Tag: endorsements

Could the Stars Align?

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I’m liking the news I’m seeing right now. There is lots being said of Mike Huckabee’s second place finish in Ames. It’s too early to say if it will continue, but for now he is getting more of the press coverage that he deserves. I endorsed Mitt Romney before, and I don’t back off from that endorsement at all, but at the time I was not sure that Huckabee could become a serious contender for the nomination. If things continue like they are, with him getting more coverage than he was getting before, then I am sure that his message can be heard and appreciated enough to give him a legitimate shot at the nomination.

I would love to be able to choose between multiple candidates that I would be comfortable with. In the republican primaries I now have such a choice so long as Mitt and Mike are both still there. I guarantee that I am not going to vote for any of the other candidates (no matter who jumps in) if either of them is still running come February. (I’m sure that one of them will still be running by then if not both.) In the democratic primaries I could have had two if Tom Vilsack were still running – I still think he was the best candidate they have offered. Obama comes in second to Tom for me, and I am still not sure which Bill Richardson I believe in – the capable one who I think might be better than Obama, or the one who stumbles along with a long resume but too many gaffes to be taken seriously. I’m hoping for the capable one so that come general election time in 2008 I might conceivably have candidates from both major parties that I would be willing to vote for.

Unsaid in all this is that the two candidates I have listed who are considered major candidates by the media (Mitt and Obama) both have one flaw (the same one) that I am becoming less and less comfortable with. I’m saving that concern for a separate post so I can do it justice.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

Endorsement Lessons

My series of endorsements for 2008 was very enlightening. I learned a lot about my political leanings and what I thought was required of a president. I hope to capture some of what I learned here.

One thing that I learned was the value of time. When I began the endorsement process I had different expectations for what I was looking for than when I finished. There were a number of candidates who I did not reach the conclusion on endorsement that I had anticipated. I noticed how my own attitudes and perceptions about the political health of our country affected my perceptions about where different candidates stood as far as how I perceived their ability to lead the country. Also, as I continued to look at the candidates I found that my perceptions of them changed over time. I was no longer making judgments based on a snapshot of their positions, but I was also able to determine the trajectory of their positions and adjust my judgments accordingly.

I learned that timing is important. There were a number of candidates I could not endorse simply because they were not a fit for the needs of the day.

My appreciation grew for the work that is required of citizens if they are to make informed choices. making informed choices requires being informed about the candidates and the issues as well as understanding your own assumptions and values.

I have come to believe through this process that the rigors of campaigning are good exercise for a potential president. They are seeking a position that is challenging and unpredictable. The job requires them to consider the present as well as the future, knowing that their decisions can affect the lives of people everywhere. It makes more and more sense to me why we frequently select men (so far) who have been governors and generals, and less frequently select men who have spent time as legislators.

Tags endorsements, learning, national candidates

General

2008 Endorsements

Endorsed

I believe that Mitt Romney is the best candidate for the country today. He has the experience of leading in both public and private capacities. His life is not littered with evidence of personal instability. He has the support of his family and the attention of the media. My confidence in his ability to be an effective leader for our nation is such that I have even donated to his campaign (a first for me). No other candidate or potential candidate appears to be as well suited for this job in our time.

Top Tier

As much as I like Mitt, I recognize that there are some other top-notch candidates out there. I would feel positive about the prospects of our nation if any of these top candidates were president.

Barack Obama has the charisma to energize people around him. He is intelligent and seems willing to go beyond appearances of what the political establishment endorses and choose to follow what he feels to be the best course on the issues. I believe that his time in the Senate has been enough to expose him to the realities of politics without being long enough to turn him into a jaded insider.

Mike Huckabee seems to be everything that Mitt Romney is except that he does not inspire so many people, nor garner the same media attention. He has the experience as governor to know how to lead and a life that demonstrates his convictions. In a different time he might even be a better candidate than Mitt, but today is not that time.

Tom Vilsack is another candidate who I would endorse as readily as Mitt, but he has dropped out of the race because he could not gather the media attention to keep his campaign afloat. He would make a fine addition to any ticket. In fact, he should be at the top of any ticket if he were still in the race himself.

Second Tier

Second tier candidates are those who I think could make decent but not noteworthy presidents. With some, such as John McCain and Bill Richardson, I had hoped to find top tier candidates. Their weaknesses in campaigning suggest that they are not so well prepared as those in the top tier. Others in this category include Joe Biden, Sam Brownback, Christopher Dodd, Rudy Giuliani, and Tommy Thompson. If he were still running I would have placed Jim Gilmore here as well. This is also where I would expect to place Fred Thompson if he formally entered the race.

