2012

Posted on Random Musings

the why candidate

Jon Huntsman.

Why is he running for President?  The groups of voters he would appeal to already have several candidates who would satisfy their requirements. Are there enough of those Republican voters who would choose him over the other moderates in the field?  I don’t see how he manages to get the attention of primary voters, much less win the nomination.  The timing is all wrong for the moderates / RINOs to run for the Republican nomination for president.   When we consider the damage inflicted on the economy by the actions of the Obama administration, and the failure to seriously address our debt crisis and rising gasoline prices, the last thing we need as a country is candidates who are willing to compromise on these critical issues.  Moderates like Huntsman would make those compromises.

That’s not to say that Republicans should seek conservative purity at all costs.  We still want to win.  ( Don’t we?)  This means conservatives must make our voices heard in this primary season, so that the nominee we select will represent our values even if his / her record hasn’t been spotless in the past.   Our nominee should be someone who can defeat President Obama.   That person might not be our ideal but reversing the Obama agenda should take priority over sending a message to a political party.   Send messages during the process.    In 2012, the message should be to win.

We don’t need another John McCain. One was too many.

3 Comments Posted on Conservatives, Republicans

dropping like flies

Sarah Palin is resigning as Governor of Alaska.

I think the speculation that she is doing so because she’s running for President in 2012 — and that she needs more prep time than keeping a full-time job in Juneau would allow her — is accurate.  It’s fair to question the wisdom of this move, because she hasn’t even served a full term as Governor of Alaska.  Whoever is advising her to do this is doing her no favors.  Resigning before finishing a full term damages her viability as a candidate, even if she uses all that extra time to study for future interviews on foreign / domestic policy.   It’s possible to continue to build a political organization that could support a presidential bid while keeping your day job, but it must have been too difficult for Governor Palin to do both.   I can understand how the residents of Alaska might question Palin’s focus on the job she currently has,  so in that respect Palin’s decision makes sense.  Her attention has been divided between Alaska and DC, and it’s probably time for her to choose which world she wants.  I’m just not sure this is the right time to quit her day job.

BTW, I like Sarah Palin. I just don’t see her as someone who could be President.   Maybe I’m underestimating her, like everyone else. We shall see what happens in the next few years.

2 Comments Posted on Conservatives, Republicans

it’s not going to happen

Newt Gingrich knows how to say things conservatives like to hear.  He can dish the red meat as well as anyone in our party when he has the inclination to do that.  It’s easy to appreciate those who are speaking out against the policies of the Obama administration, even though we realize that reversing course requires winning elections and developing alternatives to current policy that people can support.  Concerning alternatives and ideas, Newt’s got a few.  Actually more than a few.  Some ideas may be useful, and others may not be practical to implement.  That’s his strength — advancing big ideas.  Unfortunately for Republicans, what Gingrich has been proposing is compassionate conservatism on steroids.  I think it’s fair to question some of his agenda items as less than committed to this limited government ideal we keep talking about.

He is entertaining and has piles of figures on every possible subject.  But he has no chance of ever becoming President, or even the Republican nominee.  This is good for all of us.  Newt Gingrich could never survive the vicious vetting process of the media in addition to winning the trust of anyone yet undecided about his fitness for the Presidency.  If you believe that Sarah Palin got a raw deal (regardless of her qualifications to serve as VP), can you imagine how much harder it would be for Newt once he officially announced his intention to run for President?  Some of the bad press Newt gets he deserves, but I can’t imagine a scenario where he could shed enough of his baggage to make a 2012 presidential run successful.  God may forgive and forget, but the media never does.