On the eve of the Iowa caucuses, here are my quick thoughts on the current candidates:
- Romney: Typical politician – Has no core convictions. Will say or do anything to get elected, rich enough to think he can buy the election. That said, I predict he’ll win the nomination after the South Carolina primary is a few weeks.
- Gingrich: Consummate legislator with too much personal baggage and a history of condescension and self-interest. Then again, everyone says he’s mellowed as he’s gotten older.
- Ron Paul: Right on fiscal policy and illegal immigration, totally wrong on everything else.
- Santorum: Knee-jerk reactionary. Religious crusader. Hot-headed.
- Bachmann: Social conservative. I hate social conservatives. (Well I don’t hate them, per se, I just don’t want them to ever hold office.)
- Perry: George W. Bush, Jr.
- Huntsman: Who?
- Roemer: My state’s former governor. Ran as a Democrat, then changed to a Republican while in office. As Louisiana politicians go, I’ve seen much worse. Doesn’t stand a snowball’s chance in Hell.
I’m hearing this morning that Santorum is surging and may even possibly win or come in second to Romney in Iowa. I shudder to think what would happen to this country if he were ever elected president. In the past, I’ve said that I’ll vote for a wet cardboard box if it won the GOP nomination this year, and I would, but it Santorum is nominated, I may just stay home November 4th or write in Reagan’s corpse on the ballot.
Ron Paul is never going to win the nomination. Let’s face it. The Tea Party is against him. The Republican “establishment” is against him. The Religious Right is against him. Jews are against him. Liberals love him. Muslims love him. Pro-abortion feminists don’t hate him. His foreign policy views are antithetical. Let’s face it – He’s not a Republican! He’s a Libertarian! Let him run as a Libertarian and throw the election to Obama.
Santorum is probably surging because Romney’s attacks on Gingrich worked, and Santorum is the new anti-Romney. Most Republicans are evangelical Christians, and Romney is a Mormon, and they can’t stand that. That’s the plain, ugly, unvarnished truth.
Me? Of the current field, I’d settle for Gingrich or Romney. Warts and all, either one of them would be better than Obama. If either one wins in November, put Paul in charge of the Federal Reserve and Bachmann in charge of the Internal Revenue Service.
As for the general election, I see Romney being nominated, and winning against Obama in a two-way fight. If Paul continues to run, after Romney wins the nomination, I see four more years of Obama in the White House.
God, am I going to have to move out of the country?