Idiot contender for the GOP nomination Rick Santorum recently had this to say:
"My concern is that Ron Paul would walk in there, day one, pull our troops back and leave an enormous void around the world," Santorum said. "He can do that day one without congressional approval. He can, as commander in chief, move our troops anywhere in the world, disengage from every place from Europe to the Middle East, China, abandon the Strait of Hormuz, pull the 5th Fleet back. That's one of the reasons I think you see folks who are having second thoughts." (italics added)
You hear that, world? We can move our troops into your country if we damn well please.
While I think it'd be nice to have someone in the White House aside from Obama-- who has managed to alienate elements on both sides of the aisle-- I think we're in for a second Obama term. The GOP field contains, at this point, no one I'd consider fit for office-- certainly not the shifty Newt Gingrich, the gelatinous Mitt Romney, the clueless Rick Perry, the hyperventilating Michele Bachmann, or any of the feckless remainder. Ron Paul is currently enjoying a jolt in the polls, but it seems that every candidate is taking a turn, so I don't find Paul's elevation significant. As for Santorum-- I've hated him since I first heard about him years ago. His social conservatism, in particular, is nauseating to me, and he's the man I most associate with the notion of "creeping theocracy."
2012 may just be the year in which I vote for a cartoon character, as I've been threatening to do over the course of three presidential terms.
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I'm firmly in the "anyone but Obama" camp. I'm also not thrilled with the Republican field, but of that lot I'd have go with Romney. At least he seems to have an understanding of how the economy works, has had some success in the private sector, and does not appear to be as outright crooked as his adversaries.
ReplyDeleteI agree, none of the Republicans interest me. My ideal situation would be a Democrat with some political sense and and understanding of the world, with Republican House and Senate. I am very distrustful of one party in total control. Look at what Bush II did and look at what the first two years of Obama did. I'd vote for Hillary despite getting another four years of Bill with her. Maybe Obama will back off and not run at the last moment, but I don't think so. He believes in his myth too much.
ReplyDeleteBill,
ReplyDeleteI'm with you re: the need for healthy dynamic tension.
John,
I wasn't a fan of the liberals' "anyone but Bush" attitude a few years back, and I can't say that "anyone but Obama" is any more appealing of a philosophy for me. That said, I do think Obama should vamoose, but if he is booted after only one term, that leaves us with the scary prospect that he might run for a second term later on down the line. He's young enough to make several tries.
If only all governors where as clueless as Rick. I'd pretty sure the country would be darn lucky if his cluelessness rubbed off on the likes of California and New York if he became President.
ReplyDeleteI suspect Perry would need more than a laissez-faire attitude toward economics if he's hoping to dismantle the strangling regulations that have popped up over the past three presidential terms (Dubya did his fair share to contribute to government bloat, after all). Whoever hopes to tackle the regulatory monster is going to have to be gifted with determination, intellect, and sharp rhetorical skills to get the public behind the effort. I'm just not sure Perry's the guy to do it.
ReplyDeleteMy take, for what it's worth.