I have a question for you?
Who are these supposed Republican bigwigs that keep promoting a "flavor of the week" as the hope of the party in the 2012 presidential Death March campaign?
I mean for one thing, they seem to not be able to stick with a candidate.
Once there is any sign that their flavor is in any trouble, they pick up and look for someone else.
As noted, the latest heart breaker is the New Jersey governor, Chris Christie.
He said, hopefully for the last time, he is not a candidate for the Republican presidential nod in 2012.
But Gov. Christie is soon to be yesterday's news. Much like another governor.
Texas governor Rick Perry was high on the insider radar. And there were some good reasons. As governor, he has been a solid conservative. Low tax, low regulation. Solid social conservative. But, he is in trouble for the issue of illegal immigration. It is not so much that he supported and signed into law the Texas Nightmare, er Dream Act. But he has not done a good job defending it. Instead he has made personal attacks on fellow conservative Republicans because they, we, do not understand why he supports a break for illegal aliens. No, it is not because we are heartless. No, it is not because there is no other way for these students to pay for their college education. It is that ham-handedness that has dropped him precipitously in polling. And now many of those that supported him as the Great GOP Hope are jumping that ship.
Before Gov. Perry was the former ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton.
Mr. Bolton is totally right on American foreign policy. But, this election will not be a foreign policy election. And Mr. Bolton on his own realized it and said thanks, but no thanks.
Even some of these people are trying once again to dip into the well that was the former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani. Must be gluttons for punishment. Because he did a bang-up job in 2008.
So, what is wrong with the declared candidates in the 2012 race?
Not one thing.
OK, save for three.
Congressman Ron Paul, former governors Gary Johnson of New Mexico and John Huntsman of Utah. And even those two I would take in a heartbeat over Congressman Paul and especially the Dear Leader, President Obama.
So what about the rest?
Is the former Massachusetts governor, Mitt Romney, that terrible a guy that the bigwigs (never actually identified) can not rally around? Say what one will about Mr. Romney but he has been around the block an election cycle before. Only one mistake that he is making this time around is trying to defend the Massachusetts version of Obamacare. And he is getting better on that. But Mr. Romney is a good strong center-right guy. He may not be a fire-breathing red-meat kind, but he will stand up well to the Dear Leader, President Obama.
And back to Gov. Perry.
If he sounded more certain in debates and clearly articulate his stand on illegal immigration, he may get back in the race. What does worry me is because of a couple of shaky debates, I do worry about how he will fare against the Dear Leader, President Obama.
Then there is someone that may end up being this cycle's Sen. John "F--- You" McCain.
That is the former Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich.
As he keeps trudging along, he is getting stronger and audiences are receptive to the former House Speaker. And there is no doubt about the fact the dude is a fountain of ideas. And one other note. Mr. Gingrich is a proven winner. It was he that engineered the Republican election triumph of 1994 in which the House became Republican for the first time in over 50 years. And he staved off the Democrats in not one but two elections. The problem has always been discipline. But, I see that Mr. Gingrich is very much coming into his own. And, he may be a consensus choice for many.
And what about Herman Cain?
So he has not held political office. But he has been in the arena. And he took on then President Clinton in his attempt to socialize medicine in 1993-94. And he too has some ideas that are kind of radical. But he has ideas. And he is not a typical politician. After three years of the Dear Leader, President Obama show, maybe people are looking for real authenticity and not sloganeering.
I am sorry that Congressman Michele Bachmann seems to be fading, but she has not folded her tent and is staying in the race. She is a firebrand, the red-meat kind of candidate. And maybe that is why she is fading among some potential Republican voters.
And one last candidate that is on par with Mr. Gingrich is the former Pennsylvania senator, Rick Santorum. Yes, everyone seems to harp on his 2006 defeat at the hands of now Democrat Sen. Bob Casey. Hey, how about winning some tough congressional and senate campaigns in a blue/purple state? And while he is noted as a strong social conservative, he has proven very able in the economic and national security area as well.
And here is the real deal.
Folks, if you are looking for a Ronald Reagan, forget it. Mr. Reagan was a one of a kind person. He was in the right place at the right time. And, he was not always what we know him as today. He suffered political losses. He was on the losing end of some of the debates of the time. And among fellow conservatives.
What I want to see is someone that can articulate conservatism the way Mr. Reagan did. And there all the candidates can take some lessons from the Great Man.
The people that are trying to anoint someone behind the scenes are, to be blunt, fools.
This is a great field of candidates. One of them is going to gain traction going into the primary and caucus season.
The important thing is to let the process play out and see what happens in the early states.
Stop trying to end the process before it even gets going.
I want to choose the nominee for the Republican party in 2012. I do not need some "insiders" or professional types to force their flavor of the month on me. Nor anyone else who will participate in the process.
Let us, the voter, choose our Republican candidate and stop trying all these people from out of the woodwork.
And remember that the real one to beat is the Dear Leader, President Obama.
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