The Republican Primary

We are a country which desperately needs a visionary and a leader

 

By Jeff Katz – April, 2012

As I write this, we are a few days out from the Michigan Republican primary and the race continues to evolve.

For the past month, former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum has been leading former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. In fact, at times, Santorum’s lead has been shown to be well into the double digits. But in the prior week or so, the Romney attack machine, which was so successful in sidelining Newt Gingrich, has been in overdrive. Indeed, the Romney attack force has again spent millions of dollars on television commercials. As per usual, the Romney super-pac airs only negative ads against Romney’s fellow Republicans but has never aired a positive pro-Romney spot.

What Romney has shown during the campaign so far, is that he has hired the very best DC based campaign staffers. He has shown that he has some excellent organizing efforts in place and a boatload of money. He has shown that he is more than willing to engage in carpet bombing of other Republicans. What he has yet to show is why anyone should vote for him, and yet we hear this incessant mantra that he is the inevitable nominee.

There have been the usual Mom, Chevy and apple pie speeches from Romney, but they seem empty at best. Conspicuous by their absence have been any Romney speeches where he is animated, let alone passionate. He has been caught pandering on any number of issues to any number of voters, but his prattle inMichiganhas been the worst. The proud son ofDetroitdeclared that he loved the big lakes inMichiganand then quickly added he liked the small ones too. Oh and the trees inMichiganare just the right height he proclaimed! As he is wont to do when he wanders from his prepared remarks, he stuck his foot in his mouth yet again, when he reminded unemployed autoworkers that he had lots of cars in his garages. Garages with luxury cars attached to huge mansions. And still, the man with the Brooks Brothers platinum card continues to try and play the regular guy role.

We are a country which desperately needs a visionary and a leader. We are burdened with the worst president ever. I don’t say that lightly. Up until now, I have pegged Jimmy Carter as the most inept quisling to ever bunk inAmerica’s best public housing, but the current occupier of the Oval Office clearly eclipses President Peanut. I’ve never seen a president who simply did not appreciate the unique and exceptional nature of our nation.

To have a president who many believe, rightly or wrongly, does not really like theU.S.A.is a terrible commentary on where we are. Many ascribe a lack of ability to the dear leader, but they are mistaken. Barack Obama is a devoted disciple of Saul Alinsky and a major proponent of the very same style of European socialism which has drivenGreeceinto an economic pit. So why am I fearful that he will be re-elected?

As I’ve said so many times, I don’t have a dog in this race. There are things about each of the GOP’s final four candidates that I like. There are things that I find disturbing about each one, as well. I hear the buzz about a so-called brokered convention for us inTampaand frankly that has begun to give me some hope. Otherwise, I fear it is inevitable that my party will nominate yet another weak, ineffective guy like Bob Dole or John McCain and that moves us closer to the disaster that would be a second Obama term.