To evoke Terry Pratchett, what I’m going to be looking for is a candidate who I think will actively try to ensure that tomorrow is going to be pretty much like today.
Liz Cheney (via Gateway Pundit) has some thoughts about whatever person we stick with the 2012 cleanup job is in for:
I’m personally not all that interested in talking 2012 until we’re done with 2010, but if I had to make a decision right now I’m going to take the position that ‘boring’ would be a nice default quality to have in our next candidate. So does ‘dull:’ it’s been just over a year since we started to live in interesting times, and I’m pretty much done with the sensation, thanks.
Moe Lane
Crossposted to RedState.
In ’08 the public bought charisma over demonstrated competence. In ’12, plan old boring competence ought to be a big selling point.
Boy, do I agree. No drama. No cult of personality. No hero worship. Just get the job done and get off the stage like some secret government-shrinking, liberty-making, conservative super ninja.
Liz seems like a nice pick. I bet she could do it.
There is something wonderfully soothing about “President Pawlenty,” say… whole weeks would go by when you didn’t even know he was there…
Delighted to hear that you feel Terry Pratchett has insights to offer on our current political mess. I have always felt he has a particularly clear view of human nature and how it interacts with politics. Plus, of course, he is an excellent and enjoyable author!
Gotta admit, we aren’t even finished with year one of the Barry O experiment, and people are already assuming that whoever wins the Republican primary will be the next president in 2012. The Dems didn’t have that kind of moxy until AFTER the 2006 mid-terms. We’ll see how it plays out, but I get the feeling that the left, no matter how much they deny it, are starting to get that sinking feeling that the right had to live with for the last three years.
“To evoke Terry Pratchett, what I’m going to be looking for is a candidate who I think will actively try to ensure that tomorrow is going to be pretty much like today.”
Not to put too fine a point on it, but if you look around, basically “today” sucks.
I wouldn’t mind a candidate who has the right principles, knows why he or she has them, and can communicate them to the rest of America. Reagan was good at that.
“Boring” isn’t necessarily bad. There were worse presidents than Eisenhower, and there’s a lot to be said for “King Log” for a change.
Unfortunately, right now we need someone who can actively reverse a lot of the crap our government has done over the past few decades. For that, I don’t think “boring” will cut it.
I would prefer “competent.” As in Mencken’s remark: “The older I get the more I admire and crave competence, just simple competence, in any field from adultery to zoology.”
I didn’t vote for Obama, but I was willing to support him because it seemed like he projected a willingness to put his policies into effect.
Now we’ve not only got the backtracking on various issues, but he’s added dithering and embarrassing displays of tone-deafness as well.
Two words: Mitch Daniels.
There’s no glitz or glamor there — quite the contrary. What he does have is a gob of common sense, a sound respect for the limited role of government, a creative approach to problem-solving, private sector experience, tight fists, and the courage of his convictions.
Now, he’s not a fire-breathing conservative. But my fellow fire-breathing conservatives shouldn’t take that as a warning sign. He’s not a RINO, either. But he does appeal to voters of all kinds.
I don’t know if he’s interested in running or not. He’s said that he’s not. But I hope he changes his mind — and, if he does, that Republicans and conservatives give him a fair look.
Daniels swears he has no aspirations for higher office.
Although competence would be nice, we have precious few such, certainly none who can inspire.
Somehow, I think this is a pipe dream, Vaclav can’t produce an appropriate Birth Certificate.
Mitt Romney. Competent.