We Need Competence in the White House

Two-thirds of the American public do not approve of President Obama’s handling of the economy, the deficit or the lack of jobs (the US unemployment rate has been at or above 9% for most of his term in office). More than 50% do not approve of his management of the agenda in Washington. Half think he has not done as good a job as he could have as president. Democrats are leaving the sinking Obama ship. The special New York City congressional election which saw a Republican take a seat held by Democrats since the 1920s is proof, if we needed any, that Democrats who cling to Obama will return with him to community organizing, and not in Washington.

The indictment of Obama as president is a minefield for him and his team as they approach the 2012 presidential election period. No one has ever been re-elected president if the unemployment rate was above 6%, with the exception of Ronald Reagan’s re-election in 1984 when the rate was 7.1%. And, as Democratic Vice President candidate Lloyd Bentsen once said to the GOP VP candidate Dan Quayle, “Senator, you’re no John Kennedy” or we might say today, “Mr. President, you’re no Ronald Reagan.”

So, why aren’t we already celebrating the GOP 2012 victory? Why is there gridlock in Washington? Why is nothing being done for the 9% of Americans who want to work and can’t find jobs? Why are Americans convinced that their country is in a life-threatening mess without any sense of how to save it?

The answer is clear if you watched the 8 GOP presidential candidates who debated each other Monday night in Florida.

Obama is a failure, but not one of the 8 GOP wannabes has the presence and command of the situation to convince Americans that voting for him or her will be the solution.

If I were forced to choose, it would be Gingrich or Cain or Romney (a distant 3^rd). But, Newt is not acceptable to the Tea Party. Herman is a neophyte who would make a great VP but who would present a risk if he were elected president (much like Obama). Romney is a made-for-TV face with good ideas but who lacks the fire to convince anybody to have confidence in him. Forget the others because they’re either too rigid ideologically (Paul), too reckless (Michele), or just not presidential (Santorum, Perry and Huntsman).

Meanwhile, on the wings watching and occasionally commenting, we have the likes of:

  -  former Mayor Giuliani (oops, the tea Party raises its head again)

  -  Mayor Bloomberg (too liberal for the GOP right wing?)

  -  Donald Trump (is it only his hair that makes him unacceptable or are we worried about his blunt approach to the world, which might not be a bad thing if combined with his proven financial skills?)

  -  Governor Christie (can’t somebody just draft him? he would be hard pressed to say no)

  -  former Governor Jeb Bush (surely Americans are fair enough to see him in an independent light).

Wake up, Republicans. We’re voting for a president, not a guardian of morality (that’s the job of pastors and priests).

We need someone who can save the country from its financial morass before it’s too late. We need an expert political leader who can muster all sides to get America back on its feet. Four more years of Obama could be the death knell for the USA.

But, litmus testing every possible GOP candidate for his or her views on the morality of HPV shots or the relevance of divorce to saving America from bankruptcy is way off base.

We need someone who can beat Obama without looking over his or her shoulder at the keepers of the keys to the litmus paper.

Religion - faith - Christianity - are vital to America. But, so is competence in the White House. A GOP version of Obama would be disastrous.