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to Sub Content  Main Content  Aug. 19, 2010 Driving the
Conversation:  Why do so many think President Obama is Muslim?
Haley Barbour in 2012?      • Please enter your e-mail
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e-mail   • close     Victoria M. DeFrancesco Soto       Gov.
Haley Barbour is hardworking and principled. These are necessary
but not sufficient traits to top the GOP’s crop of candidates.
Two potentially exploitable weaknesses come to mind vis-à-vis
his likely Republican contenders:      1.) He was not just a
lobbyist, but a lobbyist who worked on a lot of tobacco issues.
This is an issue that could turn off more moderate Republicans
outside of the South. Yes, a lot of folks inside and outside of
politics have links (e.g. Sen Gillibrand), however in such a
crowded field his fellow Republican candidates could target
certain primary electorates with the “L word” frame.      2.)
How does he differentiate himself f