Iowa has come and gone, and its message, simply put, is that GOP regulars don't know what they want. When someone wins a statewide race of any type by eight votes, it is safe to say that many folks either don't like what they see or are truly confused about what they want.
Does the Republican Party want to be little more than the old style eastern establishment, vaguely moderate party? Or does it wish to be more definitely conservative, at least fiscally? To go even further off the deep end, does it want somebody who isn't Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, or Ron Paul?
Rick Santorum certainly seemed to come out of nowhere, given that he has been technically in the race since last June. That he polled so well after so many conservatives have struggled just to stay in the race for the GOP nomination is tells us that the right wing isn't happy about the prospects of a Romney Presidency. Give them someone articulate who doesn't appear too much on the fringes, and he'll get their support.
So it's on to New Hampshire, where Romney is expected to have easy pickings. Yet even there, Ron Paul Tuesday's third place finisher, has decent support, while momentum being tomorrow's starting pitcher may mean Santorum has the fuel to have a good showing there as well.
Maybe this contest won't be so short after all.
Showing posts with label Iowa Caucuses. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Iowa Caucuses. Show all posts
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Any Real News Yet?
Has anyone heard from Iowa yet?
Today is, of course, the Big Day, the day when the coronation of the GOP challenger to President Barack Obama begins. The crown may be placed upon one head and never removed, or we may have surprises in store and the entire race will actually be thrilling. Either way, what the future brings starts now.
The last polling data which we saw had Ron Paul with a lead, albeit a very slim one at 20%, while Romney was at 19% with Santorum (where'd he come from?) next at 18%. Yet a whopping 41% of Iowans claimed in the same polling to be undecided. That would seem to have left things up for grabs. But probably not; we have long suspected that an awful lot of undecideds are in fact quite decided but like to feel their options are open. We'll know tomorrow.
It would be a good thing for the Republicans if Ron Paul won Iowa. We need a strong libertarian conservative to set many things aright in our great nation. True, he comes with a lot of baggage. Yet he says things which Americans need to hear: it is at least arguably more important to secure our own borders than to play world policeman, for example. We don't fully agree with the Representative from Texas on that an other questions (a reasonably adventurous foreign policy is in our national interest, to quickly counter his libertarian shallowness on such questions) yet he speaks to American individualism in a way no one else seems to.
Should he in fact get the nomination, the GOP will be in trouble in November because, quite bluntly, he allows himself to be painted as a nut job, the cranky old uncle at family picnics who everyone tolerates, and may even smile at, while not seriously considering his words. Should he get the nod and win, we're rather sure that he will face the same troubles most Presidents have with most Congresses and not be allowed to stray too far into the abyss. In short, a good showing by Rep. Paul isn't the end of the world.
He may even carry lighter baggage than several of the more prominent conservatives such as Michelle Bachmann or Rick Perry, themselves seemingly relegated to sidebar status. Let that all be as it may. The bottom line is that the Sun will come tomorrow upon somebody. Hopefully, we pray, somebody worthwhile.
Today is, of course, the Big Day, the day when the coronation of the GOP challenger to President Barack Obama begins. The crown may be placed upon one head and never removed, or we may have surprises in store and the entire race will actually be thrilling. Either way, what the future brings starts now.
The last polling data which we saw had Ron Paul with a lead, albeit a very slim one at 20%, while Romney was at 19% with Santorum (where'd he come from?) next at 18%. Yet a whopping 41% of Iowans claimed in the same polling to be undecided. That would seem to have left things up for grabs. But probably not; we have long suspected that an awful lot of undecideds are in fact quite decided but like to feel their options are open. We'll know tomorrow.
It would be a good thing for the Republicans if Ron Paul won Iowa. We need a strong libertarian conservative to set many things aright in our great nation. True, he comes with a lot of baggage. Yet he says things which Americans need to hear: it is at least arguably more important to secure our own borders than to play world policeman, for example. We don't fully agree with the Representative from Texas on that an other questions (a reasonably adventurous foreign policy is in our national interest, to quickly counter his libertarian shallowness on such questions) yet he speaks to American individualism in a way no one else seems to.
Should he in fact get the nomination, the GOP will be in trouble in November because, quite bluntly, he allows himself to be painted as a nut job, the cranky old uncle at family picnics who everyone tolerates, and may even smile at, while not seriously considering his words. Should he get the nod and win, we're rather sure that he will face the same troubles most Presidents have with most Congresses and not be allowed to stray too far into the abyss. In short, a good showing by Rep. Paul isn't the end of the world.
He may even carry lighter baggage than several of the more prominent conservatives such as Michelle Bachmann or Rick Perry, themselves seemingly relegated to sidebar status. Let that all be as it may. The bottom line is that the Sun will come tomorrow upon somebody. Hopefully, we pray, somebody worthwhile.
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