Every single one of them has heavy baggage. Some more than others. I've considered that baggage. Many of them have wildly positive ideas about the direction they want to take the country.
In my oh-so-humble opinion, there are 4 main areas of focus that are important in picking a candidate to support.
First, can this candidate beat President Obama in 2012? Without that, nothing else matters...see #2, #3, and #4.
Second, will this candidate repeal Obamacare? It must be stopped and if it isn't stopped by the new Republican President, it will be impossible to stop. After 2012, if President Obama wins the election, future Republican Presidents and Republican dominated Congresses will only be able to make Obamacare less costly and intrusive. They'll never be able to elimintate it.
Third, our borders must be secured and we must adopt a sane immigration policy that allows honest, law-abiding, productive people to enter the United States. Without that, President Obama will ensure that the US becomes just like California, awash in debt and ridiculous regulations, nearing bankruptcy, with an endless supply of new democrats illegally crossing the borders on a daily basis. That, obviously, brings an end to the Republican Party. I'm not necessarily in love with the GOP, but at this time, it's the home of conservatism, which is where my loyalties lie.
Fourth, we need a President who will turn us 180 degrees from the Nanny State that Mr. Obama and his party wants. Our new President in 2012 must reduce the size and influence of the Federal Government. Obviously, that includes major cuts in entitlements and the elimination of loopholes, fraud, and favoritism in the tax code.
Considering all of that, looking carefully at baggage, temperament, experience, and history, I've concluded that my choice for the 2012 GOP Candidate for President is Mitt Romney.
I'm not going to go into the reasons why the others aren't my choice. Suffice it to say that I find Mr. Romney is the only candidate that qualifies under the four requirements I listed above.
I've very carefully tried to put on blinders to the obvious reason I'd have to support Mr. Romney...our religion. I think I have done that very well. If religion was important to me, Mr. Huntsman would have been in my short list...and he was not.
So, take it for what it's worth. One American's opinion. As of today, I support Mitt Romney and will through his 2 terms as President, unless he lets Washington own his soul. If that happens, I'll work towards replacing him in 2016.
