Who is Going to Clean Up This Mess?

The coming election cycle should be an interesting one. Now I know a lot of you are probably tired of the last election cycle. Indeed they seem to merge into one never ending melange of political ads, posters and sloganeering. I am interested in where the GOP will find their candidate.

Some things we know already. It won't be Mike Pence, the former Indiana representative, officially took himself out of the race earlier this month. In recent times the Republican nominee has almost been decided by whose turn it was. Witness Dole '96 McCain '08. Two men who largely earned their nomination as a sort of honor for years of service. I don't think we will have the same situation this time.

The GOP needs to do one thing in the next year, close their primaries. Too many states have open GOP primaries and we allow too many "independents", "moderates" and assorted others too much sway in choosing our nominee.

All that being said here is my take for who is on the radar. The following names are in no particular order.

• Mike Huckabee -- The former Arkansas Gov., 55, has solid credentials in the conservative department, endorsed by Chuck Norris in 2008, the southerner has enjoyed exposure on Fox News Channel since then and has a national profile. He won the governorship in Ark. with the largest percentage of the vote ever for a GOP candidate. I like him, but if Chuck Norris couldn't put him over the top...who can? Not to mention the last former Arkansas Gov. to live at 1600 Pennsylvania, was a bit of a schmuck. But he was from the other party. 
• Tim Pawlenty -- Minnesota's former Gov. The 50 year old Pawlenty recently placed third at the New Hampshire Straw Poll behind Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. He is a self-described social conservative and has said Roe v. Wade was decided wrongly. Another guy I like, but I am not sure he has enough national recognition. 
• Mitt Romney, full disclosure means I must tell you Mitt was my guy in 2008. He is a well educated business man, he steered the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics, guiding them to financial success when they were in trouble. I liked him in 2008 and I still like him now, he has a ton of business sense and I think he would bring that to the budget crisis. He is 63 so he might be hitting that age issue. But Reagan was old too. 
• Bobby Jindal -- Louisiana's governor, He might be too young, not yet 40. He is definitely a rising star in the GOP. He has high approval ratings as governor and has served in Congress. Raised Hindu he converted to Catholicism while studying at Brown University. Jindal has a been endorsed by the NRA on his support for the second ammendment. He opposes same-sex marriage,  and has a 100 percent voting record on pro-life issues. He opposed Obama's porkulus bill. 
• Sarah Palin -- Mention the former Alaska governor's name to a liberal and watch their heads explode. She generates more anger and rage from the left than Reagan and George W. Bush combined. That has to be a good thing, right. She was the only one of the four candidates atop the major party tickets in 2008 with actual executive experience. I worry that the Palin Derangement Syndrome will keep her out of the White House. The media seems to be constantly playing a game of gotcha with anything she says or does, No one can deny the effect she had on the elections of 2010 though, as she campaigned vigorously for solidly conservative candidates nationwide. She definitely has some weight in the discussion. 
• Jeb Bush -- Or as I like to refer to him the Bush son who should have been POTUS. The Bush name may not yet be clear enough for Jeb to run in 2012. I expect he will have something to say during the primary battles though. 

There are others lurking out there that may or may not enter the fray. People like Newt Gingrich (solidly conservative, but he has some skeletons), Michele Bachmann (I have nothing bad to say about the junior "pit bull" from the frozen North), Giuliani (his moment has passed),  Rick Perry (my dark horse favorite, took over for President Bush in Texas, Would be a nice adult to be put back in charge after the Obamination).

At any rate from 1977-81 we had hit what should have been bottom in terms of presidential ineptitude. Little did we know that 30 years later we would dog under the previous bottom and elect the "most unqualified man in any room he walks into, even when he is alone in the room," (thanks Rush). Now the question is who will fill the mantle of the man who brought us out of those depths. Ronald Wilson Reagan was the greatest president in modern history. As we approach his 100th birthday we look forward to the person who will fill his shoes.