My 2008 Political Endorsement

Most of you probably have no desire to read anything that could be political in nature. You’d more than likely want to read up on the latest gossip surrounding Heath Ledger or Brittany Spears. Nonetheless, I still think you’ll find more enjoyment and enlightenment from my latest gripe than whether it was Xanax or Valium that killed Ledger.

So on to politics. One guarantee with politics is the fact that once a side is chosen, it automatically ensures that half of the population now has a reason to hate you.

Given that, I still find that it is time to publicly declare my endorsement for President of the United States.

The current primaries and caucuses have caused much reflection over the past couple of weeks. I went to dinner with a friend last night, who really had not paid much attention to what was going on, and barely could name the candidates. I understand that politics is not a hobby that everyone would subscribe to, but I find the lack of awareness frustrating.

Maybe it’s that these types of people live simpler, and probably happier, lives than I do. I reckon their thought processes are equivalent to a scene of a back woods cabin in the hills of West Virginia where ‘Pa’ sits on the porch, rocking in a squeaky chair all day, with a shotgun propped up against the rail post next to him and a bucket for the tobacco chew at his feet. OR… the woman in her muumuu on a dingy sofa in a single wide trailer in the middle of North Carolina trailer park who watches Days of Our Lives all day long.

I think you’re getting the picture; as stereotypical as it may be.

I suppose my soapbox for the moment is, regardless the desire, keeping informed and being active in the political process, in my opinion, is a responsibility of being a citizen of the United States.

That said, on to my assessment and endorsement.

I’m more of a conservative guy than a liberal. Although during the 2000 election season I was disappointed at the VP choice of Cheney and excited about Liebermann running with Gore. The fact that Liebermann was the nominated VP almost sent my vote to the Democratic side. I ended up voting for Bush in both of the past two elections.

This year, I can honestly say that I’m no where near the Democrats on anything. The platform of the party seems to be, “Government can solve all of your problems.” A philosophy I do not share but to which I strenuously object. I’ll comment a little more on this later as it falls in line with Republicans.

Eliminating any Democrat from the field leaves well a bunch of stuffy Republicans.

In no particular order, Giuliani, Romney, McCain, Huckabee, Paul.

Ron Paul gets thrown out of the mix right away on the count that the guy is certifiably insane. A charismatic doctor who was elected to Congress from Texas. His views are ultra-conservative and ultra-liberal at the same time and honestly, he has about 5 total supporters in the country. Each with large basements full of computers where they spend all day on the internet selecting Paul in online polls and writing blogs about Ron Paul being the savior of ‘real’ conservatives.

Mike Huckabee had some momentum from late November through the first week of January. A Baptist preacher, he picked up a lot of evangelical votes early. Yet to me, watching him in debates, he just doesn’t cut it. He’s the kind of guy you’d want on a camping trip telling great stories and making funny jokes, otherwise his record on taxes and immigration is the real comedy. Interesting how he tried to pin Romney down as a ‘flip-flopper’ yet has done more flipping in the last three weeks with his ‘say anything to get elected’ strategy. There is something creepy about the guy, and I’m concerned that he’s in it more for himself than anything else. Fred Thompson bailing out will help Huckabee, but I don’t think it will be enough. Prediction: Florida will be his electoral burial ground in the race.

‘Change’ has been the buzz word over the past few weeks. All of the candidates are trying to sell the American public on their own way in which they are the candidate of change. Well I’m sorry, but anyone who has been serving in the US Senate or House cannot be distinguished as a ‘change.’ They’ve had plenty of time and opportunity to make change, yet they’ve simply added to the current political mess. This again rules out all Democrats and John McCain.

I’m quite sick of the media’s infatuation with the guy. I guess it’s to be expected since he is their Republican lovechild. McCain is a problem in a number of ways. Honestly, if he were the best candidate 16 years ago, we would’ve selected him then. He’s been running for President longer than some first time voters have been alive. In fact, number one on his agenda, if elected president, would be: “Don’t die in office.”

His record is awful on immigration, hence his amnesty bill that somehow has been swept under the rug in the media. Awful on campaign finance, economy, and health care to name a few. The only area he is remotely strong in is the military and national security. Mostly because he is the poster boy for POW’s. However, it’s interesting to note that there are many veterans that despise the guy and won’t sit near him at events.

He’s also very beatable. Polls say he’s the Republican with the best chance to beat a Democrat. Again, the media wants you to believe that. Along with Huckabee, the Dems would be licking their chops at a McCain nomination because they too realize that if he were the best candidate it would’ve happened 16 years ago. He’s been beaten every four years since; this year will be no exception.

That leaves us down to two: Giuliani and Romney.

To be honest, I’ve liked these two from the get go. I was very excited a couple of years ago when I saw Giuliani making a formal shift to running. He went out on a speaking tour and started spreading his message of leadership. As a former resident of New York City, I like the guy. I believe that he has a solid record for making change. He knows his stuff when it comes to the law and how to apply it. He did phenomenal things in New York. He can adapt in times of crisis and can make quick and calculated decisions.

I was at one of his speaking engagements and he talked about crime and the economy. He said that as a prosecutor, he felt very confident in his ability to clean up the crime and streets of New York. However, the economic issues of the city were an area that he did not have as much expertise. So he acknowledged that he surrounded himself with the brightest financial minds he could find and relied on them to assist him in making decisions.

I think that type of humility and strategy is brilliant. However, his social policies on abortion, same-sex marriage, and immigration are the chink in his armor. The openly publicized affair and divorce also hurt him in the conservative base. It’s in these areas where he may suffer the most. I’m also not sure about the ‘all or nothing’ campaign strategy of holding out for February 5th. He seems to swear by it, so we shall see. Because of his lackadaisical campaigning and stand on social issues I have to bypass him as the candidate of choice.

Which brings me to Mitt Romney.

The guy has a brilliant mind, quick wit, and of course stunning looks. And that hair, wow… what more do you need in a candidate? Seriously though, the guy has been successful in every facet of his career. Everything he seems to touch turns to gold.

He’s been accused of flip-flopping on issues. Other than that and his Mormon faith are the only two things he’s been attacked on. The religion thing is bigoted in nature and therefore should hold no weight whatsoever. The flipping on issues could be seen as a concern for some. However, understand that this guy won the governorship of an extremely liberal state; Massachusetts. He realizes that an elected official must have their opinion on issues, but it’s the will of the people that is of higher importance because he is acting as their servant and advocate.

He believes in the citizen being responsible for him or her self. He understands how a capitalistic society works, and knows that government cannot be the solution to personal problems of its citizens. Otherwise, the society will depend on the government more than it should and the risk of falling into socialism or communism is greater. Hence the reason the founders of the nation established it as such.

In my opinion, he stands firm on the immigration issues, yet still shows compassion. I believe he knows what it takes to deal with foreign dignitaries and cultures. His economic mind is the best of all the candidates and more coming to understand that the economy is going to be our biggest issue in the next four years. He’s got good options in regards to health care and education.

Although some candidates may be a little better in one area or another, I think on the whole Romney has a more complete platform. He's not been in Washington before so the likelihood of change actually occuring is greater. More importantly, I believe him. I believe what he says and that he intends to do what he says. Having a leader with integrity is a defining principle in character analysis.

Therefore, I endorse Mitt Romney for President.

I’m curious to see how my endorsement will affect his polling numbers. Regardless, this will be an interesting political season, one which others should take more seriously.