Kabotfest.com

By Jim Gschwind , PHD

Although this looks like a repeat of 2008 for the Republicans with putting forth a rather liberal Republican (translate: Establishment/Rockefeller ..then translate that as: “Rino”) considering his Massachusetts governing background, let’s not forget that the Democrats had a very similar situation in ’08 with Hillary in the lead at this point. Romney has the lead for now, but I doubt that will continue in South Carolina and Florida as the South never has warmed up to Romney even in ‘08 (see some of my previous columns).

As I’ve said all along: “as far as electability goes, anyone of the Republican candidates can win against Obama.”  I’ve noticed there are even more rumblings from establishment Democrats that Hillary might enter late primaries against Obama. With a “leak” from Bill on the subject, and despite her public denials, we all have come to know and “love” Hillary and realize that denying any further political aspirations is NOT her mindset. She has certainly been more “active” behind the scenes and leading more from “in front” rather from the rear as her boss has.  Examples of this are: the Libyan civil war and the Egyptian fiasco during this Arab Spring.  Another example she can tout is her involvement with Leon Panetta in actually bringing down OBL during the daring Seal Team Six raid.  She and Leon, who then was in his CIA post, successfully went around Valerie Jared who was trying to block and insulate her boss from giving “go” to that operation.  They had enough of it so they surreptitiously gave the “go” and then invited the “boss” in to watch it when Valerie wasn’t around.  Those close to the White House said he was like a “deer in headlights” and couldn’t believe what was going down.  But this has been brought out by others in the media (certainly not the alphabet media) and never got any traction. Joe Six-pack is still convinced Obama got Osama (it rhymes!) although it was Bush intelligence that enabled the whole operation.  This will not gain any traction in 2012 unless Hillary brings it up because I doubt Panetta will back her up publicly.  Hillary can of course generally point to the fact that the President doesn’t even lead inside his own White House and has delegated that role to Valerie Jared....which is supposedly why Daly left his post. He couldn’t deal with her as many others have found out.  She is the power behind the throne or the puppeteer in charge.  Next time the Chief Executive addresses the nation……..look for the wires above his head..!!

Enough of the Democrat problems and prognostication, let’s get back to our own primary woes. Many are starting to resign themselves to the fact that they won’t get a conservative in the White House since every true-blue conservative and even a couple rinos have been totally smeared in the press with negative ads to great effect.  As a conservative who was never a Democrat, I worked as a teenager for the local Goldwater camp in the early 60s and was impressed that my hero then retired/reserve Air Force general Jimmy Stewart was backing him.  I have always been conservative and especially so when I worked in the Pentagon and on Reagan’s inaugural committee back in the early 80s.  It’s now that I’m reminded by friends that Reagan once was a Democrat and this has caused me to reconsider my position, knowing that my only 100% candidate had left the race, to look again at Rick Perry and Santorum.  Both have their faults and good points.Perry was run over by the “campaign bus” when he blotched a few debates and made his position on immigration known.  I’m not even considering Gingrich as he is just too much of an insider politician to me who probably has had a hand in us getting into our current mess and “he doesn’t play well with others”. I remember his Pelosi adoration with global warming; his lobbying with Freddy Mac for a good chunk of change and his ethics violations in the House in the 90’s (only speaker EVER to be so chastised in public by his own party).  I’m not prone at this point to let the fox back into the hen house and his current “whining” about Romney’s tactics is really childish.   While I agree with Ron Paul’s domestic issues, his isolationist tendency goes so far right, that it actually meets the far left coming the other way.  Let’s hope if he is a Veep candidate that he can be reigned in like Obama’s veep and that he doesn’t get upset at not being nominated and split the vote by running as an independent again (that’s how Obama got in office originally).

