Amazingly, we are only about a month away from the Iowa caucus, and Republicans are still changing frontrunners as quickly as Scarlet O'Hara's dance card at a cotillion. As a very committed liberal/progressive, you would think that I would be overjoyed if one of the weaker candidates would win the nomination, thereby giving President Obama a clearer path to re-election. But I care about this country too damn much to think that way. I want to feel like if everything goes wrong and a Republican should win, it would be at least the best qualified person they could present. In that regards, using my freakish statistical/accounting bent, I would like to handicap the Republican field as follows:
Mitt Romney: In some ways, has has shown through his career a pragmatic ability to shift positions that might serve as President, but does him little good with primary voters. I am like everyone else - I have little idea where he really stands on things OTHER than to say he is a corporate Republican who will stand first and foremost with big business and the wealthy. Ability to win Republican Nomination: 5, Ability to win General Election: 6, Charisma/Leadership: 3, Ability to work across the aisle: 7, Identification with average person: 2, Experience: 7, Corruption Free: 6. Total Score: 36.
Newt Gingrich: I don't think I've ever met a more repulsive human being. Literally, because I actually met him once. I give him credit for having more intelligence than some, but he is almost single-handedly responsible for the nasty tone of modern American politics. Ability to win Republican nomination: 4, Ability to win General Election: 1, Charisma/Leadership: 2, Ability to work across the aisle: 1, Identification with average person: 3, Experience: 7, Corruption Free: 0. Total Score: 18.
Michelle Bachmann: gives a whole new meaning to insanity. Has some foreign policy credentials, but it's like one of those kids who took math but wasn't really listening. Things add up very strangely. I do not want her anywhere near the nuclear button. Ability to win Republican nomination: 2, Ability to win General Election: 1, Charisma/Leadership: 3, Ability to work across the aisle: 0, Identification with average person: 5, Experience: 3, Corruption Free: 4. Total Score: 18.
Ric Perry: His lack of knowledge is breathtaking. I guess the standards to be Governor of Texas are pretty low. .....wait, we already found that out the hard way, What do you say about a candidate the Bush people call stupid? Ability to win Republican nomination: 4, Ability to win General Election: 3, Charisma/Leadership: 3, Ability to work across the aisle: 0, Identification with average person: 5, Experience: 2, Corruption Free: 1. Total Score: 18.
Ron Paul: He has positions designed to attract and offend people all over the political spectrum. Unfortunately, he has demonstrated little ability to compromise or work with others. I don't like purist philosophies of any kind, and it doesn't help that I think of Libertarianism as the philosophy of spoiled, narcissistic brats. Ability to win Republican nomination: 2, Ability to win General Election: 1, Charisma/Leadership: 5, Ability to work across the aisle: 0, Identification with average person: 3, Experience: 3, Corruption Free: 7. Total Score: 21.
Herman Cain: This shell of a man may be withdrawing as I write this, or very soon. so I won't waste much time on this womanizing charlatan. Ability to win Republican nomination: 0, Ability to win General Election: 0, Charisma/Leadership: 5, Ability to work across the aisle: 0, Identification with average person: 3, Experience: 0, corruption Free: 1. Total Score: 9.
Ric Santorum: Anti-gay bigot, wants to ban most common forms of birth control, right-wing extremist. Ability to win Republican nomination: 3, Ability to win General Election: 1, Charisma/Leadership: 3, Ability to work across the aisle: 0, Identification with average person: 4, Experience: 3, Corruption Free: 5. Total Score: 19.
Jon Huntsman: Republicans won't properly look at him because he worked with the Obama administration as ambassador to China, and he is yet another Mormon. Yet if they look closely at his record, they will find he is very conservative, without the flip-flopping record that Mitt and Newt have. Ability to win Republican nomination: 2, Ability to win General Election: 6, Charisma/Leadership: 5, Ability to work across the aisle: 7, Identification with average person: 4, Experience: 5, Corruption Free: 9. Total Score: 38.
Gary Johnson: very few know who this two-term governor of New Mexico is, because the Republican establishment has effectively shut him out. Basically, a more toned down libertarian version of Ron Paul, more social libertarian with a greater ability to compromise and reason. Ability to win Republican nomination: 0, Ability to win General Election: 4, Charisma/Leadership: 5, Ability to work across the aisle: 5, Identification with average person: 4, Experience: 6, Corruption Free: 9. Total Score: 33.
Buddy Roehmer: even more credentialed than Gary Johnson, two-tern Governor of Louisiana, Congressman, and very successful businessman, Republican establishment has also effectively shut him out. Spends most of his time railing at the big money influence in our politics, and emphasizes very heavily being able to work across the aisle. Ability to win Republican nomination: 0, Ability to win General Election: 6, Charisma/Leadership: 7, Ability to work across the aisle: 9, Identification with average person: 8, Experience: 8, Corruption Free: 9. Total Score: 47.
That's my summary of who is actually running. I'll deal with those who are not running next week. And I do think there is a better than 50/50 shot that the nominee will be somebody other than this group. Any score below 20 scares me to freaking death. Any score below 40 has me worried. What do you all think?
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