MaverickVoice.com

There are two things that are absolutely certain about the upcoming 2012 Presidential Election. First, it’s going to get UGLY. Forget decorum. Forget Politeness. Forget Boundaries. This is going to be a down & dirty, mud-slinging, contentious battle built primarily on catch-phrases and Partisan loyalty, and the winner will probably be whoever comes up with the catchiest slogan. The second issue is that this contest will decide, once and for all, if there is any real difference between the Parties. Who is chosen to run on the Republican Ticket will define the potential future of the Party, and probably of the Nation, regardless of whether they win or not.

As always, let me be clear: I could not give a rat’s well-rounded posterior about EITHER of the Parties. I’m a Conservative FIRST. The fact that I have an “R” on my Voter’s Registration doesn’t mean a damn thing. I’ll vote for whoever I feel is the best candidate, and if that means voting for a Democrat or a Third Party Candidate, I’ll do it without hesitation, so long as I believe that Candidate is a Conservative and is the best qualified for the job.

But with an incumbent in the White House for the Democratic Party, it’s all but certain that President Obama will run for 2012. He’s already started his fund-raising tour. (I guess that’s a better use of his time than trying to run the country (into the ground), but I digress…) So the question is going to become, “Who should run for the Republican Nomination?” Let’s talk about some of the options currently on the table.

Donald Trump: For the Record, “The Donald” is no more a Conservative than I am a Vegetarian, so the fact that he’s already announced that he’s NOT going to run is just fine with me. From time to time, he’s come out and made his political views known, and those views have changed…often without explanation…based on what is clearly the public opinion of the day. Right now, people are upset about taxes and the economy, so he’s come out with comments about dealing with taxes and the economy. He apparently is in favor of strong-arming our “Foreign Allies,” like China, with higher tariffs on their products. Sounds great, unless you consider that they hold a major chunk of our Debt, and could start selling off that debt or demanding payment, or even just not buying more of it, which would crumble what’s left of our economic standing in the world. He also glommed onto the whole “Birther” movement, insinuating that he had evidence that President Obama was ineligible to hold the office. The recent release of the President’s Birth Certificate was actually claimed as a “Victory” by Trump, who argued that his persistence is why the document was released in the first place, even though it shattered his claims that he had “Proof” to the contrary. The way I see it is simple: if you’re considering pulling for Trump, you should pull your head out of your ass! This guy is a distraction at best, and a plant at worst. Let him have his few minutes of attention and get back to yelling, “You’re Fired!” at his next potential “Apprentice.”

Herman Cain: He’s a businessman, a political activist, a columnist and a Radio Host. As a CEO, he turned Godfather’s Pizza from a failing subsidiary to a thriving and profitable business. (He did the same thing with 400 Burger King stores in the Philadelphia area prior to that.) He has served as the Deputy Director, and then the Director, of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He has claimed himself to be a Conservative, though there has been some argument that his support of Affirmative Action Laws could be construed as proof that he’s really more of a Moderate, but he’s popular with the Tea Party Movement, and he did very well in the May 5 Fox News Sponsored Debate, being declared the winner of that debate by pollster Frank Luntz. Reading this brief resume, you may have noticed that something was missing: Herman Cain has never held an elected public office. He ran in the 2004 Primary for the Republican Nomination for Senate in Georgia, but he has never been elected to an office. He talks the talk, but who knows if he will walk the walk? We have no track record for him. I have no doubt that he has a firm understanding of economics, but there’s a lot more to being the President of the United States than understanding the economy. Did you know that he was in favor of TARP?  Did you know that in 2011, he stated on his radio program that there was no need for an audit of the Federal Reserve? What about Foreign Policy and Foreign Relations? I’m afraid, folks, that I won’t be climbing on this bandwagon any time soon. When it comes to Herman Cain, I still have far more questions than answers.

Sarah Palin: Let me say this first, I LIKE Sarah Palin. I like what she does for the Tea Party Movement, and I like the way she fires up the crowd. However, I DO NOT like that she resigned from her Governorship of Alaska because of the accusations of impropriety and I believe that act, regardless of her motivations, will be seen by World Leaders as Weakness. Though she is clearly a Conservative, I would much rather her run for Congress, particularly in the Senate, instead of the Executive Office. I personally believe she could accomplish far more and be far more effective as a Legislator than as an Executive. Sorry, Palin-Fans: That’s just my Personal Opinion.

Allen West: If you’ve read any of my other posts about Allen West, you know that I’ve had my fair share of concerns about him from the earliest days of his candidacy. I just so happen to live in his district, and he is my Congressman. As the months have gone by, I have acquired a new admiration for the man and a great deal of respect for his recent actions. My greatest respect for him has been earned by his declaration that he has NO INTEREST in running for President at this time. I know, this goes against the grain of popular Politics, but the fact that he doesn’t WANT the job is what will eventually make him a GOOD PRESIDENT…just not today. With his Military History, he understands both the Chain of Command and the Separation of Powers necessary to be effective, and it is that understanding that will help him to restore the Separation of Powers in our Government. Could he be President some day? Absolutely. Should he be President in 2012? I’m going with “No.” Show me Allen West in a couple more years and we’ll talk.

