The worst thing that can happen to the GOP is to narrow the field, choose between a safe handful of presidential wobblers and bore the hell out of the electorate. Playing it safe ala Mitch Daniels and scratch discussion of social issues because they can turn off the country-clubs.
The best thing is to broaden the field and expand the choices. Plain-speaking and pulling no punches boosted Donald Trump in just a few scant weeks in a WSJ-NBC poll to tie Mike Huckabee for second behind Mitt Romney and top Sarah Palin and Newt Gingrich in key races. My favorite, Tim Pawlenty, is still hanging on with 6% (showing his battle for name identification and differentiation is not catching on) and the eminence grise of Republican professionals, Haley Barbour, is lower than that.
I think this wide-open thing is good for my party. The worst thing would be to field a neuter, emasculated candidate who has already conceded issues that send armies of volunteers into the field—pro-life, anti-same-sex marriage: Mitch Daniels. He has won over the country clubs because inherently they are social liberals anyhow.
Do I think The Donald will get the nomination? Not at this point-- but I think it’ll be fun to watch him try….and if he gets it, he’ll have my support although I wish he’d quit combing over what I suspect is a bald spot. I love his political incorrectness….his saying “thank you, honey” to a comely girl interviewer. Frankly this guy Obama is so inept…so professorial…so detached…so unutterably dumb (scheduling an event at a windmill factory owned by an outfit in Spain), I think a Chinaman can beat him (I put in this old-fashioned ethnic reference to drive the sanctimonious Unbeliever and patron secular saint of correctness Eric Zorn nuts). Can you imagine our first black president having to go hat-in-hand…asking to address Al Sharpton’s convention to shore up his black base?
I still think the field will broaden further and that a Draft Chris Christie movement will take hold. Paul Ryan did such a good job on his budget plan I’d like his followers to launch a Draft Ryan. I want Kasich of Ohio to enter…I want people to advance the name of Scott Walker. Their bombast will foment Little Shrimpy—Daniels—to dose up on conservative Viagra to gain testicular strength. I want Texas Gov. Rick Perry and his 10th amendment drive to get in. I understand old Ron Paul will enter: great—although he’s a decided acquired taste. I understand a documentary on his life is going to be produced by 18th Century Fox.
Charles the Kraut Advocates Blinking.
The residual Democrat in Charles Krauthammer…the Charlie Kraut who was Mondale’s speech-writer… always comes out at crunch time like this. He wants Speaker Boehner to kick the can down the road on shut-down. Listen, the worst thing that can happen is for the waverers in the GOP to lose the Tea Party’ers. Polls show the two parties will share equal blame….whereas I think the preponderance will go to the Dems because of Obama’s spinelessness.
No comments:
Post a Comment