Third Tier

Third tier candidates are those who are technically qualified so that I think they could be President, but who would likely be poor presidents. These include John Edwards, Daniel Imperato, Bob Jackson, and George Phillies. I would have included Hillary Clinton here, though as a front runner many would think me biased. Instead I felt that I could not endorse her because her history and the passion that many have against her essentially guarantee that she could not be effective. All the other candidates here would at least have hope of becoming effective.

Not Endorsed

If your favorite candidate is not listed above I would be surprised if they were also not listed among those I could not endorse. Those are Steve Adams, Donald Allen, Alan Augustson, John Bowles, John Cox, Mike Gravel, Jon Greenspon, Bob Hargis, Duncan Hunter, Mike Jingozian, David Koch, Steve Kubby, Dennis Kucinich, Charles Maxham, James Mccall, Ron Paul, Wayne Root, Joe Schriner, Christine Smith, Michael Smith, and Tom Tancredo. My reasons for not endorsing them can be found on their individual posts.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

Daniel Imperato

I have been conflicted on whether I should endorse Daniel Imperato. He has experience in business, which is generally a good thing for a president, and he appears to be a candidate with conviction. He seems to know what America wants, but he lacks the ability to inspire people to follow him. Considering my original criteria I must conclude that he is deserving of votes. Therefore, despite the reality that he would be lucky to even make it onto your ballot, I endorse Daniel Imperato.

Tags 2008, endorsements

General

Mike Huckabee

I did not have high expectations when I began investigating Governor Huckabee. I knew he had been a governor, but before I started actively looking at him as a candidate I had the impression that he was just another aspiring politician who lacked the media advantage of the more well known candidates. I was totally surprised by what I found. After more than a decade as governor I could expect him to have sufficient political experience to be President, what I could not anticipate would be the way that he presents himself. He comes across as approachable, knowledgeable, and willing to serve the country.

Because he lacks the media appeal of other candidates I am confident in predicting that the media will, unfortunately, not give his candidacy the attention that he deserves. I endorse Mike Huckabee for President.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

Bill Richardson

If becoming President were like getting a job – getting the right previous experience and hoping that it is a better fit than any other potential hire – as some of his campaign ads humorously depict, Bill Richardson would easily have the most impressive resume among the candidates. Wanting to go beyond the resume I took the time to seek input about Governor Richardson from current residents of New Mexico. Even considering the other intangibles which affect the worthiness of a candidate it is easy for me to endorse Bill Richardson for President.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

Jim Gilmore

Post author By David
Post date May 23, 2007
1 Comment on Jim Gilmore

As a former Governor of Virginia and former head of the Republican National Committee, Jim Gilmore certainly has the experience and connections to make a credible President. His positions are reasonably vague so that he does not stand out from the crowded field, but he does not disqualify himself either.

I can endorse Gilmore For President.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

Tommy Thompson

Tommy Thompson is an understated candidate. He does not enjoy the camera presence that would be very beneficial to his campaign but he seems to be a very capable leader and has a record of making things happen. He has a long record of political service in various capacities which would give him some beneficial perspective on the office he is seeking. I was tempted to give him extra credit for being the Secretary of Health and Human Services because of the insight that would give him on the issue of healthcare, but I realized my mistake. No president should be elected based on one issue or a narrow agenda. Besides, that would be a disservice to all of Governor Thompson’s other accomplishments.

I endorse Tommy Thompson because he is not a single issue candidate.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates

General

Candidate Catch-Up

For my latest installment of falling behind I will simply report that I have James McCall, Ron Paul, Tom Tancredo, and Tommy Thompson left from last month. In addition we have Steve Adams, John Bowles, Jim Gilmore, David Koch, Raymond McKinney, and Donald Allen to consider.

I swear this thing gets longer all the time. (Actually this is the same number I had a month ago – I’m just 6 people farther down the growing list 😉 )

UPDATE 5/29/2007: I had not looked at Raymond McKinney before I listed him, it turns out he is running for VP so he should not have been on the list. Somehow I also managed to list Donald Allen as an addition although I had already posted on his candidacy.

Tags endorsements, updates

General

John McCain

Post author By David
Post date May 9, 2007
2 Comments on John McCain

As with all of the major candidates, my evaluation of John McCain simmered in the back of my mind for a long time. The roller-coaster of my feelings about his candidacy was hardly unusual. I have long liked the fact that McCain seems to be functionally independent of his party affiliation. As the campaign season matured I was disappointed to see more positions which seemed calculated to appeal to the base rather than driven by independent common sense. I have come to the conclusion now that my disappointment was driven by personal disagreement with the positions.

I believe that McCain chooses his positions based on personal conviction even when they are unpopular. There is a consistency in his message between those things that appear to be party-driven and those things that appear more independent. I think that it is his party that has walked a crooked line while McCain was holding fast to his personal convictions.

Seeing that, it became easy for me to endorse John McCain for President.

Tags 2008, endorsements, national candidates