Election Choices

Mercifully, Election Day — and an end to all the snarky campaign banter — is just over a week away. Unlike four years ago, the outcome is in doubt. Barack Obama rode a wave of hope and excitement to the White House in 2008. However, even ardent supporters are muted this time around, and many have abandoned the president altogether.

Obama has failed to deliver on promises to turn the economy around, and just as with many other recent presidential campaigns, this one likely will hinge on how voters believe they will be impacted in their pocketbooks. Despite being in office for four years, Obama continues to blame President Bush, Republican lawmakers and many others for the faltering economy and even escalating deficit. As we’ve seen with the deaths of U.S. embassy personnel Libya, the president refuses to take blame for anything that goes wrong under his watch. A little humility might win him some votes.

Mitt Romney has ridden a wave of anti-Obama sentiment, but has failed to fully capitalize because he still has plenty of sticky issues. By repeating the same lines for three debates he appears robotic. Many see him primarily as a rich businessman-turned-politician out of touch with the problems of common folk. And he is yet another old white guy nominated by the GOP, albeit healthier than his predecessors.

In addition to the economy, the election will be determined by which party better motivates voters to get to the polls. An unenthusiastic base could spell trouble for Obama, if millions decide to skip voting rather than reward him for another four years of mediocrity. For Romney, it will depend on energizing evangelical voters, many of whom would have to ignore their beliefs that Mormonism is an aberrant religion.

I’ve talked to several people who don’t think it matters who is in the White House, although obviously these men paint starkly different portraits of America’s future. I can’t really blame a jaded electorate. The candidates have spent months not so much spelling out what they would do in the next four years, but instead focusing on how to best demean the opponent.

Primary Colorless

I’m not so sure democracy is all it’s cracked up to be when it comes to picking presidential candidates. I think we had better choices back in the days when political bosses picked a contender in a smoke-filled back room.

Of the eight one-time contenders for the Republican nomination, nearly all seem incapable of stirring much enthusiasm. There is a reason six different candidates once held a lead in the six months before the Iowa caucuses. None of these hopefuls has galvanized support of voters because they are, by and largely, bland, uninventive, inarticulate and unable to offer better economic solutions than the current occupant of the White House.

Certainly, Herman Cain set the world on fire until media interviews showed he failed to grasp much about foreign policy. Woman after woman coming forward to complain about sexual harassment ended his campaign. Voters still won’t tolerate a man who repeatedly steps out on his wife.

Which is only one of the problems facing Newt Gingrich. While he is the most intellectual of the bunch, Gingrich also is the most volatile and may have the heaviest baggage. Divorcing two wives after he twice committed adultery is no way to capture a nomination in a party populated by social conservatives.

Ron Paul would be a great candidate — if this was 1812 instead of 2012. Rigid isolationism isn’t welcome in either party, especially the GOP. And isn’t 77 a bit old to be sworn in for a first term in office?

Michelle Bachmann’s day in the sun fizzled almost immediately after it dawned. Rick Perry’s gaffes made George W. Bush look intelligent.

Mitt Romney has failed, after five years of trying, to electrify any great swath of the GOP electorate. While he looks the part, his vast wealth leaves the impression that he is out of touch with the common voter.

The only candidate I can support is Rick Santorum, and I voted for him yesterday in the Missouri primary that he won. Despite his three-state sweep on Tuesday, I fear with little financial resources, he soon will fall by the wayside, much like Mike Huckabee did four years ago after some early success.

Even though most of Democrat Barack Obama’s supporters believe he has let them down, he is poised to win re-election. He has the money, the power of incumbency and the probability that the economy will gradually improve until November.

Romney, the same as John McCain four years ago, is the choice of Republican bigwigs and donors with big bucks. But the party is more moderate than GOP voters at large. Social conservatives will stay home in droves if the slick Romney is the Republican nominee. His Mormonism will keep millions of wary evangelicals away.