Thoughts N Views
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- Feb 8, 2015
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Before we know it the 2016 Presidential election will be in full swing. In fact it has already started. Many candidates on both sides of the political spectrum have already made numerous trips to early primary and caucus states such as Iowa and New Hampshire. Others are writing books, doing the talk show circuit and offering their opinions on social media.
Whomever is elected in 2016 will have an enormously difficult task at hand. President Obama has been, unquestionably, the worst president this great nation has ever seen. Both domestically and abroad his radical leftist policies have weakened us, hurt us and endangered us. Whether it be the unconstitutional healthcare mandate (SCOTUS was wrong), his stubborn refusal to sign the much needed Keystone XL pipeline or his weak foreign policy which enables the radical Islamist Jihadist and undermines and disrespects our allies such as Israel. The next president will be faced with the daunting task of rebuilding our economy, scrapping Obamacare, fighting radical Islam around the globe, dealing with Iran, mending fences with Israel and earning the trust of the American people.
There was a time in this country when there were two viable parties. That time has long past. Sadly, the Democratic party of today is no longer the party of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy or even Bill Clinton. The Democrats of today do not take the very real task of defending our national security seriously. From their unwillingness to fight and win the war on radical Islam to their insistence on being politically correct rather than doing what is needed. It is one thing for the two parties to disagree on domestic issues such as taxes, guns, immigration, labor, healthcare, etc but when it comes to our national security there should be one united stance. Sadly there is not. The Democrats of today would rather protest a hero like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he speaks to Congress then do anything to prevent radical Islamist Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. This is why the Presidential choices for 2016 are all on the Republican GOP side.
I must say in past years I had one or two candidates I really liked and could enthusiastically support, a few others I could vote for and many others whom I could not in good conscience support or vote for. This year is very different. This may well be the best crop of potential GOP presidential contenders I’ve seen in my life time. At least five of whom I am very impressed with, others who I would surely vote for if need be and only two (one now that Mitt “Flip Flop” Romney-Care has withdrawn) whom I would not vote for under any circumstances.
Besides stances on the important issues there are other factors to consider such as trust worthiness, electability (in both the primary and general elections) and experience (both in government and at the executive level)
I will briefly go over this list from Worst to First as it were:
Those whom I will not, under any circumstances, vote for:
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Rand Paul is not serious about fighting Radical Islam and is no friend of Israel. Like his father, Ron Paul, Senator Paul thinks we should not be involved in wars over seas and that we should cut off aid to our closest ally Israel. He also opposes the USA Patriot Act, which makes it easier for law enforcement to prevent future acts of terror. Rand Paul’s foreign policy views mirror those of radical left wing organizations such as Code Pink. His candidacy is a non starter. The GOP voters would be ill advised to nominate this man.
Those whom I would vote for if nominated but not my top choices:
Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Carson has many common sense opinions that I whole heartedly agree with. However he has never held public office and has no executive experience either. The presidency does not lend itself to on the job training. Dr. Carson would be well served to begin his political career by running for Congress or Senate. We sure need people like him in that body.
Ohio Governor John Kasich. By all indications Governor Kasich (a former Congressman as well) has plenty of experience at both the legislative and executive level and has solid credentials as a fiscal conservative. However I have not known him to be as engaged in foreign affairs as a president needs to be and quite frankly he may be too bland to win an election at this level.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz is a staunch supporter of Israel and a strong opponent of radical Islam. He also has come out forcefully for the full repeal of Obamacare. I love these positions. In addition he is very trust worthy in that he will do what he says. Again this is a great quality in a potential president. My qualms with Senator Cruz are as follows. He does not have any executive experience and very little governmental experience at the national level, only in his first term as U.S. Senator. My other concern is that he is too rigid in his opposition to some sort of compassionate and reasonable solution to our immigration problem. I realize other candidates have stated similar views, but Senator Cruz is too gung ho on this issue to be in my top five. Cruz may well be considered too rigid for a general election voter as well.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio. I like Senator Rubio very much. Like Senator Cruz he is staunchly pro Israel and is willing to fight the war on radical Islam both here and abroad. Unlike Senator Cruz, I am much more in line with Senator Rubio’s reasoned approach to immigration. It is so important in the long term that the GOP not alienate Latino voters. But also like Senator Cruz, Senator Rubio (also elected to the Senate in 2010) does not have much national governmental experience and no executive experience. A spot on the ticket as vice president may be a better fit.