Chris Christie, Bobby Jindal, Jan Brewer & Scott Walker: The election of Conservatives in New Jersey, Louisiana, Arizona and Wisconsin, respectively, is a great accomplishment for Conservatism in America. All four have proven themselves more than capable of withstanding the “Slings & Arrows” of their critics while standing true to their Conservative Principles. They have done exactly what they promised their Voters that they would do: Combat Illegal Immigration, Stop the Out-of-Control Spending and stand against the oppressive Public Sector Unions. They’ve worked with their Legislatures to pass laws that protect EVERYONE’S interests without favoring any one group, and, in return, they’ve been vilified by the White House, the Unions and the Political Activists. And while each of these Governors is exceptional and could be potential candidates for the future White House, I am hesitant to get too excited about any of them for 2012. Why? Experience! It’s easy to be strong in the beginning, but it’s how strong you are as the years go by that prove your value. Even the Florida Marlins can have a Perfect Season if you stop counting after the first few games, but where they stand at the end of the Season is what gets them to the Playoffs. Each of these Governors have done great things in the short time since taking office in their respective States, and I hope that they will remain staunch in their Conservative Positions, but, like Allen West, let’s wait to see how they do after one full term in office before we pin all of our hopes to any one of them.

Michele Bachmann: Is Four Years in the House of Representatives sufficient time to prove your mettle before becoming President of the United States? For Michele Bachmann, I think the answer could be a resounding “Yes,” especially when the first two were under the so-called “Leadership” of then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi! Bachmann has been a Conservative Voice from Day #1, and has never wavered (at least that I’ve heard of) from her very strong Conservative Principles and Values. She has been outspoken against the actions of the Progressives in the House (including those in her own Party), as well as the President and her own Critics. And she has been a champion for Conservative Tea Party Activists since their first days in the Media. The only drawback that I have for Michele Bachmann is that I generally prefer those with Executive Experience in the White House (Governors or Military) over those with strictly Legislative Experience, but for Michele Bachmann, I think I’d be willing to make an exception, particularly with the lack of other Conservative Candidates in the Field.

Ron Paul: I’ve said before that I don’t believe there is a tremendous difference between being a “Libertarian” and a “Conservative.” The chief difference tends to be the type of “Honest Beliefs” they espouse, but I’m OK with having differences in beliefs so long as the other Principles are followed as well. (Our Honest Believes define us as individuals, but our dedication to the First Four Principles (Personal Responsibility, Smaller Government, Lower Taxes and Greater Liberties) let us get along and protect all of our Rights.) I like a lot of what Ron Paul has to say, and I like a lot of what he has done. If Ron Paul’s got anything AGAINST him in my mind, it’s TOO MUCH experience as a Legislator. Now, follow me on this: he served in the House from 1976-1977, and then from 1979-1985, before running for President on the Libertarian Party Ticket in 1988. (The fact that he lost is not really important. What’s important is that he ran under a Different THIRD Party…something rarely done in politics today.) After working in the Private Sector, he ran again for the House again in 1996, and has been there ever since, running for re-election either unopposed or winning by a massive majority since 2006. He also ran for the Republican Presidential nomination in 2008, losing to John McCain. As a Libertarian, he has strict Constitutional Views on the Powers of the President, which could lead to restoring the Separation of Powers as was originally intended; however, his statements regarding Foreign Policy are practically isolationist, and are enough to give pause to even the most Conservative Voters. Still, given his history and his positions, I think Ron Paul could be a pretty good candidate overall.

WHERE I STAND: Obviously, the list of potential candidates that I’ve discussed are not the ONLY candidates on my radar, but it’s still early in the game, and there’s a lot of candidates and potential candidates who are as yet undeclared, but it’s important to keep an open mind and keep an attentive eye on the events as they unfold over the next few months. On his Radio Program during the 2010 Mid-Term Elections, Rush Limbaugh made clear what he called the “Limbaugh Rule:” “Vote for the most Conservative Candidate available.” As momentum builds for the 2012 Primaries, we need to keep this rule in mind. Right now, the Polling is all about “Who can beat Obama?” My position is, “Who gives a crap?!” Yes, we want to replace President Obama with someone who ISN’T trying to destroy the economy or enslave us with Socialistic Policies, but let’s be fair about something: John McCain was NO CONSERVATIVE, and actually espoused many of the same positions as then-Candidate Obama regarding things like the economy and Health Care Reform. (Hell, his favorite President was the PROGRESSIVE Teddy Roosevelt!) And, as Limbaugh and others have pointed out many times, the results of any News Poll can be intentionally skewed by how the question is worded and by selectively filtering which people are asked. When it comes to Polls, they’re interesting for reference, but there’s only one that counts, and that’s the one where EVERYONE gets the chance to cast their vote!

So, as we get closer to actually PICKING a candidate, I’ll be doing a lot more digging, and I’ll be searching for a lot more answers. I suggest you do the same. As I’ve said before, “Anybody But Bush” got us Obama: we cannot risk what “Anybody But Obama” will bring to us now.

Filed under: Politics by T. Edwin Perry