Desperately Looking for a Candidate

The Republicans may be popular in the United States right now, but they can’t find anyone who can credibly challenge Barack Obama for the White House. Even their latest hope, Chris Christie, isn’t the one.

If the national mood were the only indicator of how the presidential election will go in 2012, the Republicans would be in a comfortable position.

Every fifth American is unemployed or underemployed. Home prices are falling. Two-thirds of Americans think their country is on the wrong path. Only about 42 percent think Obama is doing a good job — great prospects for the Republicans to run him out of the White House next year.

But which Republican candidate has the right stuff to do that? Republicans themselves don’t know and moreover are in disagreement about the answer. It’s not as if there aren’t enough candidates; eight men and one woman are currently competing for the Republican nomination.

But in the party establishment’s opinion — including their biggest contributors — nobody is really qualified. That’s why they beg for a new candidate every five minutes to —please, please! — throw their hat into the ring. The latest object of their desire is New Jersey’s 49-year-old governor, Chris Christie.

What’s apparent is that none of the current contenders enjoy majority support or are seen as creating much excitement. None of them are credited with the ability to unite the various factions of the party under one roof.

Ex-Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney is ahead in the polls but extremely unpopular with the people, not only in tea-party-movement circles but outside those circles as well. Many consider Romney as too flexible and fickle, too elitist and not down-to-earth. He was in favor of health care reform before he was against it; in favor of less restrictive abortion laws and immigration reform before he changed his mind. The list of his opportunistic flip-flops is a mile long.

Many consider Michele Bachmann, the congresswoman from Minnesota, to be too far to the right. The party leadership fears with her running nationally, there would be no chance of attracting the political moderates needed to win.

Libertarian Ron Paul of Texas may have euphoric young supporters, but he remains an outsider. His empathic plea for America to withdraw from nearly every international obligation runs into energetic opposition from many Republicans.

Herman Cain, an African-American entrepreneur, has preacher-like qualities and a sense of humor. But he restricts his political platform to “999”: a flat 9 percent income tax, 9 percent business tax and 9 percent sales tax!

John Huntsman, ex-governor of Utah, ex-ambassador to China and successful entrepreneur, could be a danger to Obama, but his prospects in the primary election aren’t very good. Republicans find him too detached and too moderate. Huntsman is a non-starter.

Newt Gingrich, speaker of the House in the mid-1990s, appears to be more interested in promoting his and his wife’s books than he is in promoting his candidacy. He comes off as not very serious.

Those are just some of the reasons why many Republicans are on the lookout for new candidates. Above all, they’re looking for someone who can unite the influential tea-party-movement voters with the moderate Republicans — a candidate who could attract the voters in the political middle for the decisive battle for the White House. Chris Christie of New Jersey is the current favorite for this task.

Which isn’t saying much. A few weeks ago, Rick Perry of Texas was the Republicans’ best hope. But his star has dimmed in the meantime. Opinion is growing that he may not be the one for the job.

The right is disappointed with Perry because, while governor, he took a very pragmatic and non-ideological approach to the immigration question. Children of illegal immigrants, he decided, could attend college at state expense. Moderates and the Republican establishment have doubts about him as well, since he has proven to be an inept debater. During the last debate, his restlessness, stuttering and lack of knowledge suddenly came to light.

Now Chris Christie is the new star in the Republican heaven. But that star will also quickly set if the governor decides to join the fray.

Christie gained notoriety mainly by his stubborn opposition to the teachers’ union, but he hasn’t really been in office long enough for anyone to take stock of him. What is known, however, is that he’s stubborn, restless and moody. And he’s overweight. One could even justifiably say he’s obese.

Body size should not be important in determining a candidate’s suitability. But in the final analysis it is; America has already declared political war on obesity. Medical insurers and health care agencies consider obese people to be the health, economic and security risks of the future. First lady Michelle Obama leads a campaign against obesity and unhealthy eating habits.

Chris Christie had to be taken to the hospital several weeks ago due to asthmatic breathing difficulties. Doctors say being overweight exacerbates his problem.

His health problems cannot be kept out of the election campaign. They’re already an issue before Christie has even declared he’s running — and before his policies, even in outline form, have been closely scrutinized.