My top four runners up. Candidates whom I would be very enthusiastic in supporting if my top choice did not make it.
Former New York Governor George Pataki. Governor Pataki turned New York around economically after years of liberal Democratic suffering in the mid 1990s. He also (along with NYC Mayor Giuliani) helped reduce high crime rates from the 1970s and 1980s by among other things, reinstating the death penalty. Pataki has recently become very focused on foreign policy and in particular the war on radical Islam. As New York Governor during 9/11 Pataki knows first hand what a real threat this is. Pataki however has some socially liberal views that I myself do not mind, would not play well with GOP primary voters. This would be his likely undoing.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. I really like Governor Walker. The way he stood up to the union thugs in his state demonstrated courage, common sense, and a willingness to do what was right for the people of his state no matter the consequences. Unions in many cases today refuse to make any reasonable concessions and would rather see business go under (and all the employees lose their jobs) then to make even the most reasonable concessions. Bloated government pensions have bankrupted cities and states across our nation. Governor Walker would not allow that to happen in his state and he fought the unions and he won. Three times! The man can win elections even in a blue state. My only issue with Governor Walker is his lack of foreign policy engagement. The next president needs to be focused on and talking about foreign policy more than I have heard Governor Walker do.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. I am most impressed with Governor Bush’s willingness to stand firm in his positions even when they are at odds with most of the conservative GOP voters. Unlike 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, Bush will not simply flip flop for his own political gain. Regardless of whether you agree with his positions Governor Bush is to be respected for sticking to his convictions. Bush has executive experience as governor for 8 years in one of the key presidential battleground states of Florida. Being from the Bush family he can also be expected to take national security seriously and surround himself with capable people as his father and brother did. Finally his reasonable approach on immigration would be a great help in bringing Latinos to the party. Bush would be an excellent general election candidate for all the reasons I mentioned except for his family name, which unfairly or not could hurt him. Bush may have a harder time in a GOP primary where, unfortunately, some voters seem willing to sacrifice the long term good of the party (and nation) holding on to a stubbornly rigid immigration policy.
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry. Perry was my first choice in 2012 and I still like him very much. The reasons are all very clear. He is still a strong and vocal supporter of Israel and just as strong and vocal in his opposition to radical Islam. Perry also has ample executive experience as the longest serving Governor in the history of Texas. I was also impressed with Perry’s reasoned approach to immigration during the 2012 debates. As a long serving border state governor Perry sees this issue more clearly than others and was able to win impressive margins with Latino voters. One issue Perry will face is that the media (quite unfairly) has portrayed him as not being very intelligent because of some debate missteps in 2012. These were later revealed to be a result of Governor Perry’s back surgery. Fair or not perception becomes reality in our 24/7 news age.
And now, my 2016 Presidential Endorsement:
Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.
Governor Jindal is a strong and vocal supporter of Israel.
Governor Jindal has spoken out strongly against radical Islam even when it was not politically correct.
Governor Jindal says exactly what he feels and does not back down for political gain.
Governor Jindal has come out for full repeal of Obamacare.
Governor Jindal has come out in full support for the Keystone XL pipeline.
Governor Jindal has executive and national governmental experience as the current two term governor of Louisiana and former Congressman from Louisiana.
Governor Jindal as the son of immigrants has a special appreciation for American Exceptionalism. While his views on immigration may be more to the right than mine, I do not believe he would be as rigid as some of the other potential candidates based on his unique experience. I also believe his story will inspire people of all ethnicities and backgrounds to see that we are all Americans first and foremost and that anything truly is possible in this great nation.
Governor Jindal is conservative both fiscally and socially. Again, I may not agree with all of his social views, most notably his rigid opposition to Gay marriage and his call for a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning, but these issues will need to be decided by constitutional amendments which require 2/3 of Congress and 3/4 of state legislatures. They are not decided by the president.
Governor Jindal is well spoken, articulate and does not come off as a “scary” or “stupid” conservative. This will serve him well in a general election. The main stream liberal media will have a difficult time to label him as ignorant, racist, or elitist.
For all of these reasons and more I enthusiastically announce my support and endorsement of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal as the next president of the United States of America.
