Tuesday, July 17, 2007

I'll Take The GOP Top Tier Over The Dems Top Tier Anyday!

I, for one, do not get the Republican angst over the candidates running for the presidency. I think it is a very diverse field, not just politically but socially, and economically. The four leading Republican candidates for president can leap any day over the three top Democrat candidates.
So, I will take the candidates background and, as Fox News Channel says, we report, you decide.
For the Republicans.
Sen John "F--- You" McCain. Besides getting a nice profanity or two to supposed allies, the man is a patriot and great American. Entering the air force during the height of the Vietnam war, he was shot down and became a prisoner of war under the worst of conditions. After the war, he went into the private sector and ran for congress as a Republican from Arizona and later Senator. Sen. "F--- You" McCain has basically seen it all.
Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani was a deputy attorney general during the first Reagan administration and later became United States attorney for New York. Then he left for a short stint in the private sector and ran for mayor of New York City. Lost the first time and then won two elections and was the mayor during that fateful day, 9/11/01. For the most part, Mr. Giuliani has been with the Justice department or mayor of New York City. A legal and political background.
Then there is former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. Very interesting background. Has both a legal and business degree from Harvard. Made a lot of money in the private sector, particularly with Bain Capital. A businessman who has had to actually meet payrolls. Mr. Romney took a stab at America's favorite alcoholic senator, Teddy Kennedy back in 1994. Mr. Romney has the distinction of giving Sen. Kennedy his closest reelection since he was first elected to the senate. Then, Mr. Romney became Mr. Fix it and saved the mismanaged Salt Lake City Winter Olympics from financial ruin. It was one of those America coming together moments as it was not long after the 9/11 attacks. After that, he ran for and became governor of Massachusetts. Mr. Romney is a successful businessman, fixer-upper and governor.
Most intriguing is former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson. Mr. Thompson is a pulling himself up by the bootstrap story of marrying his high school sweetheart and working his way through college and eventually law school. Then he became lead counsel for then Sen. Howard Baker during the Watergate hearings, where he got his start. Then, he hung up a shingle in Tennessee and became famous for bringing down a sitting governor. When Hollywood was making a movie about the exploits, they could not find the perfect Fred Thompson actor. So, Mr. Thompson said he would play himself and that became a successful career in film. In the Republican sweep of 1994, Mr. Thompson ran for the unexpired term of then Vice-President Al Gore and won in a landslide and subsequently reelection six years later. Upon retiring from the senate, Mr. Thompson merged the law and acting to become New York county district attorney Arthur Branch in the NBC hit series "Law And Order." Mr. Thompson has been in a little of everything and brings a real world experience to the campaign.
Now, for the Dems.
Front runner Sen. Hilary Clinton. Lets see, she served as first lady of Arkansas while Gov. Bill Clinton was in office. She was a partner in the highly controversial Rose Law Firm. Then Mrs. Clinton became first lady of the United States when Gov. Clinton was elected president in 1992. She wrote a highly controversial book on child rearing and parleyed her status to carpetbag a senate seat from New York state. Mrs. Clinton could have easily ran in Arkansas or her home state of Illinois. Now, she runs for president. She has no real accomplishments as a lawyer or a senator, but she is running on being a Clinton and a woman.
Sen. Barrack Obama from Illinois gets a lot of press because he is the first really serious black candidate for president. He did not live in a life of poverty but was rather privileged. Sen. Obama went to law school and was the editor of the Harvard Law Review, a real major accomplishment. Sen. Obama then became a politician, first in the Illinois statehouse and then was elected to the senate in a landslide in 2004. Another lawyer and politician, not much in the real world.
Then there is former North Carolina senator John Edwards. At least Mr. Edwards did come from almost nothing to succeed and go to law school. But, upon becoming an attorney, he became what is commonly called an ambulance chaser. Mr. Edwards became wealthy by a percentage of huge lawsuits won by plaintiffs. Then, Mr. Edwards ran for and became senator from North Carolina in 1998. In a mystery, Sen. John Kerry chose then Sen. Edwards to be his vice-presidential candidate in 2004. Sen. Edwards did himself no favors and was seen by many on both sides of the aisle as an empty suit. And, of course, this could not stop Mr. Edwards from thinking he should be president. Another lawyer and politician.
Here is what separates the GOP from the Dems. Three of the four top tier candidates have had a career out of politics. Thus, they do have a better pulse on what people are thinking than career politicians that surround themselves with yes people and never really know what people are thinking. Also, there is more diversity in the GOP field with social moderate Mr. Giuliani, businessman Mr. Romney and actor Mr. Thompson. The Dems give us three lawyers and or career politicians.
I, for one, think that the GOP field is a good one and I have already mounted my saddle on the Romney horse. I think that when the dust settles, the American people will like either Mr. Romney or if it is another GOPer as the nominee, and the gap will close and this will be another close election.

2 comments:

Incognito said...

Great rundown... I think McCain is a bit of a loose cannon and is actually, given his campaign staff and money troubles, going to be one of the first to drop out. But I could be wrong. I'd be fine with any of the front runners, as well, actually.
I don't think we can count Thompson until he actually officially runs. But we shall see.

Pat Jenkins said...

yes 64 all these conservative candidates are good people, but that is the issue. superb individuals, but not superb conservatives. now granted that is more that can be said of the group on the left, but conservatives do vote on principle and as of yet there has not been much of it.