President Obama’s approval ratings are in the trash (he’s barely more popular than congress!), so a Republican victory in 2012 seems like a shoo-in. But of the handful of current GOP primary candidates, who should win the nomination to defeat the man who has increased our national debt faster than any other president in history?
Let’s take a dip in the pool and examine the potentials, shall we?
Mitt Romney is the current front-runner, and many say that he is the only one capable of beating Obama. Granted, he’s been great in the debates thus far; but his refusal to admit that the state-run health care plan he implemented as the governor of Massachusetts has bankrupted the state concerns me. If he could admit he’d been wrong on this issue, I’d have a lot more respect for him.
Newt Gingrich has been enjoying a recent surge in the polls due to his sentient smarts and no-holds-barred debate style, but over the years he’s been erratic, undisciplined, and grandiose in his politics. Plus there’s that whole Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae debacle ...
I like Santorum on a lot of issues, but he’s just so ... ho-hum. I hate referring to him as ‘vanilla’ given that his potential running mate has a decidedly ‘chocolate’ skin tone, but I just don’t see Rick Santorum garnering the support he’d need to win the presidency.
Bless Michele Bachmann’s heart, but a representative that has never introduced any serious legislation has a snowball’s chance in you-know-where. She’s a smart lady, and certainly doesn’t deserve the criticism she’s endured, but she’s not our candidate.
Ron Paul has my approval with his hands-off-my-money fiscal policies, but I just can’t support someone who doesn’t believe in a strong national defense.
Neither Jon Huntsman nor Gary Johnson stands a chance.
That leaves us with Rick Perry. The dude has had some fumbles in early debates and advertisements, but he’s the guy that I think is best equipped to bring back our economy -- the number-one issue on the table at the moment. He has a solid record of job creation in a downward economy, knows what it’s like to earn a living off your sweat, and understands that higher taxes on the wealthy job-creators doesn’t spur tax revenue.
It’s still anyone’s game for the GOP presidential nomination, but if I had to vote today, it would be for Rick Perry. Come November 6, 2012, I will vote for the Republican candidate on the ballot. Any of aforementioned individuals would be better than another four years of President Spends-A-Lot.
This post is part of a weekly conversation by each of our 5 Moms Matter 2012 political bloggers. Read the original question and find links to all their responses here: Which Republican Candidate Deserves the Nomination?
Image via eschipul/Flickr
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Comments 34
as a Texan---my vote will NOT be for Perry--- I've dealt with him running Tx for too long now to want him in charge of the US--- He should've stuck by his word in his book and not ran for president.. another lying politician, go figure...
Yeah, because another bible beating Texas nutjob is exactly what we need in the White House. We totally need someone who would basically total the seperation of Church and State. Christian Theocracy anyone?
1. Supports open borders with Mexico
2. Texas debt more than doubled since he took office
3. RAISED taxes and fees, not lowered them
4. Texas has the WORST education system in the country
5. Texas has the highest rate of teen pregnancy in the country
6. 1 in 4 kids in Texas lives in poverty
7. Tried to force almost all young girls to get the HPV vaccine
8. Stood by while Texas executed a (largely believed to be) innocent man
9. Was a campaign head for Al Gore in 1988 and used to run on the democrat platform (now that's flip flopping for ya)
10. Has called himself a 'prophet' (that's rather cultish and scary...)
11. Once suggested that Texas mighT want to seperate from the country (and now he wants to LEAD it?)
Cont..
Sources:
http://endoftheamericandream.com/archives/14-reasons-why-rick-perry-would-be-a-really-really-bad-president
"She's a smart lady" hahahahahahah I die. Also great intro, do you not remember the Bush tax cuts? Not saying Obama hasn't had his problems, just sayin'....
13. Supported a 3 billion dollar medical research center (that could have been handled through the private sector)
14. Passed an uneven business income tax that went against the Texas state amendment
15. Taxes went from 5.8 billion to 8.7 billion in a two year timeframe under Perry
Sources: http://doscentavos.net/2010/09/08/rick-perrys-slush-fund-fail/ http://blog.chron.com/thelist/2011/03/ricperrys-business-income-tax-is-bad-for-employment/
http://blog.chron.com/thelist/2011/03/rick-perrys-business-income-tax-is-bad-for-
employment/
o and that HPV vaccine thing? Two of his former senior staffers held key positions at Merck-which makes the drug. Just another bought and sold politician like the rest of em.
While his words (and hair) may be pretty-his ACTIONS fly in the face of a lot of what conservatives claim to hold dear. And we all know actions sepak louder than words. I can't for the life of me see why ANY conservative could (in good conscience) vote for him. And for us liberals? He's just another Bush-but worse.
Ok. I'm going to start by saying I'm a Ron Paul 2012 supporter all day every day. With that said, I have to stand up and defend his foreign policy. If your reasoning for not supporting him is you actually believe he doesn't believe in a strong national defense then that leads me to believe that you hear things on mainstream media and are brainwashed to automatically believe it.
He believes wholeheartedly in a strong NATIONAL DEFENSE. That is completely different from us barging into other countries and fighting battles we shouldn't be involved with.He wants to bring our troops home so they are here to defend us if need be but there is no reason we should be occupying the other countries we are in. It actually makes us much much weaker to spread ourselves so thin and try to fight these other countries and force them into our way of life. Look at what happened throughout history to countries that do the same thing we are. They fall! We are too broke to be supporting all of this war. If there is something that is a truly impending danger he is all about protecting us and keeping us safe, but pre-emptive war? thats just another form of terrorism. I suggest all people watch this...
http://runronpaul.com/interest/you-like-ron-paul-except-on-foreign-policy/