For my common sense thoughts and views on politics, current events, pop culture and sports visit these sites:
My blog at Thoughtsnviews s Blog Just another WordPress.com site
Twitter @thoughtsnviews @Jindalin2016 and @NYMetsandJets
Whomever is elected in 2016 will have an enormously difficult task at hand. President Obama has been, unquestionably, the worst president this great nation has ever seen. Both domestically and abroad his radical leftist policies have weakened us, hurt us and endangered us. Whether it be the unconstitutional healthcare mandate (SCOTUS was wrong), his stubborn refusal to sign the much needed Keystone XL pipeline or his weak foreign policy which enables the radical Islamist Jihadist and undermines and disrespects our allies such as Israel. The next president will be faced with the daunting task of rebuilding our economy, scrapping Obamacare, fighting radical Islam around the globe, dealing with Iran, mending fences with Israel and earning the trust of the American people.
There was a time in this country when there were two viable parties. That time has long past. Sadly, the Democratic party of today is no longer the party of Franklin Roosevelt, John F. Kennedy or even Bill Clinton. The Democrats of today do not take the very real task of defending our national security seriously. From their unwillingness to fight and win the war on radical Islam to their insistence on being politically correct rather than doing what is needed. It is one thing for the two parties to disagree on domestic issues such as taxes, guns, immigration, labor, healthcare, etc but when it comes to our national security there should be one united stance. Sadly there is not. The Democrats of today would rather protest a hero like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he speaks to Congress then do anything to prevent radical Islamist Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. This is why the Presidential choices for 2016 are all on the Republican GOP side.
I must say in past years I had one or two candidates I really liked and could enthusiastically support, a few others I could vote for and many others whom I could not in good conscience support or vote for. This year is very different. This may well be the best crop of potential GOP presidential contenders I’ve seen in my life time. At least five of whom I am very impressed with, others who I would surely vote for if need be and only two (one now that Mitt “Flip Flop” Romney-Care has withdrawn) whom I would not vote for under any circumstances.
Besides stances on the important issues there are other factors to consider such as trust worthiness, electability (in both the primary and general elections) and experience (both in government and at the executive level)
I will briefly go over this list from Worst to First as it were:
Those whom I will not, under any circumstances, vote for:
Kentucky Senator Rand Paul. Rand Paul is not serious about fighting Radical Islam and is no friend of Israel. Like his father, Ron Paul, Senator Paul thinks we should not be involved in wars over seas and that we should cut off aid to our closest ally Israel. He also opposes the USA Patriot Act, which makes it easier for law enforcement to prevent future acts of terror. Rand Paul’s foreign policy views mirror those of radical left wing organizations such as Code Pink. His candidacy is a non starter. The GOP voters would be ill advised to nominate this man.
Those whom I would vote for if nominated but not my top choices:
Dr. Ben Carson. Dr. Carson has many common sense opinions that I whole heartedly agree with. However he has never held public office and has no executive experience either. The presidency does not lend itself to on the job training. Dr. Carson would be well served to begin his political career by running for Congress or Senate. We sure need people like him in that body.
Ohio Governor John Kasich. By all indications Governor Kasich (a former Congressman as well) has plenty of experience at both the legislative and executive level and has solid credentials as a fiscal conservative. However I have not known him to be as engaged in foreign affairs as a president needs to be and quite frankly he may be too bland to win an election at this level.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz. Ted Cruz is a staunch supporter of Israel and a strong opponent of radical Islam. He also has come out forcefully for the full repeal of Obamacare. I love these positions. In addition he is very trust worthy in that he will do what he says. Again this is a great quality in a potential president. My qualms with Senator Cruz are as follows. He does not have any executive experience and very little governmental experience at the national level, only in his first term as U.S. Senator. My other concern is that he is too rigid in his opposition to some sort of compassionate and reasonable solution to our immigration problem. I realize other candidates have stated similar views, but Senator Cruz is too gung ho on this issue to be in my top five. Cruz may well be considered too rigid for a general election voter as well.
Florida Senator Marco Rubio. I like Senator Rubio very much. Like Senator Cruz he is staunchly pro Israel and is willing to fight the war on radical Islam both here and abroad. Unlike Senator Cruz, I am much more in line with Senator Rubio’s reasoned approach to immigration. It is so important in the long term that the GOP not alienate Latino voters. But also like Senator Cruz, Senator Rubio (also elected to the Senate in 2010) does not have much national governmental experience and no executive experience. A spot on the ticket as vice president may be a better fit.
My top four runners up. Candidates whom I would be very enthusiastic in supporting if my top choice did not make it.
