The GOP presidential primary battle to determine who will take on President Obama in 2012 begins in earnest this week now that the midterms are over, and FOX News is jumping in.

Special Report with Bret Baier is launching a 12-day series on the topic called "12 in '12" that each day will feature a profile of one of 12 Republicans who may launch presidential bids for the 2012 race. Exclusive interviews with 11 of the 12 candidates are planned for the profiles, which begin Thursday evening with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels.

Other candidates being profiled include: Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint, Indiana Rep. Mike Pence, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal.

A thirteenth story is also planned with long-shots such as former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Texas Rep. Ron Paul, and others like Donald Trump. All 13 stories will air again after the series in a one-hour special.

In a phone interview Wednesday morning, Baier pointed out that now that the midterms have ended, the focus will shift to the presidential race, beginning with the Republican primary.

"There is the potential for a long list to get in" to the primary, he said. "Most of America does not know a lot of these names."

Baier flew to several of their home states to interview potential contenders, including South Dakota for Thune and Indiana for Daniels.

The anchor said he got a lot of access to Daniels and interviewed him in his office in Indianapolis. He spent a lot of time behind the scenes and caught Daniels on one of his infamous motorcycle rides. Baier got to Barbour on the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in Mississippi.

"These pieces will feel a bit bigger," said Baier, who added that the mission of the series is to introduce potential candidates and press them on issues. There will be analysts in each of the pieces to assess each candidate's vulnerabilities and assets in the race, as well as their chances.

So which one of the 12 candidates was the one who opted not to sit down with Baier for an interview? Romney.

Baier said he still has to tape an interview with Christie as well, but that has just been a scheduling issue, and he's talking to Christie's team today to iron out a time.

"Gov. Romney is a different story," Baier said. "We've talked to them a number of times. They've told me they are hesitant to do anything that has a 2012 connotation to it."

He added, however, that most of his interview subjects still say they aren't running or couched their answers in some way.

Nevertheless, Baier said, "I don't think many people in politics would bet against Mitt Romney running."

He said he's going to try one more time to get an interview and is still holding out hope.

"If not, we're still going to be very fair with the piece," Baier said. "He's one of the leading contenders. He'll get a lot of attention."

An official for Romney's Free and Strong America PAC told RealClearPolitics that Romney did participate because FOX News was able to gather footage of Romney stumping for candidates on the campaign trail in the midterms in recent weeks.

Romney appeared on Sean Hannity's program on the network on Monday night and was asked about the presidential race as well as the health care law he pushed through as governor. Baier said that for now, they will use the sound from that interview.

Dan Balz wrote in the Washington Post over the weekend that as Romney prepares for a likely 2012 bid, he's been keeping his head down - with the exception of headlining dozens of events all over the country for high-profile Republican candidates.

"The Romney team thinks there is only limited value in time spent on cable television, particularly when the focus is on the outrage of the moment and politicians are forced to react to events rather than make a case for themselves," the story reads.

Indeed, in conversations with RealClearPolitics, Romney strategists say they don't like to talk about the presidential race and often offer the familiar refrain that for now, "We're just a PAC."

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