Thursday, February 3, 2011

Scratch one

Newt Gingrich is off my A-list of presidential candidates.
He is a bright guy. Did a good job bringing Republicans to power in 1994, with a little help from Bill Clinton.
But he bungled the moment of opportunity. After balancing the budget, Republicans went on a spending spree that George W. Bush joined in, and then came 2006.
Now, the final straw for me. Gingrich is embracing the ethanol subsidy, a handout to corn farmers that is a disaster.
I went to see Gingrich when he visited Jacksonville. His speech was uninspired. He has lost his way. Conservatives need to find other options.
The best hope would be Jeb Bush vs. Obama but apparently that just isn't going to happen. There are plenty of contenders left. Sarah Palin -- imagine a Palin-Cain ticket with businessman Herman Cain -- Pawlenty, Huckabee, etc. Mitt Romney is not my first choice but it always "Who is the alternative," so if it was Romney vs. Obama, there would be no contest.
In 2008 I voted for Palin, and had to take the other candidate on the ticket. I didn't expect him to live this long.
Gingrich, however, is just another conservative who lost his way inside the Beltway. It happens.

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