GOP Presidential Candidate Analysis for 2012

Many people are wondering who the Republican candidates for the 2012 presidential election will be. It’s not too hard to guess who is going to step up, but apart from the obvious few, there are several others who may make a serious run for the crown. Many feel that opposing Obama will be futile while many others feel that King Barack’s plummeting approval rating guarantees a win for whichever GOP candidate is able to take the edge in the 2012 presidential primary. This is, of course, as long as Hillary doesn’t challenge her boss for the Democratic ticket. There are no guarantees for Obama and dissension amongst his own party could very much be his downfall. I personally believe that Billary v2.0 will run for the highest office in the land; Barry O will be getting attacked on all fronts. In fact, I already wrote about that here. However, this is not about the oncoming Democratic dissension, it is about who the Republicans are going to throw at the Crown Prince of Liberal Bullshit and my two cents on each potential candidate.

Here’s who I feel are the top 20 GOP candidates, in no particular order.

Sarah Palin: Palin looks as if she is the frontrunner out of all other potential candidates for the Republican spot in the War of 2012. While awesome on the mic and good at rallying the conservative masses, I am not thoroughly convinced that she is the best choice for this country. As I’ve stated before, she was seemingly a big fan of big government when it suited her needs. Now, as the political scope has completely changed on the right side of the spectrum, her very opinionated rantings now mirror the more fiscally conservative side of the Tea Party movement. She may truly mean what she says but I just feel that her actions and words are most likely ingenuous (I hope I am wrong and will gladly eat my words if proven so) and that she is just telling the people what they want to hear like a typical career politician. I think she’d be fine as V.P. but if it were to come down to Palin or Obama, I’d definitely go with Palin.

Mitt Romney: Mitt is a RINO (Republican In Name Only), as far as I’m concerned. Sure he’s a rich bastard and has spoken out against Obama’s policies but maybe that’s because Romney has conveniently forgotten that Obama’s economic and social model is really just on loan from Romney himself. Mister Mittens was pretty much Obama at the state level. In Massachusetts, Romney implemented his own version of healthcare reform. How liberal of this conservative, eh? Romneycare was the predecessor to Obamacare and helped set the stage for Obama’s forced socialist agenda and growing statism. Romeny is very big government, probably more so than ‘Bush II: The New Batch’. Romney is just more of the same, he’s the worst of Obama and the worst of Bush rolled into a fancy suit and spiffy haircut. Also, I could care less about the Mormon thing, which seems to be most peoples’ hang up about the guy. He’d be a good addition to the cabinet but not a good president.

Mike Huckabee: I like Mike Huckabee or as Al Sharpton calls him, Mister Hucklebee. He’s like the neighborhood pastor, a genuinely caring guy and someone whom you feel that you can trust. However, I just don’t feel like he’d be a great leader. He’s opinionated, strong willed and confident in his viewpoints but I find his stance on most things to be a bit too religious and quite archaic. He’s pretty much against gay rights of any sort and I’m just so over that bullshit that I just roll my eyes at the absurdity of it. Maybe it’s because I am a heathen in the eyes of God followers or maybe it’s because I nitpick the shit out of everything but I just can’t support a guy who is seemingly in the stone age on gay rights. Hell, most Republicans aren’t friendly towards gay rights but Huckabee goes way out of his way to state his opinion on this subject time and time again and I feel that there are much bigger things to focus on. Like I said though, I like the guy and he is a FairTax supporter but I think he should stick to his pretty awesome talk show and bass guitar. I would pick him over Obama though.

