Thoughts on the Republican Presidentail Race

So, this started as a letter to my little sister who’s serving with the Peace Corps in Zambia.  Don’t fret.  She’s not a whack job liberal with parental issues.  She wanted to travel.  Peace Corps does that.  She writes regualarly that it’s pretty much a worthless organization, but she’s making the most of it - being one of the few conservatives over there.  But I digress…

I haven’t really hit on the Republican presidential race, so I’ll just put this exerpt from her letter on here to assuage my guilt about not doing so thus far.  So, without further ado, this is what I shared with my little sis.

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So, it’s down to four with the Republicans.  Romney, Santorum, Paul, and Gingrich. 

I’ve obviously written Paul off.  If he wasn’t such a whack-job on foreign policy, I’d give him a second chance.  But essentially saying that we caused 9-11 kind of put the final nail in the coffin.  He’s still pulling pretty good numbers for such a kook though.  He came in second in a few of the primaries, but realistically, he won’t win by a long shot.  However, this may be where the Republicans shoot themselves in the foot – like the really enjoy doing.  You can’t discount his supporters.  You have to find a way to bring them into the Republican voting base.  They account for like 6-8% of the Republican base, but if you alienate them, that basically gives that 6-8% to Obambi.  We can’t afford to do that.  Even though Paul continually says that he doesn’t plan on running as a third-party candidate, I wouldn’t rule it out.  So, he could be what gives us four more years of douchebaggery.

There was a time where I [was in love] with Gingrich’s words, but the allure has worn off.  He’s kind of become the bitter candidate who’s got an ax to grind with Romney.  He had some strong debate performances, but I think people are starting to see that he’s not as strong of a candidate as many want him to be.  Yes, he would obliterate Obama in a debate, but he doesn’t have a great track record to run on.  He’s been trying to channel Reagan, but isn’t really winning me over.  Just a few years ago he said that the era of Reagan is over and that Republicans need to move on.  Pretty sure that was around the same time he was sitting on a couch with Nancy Pelosi talking about ways to curb global warming.  I’m kind of burnt out on him.  He didn’t do too well in the first two states (Iowa and New Hampshire), but then pummeled Romney in South Carolina, only to come in second in Florida, and not win another since.  We’ll see what happens on Super Tuesday (March 6), but I look for him to stay in, just because he’s an agitator now.  If Romney is the nominee, I think Gingrich won’t endorse him, which will hurt the party and our chance of kicking this douche out.

Santorum has been kind of a surprise.  You probably don’t know much about him (like most people), but I kind of like the guy.  He’s got some issues, but they all do.  Basically, he came out of nowhere to win Iowa (by 34 caucus votes – which they originally gave to Romney by 8, but the recount showed Santorum actually won, even though 8 precincts didn’t report or something – so essentially, it was a tie).  He’s become the “conservative” alternative to Romney.  I do have to say that he’s got a great track record on social issues, he’s good on the fiscal stuff, and he’s generally a quite likable guy (even [our cousin] said he was when she sat next to him on a flight).  The problems I have with him is that he’s a former senator, and senators don’t make the best presidents – obviously.  He’s also got some issues with illegal immigration that is driving Ann [Coulter] mad.  More on that in a minute.  He also won a couple other primaries, but he’s still behind in the delegate count by half.  Honestly, if it comes down to the Kansas Caucuses (March 10), I don’t know who I’ll pull for, but it’ll be a toss-up between him and Romney.

I still maintain my indifference towards Romney.  Yes, I’m not a fan of the fact that he signed RomneyCare, but that was a state issue, not a federal one.  And I could really care less about Massachusetts.  I do think he has a pretty good chance of beating Obama, and Chris Christie is behind him – which is probably why Ann [Coulter] is behind him.  She made a great point in this week’s column:

Just four years ago, one Republican candidate for president was avowedly pro-abortion (Rudy Giuliani). One had opposed Clinton's impeachment and tort reform (Fred Thompson). One supported amnesty for illegals, restrictions on core First Amendment speech, federal laws to combat nonexistent global warming, and opposed Guantanamo and the Bush tax cuts ("tax cuts for the rich!") and called waterboarding "torture."
That last one was our nominee: John McCain.
This year, every Republican candidate for president opposes abortion, promises to repeal Obamacare, opposes raising taxes, and on and on. Only one candidate is strong on illegal immigration, which is second only to repealing Obamacare as the most important issue facing the nation.
That's the alleged liberal, Mitt Romney.

I can agree with her, and I really do trust her opinion.  [Glenn] Beck has kind of been a little silent on the issue, really, but I think he’s kind of pulling for Romney, because he too is a Mormon.  Rush [Limbaugh] has the right approach (in so many ways).  He’s pretty sure it’ll come down to either Romney or Santorum, but he continues to pound that the focus should be on having a united front against Obama.  He’s kind of keeping me optimistic, and actually kind of excited by the idea of a brokered convention.  I don’t think that’ll happen, but it’s an interesting idea that we won’t even know who the nominee is, much less the VP nominee (though, the smart money is on Marco Rubio, but we’ll see), until the convention starts.

It’s all exciting and depressing at the same time.  The fact that the polls show Obama still beating any of the candidates is depressing.  While I don’t put too much stock in polls, it’s still unsettling.  Every poll should show a landslide for any Republican at this point – even Ron Paul.  People in their right minds would never vote for this guy again.  Everything he touches falls to pieces.  He tries to blame everything on Congress (which, to a degree he’s right, because the Democrat-controlled Senate is blocking measure after measure that the House has passed), but if Bush had ever said that he’ll be issuing as many executive orders as he can because the Congress has been refusing to act, the media would have had a field day with it.  Instead, after Obama said almost those exact words, the media has been silent.  We’re talking dictatorial leanings here, and since he’s a Democrat, that’s okay.  In just the last few weeks it came out that Catholic hospitals and charities would have to make contraceptives free to their employees – you know, basically violating one of their beliefs.  Well, everyone thought that he backpedaled when he withdrew religious organizations from the need to do so.  But what the media won’t explain is that he’s now requiring insurance companies to provide contraceptives instead – which is no better.  Especially, given that many Catholic hospitals are self-insured.  Okay, I’ll spare you.  Rant over.

Oh, and gas is up to $3.47 a gallon.  Up 191% since Obama took office.  Change we can believe in.