By Douglas V. Gibbs
In past posts I gave you Andrea Shea King's, and Kevin Price's, opinions on the GOP field of Presidential Candidates.
Now, it's my turn:
I have a friend who has stopped talking to me because he overheard me say that I thought Sarah Palin would make a great president. He then mumbled something about Sarah Palin saying she could see Russia from her house. I corrected him, and said that Palin never said anything of the sort. It was Tina Fey that said it, as she impersonated Sarah Palin. My friend, so conditioned by the media to hate Palin, and anybody else the propaganda machine tells him to, stomped off angry with me, assuming I was the uninformed one. Such is the hazard of living in the liberal State of California. In all honesty, I was talking about Sarah Palin long before McCain chose her (July 28, 2007; September 30, 2007; October 17, 2007; November 24, 2007; February 25, 2008), and I liked her from the beginning. That is not to say, however, that she is the shining diamond of the group, or that I think she can do no wrong.
So, with that said, let's start with the famous Alaskan.
- Sarah Palin: Whether or not Palin is going to run, I think she has done more (aside from the Tea Party) to help turn things around for the GOP than any other political figure out there. Sarah is among the top candidates, should she decide to run, and I believe she could beat Obama easily. However, she has said little about her position on amnesty, and that has me sometimes concerned. Immigration aside, Sarah Palin has matured in the last two years, and is more equipped to handle the leftist attacks. However, it is the upheaval her candidacy caused in her life in 2008, I believe, that will influence her decision to run, and for that reason, it is a large possibility that she won't.
- Mitt Romney: Romney is charasmatic, and has a strong economic background. But Romneycare in Massachusetts, and his abortion flip-flop, goes against him. If he wishes to defend Romneycare, despite the fact that it is a bad program, he could argue that since it is at the state level, it is constitutional. Obamacare is not. Romney left the 2008 campaign labeled as "the conservative guy" only because McCain is less conservative than Romney. Romney is still a RINO in every sense of the word (northeast Republicans tend to be, just look at Scott Brown), and I also believe that the fact that he is a Mormon will also keep him out of the final prize. His Mormonism, perhaps, should not be such a factor, but the fact is, it is.
- Newt Gingrich: One of the most intelligent of the possible candidates, Gingrich would have to overcome a lot of the negative baggage from when he was Speaker of the House, and he has personal issues that may not bode well with most voters. Also, and this is a big problem, he is a party guy. What I mean by that is he has shown us time and time again that the Republican Party is more important to him than conservative principles. Recent Libya flip-flops, and his support for Scuzzyfava in New York District 23, attests to that.
- Mitch Daniels: Daniels is not a good candidate. He believes the social issues should be abandoned, and he has voiced approval of the Government Health Care plan. His Indiana Health Care Plan has many similarities to Obamacare.
- Donald Trump: I only put him on this list because everyone is talking about him. Trump, though he has no chance, is an important candidate because he is definitely not politically correct. His willingness to say what needs to be said will be an advantage, and it will force the other candidates to expose themselves for who they are. In the end, however, though Trump views the world through an experienced lens, he is not presidential material. Besides, who would really want a businessman that has been bankrupt to be president with the kind of deficits we have going on?
- Mike Huckabee: Not my first choice for sure. He would have to overcome his history of people he pardoned and paroled as Governor of Arkansas. Huckabee has proven to be weak on the immigration issue, and is willing to compromise too quickly on some of the major issues. Fiscally, Huckabee is backwards.
- Tim Pawlenty: Though Pawlenty is still relatively unknown, I am starting to like him. He has shown good leadership, and he is willing to challenge Obama head on with the issues. He is creating an enormous presence on the Internet, which I think is key in beating Obama. In his talks I have picked up on that he seems to have a good foundation of understanding the role of government, and the original intent of the Constitution. He has a history of being a tax cutter, is clearly opposed to amnesty, supports strong border security, has spoken out against Obamacare and believes it must be repealed (not altered), has not said he is a greenie or not, but seems to take a reasonable stance on energy (including keeping oil on the table), is pro-gun, is willing to stand up to the unions as Walker in Wisconsin is doing, and is a firm believer in the free market. If Pawlenty can attract more recognizability to his name, he may have a chance to be a good candidate, and defeat the leftist menace. Pawlenty is not my favorite, but he could become one of my top choices if he keeps up the good work, and gains more momentum.
