South Carolina Debate

It is once again in vogue for a candidate for high office to brag about the fact that he is an outsider. The implication is that holding political office somehow dirties one's reputation and what is needed in Washington is an outsider who can sweep the place clean. This makes for good rhetoric on the campaign trail, but risks putting someone in office who does not know how to get things done. Herman Cain is the ultimate outsider. As CEO of Godfather's Pizza, he appears to know how to run a successful business organization, but that is a far cry from running the United States Government. Last night, I listened to his participation in the South Carolina Republican Party debate. He is a very personable man and appears to hold solid traditional values. I like that, but I do not believe that he has the background necessary to do the day-to-day job of president.

I also listened carefully to Gary Johnson, the former Governor of New Mexico. In my book, anyone who has successfully held the position of a state governor for two terms has sufficient background to be considered for the position of President of the United States. The fact that he was a successful businessman before becoming governor is good too, but I was not impressed with his performance in this debate. I did find his more liberal position on abortion to be interesting, saying that it might not get votes in the primary, but it would help him in the general election. Whether we like it or not, this is an important issue for Republicans and Johnson's comments are relevant to the conservative primary decision.

It is always fun to listen to Texas Representative Ron Paul. He is an articulate spokesman for the libertarian point of view and it is healthy for all of us to be reminded of those principals from time to time. I wish that we could live our lives according to them, but unfortunately I believe that our world is far too complex for simple solutions. Mr. Paul, however, serves an important role as an advocate for a more perfect world and that gives the rest of us something to shoot for.

I find former Pennsylvania Senator, Rick Santorum, to be a very attractive personality and his service in the House of Representatives and Senate gives him enough background in government to meet that requirement for the Republican candidate for president. I like many of his ideas including his emphasis on family as the cornerstone of our nation. I like his position on the debt and am interested in his thinking about entitlements. I see him as a viable dark horse candidate and look forward to learning more about his views and specific ideas. Even if he does not emerge as the Republican candidate, he can do a lot to shape our position on issues going into the general election.

Of these five men, I find Tim Pawlenty to be the most attractive candidate. His service as Governor of Minnesota for two terms gives him ample background for the office of the presidency. I like his position on the debt and am very interested in his views regarding entitlements. I find it interesting that he is virtually the only one of the five men on stage last night that the Democratic Party has attacked today. I presume that this says something about his viability as a conservative candidate. He will be criticized by many on the political right for not being enough of an attack dog, but that is one of the principal things that attracts me to him. I am looking for a candidate that can unite America - not one that can yell louder than the Democrats.

Although many of the big names that are mentioned as possible Republican candidates chose not to participate, I think that the debate served a valuable service in providing a venue for these five men to introduce themselves to a larger audience.