The donald isn't the only one, either. It always is an odd collection of characters when a party's nomination for president is wide open. But never (that I can think of) has there been such a menagerie of craziness. And not just the donald is using the presidential field for self-boosterism.
I also believe that Gingrich (the newt), if he is as smart as everybody says he is, has to know that he can never win the Republican nomination much less the Presidency. I mean, family values? How is it possible to be sleazier than Bill Clinton? But the newt managed to do it. Yet he has again become a national figure of prominence glorying in the attention and hauling in the dough.
Sarah is another one. I think she really might want to be President just because she thinks it would be so cool and Todd could really be First Dude and all. But I think she expects it to come to her on a silver platter like McCain offered it up to her last time. She simply doesn't want to have to work that hard. But her plan B is almost as strong a plan and led her to drop the governorship when she got tired of it. She needs the attention to make money and continue her "fame." And like Eva Peron, once you've had that taste of fame and power (and money), it's never enough until you have it all. Don't cry for her!
Pawlenty or (T-Paw). Why is the image of the mullet stuck in my mind? He seems as lightweight as Jindal playing Kenneth the Page. Maybe he can make a name for himself and get some traction, but I don't know. And that's kind of a funny name. We don't like presidents with funny names, do we?
Michelle Bachman. As I have said elsewhere, it looks like she is serious about being a candidate even if she doesn't understand she is not a serious candidate. And she's so much smarter than Palin! She actually knows stuff! The stuff she knows is all wrong, but at least she knows it.
Haley Barbour? A fat guy from Mississippi? Really?
And Herman Cain, the guy who thinks Planned Parenthood is a eugenics plot against the inner city. That sounds real Republican. (Well, it's not exactly a plank of the Democratic Party either). Unless maybe spouting out stuff like that lets them off their white guilt.
Rick Santorum looks like a serious candidate and
And good old Mike Huckabee, with his FOX News gig, may also be teasing for self promotion. But then again, he may enter the race just to neutralize Romney like last time when he strung out the Primaries even if neither could win (one or the other could have beaten McCain on their own). He seems to have something seriously against Romney - can't quite put my finger on it, hmmm.
And I still can't figure out John Huntsman. Sure, he'd be a great general election candidate and a pretty good president. He could take some blue states in a general election with independents and moderates swinging his way. And he could maybe take the Eastern and Rust Belt Reagan Democrats. He would, though, have a hard time in the south on the "religion" thing not to mention the "moderate" thing with them and the base elsewhere. And I just don't see him making it through the Republican Primaries anyway. I think he's positioning for 2016 after an epic failure by both Romney and the tea party types. But he could just have his own thing out for Romney. Remember, he was about the only Republican in the State of Utah who sided with McCain instead of Romney in 2008. That was a smart political move on his part, but was there more to it? Does he have some big but rather secret grudge with Romney?
Sure, Romney is probably the most sensible candidate of them all but we all know his two liabilities that kill him with the Republican base (hint: religion and health care). Oh, and then there's the flip-flops too. I mean, I used to really like him when he was a moderate governor of a progressive state. But in 2008 he said terrible things trying to out-macho the neo-cons on war and torture. And his continued pandering to the base is just embarrassing.
So, if you take Romney out does that make Ron Paul the most reasonable candidate? And yet he and his boy Rand may be in competition for who in the family gets to remake America in Ayn's image. And that's scary.
There are a few others in the wings: Mitch Daniels solid (with Republicans) on fiscal but questionable on social. Christie in New Jersey who also seems like a long shot. And even Jeb Bush who really would have been the better brother as President but it's way, way too late for that now.
Did I miss anybody?
Where's Steve Young?
ReplyDeleteSteve Young of the 49ers? Like we need another Mormon in the race?
ReplyDeleteI am most excited about Paul Ryan. I know he has not declared and perhaps will not run. The national debt is by orders of magnitude the biggest problem we have to face.
ReplyDeleteIt is still pretty early to be counting candidates.
The birther issue is such a red herring issue to me. I am not so sure that the requirement even is necessary in the 21st century. Are we worried that someone will get in there that is sympathetic with old imperial England?
ReplyDeleteTotal speculation on my part, but I thought it might have been a sneaky way to keep Alexander Hamilton from being President. But I guess Aaron Burr took care of that anyway.
ReplyDelete