With Obama’s approval rating around 40 percent, the door appears to be wide open for a Republican to take the Oval Office. For that to happen, though, the GOP will have to pick a candidate. Though there are many Republicans running for the nomination, I believe that it all boils down to three.

Narrowing down the playing field

Rep. Michele Bachmann, Gov. Rick Perry, and former Gov. Mitt Romney seem to have risen to the top in a very large playing field. But the question is can any of them beat the city planner from Chicago? I say no.

All three candidates have a strong fan base, but none of them can secure the votes of enough Republicans and Independents. For example, Bachmann identifies herself with the Tea Party and just last month she voted no to the debt bill that kept America from defaulting. She would rather watch America default than compromise on her economic values.

Failing to be bipartisan

I would never want a Republican candidate to compromise on social issues such as gay marriage or abortion, but when it comes to economic issues, compromise can be the only option. America has a bipartisan system because neither party has all of the answers. Bachmann cannot be elected because America is never going to elect someone who refuses to compromise; we need a leader that puts the country’s needs before the needs of their party. Bachmann is not that leader. Right now she is riding on the wings of her victory in Iowa, but like she said herself, “This is a marathon, not a sprint!” Bachmann is doing well during the sprinting portion of the race, but when it comes time to see who has enough breath to last, Bachmann will collapse.

Trying to get Tea Party support

Then there is Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. His biggest problem is the health care bill he passed when he was the governor. The law was not as hated as ObamaCare, but the similarities between the two could prove fatal for Romney in the end. The Tea Party will struggle to throw their support behind someone that was the proponent of exactly what they hate: big government. Romney is still fiscally conservative, but not enough for the ultra conservative Tea Party. It is vital for any of the Republican candidates to secure the backing of the Tea Party because the Tea Party is such an influential force in today’s political sphere. I also believe that Romney’s faith could prove to be negative for his campaign. Whenever he is asked about his Mormon beliefs, Romney refuses to talk about it, but that can only last for so long. Eventually Romney will have to address his beliefs, but in all fairness they should not hinder him at all. As president, Romney would not enact laws that would further Mormonism, but instead he would support socially conservative ideals that would be in line with the morals dictated by his faith. The one major plus to Romney is his background as a businessman and his role in turning around the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. He is a businessman that gets things done, and right now America is a failing business. Romney definitely has potential, but whether he has the votes is the question.

The GOP frontrunner

Last but not least is the new Republican star out of Texas, Perry. Only having just announced his presidential run less then a month ago, Perry has already shot to the top of the polls. As the new official GOP frontrunner, the question is whether he is a true frontrunner or just a fad. I believe that Perry is both.

Right now he functions as the frontrunner, saying the right things and creating a lot of rally applause, but when it comes time to elect a president, Perry is simply too radical. In his book “Fed Up!” Perry says Social Security was created “at the expense of respect for the Constitution and limited government.”

I respect Perry’s devotion to his Christian faith, but many find his use of religion with politics to be very off-putting. I would love to have a president that is a born again and unapologetic Christian, but just like Bachmann, Perry comes off as bull-headed and unwilling to compromise on economic issues.

Needing a candidate who appeals to many

Though his record in Texas is good, Perry is not the leader we need. America needs a leader who isn’t afraid to stick up for their beliefs, but yet knows when compromise is the best option for America. The GOP has not found this candidate. The only way for a candidate to beat Obama is for them to have the support of both the GOP and the Tea Party. They must be conservative, but still able to appeal to moderates and independents. Without the support of the Tea Party, a Republican candidate cannot win, and without the support of the GOP, a Tea Party candidate, if it separates and becomes its own party, cannot win. So as the 2012 campaign season has officially started, Obama will have no trouble regaining his seat in the Oval Office as the GOP has failed to produce the knight in shining armor conservatives had hoped would arrive.