GOP South Carolina Preview 1.19.12

           As we get set for Saturday's GOP primary in South Carolina, I wanted to give my two cents on the field to this point.


One of the predominant themes we have heard throughout the press over the last several months was the poor quality of the candidates that have stood forward for the GOP nomination.


These men and women, do exactly that though... they stand up in front of 300+ million people, expose themselves and their families to irrelevant reporters who look to get ahead by destroying them, and their kids watch as comedians rip them apart each night. Yet they stand because they believe in something, and fight against all that we throw at them... So I honor them for standing.


You also hear a lot in the headlines about how this race is over... Mitt Romney won ONE of 50 states, and they say its all but over. It is not, but South Carolina is crucial to all of these candidates. The sad truth also, is that money plays a large role in the length of this process, but I will explore the money problem in a future writing.


These candidates are not perfect, but really I have never heard of anyone who has met that bar. What I believe we need in a candidate is someone who is going to fight. Someone who will stand for clear principles, and make the case to those who can still listen with an open mind in this country. A politician who thinks about how to answer what people want to hear... that's not a leader. 


President Obama made clear what his intentions were in the last election, but for the "independents" who only form beliefs on headlines, hope and change seemed like an exciting thing to get behind.


This time around though, hopefully educated voters will overwhelm the poles to water down the voting power of the drones. 
In that scenario, which is hopeful in itself, we need to give people the chance to understand this contrast between the left and the right. "Working across the isle" as McCain so often bragged about, got us a debt of over 15 trillion dollars. There are two very different directions that this country will take, based on the 2012 elections, and its time for both sides to show their hand and let the people decide.


Mitt Romney still needs to prove that he can fight. If other candidates want to ask him to defend his time with Bain Capital, since it will clearly be made an issue by the left, he has to do so. I don't believe he did anything wrong there, but if we know that will be the line of attack, why is he making the GOP nominate him before he presents his case? This is his weakness right now. In the CNN debate tonight, he pointed out that he made his wealth on his own, and it is true that he gave away his inheritance, so why does he not lay it all out there? 
I think that he is a modest man, and he has trouble doing this, but he will have to get better fast if he wants to be chosen as the one who defends an opportunity society.


Newt Gingrich has an unbelievable ability to communicate with people, if they are listening, but he also can turn people off with what appears to be a short temper. Newt was my "sleeper pick" that I wrote about in my posting in October of last year when he was still considered to have zero chance of winning. His debate performances have been by far better than the other candidates, and people want to see someone do that with the left and Obama. Newt is now facing an ex-wife in this campaign, and a media who is proud to give her the stage to get even... a sad reality of politics for a GOP candidate. (See John Edwards and his affair while his wife died of cancer... unreported in the NYT)
Newt needs to win this weekend, which will completely turn conventional wisdom on its head, and even if he falls short in the end, he'll strengthen Romney for the general.


Rick Santorum won the Iowa caucus after all... but just his luck, that the results come 2 weeks later. This falls in line with something that keeps coming to mind for me, and that is that nice guys finish last. Rick is an extremely humble, genuine guy, and he is not afraid to tell you exactly what he believes and why. Its admirable, and he is like the underdog you want to win, but he has to do it on his own. Sadly presidential politics is played a certain way, and he doesn't seem to be comfortable in that fight. Tonight in the CNN debate, he wouldn't look Romney in the eye as he criticized him for 2 minutes... he was standing right next to him!
Rick is a patriot, and I would be proud to have him as president, but tonight he looked like a candidate frustrated with the game, and I do believe that he will leave this race after South Carolina... and its a shame. 


Ron Paul has been a great voice in the party, and has shown the diversity of ideas that are on the right. His defense of Freedom is at times poetic, but his defense of this countries' standing in the world is dangerous, again... in my opinion. The world would see a scary power vacuum if we enacted his foreign policy, but domestically, he rightly advocates sound money and the constitution. 
I still believe he has zero shot, and his son will some day be the more viable candidate, but I am glad that he keeps fighting for many of the things that make this country great.


So that's it... we wait and see. Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think