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In 2012, there was a lot of speculation surrounding whether or not Senator John Thune of South Dakota was going to run for President. Relatively young, telegenic, and a seemingly common sense conservative, he was seen as a possibly sensible choice over the more firebrand conservatives like Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, and Newt Gingrich, and over a flip-flopping unreliable Mitt Romney. He had potential Rust Belt appeal due to his proximity to the state of Iowa. However, he ruled it out, and admitted in 2016 that his window might have closed.

What if John Thune decided to run in 2012? Could he have made it against Romney in the primaries? Could he have beaten Obama in an election where he was seen as vulnerable?
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