Jeb Bush: Has the Bush stigma disappeared after only 18 months of living in this Obamanation? Could we be in store for ‘B3′ a.k.a. ‘Bush III: Rise of the Bushines’? Actually, I like ‘The Bush Ultimatum’ too. Anyway, John Ellis, not Jebediah as most people think,  could be another Bush that sits within the Oval Office. I wouldn’t be completely opposed to this. Being a Floridian and having lived under Jeb’s rule for 8 years, I never had a problem with him and actually feel that he is the smartest of the Bush Clan and possibly the most relatable of the three. He’s more down to Earth, seemingly more fiscally responsible and he is aware of his brother’s mistakes and probably wouldn’t make the same decisions. Just because G.Dub is his brother doesn’t mean that their political philosophies will be mirror images of one another’s. I’d vote for Jeb and actually, I already have.. twice. However, Jeb recently said that he is not running in 2012. The reason I have him here is because I think that he still may and that he’s avoiding the question until he knows for sure. He’s become more politically active these last few months after being on hiatus for awhile, so something does have to be said for that. Only time will tell what the future holds for the next Bush in line.

Tim Pawlenty: T.Paw is a fan favorite in the GOP. He is commonly referred to as the Ronald Reagan of Minnesota due to his policies and the way he ran his state as governor. Pawlenty was a favorite for the V.P. spot during John McCain’s 2008 presidential run but ultimately lost out to Sarah Palin. While taking control of an extremely liberal state for two terms, Pawlenty was able to balance the state deficit without raising taxes: all in his first year. He quickly followed that amazing feat up with reducing the deficit quite significantly in his second year. Unfortunately, I do not know too much about Pawlenty but I do know that we need a fiscally responsible conservative to straighten our economic mess out. Other than talking smack about Jesse “The Body” Ventura, I don’t have any issues with T.Paw. I would however like to see him step up to Ventura in a cage match. Walk the talk homeboy, walk the talk.

Newt Gingrich: Newt is a weird name and as far as I always knew, thanks to ‘Aliens’, it was a girl’s name. Well, the film came out in 1986 and Gingrich was obviously born way before that so I guess that Newt is only a girl’s name in James Cameron movies. Whatever, none of that is super important, at least not within the context of this article. Newt, during his prime, was Bill Clinton’s greatest nemesis. With Billary v2.0 on the horizon, we could be faced with an iconic rematch of sorts. Newt is trying to ride the wave of nostalgia from when he took over as Speaker of the House after the Republicans took Congress back from the Democrats in 1994. He speaks about smaller government and fiscal responsibility. He has referred to Obama as “a teenager with a credit card”. Now, before drinking the Kool-Aid that Newt is serving up, you should know that he recently supported the creation of a National I.D. card, an expansion of the monstrous No Child Left Behind Act, as well as other big government programs. Newt calls for Congress to cut spending but like many conservatives, when it comes to his issues, the rules apparently don’t apply. Vote with caution.

Gary Johnson: Former Governor of New Mexico, Gary Johnson is awesome! Johnson is much more libertarian than most of the GOP candidates (except for maybe Ron Paul, in fact he endorsed Paul) and is one of the leaders of the budding libertarian movement within the GOP, whether he is aware of it or not. Leaning towards freedom, minimal government involvement in our lives and being a supporter of free markets and true capitalism makes Gary Johnson one of the go-to candidates for the 2012 election. He realizes that the Drug War is bullshit which says a lot about how dope he is (pun intended) and he’s not afraid to be very outspoken about his views on the subject. Gary Johnson is an A+ candidate in the GOP and the next best thing, or maybe even better, than Ron Paul.

Rudy Giuliani: Not only does he sound like a character from a Martin Scorsese film but his track record is just as spotty and shady if you ask me. Being an Italian, I can make such racially charged tomfoolery. Rudy Giuliani was a Bush ass-kisser and a spotlight hog during the whole 9/11 tragedy. Hell, he’s been a spotlight hog ever since the tragedy and he was never shy before it either. His stances, from a conservative perspective, on gay rights and abortion are shaky. I don’t have a problem with either but many of my conservative peeps out there should probably think hard about those things and about how liberal Rudy really is. I don’t mind the semi-liberalness (depending upon which individual issue we’re talking about) but I do mind the shadiness and weaselly nature of Rudy. He’s just not trustworthy and he’s more concerned with being a politiceleb than a politician.

