Mississippi governor Haley Barbour said Monday he will not seek the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, the latest potential presidential candidate to decline a bid to challenge President Obama.
“This has been a difficult, personal decision, and I am very grateful to my family for their total support of my going forward, had that been what I decided,” the Mississippi governor said in a statement.
“A candidate for president today is embracing a ten-year commitment to an all-consuming effort, to the virtual exclusion of all else,” Barbour added. “His (or her) supporters expect and deserve no less than absolute fire in the belly from their candidate. I cannot offer that with certainty, and total certainty is required.”
The Republican governor was seen a major contender for the nomination. The Mississippi Republican had met with a number of party leaders, traveling to a number of primary states in recent months.
