Today in honor of Super Tuesday we introduce you to Elizabeth, our guest political blogger. In her words: “I consider myself an independent. I am probably more liberal when it comes to social issues and more conservative when it comes to fiscal issues. I have voted for both Democrats and Republicans in presidential elections: so I think I can fairly say that I am neutral.”
Today I want to give you a basic overview of the candidates running for president. Obviously this isn’t every single detail about each of these candidates, but hopefully this will at least permit you to have a cocktail party conversation about each of them. We are going to focus upon what distinguishes them, makes them interesting and what they are best known for. Obviously, President Obama will be the nominee for the Democratic Party and as of this point, no third party candidate seems viable enough to be part of the national conversation, so we will take a closer look at the four main Republican contenders.
This guide is in alphabetical order – to prevent any assumptions about my preferences, predictions or otherwise!
Newt Gingrich: Mr. Gingrich is the former speaker of the House of Representatives.
Positives: He presided over the House when Bill Clinton was president and has many years of experience in politics. He worked with President Clinton to balance the budget. He is considered the best debater of the four and has repeatedly requested to have a series of Lincoln-Douglas style debates with President Obama.
Negatives: Additionally, he was in part responsible for Congress coming to a halt in the mid-90s which resulted in the Republican Party losing control of Congress. He also has somewhat of a sordid personal history. He left his first wife when she was diagnosed with cancer for a staffer that worked for him. He began an affair with another staffer while he was with his second wife and then divorced his second wife and married the staffer, who is his current wife, Calista. Since marrying Calista, he has converted to Catholicism and has proclaimed he is a changed man.
Issue he focuses on most: Economy
Ron Paul: Congressman Paul is a former physician and is currently a Congressman from Texas which he has been since 1997. He is considered a libertarian, although some of his social views and policies arguably preclude this label.
Positives: Is arguably the most consistent of the four candidates in regards to his positions. He has long argued for abolishment of the Federal Reserve. He is the most relatable candidate. He has organized a phenomenal grassroots organization which has been likened to that of President Obama’s in 2008. He draws from the entire demographic. Congressman Paul is strongly in favor of taking stronger action to secure America’s borders. He is the most fiscally conservative of the four candidates.
Negatives: Some view his politics as too radical, particularly when it comes to foreign policy. He has advocated removing America’s troops from all foreign lands and refrain from entering into foreign conflicts (isolationism). Further, there were pamphlets issued from his organization in the past that contained anti-Semitic language. While he has disavowed these newsletters and claimed he did not review them, this could come back to haunt him.
Issue he focuses on most: Foreign Policy
Mitt Romney: former Governor of Massachusetts.
Positives: Is considered the most “electable” versus President Obama. He has experience successfully running a business and this is seen as a quality needed in a President, particularly with the economy in its current state. Additionally, he is the sole candidate that has executive experience in politics. Finally, Governor Romney is also seen as the most “presidential” in appearance, speech and mannerisms.
Negatives: Some experts have argued that Romney’s Mormon faith may prevent him from being elected. Additionally, in working to get the Republican nomination, his policy stances have shifted more towards the right, leading people to question his sincerity. Also, many of his positions seem forced. Governor Romney, when he was governor of Massachusetts, created a universal health care program for the state which is what President Obama’s healthcare program is arguably based on in part. Governor Romney’s immense wealth also seems to create a disconnect with “normal” Americans.
Issue he focuses on most: Being a Conservative
Rick Santorum: Former Senator from Pennsylvania
Positives: Santorum is currently surging in the polls and he is definitely the most socially conservative candidate. He has been consistent with his positions on abortion, marriage, and contraception. Senator Santorum has been very successful in getting his constituents the most for their money by bringing many projects to Pennsylvania.
Negatives: Fiscally, his conservatism is called into question, as he has repeatedly claimed he is the proud receiver of the most pork for his district (money for special projects in a politician’s home district). Additionally, he supports increasing military spending and America’s military presence around the world. He has been adamant about taking military action against Iran and doing anything possible to prevent the Iranians from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Further, his extreme stance on social issues may prevent him from being electable in a national election. As an aside: don’t use Google to search for ”Santorum” unless you want your results to show up as an NSFW Google-bomb.
Issue he focuses the most on: Being the “real” conservative.
Okay readers, time for those inevitable questions: Any one of these guys get you excited? Do you think they will carry any momentum going into a general election? Do you think a dragged out primary helps or hurts the candidates? Are they a distinction without a difference? Does any one of them enrage you?
From what I have observed from the primary elections thus far, it appears the Republican party is looking for anybody but Romney. I say this based upon the huge swings in momentum the other candidates have had (see Michele Bachmann, Herman Cain, and Rick Perry): although once one of them rises to the top of the polls, media attention is on them, past “ooops” moments are dredged up, people realize they really don’t want that individual as commander in chief, and the votes get reallocated. However, notably, Governor Romney has remained relatively stable and won the last two primaries.
Super Tuesday thoughts: While it may sound strange, the goal is not to win the highest percentage of each state. The key is… to get delegates. This is the number you should pay attention to. It is not who wins the popular vote of each state. For example, a number of states, Missouri and Colorado come to mind initially, have what are called non-binding primaries. This means that essentially that the votes cast by individual citizens carry absolutely no weight when it comes to how the state’s delegates vote once their turn comes at the convention. So if your particular candidate doesn’t “win” some of these primaries, don’t worry, just look at the numbers. In order to become the nominee, a candidate needs 1144 delegates at the convention. As of today, the candidates have the following numbers of delegates guaranteed: Romney – 180, Santorum – 90; Gingrich – 29; Paul – 23. This could change dramatically after Super Tuesday’s votes are tallied.