General David Petraeus: Petraeus is one of the coolest names of all time. Even though he once told Fox News that he has “no desire in seeking elected office” the rumor mill is now abuzz with the possibility of General Petraeus throwing his hat into the ring of politics. Being a registered Republican, Petraeus hasn’t voted since 2002. Many feel that Petraeus is a strong and solid candidate that could shake the foundations of the Obamanation. Some people have compared him to Dwight Eisenhower and that comparison could be an accurate one. Well, one can only hope. Not much is known about Petraeus politically, other than the fact that he is a badass leader and would be a hell of an adversary to anyone opposing him. Maybe it’s time we get a “tough-as-nails” military man back in the Oval Office.

Bobby Jindal: America’s favorite Indian, Bobby Jindal has taken control of the Gulf Oil Spill to the best of his ability at the state level while Barack Obama has been sitting around twiddling his thumbs between golf outings, vacations and concerts. Jindal has taken the oil covered ball and ran with it, putting his state and his people first: combating the inaction of Washington and challenging Obama’s aloof administration. Jindal has come to the national forefront as a strong leader and a man out there to protect and serve his people even during the hardest and ugliest of times in his state’s history. A Jindal-Obama debate would be something to see. Maybe, in the next two years, such a debate could become a reality.

Rick Santorum: Here we have another “in yo face” candidate that may take it to the house against Obama. Santorum has a typical Republican stance on most issues and he is a good representative of the party and it’s views. He is a practitioner of what he calls “compassionate conservatism” a politically ideology that focuses on “..healthy families, freedom of faith, a vibrant civil society, a proper understanding of the individual and a focused government to achieve noble purposes through definable objectives which offers hope to all.” Sounds promising, it just depends on how he wants to go about implementing it. Santorum seems like a pretty good choice on paper but I don’t know enough about him to fully give him a thumbs up or down. As 2012 approaches, we shall see where Santorum’s fate will take him.

Charlie Crist: Cheesesteak Charlie isn’t really a Republican anymore. Hell, he left the party and became an independent once Marco Rubio started smacking him down like a useless hoe. Crist is basically an Obama cockpuppet and could even run as a Democrat at this point. I don’t feel that Crist is even in a good enough position to even attempt a presidential run but after viewing how he has handled his Senate campaign mixed with the fact that he is a career politician, his delusions may lead him down this road. Who knows, maybe he’ll be president. If that happens, we may have someone worse than Obama sitting in the Oval Office.

Michelle Bachmann: Tea Party favorite, Michelle Bachmann would be a great V.P. candidate but I’m not sold on her running for the highest office just yet. Maybe I seem sexist after saying the same thing about Palin but I just don’t think Bachmann is at the presidential level yet. I do however think that the path looks very promising. I’d love to see her step up to the plate and mix it up with the best in the GOP. She needs the experience and although she probably won’t make it past the primaries in 2012, the future from 2016 and beyond could be incredibly bright for Minnesota’s favorite Congresswoman. Between the two ladies, I’d pick Bachmann over Palin.

Eric Cantor: Republican Minority Whip Leader, Congressman Eric Cantor is one of the most innovative and inventive people that the House of Representatives has ever had. He is strongly fighting against the fiscal irresponsibility of our liberally led government and is creating new ways in combating Washington’s financial carelessness. He’s about responsibility at all levels of government and a great leader who has done a great job of rallying the GOP against their liberal opposition in the House. Cantor is, hands down, one of the better choices on this list.

Herman Cain: Mr. Cain has been referred to as “Obama’s Worst Nightmare” by several sources. He is a true believer in freedom and willing to take it to the liberal leftist loonies in Washington. Herman Cain has said, “I’m going to take the race card off of the table.” World Net Daily referred to Cain as “a business mastermind, a natural problem solver and a black man of substance.” Being the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, Cain has stated time and time again that “we must beat Obama.” When the smoke clears, it may be Herman Cain who does defeat Barry O. Mr. Cain would have my vote in a second.

