And Then There Were Four: The Latest from the Republican Primaries

In this week's Daily Evolver we take a look at the current state of the Republican presidential contenders. There are four remaining in the race for the Republican nomination: Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul. What seemed like an inevitable win for Romney now seems unclear with Gingrich rising (again) as the new champion of the conservative voice.

The Republican campaign continues to be full of surprises. David and I look to see who has the juice, and who doesn't. Predictions of Romney's status as the frontrunner seem to be premature for the moment. The question is, can the Republican Party really rally around Newt Gingrich as their standard bearer, with all of his short comings, or will we see a surprise candidate emerge on the Republican side of the aisle that isn't even on the horizon at the moment?

What seems clear is that the Republican primary season is going to be long and hard, and so it is even more important that we as Integralists challenge our own perspectives about what is happening, and not get too gripped by daily fluctuations in the news. What is evolving in the 2012 election seems to be much more complex than it first appeared, and may be heading toward some fairly unpredictable ground.

In this dialogue, David and I also explore the question of the primary rhetoric being an example of politics as usual, with a normal return to more rational governing once the election is decided. Or does it represent a new level of demonizing that does not allow for compromise, and contributes to stalemating the political process in dealing with the continuing challenges we face as a country?

We even have some fun with the idea of Integral Life running a debate, and what questions we would ask to reveal the potential in the seeming chaos, rather than further polarizing the electorate.

And Then There Were Four: The Latest from the Republican Primaries  Right click to download mp3  Right click to download m4b AudioBook  Duration: 30 minutes

Eleanor Roosevelt once said that "poor minds discuss people, average minds discuss events, and great minds discuss ideas." Integral minds, we might add, discuss all three.

In Integral Life's The Daily Evolver series, host Jeff Salzman explores some of the greatest and most pressing news stories of our time, lending some much-needed perspective to the people, events, and ideas that shape the world around us. The Daily Evolver uses the Integral lens to help make sense of the complexity, anxiety, and turbulence that surrounds our lives, offering a regular touchpoint for one of the most important practices of all: the practice of staying informed.