With the first presidential primary less than a year away, the American people are still left in the dark wondering “Who’s going to run for president?” There’s an ocean of Republican contenders in the waiting, ranging from serious threats to laughable hoodwinks. But regardless of the likelihood of each candidate’s upset possibilities, one thing is clear so far: everyone is scared to make a run at the White House.
A handful of candidates (such as Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich, and former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty) have all formed “exploratory committees” to help them decide whether or not to run for President. Others, such as former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Mississippi governor Haley Barbour and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, have simply gone through the motions without ever mentioning what they’re going to do or if they’ve decide to run.
Even worse is the continuous threat of the failed Alaskan governor turned Fox News pundit Sarah Palin. She’s not a threat for the White House (President Obama would probably love nothing more than to take on Palin on Election Day). Her threat is to the Republican Party she supposedly represents. Palin has the uncanny ability to polarize like no other “politician” could possibly dream of. If she managed to win the nomination, she would divide the Republicans to the point where everyone short of the Tea Party would vote for Obama (or Nader, if he’s running).
Similarly, Bachmann does not represent the Republicans in a significant way. Like Palin, she’s a divisive character who would scare off more voters than she could attract. What separates her from Palin is that Bachmann believes she is supposed to serve as public official, while Palin believes she deserves to be a public figure. Bachmann wants to influence legislature, while Palin just wants a paycheck. Don’t let that fool anyone; neither of them deserves the nomination.
Other contenders are long removed from actual politics. Note that Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee and Tim Pawlenty are all former governors of their states. Romney and Huckabee haven’t served since 2007, Pawlenty’s term ended in 2010. Similarly, Newt Gingrich hasn’t served in the House or Representatives since 1999, when he ran an unsuccessful campaign to remove Clinton from office. A question that many Americans aren’t asking is “How can these politicians, so removed from active politics, possibly run the country?” The answer is murky at best, and none of these possible candidates have tried to answer that question.
Another thorn in the side of the Republicans’ hope for 2012 is recently Roasted Donald Trump. He’s the only “candidate” who still expresses skepticism on Obama’s birth and religion status. He’s also the only candidate who has no political background whatsoever, to have appeared on a Comedy Central program not hosted by Jon Stewart or Stephen Colbert, to bankrupt his own company and to have hosted WrestleMania. Trump lacks everything that a major politician needs to even hope to take up a new D.C. residence in January, 2013. And for the Republicans, he is not just a laughingstock; he’s a ticking time bomb who will take away whatever dignity they might hope to hold onto during the primaries.
With no real battle cry other than “Anybody but Obama,” the Republicans have yet to field a real candidate with any chance of possibly upsetting an incumbent. The most likely front runner, Romney, has eerily similar ideas about health care (Romney instituted a more far reaching healthcare plan for Massachusetts than Obama could pass for the nation). Other main candidates express simpleton messages that Obama is an evil socialist who will personally kill your grandmother and tax you all the way to Kingdom Come. So what hopes do the Republicans have for 2012?
They’re best hope will be to present a candidate who doesn’t focus on the character assassination of Obama, but rather on actual issues that are important (unemployment, the economy, our occupation in Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan). The ideal candidate will have a (comparably) clean track record, a strong constituency across the nation and be idolized for positive reasons (actions, not words).
This leaves only Pawlenty and Romney as actual contenders to make Obama a one term president, with Barbour and Huckabee battling for a distant third. Romney’s got statistics on his side (GOP runners-up usually get the nomination in the next election). Romney also leads many national straw polls now to become the candidate. But Pawlenty can say Romney’s too much of a moderate by citing the Massachusetts healthcare system. Barbour or Huckabee could make a possible run in the unlikely event that Romney and Pawlenty cancel each other out. Plus, Huckabee has a recent history of winning early.
The Republican National Convention will take place over the week of August 27, 2012. There will be hard fought campaigning between now and then among the Republicans. Who exactly will emerge to challenge Obama remains unclear, but the GOP needs to develop a clear message. The goal can’t just be to make Obama a one term president, but to foster the candidate they believe will represent the United States the best. Also, the candidates need to get serious. They need to stop creating “exploratory committees” and putting the issue off. Until then, the Republicans don’t stand a chance.
No comments:
Post a Comment