This week I had the fortune of observing the Democratic and Republican candidates up close and personal at radio row and the New Hampshire primary. It was an amazing experience and provided me with an opportunity few Americans will have. What I came away with was the knowledge that every candidate, Republican or Democrat, has something to offer and something that I found appealing. If only we could take the best out of each and make one great president. So below I have listed from my perspective what I find appealing in each candidate.
In alphabetical order:
Hillary Clinton: Since Gov. Bill Richardson dropped out of the race last week, there is no candidate running who has more experience than she does. She is well-liked by both parties in the Senate and has reached across the aisle many times to help build consensus. Sen. Clinton is battle-worn, and she knows how to call in favors. She learned to listen when she was running for U.S. Senate in New York and hasn’t stopped listening to the voters. There would be no learning curve with President Hillary Clinton, as she would be ready to lead day one.
John Edwards: Edwards taps a deep and important vein in America. On a gut-level he understands that if we continue to have a vast difference between the haves and have-nots, the internal security of America will be threatened. He understands that taking care of poverty in this country and leveling the playing field are important priorities.
Rudy Giuliani: A brilliant man who has worked in many countries and knows many foreign leaders personally. He is not afraid to make decisions. He is willing to take the heat for decisions he makes and is also willing to go against his party if he thinks that it is best for America. He understands that homeland security is important not just in New York and Los Angles but also in Kansas City.
Duncan Hunter: His great strength is on trade and the economy. Although his website has these listed at the bottom of his platform, he was most eloquent on these issues on talk radio in New Hampshire. He understands the problems of the balance of trade, and, once you clear away his positions aimed to fire up his conservative base, he actually comes off as rather populist.
Dennis Kucinich: Many people laugh at his approach to national security, but his “strength through peace” is a dose of what would help America abroad right now. He is a very experienced member of Congress. He has great relations with both Democrats and Republicans in the Ohio delegation, and many on the opposite side of the aisle consider him a friend. He has supported revitalizing America through rebuilding our infrastructure and investing in technology aimed at the budding environmental sustainability industry.
Mike Huckabee: As a conservative populist, he has taken on positions that no one would expect. He supports education and made it a priority as governor. He is not afraid to support the arts in education, as he understands how creativity and education are intertwined. He is the only candidate who has treatment of America’s veterans high on his agenda.
John McCain: He has said it many times – he is the “sheriff” when it comes to spending in the Senate. He calls it the way he sees it much of the time and has taken on the establishment when it came to campaign finance. A McCain presidency would see a lot of direct talk, much over the objection of handlers inside the White House.
Ron Paul: During the South Carolina debate this week he said what no one else either had the courage or the wherewithal to say about how we got were we are in terms of the deficit, world insecurity and economic freefall. “Let me see if I get this right. We need to borrow $10 billion from China, and then we give it to Musharraf, who is a military dictator, who overthrew an elected government. And then we go to war; we lose all these lives promoting democracy in Iraq. I mean, what’s going on here?”
Mitt Romney: Romney is a classically trained CEO. He can look at a balance sheet, find the bottom line and come up with a strategy for turning a bad situation around. He has been accused by his opponents of “flip-flopping,” but like a CEO, he understands that different market situations demand different solutions.
Fred Thompson: Thompson understands that small businesses are vital to the U.S. economy, and he wants to empower them by permanently extending their investment incentives. From his website: “Current law allows small businesses to write-off purchases of equipment of up to $125,000 per year, rather than depreciating those assets over time. Making expensing of equipment and other small business items permanent will encourage greater investment and growth.”
Of course, you may not agree with my views on these candidates, but you can find out who matches your viewpoints by searching the Internet for “select a candidate.” You may be surprised.
Related offer:
“Her Way: The Hopes and Ambitions of Hillary Rodham Clinton”
“I’ve Always Been a Yankees Fan: Hillary Clinton in Her Own Words”