Any thoughts about this process? Should candidates be required to become a nominee in the same manner as they would become President? Should each state get to create the rules? Should each party have to create uniform rules?
Please note that due to the sensitive nature of political posts, all opinions are welcome but comments attacking other readers or writers will be deleted.
Elizabeth is a 30-something attorney, recently transplanted to Colorado due to her husband’s job, and a love of the mountains and outdoors. She is currently adjusting to her new life, after being born and raised in Chicago. She has a love of fashion and keeps herself busy running, doing yoga, and cooking. She is your stereotypical Virgo, with her Type A personality and obsession with organization and perfection. A former college athlete, she must keep moving, and seems to do well at it.
What I don’t like about the delegate process is that actual voters have no sway in some states. Citizens of that state have to hope their delegate knows and cares what they (the citizens) believe in. I’m not clear on who delegates are or how one becomes a delegate, so I don’t know if citizens have any recourse if they feel their delegates aren’t representing them appropriately.
I think our electoral system needs some serious updating. Campaign financing, the electoral college, voter registration – so many problems!
In my mind, Gingrich is Dick Cheney Volume II, which is really scary. Specifically, his strategic use of racism & classism in this campaign, and his encouragement of those methods with the GOP in general, disgust me.
I liked Paul during the last election but have learned more about his beliefs which trouble me, and the newsletters mentioned contain a lot more than anti-Semitism – there was also a ton of racist, homophobic and pro-militia garbage in them. They lasted for years, issue after issue. Either everyone reading them, including his own staff, decided to never tell him that they were printing terrible things (why would they do that if these beliefs were obviously antithetical to his own?), or everyone was cool with it because he did believe in those things. Neither sounds good to me. I don’t believe he had no idea, and I don’t accept his apology. Those newsletters were dealbreakers for me.
Santorum – well, I could go off on him in so many ways but I will just say his recent attacks on prenatal testing pushed me so out of whack that I am on a self-imposed politics ban (except this post, ha) for a while until I can settle down.
Romney – of the 4, I like him the most as I consider him the most moderate. I am sick of the polarization that increases every day in the U.S. and I would rather have a moderate of ANY party in the office. I hope Romney gets the nomination.
Signed,
Ashley the Formerly Religious Yet Liberal Democrat Who Is Not So Religious Anymore And Hates The 2-Party System So She Votes Green These Days. Dismantle, baby, dismantle!
You become a party delegate through your state party. You have to petition and run as you would any other elected office and it’s done by congressional district (each state has it’s own rules as to which primary/election a potential delegate would run in). Then there are At-large delegates who are elected by the entire state (they win with the popular vote). Then Superdelegates who are state leaders or congressional representatives who are appointed by either the state party or the campaign. Superdelegates are not bound to any candidate.
It’s a ridiculously political process also each party has different rules. Democrats aim for diversity (race, gender, age, disability, etc.) and have very specific numbers that they try to meet. I’m unclear as to how Republicans go about selecting which delegates they would like to have run.
Man. I *think* I understand why the electoral college was set up in the first place, but at what point do we get a do-over?
After a Constitutional Convention…
Let’s do it!
Santorum enrages me. I’m gonna be nice and leave it at that.
I feel like choosing one of these four republican candidates is equivalent to choosing which STD I’d rather contract. l
I hear there’s no cure for Santorum.
Best description of the candidates yet! They all scare me, but none more then Santorum!
I’m for Newt or Santorum personally. Ron Paul is a bit of a joke and Romney will never be a true conservative as far as I’m concerned.
Either way, Obama has GOT to go, otherwise this country doesn’t stand a fighting chance. It’s time to wake up America and be aware of what’s going on in our country!
I would like to vote for “None of the Above” in all further elections, because to be honest, if you want to be President, I’m pretty sure I don’t want you in office, and you have to want it to get that far.
I’m at the point where I think I can say I honestly don’t care. Romney is filthy rich, out of touch, and thinks that actually makes him a good candidate; Santorum is full of outdated prejudices and can’t even express them articulately; Gingrich has a slimy background both politically and personally; and Paul, while straightforward and consistent and hitting a lot of points I like, also hits a lot of points I’m completely opposed to. Meanwhile, Obama has been throwing enough bones here and there to give the Democratic Party something to decorate and campaign with, but on most important issues either rolling over for the Republicans or willingly pursuing the exact opposite of what his 2008 voting base expected him to do. I won’t be voting for any of them. Not sure what I will do, but I’m pretty pessimistic about any substantially better candidates coming through until the electoral structure and campaign finance are reformed – which will take a lot of effort and probably a long time yet. I think instant runoff voting and donation limits that effectively control PACs are key steps.
You bring up a lot of points I agree with, but I feel like Obama has outlined his presidency similar to Bill Clinton, and in my opinion, Clinton is was a stellar second term president.
Write an amendment to the Constitution, get it through congress and then have a Constitutuonal Convention? I have plans this weekend but maybe the next?
You’re too busy for me these days….
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