Watching last Wednesday’s Republican presidential candidates’ debate again impressed me with the intelligence of many on the stage. Newt Gingrich was the smartest person in the room, but he may be irreparably flawed. Ron Paul isn’t going to win and some of his ideas are simply goofy. Herman Cain has a great voice, but no standing or necessary experience. Rick Santorum is a strong pro-lifer and decent man, but the polls don’t favor him.
Jon Huntsman is toast. He suggests all scientists agree on global warming. They don’t. He thinks evolution is fact. It isn’t. As a Mormon he should know better.
Michele Bachmann is good, but she won’t win. That leaves Texas Governor Rick Perry, who did a good job for his first debate, and Mitt Romney. As the Wall Street Journal editorial noted last week, "It’s hard to discern (Romney’s) core beliefs beyond faith in his own managerial expertise.”
It’s still early in the process, but any one of these candidates would be a better president than Barack Obama.
I’m Cal Thomas in Washington.
Publication date: September 12, 2011
