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[Michele Bachmann DROPPED OUT] Only woman in the race. Only Iowa native, too. Describes herself as a born-again Christian, says God encouraged her to run. [Newt Gingrich] Bombast. He's known as a font of ideas who presses opponents with glee, via the lecture circuit, his think tank and cable news commentary. [Ron Paul] Sometimes called the "intellectual godfather" of the Tea Party, he's a three-time presidential candidate, starting in 1988 under the Libertarian Party banner. He's half of the only father-son team in Congress: his son Rand is a freshman senator from Kentucky and also a Tea Party favorite. [Rick Perry DROPPED OUT] A tall Texan who flew C-130 cargo planes for the Air Force after college, then went home to help run the family cotton farm. An evangelical Christian sometimes accused of blurring politics and religion. One example: declared an August "Day of Prayer and Fasting" and blended it with the launch of his presidential campaign. [Mitt Romney] Perfect hair. He's Mormon, a faith never represented in the White House. [Rick Santorum DROPPED OUT] A passionate, confrontational social conservative who especially opposes gay marriage, "the ultimate homeland security issue." A conservative Roman Catholic, he called the priest sex-abuse scandal a byproduct of "moral relativism" and "alternative lifestyles" promoted by media and academia. In Congress, he led weekly devotions for Catholics but excluded Democrats. [0] 
Distinguishing traits
2012 Republican presidential candidate bios - Omaha.com interactive documents
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