FrankenReagan

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The 2012 presidential primary is quickly approaching. Not a moment too soon for this Patriot! Republicans and T.E.A. party activists are busily scouring the political field for the perfect candidate to begin restoring this great nation to its rightful place as leader of the free world. The field of potential candidates is large and is only distinctive by the folks who aren’t running, most notably Chris Christie of New Jersey and Marco Rubio of Florida. Both are really political novices however, and their reluctance only garners them more respect.
The depth of field is directly related to the uninspiring nature of same. Real Americans realize that we need an inspiring leader who is willing to ignore political expediency for national honor. No longer is the establishment heir to the throne acceptable. This new responsible vetting of candidates is directly attributed to the T.E.A. party, a phenomenon that arose out of the sheer frustration of traditional conservative Americans, sick and tired of the federal government ruling outside of its constitutional parameters. The fate of the republic depends on this populous movement being able to shape the debate in the near future.
Before the 2006 elections, conservatives were already disenchanted with the GOP establishment. We gave them power and they vacillated. We wanted warriors and they gave us career politicians with seemingly no conservative core, bent on solidifying power and popularity for their own purposes. Even the ‘Contract With America’ failed to deliver on most of its promises. Failure of Republicans to live up to their conservative credentials created this populous movement, not predictable communists.
So as we ponder the fate of this republic; let’s look at the potential field with an analytical eye and expose the conundrum conservatives find themselves in this political cycle:

Sarah Palin: We love her conservative enthusiasm. We love how she is fearless in taking on the propagandist media. She has two strikes against her, however. One, her foreign policy credentials are weak and in a time of war that is troubling. Second, the communist media has successfully demonized her to such an extent that even people who like her are beginning to doubt that she could win a national election for the highest office.

Newt Gingrich: We love his sharp intellect. We have fond memories of the ’94 revolution. He would kill in a debate. Problems? He is a consummate politician who even recently seemed to embrace the global warming myth simply to appease the communist media and the mythical moderates. Regardless of his writings on conservative policy the bottom line is, of the 10 items he promised in the ‘Contract with America’, only a few were even seriously considered. Welfare reform was really the only success, and it actually wasn’t even on the list. Really, check it out. Most conservatives deep inside consider this a failure of leadership, mostly due to Newts inability to ignore the media and push the agenda tirelessly because it is the right thing to do and not for political expediency. (We want Braveheart, not Chamberlain) And to a lesser extent, Newts private life shows a lack of commitment to true conservative values. Once again, not sincere, not legitimate.

Mitt Romney: Mitts business acumen has made him popular among fiscal conservatives. And….well that’s it. He really is unexceptional in everything else. While some say he’s a good looking candidate, many believe he just looks like a used car salesman. Got that Rick Perry thing goin’ on. And of course, Obamacare Massachusetts, ‘nuf said.

Mike Huckabee: Mike is an enigma to many. If you don’t know him, you may misunderstand him. I am from Arkansas and I personally remember his first term in office as governor. He is a good man and a good conservative. However, I think his past as a preacher has skewed his spirit to an extent in political affairs. In other words, he trusts people and he tends to want to be likeable. Sorry, not a good trait for the Savior of America. Again, we need Braveheart, not Gandhi.

Tim Pawlenty: A good conservative governor. But seriously, does he make you feel like he’s presidential? I’m sorry, but this is a non-starter. If you have seen any interview with him, the first thing that you notice is that he doesn’t want to upset anyone. Tim, please upset someone.

John Bolton: Impeccable foreign policy credentials. Truly one of the most brilliant minds evaluating current events worldwide. I would personally love to see this man vaulted to the forefront of GOP leadership. Problems? No apparent experience in domestic economic policy. It’s all about the jobs isn’t it? To a lesser extent, not so photogenic. Petty? Of course, but so are we.

Michelle Bachman: A T.E.A. party favorite. Fiery spirit. Seemingly impeccable conservative bonafides. She has inspired many a conservative with her tenacious attitude towards fiscal responsibility. Much like Sarah, she has had to repulse an unrelenting onslaught by the communist media. Problems? Somewhat unknown. Sometimes seen as shrill, rightly or wrongly doesn’t matter. There is an appearance of opportunism here, buttressed by her recent gaff of referring to the battles of Lexington and Concord occurring in New Hampshire; not Massachusetts. Sorry, that’s an inexcusable mistake. Either your staff is incompetent or you are. Both are unacceptable.

There are other potential candidates. I won’t cover them all. The bottom line is that we are not thrilled by any of them. We are looking for a leader. We need to be inspired. We need someone to fire our spirit and encourage us to be better than we otherwise would be. We need someone who can carry the torch of conservatism proudly, proclaim its legitimacy to the entire world without reservation and confront all who oppose it with righteous indignation. We need…a Ronald Reagan.
Alas, there is no other like him. If only we could take the best qualities of each of the candidates and like a surgeon, stitch them together. If only we could combine the disparate qualifications into an amalgamation of the perfect republican candidate…a FrankenReagan! This is our dilemma. We have no true statesman to choose from. We find ourselves inventing an imaginary character who will lead us out of the wilderness, because the reality is too painful to accept. At this writing there is no true leader of the conservative movement in America. There is no true constitutional scholar with the foreign policy experience needed to lead this nation. There is no statesman who can bridge the divide among the masses and appeal to the American spirit within us all to return this country to its rightful place in the world. Liberty, coupled with free market capitalism is responsible for most of the advancements in recent human history. Yet we stand on the precipice of its demise. Who has the charisma, character and conviction to save this bedrock of freedom? Who amongst us has the intestinal fortitude to seek them out and support them? When will our FrankenReagan appear? Is there such a ‘monster’? For the sake of Liberty, I pray that FrankenReagan is not a mythical character, but a savior yet to be exposed. From this blogpost to God’s graceful ear.

By: Keith D. Rodebush