Twelve in 2012 Scorecard Mike Pence

By Chris Stirewalt

Tonight on Special Report with Bret Baier, the 10th edition of the Twelve in 2012 series.

Each night, Special Report will profile one of a dozen potential Republican presidential contenders. When its all over, look for a documentary special that lays out the state of the 2012 race inside the GOP.

With every installment, Power Play will analyze the candidates strengths, weaknesses and odds of success.

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Mike Pence

Age: 51

Current Position: Congressman from Indianas 6th District (first elected in 2000)

Previous experience: Radio host (1992 to 1999); president on the Indiana Policy Review Foundation (1991 to 1993); practicing attorney (1986 to 1991)

Education: Undergraduate degree from Hanover College (1981); law degree from Indiana University (1986)

Family: Wife, Karen, two daughters, one son

What you might not know:

Pence is famous in Republican circles for his spot-on George W. Bush impersonation.

His Pitch: Family First

Concerns about a swampy economy and a $13 trillion national debt may have pushed back the culture wars that dominated politics for much of the past two decades. But the old fights over abortion, gay marriage and other social concerns remain just below the surface.

And in the Republican Party, the culture warriors are one of the most important blocs. Since Pat Robertson threatened to upend George H.W. Bushs nomination in 1992, cultural conservatives have been adept at holding Republican presidential contenders to account on their core issues.

And in all the recent focus on economic and fiscal issues not to mention the increasing acceptance of gay marriage among notable Republicans like Dick Cheney and Ted Olson many in the family-values wing of the GOP feel that they are getting short shrift.

While Mike Pence is certainly a fiscal conservative, he is one of the few potential 2012 contenders to speak the language of Christian conservatives so fluently. Pence hits abortion hard in his stump speeches and knows how to rev up the crowds at the big gatherings for the religious right.

And they have repaid his constancy and attention with their support. When Pence first started hinting around about a possible presidential run, few took him seriously. But when he won the straw poll at the Values Voters Summit this summer, the rest of the GOP took notice.

Plus, Pence is a genuinely good speaker. He tends to be leaven his broadsides with humor and has shown the ability to hold his ground with hostile questioners without seeming combative.

The Knocks: Lower Chamber

Theres a reason that there has been exactly one member of the House of Representatives elected president. No matter how gifted, a representative almost always lacks the necessary fundraising ability and national profile.

And when James Garfield did it in 1880 he managed through a backroom deal at the Republican Convention in which he was deemed an inoffensive alternative to two rival factions. He didnt need a $100 million war chest and an organization in a dozen states.

Pence backers hope his high profile with social conservatives can provide the kind of grassroots boost that make Mike Huckabee a surprise contender in 2008, but there are likely to be others who are better known and better funded, perhaps including Huckabee himself, hoping for the same thing.

Power Plays Odds on Nomination: 25 to 1