- Chris Christie: If he ran, he would have an enormous ability to attract voters from all walks. He is loud, and fearless, and is fiscally one of the best candidates. However, he does have a few issues on the social side that are not clear, and he still has a lot of work to do in New Jersey. He doesn't plan to run, and that may be for the best. After a little seasoning, however, the big man in Jersey may be a choice in the future.
- Allen West: I interviewed Mr. West August 18, 2008, and I instantly became a fan. He is heads and tails the best possible candidate out there for the GOP. . . and he's not running. I believe Allen West is a future President of the United States. As he showed us at CPAC, he can bring down the house. His issues are all conservative, and he is willing to take a hard stance against radical Islamism. He is one of the few politicians out there that I believe understands the Constitution, and is willing to fight to defend it. The future looks bright for him, but that future will probably not be in 2012, unless someone decides to choose him as their running mate.
- Rand Paul: Ranks right up there with Allen West, minus the military background. He is a freshman senator, so a little time in the saddle may need to happen first. Immediately, as the new man in the Senate, he has made waves. His voting record is the most consistent with the Constitution I have ever seen, and that even considers his father's record. Rand Paul is fearless, and not afraid to propose huge cuts in spending, while defending his refusal to accept tax hikes as an option. Like West, however, Rand Paul is not running. Like West, also, we may see someone pick Rand Paul as their running mate.
- Ron Paul: Ron Paul is 80% right, and 20% loony. I can do without the 20%. His chance was 2008. His candidacy now has no chance. He is a fine Representative, but he is not presidential material.
- Rick Perry: The Texan is considering running, but he is too moderate for this conservative. He wavers on taxes, and social issues. He favors a guest worker program for illegal aliens that I just can't support.
- John Bolton: John Bolton understands the Constitution in ways that few do. The former UN ambassador has a lot of Tea Party folks excited, and I like him a lot, except for the fact that he favored the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and supports gay marriage. Those stances knock him out of the top group, in my opinion.
- Michele Bachman: Of the candidates that are going to run, she is at the top of my list. I like Bachman a lot. She is closely connected to the Tea Party movement, and has been since the beginning. It was Bachman that began a Tea Party Caucus in the House of Representatives, and as a conservative she is pretty close to on target across the board. At the recent Conservative Principles Conference in Iowa, she stole the show, and revealed that she is definitely a candidate that can give Obama a run for his money. It has also been recently revealed that she is currently earning more contributions than Romney. Bachman may be our next president, if she can overcome that "Representatives don't get elected President" thing.
- Jim DeMint: The more I learn about the guy, the more I like him. He is the main conservative in the Senate, and could be a good choice as a GOP Candidate. He has close Tea Party ties, and is well known for standing up to Harry Reid, such as him successfully single handedly stopping Harry Reid’s attempt to shove a massive budget bill through in December. I have not come across any issues that I disagree with DeMint on, yet. That is not to say he is perfect on the issues. I just haven't found any disagreements yet.
- Herman Cain: Herman Cain is the dark horse of the group, and a very good conservative candidate. He understands the Constitution, and on the issues, I have yet to disagree with him. I have had the opportunity to listen to him often on the radio, and every time I listen to him, I like him more. Cain is the former Godfather’s Pizza executive that had a huge role in the defeat of Hillarycare back in the 90’s. That alone has to give you reason to consider him. And best of all, unlike Obama, he is a businessman, and knows how to run things.
- Bobby Jindal: A fantastic conservative, and a name that is being thrown around. I believe he will not run, for he believes he still has work in Louisiana. Unfortunately, as much as I like him, based on my understanding of the definition of "natural born citizen," I believe Jindal is not eligible. His parents were not citizens of the United States when he was born. Birth in the United States may make you a citizen, but your father must be a citizen at the time of your birth for you to be a natural born citizen (Vattel's Law of Nations).
- Paul Ryan: I would love for Ryan to run. He would be one of my top picks if he did. But, alas, he has little kids, and chooses not to.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
No comments:
Post a Comment