#93 The Conservative Field of Candidates

With only three days left to the Iowa Caucuses get underway, a process given too much importance to by the way,  here is a list of what to look for in a candidate.  Before you go on please do not think this will just be about the GOP.  Conservatives are not just from the GOP.  However since the opposition to conservatism is liberalism and the only candidate posing a threat to the Conservative field is Obama this paper will focus on most the GOP candidates.

• Michele Bachmann, Minnesota, three terms, chair of the Congressional Tea Party Caucus.  A tough conservative.  See political spectrum page.  But a little too tough.  She is hard-core.  She comes across as heartless until it comes to women's issues.  But the main problem with her is that she seems unreal.  She is monotoned and sounds like she is remembering her cue cards.  Her ideas on paper are good.  But we have seen what ideas off the paper can do in Wisconsin and Ohio.  These need to be toned down but with the same premise behind them. http://www.michelebachmann.com/issues/   Assessment:  Conservative values=10, Leadership ability=5.  She is a good idealist but doesn't seem to be a leader.
• John Huntsman, Former governor of Utah, Ambassador to China.  A good family man with seven children, two adopted.  Good conservative values. He is not too hard and not too soft.  The only problem with him is he doesn't act strong enough to get what he wants accomplished.  Would lawmakers back him up or  fight even more?  http://jon2012.com/issues Assessment:  Conservative values= 10, Leadership abilities= 6.  A good man but lacks the strength to get things done.  Sometimes a little pompousness goes a long way.
• Rick Santorum, Former Senator and Congressman from Pennsylvania. Another good family man with good values.  His leadership in the Senate was moderately successful.  One thing makes him unelectable though.  When he talks he does not look you in the face.  During the debates he would focus on the floor.  This personality flaw makes him seems weak if it came to confrontational situations.  http://www.ricksantorum.com/issues Assessment:  Conservative values=10, Leadership abilities=7.  A good man but just not the complete package of leadership.
• Ron Paul, Doctor and Congressman from Texas.  On paper it seems like this is the man to be the next president.  In reality, he's a nut.  Everything he stands for sounds like these are the ways things should be with a few exceptions.  But in reality if all he did was carried out into policy we are looking into borderline anarchy. http://www.ronpaul2012.com/the-issues/  Assessment:  Conservative values: 8, Leadership abilities = 7.  He's more of a Libertarian on paper but more of a Democrat than Republican in his actions.
• Rick Perry, Governor of Texas.  Another man with strong conservative values, but more like Michele Bachmann than Ronald Reagan.  This is odd because he walks, talks, dresses, and responds like Reagan, without the personality though.  It seems like he is more about soundbites but not so quick with on the spot backtalk, which may be a positive actually.  A strong advantage he has is that he is governor of a large state, which is almost president of a medium sized country.  His disadvantage is those who hate the last governor of Texas to be president will not like him either.  http://www.rickperry.org/issues/  Assessment:  Conservative values= 10, Leadership abilities= 8.  A good man, too much of a robot.
• Mitt Romney, Businessman and Former Governor Massachusetts.  He is another one that on paper is conservative but a good label for him is that he is a Massachusetts conservative.  That is like saying a Californian Conservative.  He is more moderate.  This makes him more electable but it also shows he is more likely to be indecisive.  he has been on both sides of the fence on many issues.  Not so much a flip-flop like John Kerrey was but a mind changer.  This may be a positive thing in some cases but he needs to take a stand on more issues and stay with them.  http://www.mittromney.com/issues  Assessment:  Conservative values=7, Leadership abilities=8.  Massachusetts is not the place to raise politicians.
• Newt Gingrich, Professor and Former Speaker of the House from Georgia.  Not so much the traditional family man although he believes in traditional family values.  On paper he is a true conservative with enough gumption and at the same time compassion in reality.  He has foreign policy experience and even though he has never been a governor has enough know-how to get things done.  His age is the one main concern.  He would be the oldest president elected for the first term.  The one great thing about his ideas is shown on his website.  He doesn't call things issues, he calls them solutions.  http://www.newt.org/solutions  Assessment:  Conservative values=9, Leadership abilities=10.
• Randall Terry-Author and political activist Democrat from New York and DC.  Yes, there is someone running against Obama ob the DEM side.  And perhaps the better choice.  But he apparently was GOP once as well, making him like Mitt Romney.  He is the closest thing to the TEA Party that DEMs have, which may appeal to conservative DEMs.  One major problem is that he has no experience.  He is like Ross Perot minus the ears and business suave.  http://www.terryforpresident.com/documents/TFPplatformPlanks.pdf.  Assessment:  Conservative values:  9, Leadership abilities: 2.  Still, voting for him is better than the other DEM.
• Barack Obama- Senator, "President" of the US, from Illinois.  Short version, http://www.barackobama.com/record/economy  Assessment:  Conservative values=5, Leadership abilities= 6.

Add these all up and here are the rankings from worst to best:

1. Obama (11)
2. Terry (11)
3. Paul (15)
4. Bachmann (15)
5. Romney (15)
6. Huntsman (16)
7. Santorum (17)
8. Perry (18)
9. Gingrich (19)

Look at the candidates political spectrum below.  This one has a few changes from the one located on the political spectrum page since now they are campaigning.

#92 Hell is Getting Fuller

Seems like we're running out of dictators.  We either need a new list or just finish this one off.  Keep in mind America, this last one has vowed to destroy the United States and Israel and was one of the master minds for taking Americans hostage back in 1979.  Don't let the smile fool you.

#91 I Thought It Was Unprecedented

What happened?  President Obama no longer says he is the best at something.  Everything up to this point in his presidency has been "unprecedented".  Of course he would call all of those compliments.  But now apparently he has slipped in so many polls he even slipped in his own.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2011/12/17/obama_fourth_best_president_in_history_due_to_foreign_policy_achievements.html

What pompousness.  What arrogance.  What total stupidity.  What makes him think that he could put his name up there with the like of these men?  To say such a thing brings disrespect to those who have served before him.  Only history can judge these things.  One can not write his own name into the history books, only those who are effected by him.  This blog is the best ever, unprecedented, or at least in the top four of all time.

Now if he was referring to Andrew Johnson, then there is a case for that argument.  Of course, the Johnson he is referring to doesn't have the greatest of track records either.  Notice he did not say Jefferson, Washington, Reagan, or even TRoosevelt because it would be too easy to prove wrong.  And he didn't even use GWBush  because then he would have to explain his own failures and/or blame him for everything, again.

Clinton had statues made of him, but not of himself.  In about two years this man will erect one in his own name.  Hmmm, Obamanation maybe?  The only things he is top four in are:

1. Top four failures as president
2. Top four narcissistic presidents
3. Top four actors as president
4. Top four of expenditure of presidents
5. Top four lying presidents
6. Top four liberal presidents
7. Top four swaggers as president
8. Top four anti-American presidents
9. Top four divisive presidents
10. Top four black presidents (the next three have to be better)

Seriously, this man needs to be in one of the top shortest terms presidents we have had.