolton told TheDC this week. “That’s my target date. One way or the other, I’m going to decide.”
Don’t forget about Rudy Giuliani, the former mayor of New York, who told TheDC in July that he would make an announcement about getting in the race by the end of September.
“I think there’s an obvious timeline, which would be the end of the summer,” he told TheDC then. “I got to get this decided by September.”
A spokeswoman for Giuliani on Wednesday didn’t return a request for comment.
TheDC’s Jamie Weinstein contributed to this report.
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