Where is My Candidate?

On June 20, 2011 I wrote a post entitled Why Not Ron Paul. Since then there were several times I came close to making an endorsement of the Texas Congressman, but I still found myself hesitating. Around the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Congressman Paul stated again that the United States was to blame for the 9/11 attacks because of our presence (occupation) in the Middle East. There were of course many outcries against what Dr. Paul said, and I’ll admit it upset me as well. As I thought more about it though, could it be that he’s right – even partially? Maybe that’s what really bothers people about Ron Paul is that if we listen to him with an open mind, we are forced to look at truths that are difficult and to take responsibility for situations that are easier to blame on someone else.

Unfortunately, I think that Ron Paul would be blowing everyone else out of the race if he had the physical stature and demeanor of Ronald Reagan, but with the same ideas and convictions he holds today. The American public votes as much (if not more so) on image as on platform. After all, chances are pretty good that a significant portion of the 96% of African Americans that voted for Obama in 2008 based that vote on skin color.

Let’s take a quick OneMom look at the other GOP candidates (in no particular order:

  • Newt Gingrich – Mr. Gingrich is perhaps the most intelligent and politically savvy of all the candidates, unfortunately he has ethical and moral baggage hanging over him that make me question his ability to put the country’s needs ahead of his own.
  • Mitt Romney – Governor Romney is certainly an intelligent person, but I don’t trust him. There have been too many instances where he has changed his conviction on an issue to match which way the political winds were blowing.
  • Michele Bachmann – at the beginning of 2011, I had not heard of Rep. Bachmann, and did not understand her sudden appearance and popularity in the 2012 campaign. While on paper, she appears to be everything a conservative would want in a candidate, in reality she is an empty soundbite. Her response to Herman Cain’s 999 plan by associating it with the devil (it is “666″ if you turn it over), and her nauseating repetition of the word “Obama-care” are examples of her lack of depth and substance. The mass exodus of her campaign staff does not speak well of her ability to lead.
  • Herman Cain – I like Mr. Cain. He’s bright, bubbly, charismatic and an excellent orator. Could he handle being President? Why not? Unfortunately, his apparent pro-abortion position is more than just a little problem.
  • Rick Santorum – another one of those candidates that looks good to conservatives on paper, but is lacking in his ability to get his message to the people and to gain any traction.
  • Jon Huntsman – Jon who? Too much associated with the Obama administration? Too middle-ground for conservatives? I suspect that Governor Huntsman will be hanging up his campaign hat in the near future.
  • Rick Perry – before I typed in Governor Perry’s name I had to go check a list of candidates because I knew there was someone I was missing. Perhaps that says it all about the Governor of Texas. Just two months ago Gov. Perry announced his candidacy and sucked all the air out of the other candidates, but today I couldn’t recall his name.

So, I like many conservatives remain unsatisfied with the slate of candidates. To rank them I would put them in the following order:

  • (Mike Huckabee – Governor, we sure do miss you)
  • Ron Paul
  • Newt Gingrich
  • Mitt Romney
  • Rick Perry
  • Rick Santorum
  • Jon Huntsman
  • Michele Bachmann
  • Herman Cain (moved to the bottom until I glean more information about his apparent pro-abortion statements).

So where is my candidate? The candidate that inspires me to fight for not just their campaign, but for our nation? Well, as you can see from my list, he’s not running. 

Who are you supporting?

OneMom