The GOP trio of rock-paper-scissors candidates. Ho humm.

Apparently while I was out playing a round of golf, the GOP nomination race for 2012 snapped into focus. 

WATERLOO, Iowa — A Republican presidential campaign that has been slow to take shape suddenly snapped into focus Sunday, with an unlikely three-person top tier of former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, Rep. Michele Bachmann (Minn.) and the newest entry, Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

I'm not crazy about Romney. But I might possibly vote for him in a general election against Obama. As for Bachman and Perry, no way. If either of them is the GOP nominee I will cast my first vote ever for a Democratic candidate in a general election. That's right.. 30 years of straight-ticket GOP votes right down the tubes.

Bachman is too dumb to be entrusted with the office of Presidency judging by her quotes and half baked analysis of economic strategy. At the very least we knew George W. Bush was smart enough to fly an airplane. I wouldn't get in a school bus if Bachman was driving it. You heard it here first. She will not handle it well when the press starts asking her to explain some of her extremist views and dumb statements and there is a treasure trove of that stuff out there to sort through. A meltdown on camera is in the works. Bachman has even less of a chance of winning the Presidency than Sarah Palin ever did.

As for Rick Perry, well he is a Governor from the State of Texas and let's face it. There is zero chance in 2012 that's going to fly with enough mainstream American voters to win a majority of electoral votes.

And frankly, Romney has no chance either because if he does somehow surprise the nation and win the GOP nomination, it will just lead to a 3rd party run for the Tea Party with either Ron Paul or Michelle Bachman at the helm, stealing votes from the GOP. If that happens, Obama can start rehearsing his 2nd inaugural speech before the election is even held.

I look at the GOP nomination contest between these three almost like it's a game of rock-paper-scissors. Each has an advantage over one but a weakness against the other and there is no real winner in the group. And not that it means much but my favorite GOP presidential candidate for 2012 is Jon Huntsman, if for no other reason that he understands politics does not have to be a tribal war where loyalty to your Party comes before loyalty to your country. He's logical, he avoids the bombastic proclamations, he doesn't try to scare people to vote for him, he doesn't speak in code phrases or Fox News talking points and he knows how to work with people on the other side of the aisle and not just toss grenades in their general direction.

I am done with party politics taking precedence over actually getting things done in Washington.  I hope the American people actually get a chance to see and learn more about Jon Huntsman before the early polls convince him to drop out.  I think the longer he could hang around the more likely it is that the others will self destruct trying to defend their spotty records and goofball quotes. But I am generally skeptical that Huntsman can differentiate himself from Mitt Romney enough to generate some Mojo with the sub-intelligent and proud of it GOP base. Too bad because the USA could really use Huntsman to help navigate the ship the next few years.


So for what it's worth, the Pathteacher blog endorses Jon Huntsman for the GOP presidential nomination in 2012.  I'm rooting for the optimist in the bunch.