Gay Sex Scandal Could Rock 2012 Presidential Campaign?

The biggest bombshell story of the 2012 presidential race could well be a major news media sex scandal story that could have a huge impact on the political landscape. While Texas Gov. Rick Perry continues to rise in polls, now running neck and neck with Mitt Romney, old rumors about a gay sex scandal by the media are beginning to re-surface that could rock the fresh presidential bid. Allegations of Rick Perry being homosexual actually first began to come from insiders within Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's failed attempt to defeat Perry in the 2009 Republican primary for governor and have since found legs in at least one Texas newspaper and a number of blogs.

One of Ron Paul's supporters has freshly raised the issue as well, by purchasing a Texas newspaper ad asking who has had sex with the governor. This is only the beginning of what may become a major sex scandal rocking a 2012 presidential campaign.

A number of sources have even gone as far as to name the man that Gov. Perry supposedly has had sexual relations with, while other sources reported on the troubles within the marriage of Perry to his wife. None of these rumors are particular good for a candidate who is a favorite of many Christian conservative voters and stands a very good chance of winning the GOP nomination. These rumors are also very troubling for Perry who has signed the Texas state GOP platform to receive election support from his party. That platform takes a very tough line of socially conservative issues including opposition to the decriminalization of sodomy as well as other anti-gay issues.

Some say that Gov. Perry is only sitting on a powder-keg of potential sex scandal problems just waiting to blowup and derail his presidential hopes. Then again, there's always the possibility that enough of the public doesn't really care and might vote for a candidate regardless of major sex scandal rumors. At some point, the Texas governor will probably have to address these sex scandal rumors and either acknowledge them as either true or false.

In recent months, the sex scandals involving Democratic Rep. Anthony Weiner and also Rep. David Wu have forced both to resign their offices and tarnished the party somewhat. Now, the GOP could be hit with a major sex scandal as well if the rumors about Perry are proven true by some investigative reporter and hit the headlines. And if Gov. Perry becomes the GOP nominee it could prove to an electoral disaster for the party as well, which takes a conservative line on gay issues.

The 2012 election has some potential to be a close election, unless the wild card of a big sex scandal changes the playing field. That's one heck of a wild card.