Tag: 2008

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Well, I decided to tackle a second endorsement today because some endorsements are very easy to go and find a candidate who should not be endorsed. I expected that to be the case again today. After looking into Bob Jackson again (a commenter pointed me towards him some time ago) I was looking for reasons not to endorse him. I don’t think his chances of winning are even worth considering. As I thought about it I realized that I had no substantial reason to not endorse him. He understands the system and knows what he would like to do. I finally went back to review the criteria I had made for giving endorsements and found that Bob qualifies for my endorsement.

I think he could do a good job if he were President and I think he deserves votes.

In search for a candidate who understands the need for smaller government? Mitt Romney fits that description. He is publicly committed to not raising taxes, and to finding ways to cut spending. He believes that we can solve some of the same issues that others have used to call for raising taxes, or rolling back tax cuts, without increasing spending. As governor of Massachusetts he used his veto power against excessive spending. The question is, if he were President would he be more effective with his vetoes than he was as Governor – where every spending issue he vetoed was overridden by the legislature.

That could be used to dampen my enthusiasm for Mitt, but I overlook that in the face of his track record of getting things done in business and government settings. He was successful in business before he was called upon to salvage the 2002 Olympic Games – which he did quite well. After the Olympics he served as Governor of Massachusetts where he was successful in implementing a statewide universal health care initiative, even if he was not able to make his veto stick to other spending items.

With core values that generally appeal to me and a record for getting things done in everything he has set his hand to, I find it easy to endorse Mitt Romney for President.

It’s been a long time in coming, but I have finally managed to finish my homework on Barack Obama. This is a man who is full of ideas. One of his challenges is that many wonder what he can really do in Washington DC as a relative outsider. That is a question that can never be fully answered about any candidate until they have taken the office they are seeking. Barring that sure answer, I like the ideas presented by Senator Obama. He is secure in his ideals, but he is not locked into a partisan mindset.

Two things from his website really excited me this week. First, his site gave the most fitting response to the events at Viginia Tech – the whole page was black with a simple statement of condolences from the senator. All the mainstream media should have been so sensitive. Second, very prominent in the issues section of his website is an invitation for anyone to submit ideas for discussion and policy consideration. I encourage everyone who has ideas about how this country should be run, whether you like Senator Obama or not, to go submit your ideas and discuss the other ideas that have been presented. Use pseudonyms if you want, but I think that any leader (of any party) who would honestly accept and use ideas generated through such a participatory process would make an effective leader for our nation.
I definitely endorse Barack Obama for President. I believe that he has the right qualities that we should be looking for in a president.

Another surprise in the endorsements. Before doing my homework I did not expect to find Rudy Giuliani to have good potential as a president. I knew that there were some positions he held which were not consistent with my own views though I do not expect to endorse only candidates whose views fully parallel mine. If I did, I would have to endorse nobody unless I was running – which I can’t quite yet and don’t dream of even when I can.

I found that Giuliani’s views are generally pragmatic which matches the mood of most voters despite any ideological views being espoused by some vocal people. He certainly has the experience of governing and facing tough problems. In short, I endorse Rudy Giuliani.