Paul Ryan: Congressman Ryan from Minnesota would be a great candidate for president. However, I still feel that he is too inexperienced. He does need a few more years under his belt but even with that said, I’d still go with him hands down over Obama. Ryan, probably even more so than Cantor, is a fiscally responsible Republican that has graced our television sets and the House floor with countless graphs and economic proposals. Ryan is on the right track and understands our economy better than the Obama Administration could ever even attempt to.

John Thune: Senator Thune has been on the fast track to conservative awesomeness for awhile now. In 2006, the American Conservative Union gave him a perfect rating of “100″. Thune was also highly rumored to be a running mate for John McCain in 2008 due to his strong conservative views. Thune is pretty much the typical “by the book” Republican: straight out of the default GOP mold. So depending upon how you feel about typical Republicans, that could be a good thing or a bad thing. I’m not a fan of Thune but I don’t dislike him either and if it comes down to picking the lesser of two evils, I’ll pick Thune.

Mark Sanford: South Carolina Governor, Mark Sanford is another promising contender for Barack Obama’s heavyweight title. There have been many online groups that have been backing Sanford as a presidential candidate since around 2008. The people seem to love him and he is highly regarded by many Tea Partiers as well as the Republican Liberty Caucus. Sanford pretty much has libertarian ideals and for me, that is definitely a plus. As far as what I know about Sanford, which isn’t very much at this point, I support him. Two years is still two years so a lot can happen between now and 2012 but Sanford is a candidate I am going to be watching pretty intensely.

Glenn Beck: I’ve heard from a few “insiders” that Glenn Beck is going to run in 2012. It would definitely be really interesting if he did. However, I feel that it is just unfounded rumors, even with the “insider” info I’ve gotten. I think a few 9/12ers have gotten a little over zealous and are turning to their creator for direction. If Beck doesn’t even want to lead the 9/12 Project he created, I doubt that he is willing to lead the entire country. Beck, every time I’ve heard him talk about the subject of leading 9/12, has always stated that he doesn’t have the answers, he doesn’t really know what to do and that he would be no better at leading the group than anyone else. He feels that anyone is able to rise up, lead and seriously make a difference. Beck is more of a motivator than the appointed leader. He brings forth ideas and allows others to execute them. He expects one of us to figure it out and to rise to the occasion. Because of that, I don’t even think he’ll run. What a great race it would be though if he did. The debates alone would be epic and this is coming from someone who is pretty much on the fence with Beck in general.

Ron Paul: Why is Ron Paul last on this list? Well that is because I needed to give everyone else here a fair share of time before I go on a huge positive rant about how awesome Congressman Paul is. He is the best candidate that this country has seen in decades and I seriously hope that he runs again in 2012. I do not anticipate him winning the primary but his presence alone in the GOP roster during election time always brings forth a surge of energy from people supporting true libertarian principles and freedom. Ron Paul is one of those politicians that is almost too good to be true. Maybe that is why he can’t get passed the primary or maybe his honesty and awesomeness is too much for the typical American to handle. The GOP is even against him for the most part, due to Paul’s strong libertarian ideals. Huckabee was visibly afraid of Paul and Romney was just a pompous ass towards him during the debates of 2008. Paul won’t make it to the point where he can go head to head with Obama (God I hope I’m wrong here) but as long as he is in the race, more voters will open their eyes and eventually we will have more candidates like Ron Paul. Maybe all of this will help open the door for his son, Rand Paul, in the future. If you can’t tell, I’d pick Ron Paul over any other candidate from any side of the political spectrum.

There are a lot of potential candidates here and who knows, maybe the candidate that opposes Obama or Billary v2.0 isn’t even on this list. A lot can happen in two years. Most people didn’t know who Barack Obama was two years before the 2008 election and he took the country by storm. No matter where you stand on the issues and who you support, the 2012 election season will be incredible to witness.
.