So for my second look at Perry:  Although I heard an earful at CPAC 2011 from the Texas delegation that didn’t trust him but labeled him the “consummate” politician who will say anything to get elected, he does have an admirable record of accomplishments in Texas. That is, if you forget the fact that he pushed the cervical cancer medication on young girls without parental permission in the schools for his wife who was lobbying for this. Ignore the fact that inoculating 9 year olds being prior to sexual activity means the medicine is only good for 2-3 years and they will have to be re-inoculated in their teen years when they are really probably sexually active.  He got some bad advice from of all people even his wife.   He also has granted in state tuition and scholarships to illegal immigrants while he proposes stronger border barriers, so I really don’t know where he really stands on illegal immigration.  Maybe he’s even confused.  Even though he was head of Al Gore’s campaign as state chairman, he was converted to the Republican ranks by the George Bush team.  As I said, I remember that Reagan was a Democrat for a few years until as he said “the Democratic Party, left me”.  This Democrat to Republican wave didn’t originate in Texas but was a southern trend after Reagan’s terms in office.   He redeemed himself in my eyes Saturday night when Mike Huckabee sponsored the question and answer session in Charleston.   He actually appeared natural, relaxed and one could finally look him in the eyes and tell that his extemporaneous answers were not pre-prepared but that he was confident in his answers and I believe he really believes in what he said.

Santorum:  Well many who know him give him the strength and virtue that he “never” changes his position on whet he says he believes in.  You can tell this by his standing firm on his own pro-life stance despite the constant questioning.  On the other hand, insiders who have served with him in the house, say he’s not very decisive and tend to put things off, until he is absolutely sure he can win the votes.  I’m ignoring the negative ads for now but I am worried about his gun control stance.  He voted with the majority of democrats as they continually increased the national debt ceiling.  His answer to this accusation was very honest in that he stated as “one” member of congress, he cannot defeat something that most other elected officials want just by himself, but as president he could veto it.  Only time would tell if this is true or not. Should we risk giving him the chance to prove things?  

I still think many will decide when we know who is running with another candidate, such as Cain, Bachman, Alan West, Marco Rubio, etc. I’m sure that if the consensus goes with Romney, he will be wise enough to choose a conservative with total credentials such as those mentioned.  If that’s the case, I think I’d even back Romney.  Until then however, I’ll be studying Perry and Santorum and I’ll be totally ignoring these daily polls which actually prove nothing and encourage voters to go for the “establishment” candidate.

I’m being redundant by saying this IS the most important election in my lifetime as the future of the country I love and have served is at stake.  All candidates have picked up this mantra.  All I know is even if I have to hold my nose in the end; I will support the Republican candidate to escape the evil that Obama and his Chicago mob are inflicting upon this wonderful country.  I do NOT want us remade as a socialist republic.  I know that isn’t political correctness to call him a Marxist or Communist, but we have to remember that even in HIS OWN AUTOBIOGRAPHY, he stated that he felt more comfortable in college around the Marxist, communist crowd and that his grandparents were OPENLY proud Marxists as were his father and Mother.  Black voters must also realize that although the President is the first Black President in history, he NEVER grew up in a community that showed him the true black experience that other blacks in urban areas and in the

south felt in the 50s and 60s.  I lived in Hawaii during the early 60s and remember that Whites were actually the minority there. This, in its first election as a state, was totally intent on denying resident military from voting in Hawaii until overturned by the courts.  There are schools that a white cannot attend in Hawaii (Punaho and Kamehameha as examples) and yet young Barry seems to think he has “SHARED” the black experience, while he really hasn’t even come close to it.  Is it any wonder why there is no empathy from him regarding the recently growing black middle class and small business owners who have been hit harder by this recession than any other ethnic group in America?  He has almost single-handedly destroyed the previously growing black middle class that has been blossoming for a few decades and taken them back to the 60s.

I’ll have my chance the end of January here in Florida, right now I’m leaning towards Perry as a conservative based upon his latest performance.   Some of my friends here in Florida after the NH primary and the Charleston event have announced themselves for Romney but I respect that and if Romney takes South Carolina and Florida I will eat my words (literally, here on paper) and support him wholeheartedly.  If he does win, I think he knows he’ll have to pick a good conservative as a running mate and then I won’t have to hold my nose in the voting booth as I did in 2008.