WILL THE REAL REPUBLICAN NOMINEE STAND UP?

Shortly after President Obama was elected, I asked a friend why he had voted for him. He replied, "I just like him". When I pressed him as to why,he seemed stymied but finally said he just liked his personality. Elections, like first impressions are clearly won or lost on the bottom line---we have to like before we can love--or vote for you. But based on what??

It's still very early, but one would think the 2012 election was next month, according to much of the media, and as far as they are concerned, it's pretty much a done deal. Every day brings reports of Obama already on the campaign trail, raising money, talking the talk, greasing the right palms, and setting the stage for 2012. But the other day, he sat down for a little chat with the Prime Minister of Israel, Netanyahu, who as it turns out, can talk pretty well, himself. Mr. Netanyahu didn't take kindly to the remarks of Mr. Obama regarding how Israel should return to the old boundary lines of 1967, thereby giving up some of their land to the Palestinians. It was a teachable moment for both Obama and us who were watching, the Prime Minister proceeded to look Obama in the eyes and tell him in no uncertain terms how he felt about this issue. He later spoke in front of congress with great diplomacy, tact, and confidence--and received much applause. Here, at last, was a man who worked the room---and it wasn't President Obama. A shift had occured---there are others out there who can speak well and capture an audience. I hope the Republicans were taking notice---

Will it be possible that the Republicans could bring forth someone who might have Netanyahu like qualities?? Someone who has presence, confidence, sincere convictions, a certain savoir faire, a sense of having lived long enough to have a more seasoned, mature, balanced world view and our place in it. The meeting between these two men was a rare moment--Obama looking more like a student, than a leader. The Republicans should be looking for such a nominee---but are they? Why is nobody grabbing the same attention that Netanyahu caused? Likability wasn't this man's goal---persuasion by reason and conviction was.

The choices as they appear now, are interesting, but not arresting. Let's just look at the top candidates according to a recent Republican poll: Mitt Romney with 30%, Newt Gingrich at 15%, Michelle Bachman (surprise!)dropping to 7% and Tom Pawlenty at 5%. No one stands out or up with seemingly the "right stuff"----let me re-phrase that---they may have the right stuff, but they aren't blessed with the right look---yes, sad, but true that we put a lot of emphasis on outward appearances. But wait--- if that were all we wanted, why aren't we more excited about Mitt Romney? The guy is movie star, and hunk handsome. He's also Morman, a possible negative with some voters, and on top of that, he instituted a health care bill that bears a too-close-for-comfort resemblance to Obama's plan---"Romneycare", and not a good thing in many conservatives' minds.

Next, we have a man who probably has much of the right stuff, a memorable name, Newt Gingrich, and most notably a previous Speaker of the House. His stuff may be right, but it's packaged wrong. He will not win any Mr. America beauty contests. The media likes to play up his "baggage" of divorce and adultery history---I doubt the average American cares much about that, but they don't like his "image"---what's that? Middle aged white man with a slight paunch--boring, and not at all cool. We like 'em cool and "hot" these days. Smart counts, but only if it's in a handsome box.

Michelle Bachmann, Minnesota member of the House of Representatives and the lone female candidate so far, is hanging in there with 7% of voter polling, and certainly would pass the camera test, but seems to lack depth of knowledge. Is she another Sara Palin, who speaks to the hearts of Republican voters, but not to their minds?

Tied with Bachmann at 7% ---is a new kid on the block, Herman Cain, former CEO of Godfather's Pizza. What makes him an interesting contender is that he is an African American---the Tea Party likes him, and so does the media. But will they cast him and the Republican party as a "copy cats",trying to cash in on the race card?

Tom Pawlenty, preceding governor of Minnesota, is running surprisingly behind with 5%. He is plenty qualified, nice looking enough, but does not seem to have that "it" factor, the mojo that says, "Look at me, I'm up to the job, and further more I can beat Obama". He simply doesn't have it going on.

There are other candidates who make up the remainder of this poll's percentages, such as Ron Paul who keeps popping up in the news with his Libetarian ideas, but no one seems to be paying much attention--maybe it's his non-commanding voice, or his milque toast demeanor--he's like the smart little kid in the classroom who keeps putting his hand up with the answers, but nobody cares. Maybe his light is just too bright for these dark times--we're not in the mood for radical change, and just want to veer away from the cliffs of economic disaster, not jump across the chasms.

Of course, the liberal slanted media loves that the Republicans seem unable to come up with a winnable, wannabe presidential candidate. For the most part, Obama's their guy, and they want to keep him for another four years. Have they scared off potential possibilities who view this race too unwinnable to win? On the flip side, beware of any Republican candidate the media claims to like very much--think John McCain. It sounds paranoid, but it's called politics in action. The media is a big time player, and they are not above stratigery.

It will be a tough mountain to climb, with an encumbent president who even now in the midst of very serious world problems is on and off the campaign trail, bouyed by a rich Democrat party money chest, and his recent Bin Laden conquest. But is there more to the almost intractable popularity of Barack Obama and historic election? Is it a love/hate dynamic that keeps his poll numbers north, even though some of his decisions would sink way south for other presidents? Do we hate what he does sometimes, like the forced into law health care bill,his refusal to drill domestically, even in the face of rising gas prices, the Libyan mess, but continue to tolerate him because he's just so cool, urbane, and well spoken? Some suggest that we love the fact that he's African/American and that very thing speaks well of us and our enlightened evolvement. Whatever it is, there are many who predict Obama is unbeatable---and unless the Republicans can offer up someone who has "winner" written invisibly on his forehead, i.e. has the Romney good looks, the Gingrich intellect, Bachmann's passion, and Netanyahu's "don't mess with me" attitude, they should put away their party hats and get out their handerchiefs.

And how about us? Who do we like, and why? Are we guilty of a certain complacency, a sort of vicarious approach to all things politic? Do we passively watch, but do not more actively seek out our choices for at least the Presidential nominees? Should we be making our voices heard more loudly for people we admire, and should we put less stock in image and more in what it will take to offer people a clear choice come the 2012 election? Some say Republicans are too gentile to come out fighting for their ideals, that they are running scared, and that they are too split within their party to form a strong platform. All this may be true, but if it is, then the country will surely suffer from the result of the ruling party's will, therefore an atrophy of new ideas, absence of guts to speak of them, and a general lack of Republican backbone expected by the voters.

The 2012 election is still a ways off, but the Republicans need to begin shaping their lineup of nominees. And we must begin to focus on all of them with more than a casual observer's eye. First impressions count, but I used to like diet cola and cigarettes---