I'm not one of those bloggers that has vowed not to talk politics this year. I shall talk politics all I want. It will, however, probably be a lot less than last election cycle!
I've been watching the Republican primaries with interest and incredulity. I don't know what I think of everyone, but I know a few things.
- I highly dislike Rick Perry and will not vote for him. When he was rising in the polls I was absolutely aghast. I'm relieved he currently seems to be forgotten.
- It says so much to me that in the current state of the party, Republicans were willing to consider the like of Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich while Hunstman is the ONLY candidate that has never been close to the top of the heap, despite the fact that he is the most experienced in foreign policy issues, which is arguably the President's biggest job. When Huntsman announced he was running I got excited, and I'm just in shock that the public seems to have considered everyone but him. What does this say about how we pick our candidates?
- I like Ron Paul. I really like him. I have more respect for him than for anyone. He's consistent, straight forward, logical, and experienced. There isn't a candidate more appealing to me. BUT.... I absolutely disagree with him on foreign policy. Stink. If he happens to finally gain traction, I will be fascinated.
- I really don't mind Romney. However, I don't think I would vote for him. This probably further proves that he is a) too liberal for most Republicans and b) not interesting enough to beat Obama.
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Rick Perry: Agreed. Ugh. I feel sorry for Texans....but apparently most of them like him?
ReplyDeleteGingrich: Ugh.
Cain: Double ugh.
Huntsman: Don't know much about him *guilty*. From the little I do know, he is still too conservative for me.
Paul: His "newsletters", the racist/sexist/homophobic ones, turn me off. Is he still the same person? And just hiding those views?
Robotney: Seems like a standup guy (unlike Gingrich or Cain), but he's just gonna tow the party line, I think. I don't know...
Anyway, I might just vote for Obama. Craziness.
Ron Paul is the only one I respect. I will probably write him in, running or not. He's the only person running, that I know of anyway, who tells the truth.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting post and comments, which illustrate my contention that the conventional wisdom that social conservatives are the winning base for Republicans is wrong. It is, and always has been for Americans, limited government.
ReplyDeleteSo many like Paul...except on foreign policy. Problem is all libertarians have foreign policy issues. America has a structure of limited government that has largely been ignored for 60 years. Federalism limits the power of the central federal government on the theory that more local government is easier to control, but gives the feds power over things like foreign policy. Domestically, the federal government is supposed to run kinda like Paul would run it. Libertarians, however, are pure limited government, they would run everything that way, including foreign policy.
Federalism had a champion this round, but that was Perry. (I wasn't for him because I loved all of his Texas policies but because he was the only Federalist in the race. And no, all Texans don't really like him. Dems obviously, but others as well, others who were basically Paul champions who are now facing having to vote for Romney, merely because he's better than Obama. Irony can be cruel.) Perry didn't explicitly run on Federalism for two main reasons: 1. it has been dormant so long that few would know what he was taking about and 2. the conventional wisdom that Republicans have to secure social conservatives to win. We don't. Between social moderates for limited government (all those Paul voters and a host of moderate Dems) and social conservatives for whom limited government is a higher priority than social issues, which is the vast majority of social conservatives, it is a wonder that we ever talk about social issues. Actually it isn't so much a wonder. The left is so afraid of this coalition that it has gone to great pains to make sure the only thing people thing of when they hear the term conservative is scary social conservatives. The limited government coalition was the source of the Reagan landslides and the heart of the Tea Party. Gotta make sure we are all branded as a bunch of kooks, because if the truth gets out that we are actually about limited government... Anyway Perry fell for the social conservative trick and has downplayed his federalism cred.
You succinctly state my fear about Romney. Of all the possible cross-over, middle of the road voters I know who have told me their opinion of Romney, none of them would not vote for him. Not one. Granted my middle of the road friends are only anecdotal evidence, but still the indicator is worrying. Ironically, the Republicans willing to vote for him do so because they think he's the electable guy. He depresses us and doesn't reach across the spectrum to pick off moderate Dems. Team Obama is going to get out the bubbly when he secures the nomination. Oh, and prepare to hear all about "weird" Mormons. And there is Bain promo picture of him with wads of money that you will see more than once.
A quick note about Huntsman: yes, he should have done better, but his performance is largely his fault. Huntsman has the best across the board domestic record, save perhaps Perry, and Huntsman has significant foreign policy experience, which is also the only real foreign policy experience in the field. But he didn't run on those things. He ran as a moderate alternative to Romney, i.e. he ran to Romney's left. So his record said one thing and his rhetoric something else. For a host of reasons, trustworthiness, political opportunism, etc. that turned us off. If he had run on his actual record, he probably would have risen when Perry first stumbled.
It IS fascinating to see what us younger folks think. Interesting comments.
ReplyDeleteAnd Santorum? Not deserving of discussion? He scares me to the root of my core. But then most of them do, even Romney, who says he believes in an opportunity society, not an entitlement society, which is a lovely cozy idea that casually overlooks the fact that so many Americans are born without opportunity - because when each day is a struggle to find food and warmth (nevermind love and care), striving towards opportunity isn't much of an option. But I'm just a European (which of course = socialist) so what does my opinion matter? I just don't understand where the christian element comes in (and I know Mormonism is different but compassion is in there too, right?) for any of them. I cry in frustration some times that all these people espousing christian values seem to be so fundamentally missing the point.
ReplyDeletehaha I'm supposed to be writing something quite different to political views on a country I can't even vote in. I'll be quiet now x
"In an Opportunity Society, free people living under a limited government choose whether or not to pursue education, engage in hard work, and pursue the passion of their ideas and dreams. If they succeed, they merit the rewards they are able to enjoy." Mitt Romney http://mittromneycentral.com/op-eds/2011-op-eds/121911-%E2%80%93-what-kind-of-society-does-america-want/
I hear you. And I partly agree with you. I watch the GOP field with fascination and disgust, but I am an Obama fan. It will take a lot to draw my vote away from him.
DeleteI used to kind of like Obama until this year. He signed the NDAA of 2012, which gives the president and the military the right to imprison US citizens without a trial if they suspect them of terrorism. Of course, there's no trial so "suspicion of terrorism" can be pretty loose. This flies directly in the face of the sixth amendment. Obama's excuse? "But my administration won't be doing this." Disgusting whore.
DeleteThat's the thing I most disagree with of everything he's done in office.
DeleteI agree with much of this. Ron Paul is one of the few politicians I have any respect for. I'm excited that he's actually getting votes this time around. I don't mind Romney either, but then I'm more moderate than most of the Republican base. It'd be nice to vote for someone I actually like, but honestly, I usually feel like I'm picking from the lesser of two (or more) evils. Last time around I almost didn't vote at all because I was so sick of the politics.
ReplyDelete