So now what?

No, I haven't thrown myself under a truck in a fit of abject despair that Governor Palin isn't running.  I'm disappointed, but I reiterate:  This is not about one person.  This is about what needs to be done.

Over the course of my life, I've been watching America commit slow-motion suicide.  We've been driving, constantly, toward the edge of the cliff of tyranny for the past one hundred years.  Sometimes, we've sped up, during administrations such as Woodrow Wilson's and FDR's.  Sometimes, we've slowed down; during the Reagan Era, we were simply idling in gear. 

But we've never been able to turn the wheel.  No matter what our speed, we keep heading toward the cliff.  And since January 2009, we've been screaming toward it with both feet on the hammer, the tach redlined and the speedometer sitting on the pin.  In the November elections, we grabbed for the emergency brake, but all that mostly did was smoke the brake shoes and scrub off a few miles per hour.  We're still heading toward it at great speed, and the edge of that cliff is fast approaching.  If we don't meet it before the next election, it'll be a miracle.

What I'm saying, in my roundabout gearhead manner, is:  TIME'S UP.

If the United States of America can be saved without full-on open civil war(and I'm hoping against hope that this is still the case), then we can no longer keep driving towards the cliff.  It's not enough to slow down.  It's not enough to stop.  We have to turn the wheel and drive away from the cliff. 

Now, I'm aware that, despite what the Obamanoids seem to believe, the President is not an all-powerful emperor.  We'll need to keep the House and take back the Senate.  Freedom fighters of all types, be they Conservative or Libertarian, need to get involved in their state's political process and do whatever it takes to get the most pro-freedom candidate possible, elected.  It's going to take a wave that makes '94 and '10 look like nothing.  But the President is an important part of the equation, and we need the right person in that office.  We cannot go One.  More.  Single.  Inch.  Toward the cliff.  We're about at the point of no return.  We need someone who won't simply let off the gas, or hit the brakes.  We need someone who will turn the wheel. 

Mitt "Father of Obamacare" Romney will not turn the wheel.  Jon "Obama's Ambassador to the PRC" Huntsman will not turn the wheel.  Politics as usual will not turn the wheel.  We need someone with demonstrable principles, pro-American values and a fighting spirit.  Let's take a look at the list of available candidates, which DOES NOT INCLUDE CHRIS CHRISTIE.  HE'S.  NOT.  RUNNING.  GET.  OVER.  IT.*

John Thune:  Who?

Newt:  Dude.  You will never be President.  Between your messed-up personal life and your embrace of the AGW scam, you've shot both of your feet off and are currently taking aim at your kneecaps.  Let it go.

Paul:  In many ways, in regards to economics and liberty, Dr. Paul is absolutely right.  If there's one politician in this race who can rightly be called a Constitutional Conservative, it's Ron Paul.  But his foreign policy is a dealbreaker.  The world has become too small and the stakes are too high for America to be an isolationist nation.  When the world sees that America is not only strong, but willing to stand up on behalf of liberty, that world is safer.  I'm not saying that we must, or can, insert ourselves into every conflict on Earth.  But we must choose our allies wisely, and once chosen, we have to back them up.  Sorry, Dr. Paul.  Not happening.

Santorum:  As much as I hate to say it, it does come down to electability, and Mr. Santorum is a non-starter in that regard.  Because this.  Now, I can agree that this smear campaign is juvenile and sad.  I can--somewhat--see the point Mr. Santorum was trying to make.   I can understand, even if I don't agree with, his opinions concerning homosexuality.  But legislating morality is a very dangerous path to tread, and I don't want a President who thinks we should go down that road.  Besides, Mr. Santorum either didn't realize or didn't care that his statements would come back to bite him in the ass, which shows a distinct lack of judgement on his part.

Bachmann:  Hmm.  Possibly, but she seems to be too focused on winning at any cost, and has forgotten who her friends are.  I liked her in the beginning, but between her misjudgements regarding who she hires for her campaign staff and her seeming propensity towards the typical GOP strategy of yanking defeat from the jaws of victory, I've become unimpressed.

Perry:  I'd give him a chance.  There are questions about his support of the Trans-Texas boondoggle and giving benefits to illegal invaders, but I'm willing to keep an open mind--you can't have everything you want in a candidate.  There were even things I disagreed with Governor Palin about, but I backed her to the hilt.  Still, Perry is not my first choice.  So, who is?

Herman Cain. 

Inspired by the work ethic and character of his parents, Herman continued his education by earning his Master’s degree in computer science from Purdue University while working full-time developing fire control systems for ships and fighter planes for the Department of the Navy. Though Herman enjoyed using his talents as a civilian employee for the Navy, he gravitated towards the culture of business.

Herman returned to his home of Atlanta to begin working as a computer systems analyst for the Coca-Cola Company. After considerable success at Coca-Cola, he moved to the Pillsbury Company. Within a short period of time, Herman rose to position of Vice President. Although the comforts of a corner office on the 31st floor of a majestic corporate building seemed satisfying, Herman knew that he needed a challenge.

He became the regional vice president of Pillsbury’s Burger King division. This meant starting from the “ground up,” dodging grease fires and broiling hamburgers. Herman was assigned to lead a low performing region of 450 of their restaurants. Within three years, it became the best performing region in the company.

Energized by overcoming the many obstacles of his job at Burger King, Herman took on the biggest challenge of his career. He accepted the call to become the President and CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, a company that was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy. In just 14 months, Herman returned Godfather’s to profitability and he led his management team to a buyout of the company.

His professional successes garnered the respect and admiration of industry peers who named him the President of the National Restaurant Association. Under Herman’s administration, the group grew significantly and began to lobby for the interests of America’s restaurateurs and small business owners.

A self-made man.  A thinker who understands reality as it is, not as he wishes it to be.  A capitalist who knows his way around profit and loss.  A patriot who's proud of America, and her values and principles.  Most importantly, a man who has never been elected to public office...

...because the last thing this country needs, is another politician.


*  Governor Christie is a great Governor for so-blue-it's-indigo New Jersey.  However, he's a Cap-&-Tax fan, a supporter of the Victory Mosque, and has several other Leftist tendencies that put him out of the running for the rest of America.  But I commend him for his work, in context, and hope he's re-elected.