Former New York Governor George Pataki. Governor Pataki turned New York around economically after years of liberal Democratic suffering in the mid 1990s. He also (along with NYC Mayor Giuliani) helped reduce high crime rates from the 1970s and 1980s by among other things, reinstating the death penalty. Pataki has recently become very focused on foreign policy and in particular the war on radical Islam. As New York Governor during 9/11 Pataki knows first hand what a real threat this is. Pataki however has some socially liberal views that I myself do not mind, would not play well with GOP primary voters. This would be his likely undoing.
Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker. I really like Governor Walker. The way he stood up to the union thugs in his state demonstrated courage, common sense, and a willingness to do what was right for the people of his state no matter the consequences. Unions in many cases today refuse to make any reasonable concessions and would rather see business go under (and all the employees lose their jobs) then to make even the most reasonable concessions. Bloated government pensions have bankrupted cities and states across our nation. Governor Walker would not allow that to happen in his state and he fought the unions and he won. Three times! The man can win elections even in a blue state. My only issue with Governor Walker is his lack of foreign policy engagement. The next president needs to be focused on and talking about foreign policy more than I have heard Governor Walker do.
Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. I am most impressed with Governor Bush’s willingness to stand firm in his positions even when they are at odds with most of the conservative GOP voters. Unlike 2012 nominee Mitt Romney, Bush will not simply flip flop for his own political gain. Regardless of whether you agree with his positions Governor Bush is to be respected for sticking to his convictions. Bush has executive experience as governor for 8 years in one of the key presidential battleground states of Florida. Being from the Bush family he can also be expected to take national security seriously and surround himself with capable people as his father and brother did. Finally his reasonable approach on immigration would be a great help in bringing Latinos to the party. Bush would be an excellent general election candidate for all the reasons I mentioned except for his family name, which unfairly or not could hurt him. Bush may have a harder time in a GOP primary where, unfortunately, some voters seem willing to sacrifice the long term good of the party (and nation) holding on to a stubbornly rigid immigration policy.
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry. Perry was my first choice in 2012 and I still like him very much. The reasons are all very clear. He is still a strong and vocal supporter of Israel and just as strong and vocal in his opposition to radical Islam. Perry also has ample executive experience as the longest serving Governor in the history of Texas. I was also impressed with Perry’s reasoned approach to immigration during the 2012 debates. As a long serving border state governor Perry sees this issue more clearly than others and was able to win impressive margins with Latino voters. One issue Perry will face is that the media (quite unfairly) has portrayed him as not being very intelligent because of some debate missteps in 2012. These were later revealed to be a result of Governor Perry’s back surgery. Fair or not perception becomes reality in our 24/7 news age.
And now, my 2016 Presidential Endorsement:
Governor Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.
Governor Jindal is a strong and vocal supporter of Israel.
Governor Jindal has spoken out strongly against radical Islam even when it was not politically correct.
Governor Jindal says exactly what he feels and does not back down for political gain.
Governor Jindal has come out for full repeal of Obamacare.
Governor Jindal has come out in full support for the Keystone XL pipeline.
Governor Jindal has executive and national governmental experience as the current two term governor of Louisiana and former Congressman from Louisiana.
Governor Jindal as the son of immigrants has a special appreciation for American Exceptionalism. While his views on immigration may be more to the right than mine, I do not believe he would be as rigid as some of the other potential candidates based on his unique experience. I also believe his story will inspire people of all ethnicities and backgrounds to see that we are all Americans first and foremost and that anything truly is possible in this great nation.
Governor Jindal is conservative both fiscally and socially. Again, I may not agree with all of his social views, most notably his rigid opposition to Gay marriage and his call for a constitutional amendment to ban flag burning, but these issues will need to be decided by constitutional amendments which require 2/3 of Congress and 3/4 of state legislatures. They are not decided by the president.
Governor Jindal is well spoken, articulate and does not come off as a “scary” or “stupid” conservative. This will serve him well in a general election. The main stream liberal media will have a difficult time to label him as ignorant, racist, or elitist.
For all of these reasons and more I enthusiastically announce my support and endorsement of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal as the next president of the United States of America.
For my common sense thoughts and views on politics, current events, pop culture and sports visit these sites:
My blog at Thoughtsnviews s Blog Just another WordPress.com site
Twitter @thoughtsnviews @Jindalin2016 and @NYMetsandJets
