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Handicapping the Republican Presidential Hopefuls
The biggest issue with the current crop of Republican presidential candidates rests in the one characteristic they all share: that they are all politicians. Okay, so Dr. Carson is no politician, but he’s not a viable candidate, either. Let’s start with Jeb Bush. He used to be the most conservative of the Bushes, but he traded that in for what I’m sure he believes is practicality. It’s not. It’s not even compromise. It’s weakness. The media senses it, and they cheer for him. DocJay is right: Jeb is Hillary’s mark and nothing smacks more of politics than the Bush Dynasty.
Scott Walker is a fighter, no doubt, but his hands are still stained permanently with the ink of taxpayer dollars. In his short life, he’s been a politician… and nothing else. Chris Christie was a prosecutor before he immersed himself in politics. If there’s one thing nearly as disqualifying of politicians as politics, it’s the practice of law and — worse yet — the practice of law on the government payroll. Private practice is narrowly qualifying, but double-damn on those who cash a government check. And while Christie never had my vote, he earned my contempt when he wrapped his beefy arm around our President, seeking favor after disaster.
Rand Paul is an MD, an Ophthalmologist. So far, so good. His experience in politics is limited to the Senate but — in spite of his sometimes surly demeanor — his pedigree makes him yet another politician, yet another political legacy. And with this legacy comes the scent of his father’s kookiness. Ted Cruz is yet another lawyer, the former Solicitor General for the state of Texas, though he spent several years in private practice. As with Rand Paul, his first elected office is the US Senate.
Marco Rubio is yet another lawyer, but he skipped the lawyering and jumped straight into politics. Mike Huckabee — who the media likes to consider (proof, in their minds, of the evil mix of Christianity with politics that is conservatism) from time to time — is a former governor and pastor. But, really folks, can we really elevate another Arkansas Governor to the highest office in the country?
So what is a good conservative to do? The bench, we are told is deep, yet their experience seems tremendously shallow. Still, none can be labeled a rich snob — okay, maybe Jeb — or a “vulture capitalist.” I’m thinking Ted Cruz or Marco Rubio. Cruz is the more accomplished lawyer and has the intellectual chops to move the country to the right, but Rubio is more earnest and accomplished as a politician. Together they are like black beans and rice, I don’t care who leads the ticket.
I want an all Senate, all Cuban-American ticket. Maybe then the Latino vote will move to the right. In any case, Hillary will be apoplectic as she scrambles to keep her coalition of the aggrieved together.
Published in Politics
Yes, Walker’s rookie entrance on the big stage. That’s a good way to look at it. I agree. I’m not sure I see Cruz and Rubio as twins. But I do see both of them as classic legislators, which I think hurts them running for president.
What are you puzzled by? That Jeb is running? Why not? He’s as accomplished a Governor as they come. He may be the most accomplished Gov of my adult life time.
Or are you puzzled that I think he’ll get more of the Spanish vote than Rubio? Rubio is Cuban and comes from a Euro centric side of the Latin American divide. Bush married Mexican, a more indiginous oriented Latin America. That will carry in my opinion more weight with the average Latino.
You should re-read my comment more thoroughly. I’m not at all puzzled by your remarks in paragraph #2.
As for your first paragraph, I’m on record all over this place as a Jeb fan but life isn’t fair. After the ultimate Socialist and Class Warrior succeeded in winning back-to-back elections in addition to some of the populist, anti-capitalist observations on this site, I just worry.
You are baaad!
Cubans are no different than any other Spanish group in that they all resent each other. I had no idea this was the case until I was in the military, and I just sat and listened to various Spanish groups talk about how the others sucked in some way. I heard Mexicans bashing Puerto Ricans, Puerto Ricans bashing Cubans, Cubans bashing Columbians, etc etc. What was funny is that they would always cap their insults with that one good thing they thought about the other group. “But hey, those Cubans sure can cook some pork”.
I agree it should be Rubio atop the ticket. He makes me smile.
Quick takes on the others …
Kasich – twitchy compromiser, but won Ohio by a huge margin
Cruz – brilliant, arrogant; so resented by the dumb, and the humble
Walker – notable deeds, clumsy syntax
Fiorina – eloquent syntax, 0-1 “bonus babe” political rookie
Bush – his father’s son, but “evolving” left … quickly
Paul – his father’s son, but evolving sane … slowly
Perry – manly, a Putin-pummeller; but prone to religious outbursts
Trump – must figure Romney lost because he was a classy rich guy
Christie – neither rich nor classy, and that’s his selling point?
Pataki – I just wanted one pro-choice candidate on the list
Huckabee – he’d be playing the Blue State Blues on that guitar
Carson – another “bonus baby” which MLB ditched for good reason
We’ll see. I can see Walker putting in a decent performance and coming back again next time around too. His biggest weakness in the primary, I think, is that he’s used to his conservative base trusting him on most issues. He’s had the freedom to explain to the center why his positions are reasonable and non-threatening; he hasn’t needed to defend them from the right. He came suddenly under the national spotlight when he was as unprepared as he will ever be, and pulled it off with only a few stumbles no one will really care about a year from now. He will know his policy cold before the debates.
Looking at it utterly cynically, Walker is the most natural political talent in the top tier (much more so than Hillary Clinton) and possibly the most experienced, skilled campaigner. Rubio is more eloquent, but my sense is Walker is the one who has the most instinctive sense for what real people are thinking at any given time and for how to reach them. Not quite to the Clinton/Reagan level — I don’t think — but very effective. Don’t underestimate the “cares about people like me” factor.
Thank ya Ma’am.
Manny, Jeb is a close second to Huckabee in ain’t gonna happen. Failure to understand the visceral disgust his family name engenders would be the greatest mistake the GOP will make this century. There is nothing close that will motivate the opposition. There are tens of millions of people who will think Dynasty, foreign wars, economic collapse, and they will hear it 24/7 the moment Bush screws the pooch on our nation with a nomination. We may have elected Fredo but Michael stands no chance.
Believe me, I know how you feel. I didn’t start out this way.