{"id":1133,"date":"2011-12-19T18:02:40","date_gmt":"2011-12-20T01:02:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/scotshonor.com\/?p=1133"},"modified":"2011-12-19T18:02:40","modified_gmt":"2011-12-20T01:02:40","slug":"on-the-dole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/scotshonor.com\/?p=1133","title":{"rendered":"ON THE DOLE!"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1996, the Republican nominee was Bob Dole.\u00a0 Most Republicans cringe at the memory of how Bill Clinton, who was extremely vulnerable, coasted to re-election over the lifeless Dole.\u00a0 Of course the third party candidacy of Ross Perot sealed the deal for Clinton.\u00a0 I wonder how many Americans realize that Bill Clinton never came close to winning a majority of the votes in any national election.<\/p>\n

Bob Dole won the Iowa Caucus in 1996, but Republicans were not very impressed.\u00a0 They desperately looked around for some other candidate.\u00a0 But when they did they found Pat Buchanan and Steve Forbes.\u00a0 (I am ignoring the rest of the field which included Arlen Specter and Phil Gramm – ouch!)\u00a0 Ultimately, Republicans reluctantly united behind Dole because he was the only thing resembling a horse in the field.\u00a0 We are close to a repeat of 1996 with Mitt Romney.\u00a0 Most Republicans are less than thrilled with Mitt Romney as our candidate and are desperately seeking a viable alternative.\u00a0 But so far the alternatives have rapidly self-destructed.\u00a0 First it was Rick Perry, who stepped in it more than once and even had a brain freeze on national TV.\u00a0 Then it was Herman Cain who somehow thought no one would notice his \u201cwomen\u201d problems and his obvious lack of knowledge with regard to foreign affairs.\u00a0 Now it is Newt Gingrich whose campaign is imploding as we speak.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That leaves Mitt Romney.\u00a0 Ron Paul has zero chance because of his na\u00efve and irresponsible view of foreign policy, particularly with regard to Iran.\u00a0 Michelle Bachmann continues to have no chance.\u00a0 Even those who agree with what she has to say often find her annoying.\u00a0\u00a0Santorum lost his last election in Pennsylvania by 18 points.\u00a0 It would be insane to think he could be a winning candidate on a national scale.\u00a0 Jon Huntsman doesn\u2019t appear to even want the job and he often sounds\u00a0more like a Democrat than a Republican.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

So, Mitt Romney will ultimately win the nomination, unless Rick Perry rises from the ashes.\u00a0 That seems unlikely, but who knows?\u00a0 There have been recent hints of a small Perry surge.\u00a0 Actually it wouldn\u2019t take much.\u00a0 He is currently in fourth place in Iowa.\u00a0 If Perry even came in third it would change everything.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t need to win, he just needs to convince people that he is still a factor.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The following brief video from Politico actually does a pretty good job of analyzing things in Iowa:<\/p>\n

\u00a0http:\/\/www.politico.com\/driving-the-day\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0This is hard to call, but it is pretty obvious that Gingrich has gone down in flames and unless Perry emerges as a dark horse contender, we are on the same path as 1996, where a candidate no one\u00a0wants gets the nomination because there is no real option.<\/p>\n

\u00a0The good news is that Mitt Romney is not Bob Dole and I think he would win the election.\u00a0 It is still a little disappointing to see the Republicans once again settle on a candidate primarily because of the weakness of the competition.<\/p>\n

\u00a0One final comment, Rick Perry has NEVER lost an election.\u00a0 His off the cuff comments at a church in Iowa yesterday were stunning:<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cHere is what I want you to leave with, somebody\u2019s values are going to decide the issues of the day \u2026 somebody\u2019s values are going to be installed. The question is going to be whose values? Is it going to be those of us of faith or somebody else\u2019s values?\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0The true test of eloquence comes during those unscripted moments when a candidate just speaks from the heart.\u00a0 This reminded me of when George W. Bush said:<\/p>\n

\u00a0I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear from all of us soon.<\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u00a0It would be foolish to underestimate Rick Perry.<\/p>\n

\u00a0TDM<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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