THE RIGHT STUFF----

The race is on-----for who will be the next Republican presidential nominee It's a little early yet to bet the farm, but right now, it's looking like the front runners are Mitt Romney, the Mass. Governor; Michelle Bachmann, congresswoman from Minnesota; and the latest entry, Rick Perry, the Texan Governnor---cowboy boots,and shades of Bush, et al. There are others, but so far, they are not resonating in the polls or the media. Does that matter? Yes---we are, for better or worse, a country influenced by media, image, and popularity, reflected by the polls. If we were not, Ron Paul, the eternal candidate, congressman, and devoted libertarian; Newt Gingrich, still in the running and probably the smartest kid in the class; and Sara Palin the most passionate, would be in the current crop of likely winners---any one of them, however could still rise up and join the latter laps of the race. Sara hasn't officially declared her presidential aspirations, but is predicted to do so later---personally, I doubt it, but stranger things have happened. Anything could happen at this stage, including a new, not yet known face---think Obama. News has it that Paul Ryan, the House Budget Committee Chairman, who crafted the controversial budget ammendment, is being encouraged to run---he's young, good looking enough, and very bright---but does he have the right stuff? More to the question , what "stuff" sells to the American public? We can be a fickle bunch, sometimes just voting for anybody other than whom we don't like. And other times, we vote our hearts, rather than our minds---or our hopes, rather than reality.

 There are those who say that Obama will be easy to beat. His approval ratings for a sitting president are at an historically low 37%, his accomplishments are few, unemployment is awful, housing not much better, and our debt crisis still in peril. But, this prez has moxie and he intends to take it to the people, as evidenced by his recent bus( million dollar limousine manufactured in Canada) tour. His main message is that the mess we're in is not his fault, and that his opponents must rise above politics, and "put country before party"---read, vote his way, and raise taxes to cover all his spending. The cries for non-partisanship sound disingenuous at best, and like hypocritical gamesmanship at worst---who does he think he's kidding? This is the man who would not even listen to anyone opposing his health care plan, and waved off any serious cuts to the budget,leaving it finally to a committee of twelve, not to mention that his vice president, Biden, has referred to the Tea Party as "terrorists". Non-partisanship? After you, Mr. President. The bus tour is now over, having attracted thin crowds and not the hoped for enthusiasm. Now,he has taken off for Martha's Vineyard for a family vacation,giving his critics even more ammunition. Does he even care what people think? Has he not heard of "stay-cations"? Oh, the slings and arrows of public servants-----can't really blame the guy for needing to get away from what has turned out to be a pressure cooker presidency. But one has to wonder about his timing and whether he's really into a second term. Maybe he sees the handwriting on the wall---or in the election booths, and has decided if he's going to lose, he's going down big---with million dollar limousines, make that buses, and rich man's vacations.

 But don't count Obama out yet--- he's not done yet, and Americans, as a rule, don't like to admit they've made a mistake ----they tend to give second chances, and some still unbeliebably believe in the magic of Obama. They are convinced that his perceived weaknesses are just that---an incorrect perception. And in fact , that he is actually " too cool for school", way too intelligent for most people to grasp, and that eventually his low key global approach will pay off in our diplomatic relationships, his healthcare victory will prove to be the right thing, his stimulus and over reaching regulation programs will prove to have been better than the alternatives, and that his spread the wealth philosophy is the new American/European way. Whether he can hold on to his true believers, while courting the middle with words of " compromise" and "common sense", remains to be seen. Obama's brilliance was and is his oratorical prowess, his ability to connect with "the folks"---but his hands-on job experience was always the worry---and who and what he really believed was even more troublesome. We now see a man whose political and ideologies are driving him, but apparently not leading the country. Is there still time for him to transcend his own limitations and surprise us with a conversion to greatness, and in his own words, "put country before party"?

 Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Republicans are scratching their heads and searching for "the one". Who will it be? The media has convinced us that he/she doesn't exist. Don't believe them---one will rise to the occasion in time. The Dems are scared silly, as they watch their president losing favor every day. The country is floundering, with the stock market, our financial bell weather, rocking and rolling ---and the people are looking for leadership. There is great unrest and discontent---a sense of loss, and a profound desire to re--calculate our way. Perhaps this is our pinnacle moment in history to decide which kind of country we will be---an entitlement state, or a return to our roots of a capitalistic society. But first we must figure out a way to survive our economic crisis, and much rides on the next election. Look the candidates over carefully, including the current president---and place your bets for whom you think has the right stuff. And what is that? At this in point in time, it seems like it is an amalgamation, just like us---of someone who understands that, who will have the ability to lead and inspire all of us. Of course, he or she must have intelligence, leadership qualities, charisma, a bit of shrewdness, acceptable appearance, an optimism and a sense of the inivisible ties that bind us, and, most of all--- an innate perception of who we really are ----a unique ,great mix of people, talents, and energy, with a fierce love of freedom; that we still treasure our historic independence from big government, and have no wish for extreme change; that while we must care for those who need help, we don't wish to become slaves to a welfare state, and that we still believe in ourselves.

 The race is on for the next Presidential election----it's a big one, and we can only hope that through the grueling, only in the USA, electoral kind of process, the right one with the right stuff will emerge---be it a wiser, more experienced Obama, or a Republican replacement---what we really need is someone to steer us through these dark times---someone with a big light, lots of heart, and the wisdom of Solomon---now accepting resumes. Party affiliation is important, but not the total stuff----Reagan had it, Kennedy had it, Clinton had it---- unbridled love of country.