The GOP candidate predictions

So, there have been three major GOP Presidential debates, and two just in the past two weeks with another scheduled for next week. I think it is good for them to have them close together because it keeps them and their comments fresh in people's memories and like sports teams that are constantly facing each other, things begin to get testy and snarky! The way politics should be!

So here are my slight reviews of Monday's (Sept 12th) GOP debate and where each candidate is probably going to end up in the coming weeks and months. Forgive me for appearing to be about a day late, but with the time change, I'm sleeping when most people in the US are eating dinner and have to watch replays of the debates the next day.

Romney - He looked strong last week and did a good job continuing his beat down on Perry. But he was certainly taken back when Perry had one or two good jabs back. The last election and this is making Romney (who should have won the nomination in 2008 or the VP nom) an even better candidate. To me, he is still easily Obama's toughest potential opponent.

Perry - This guy looks weaker each time. This week, even Bachmann bested him. He is a dead ringer for the "compassionate conservative" mantra that Bush used in 2000. Hopefully, America isn't still as dumb now as we were then. And the Tea Party people didn't seem to like a lot of his answers Monday night. He'll stand strong for a few more months, but outside the evangelical, Southern vote, he will flounder in upper Midwest and NE primaries.

Bachmann - She was DOA last week, but she came out strong this week. It's clear she masturbates to/with the Constitution daily. However, even though this gets "her" Tea Party faithful just as hard, outside a few pockets in some states, she won't get the plurality of votes in most primaries to win them. She'll be the Hillary of this year, finishing a strong second many times and even stealing one or two away from the front runners (see Iowa Straw Poll), but she is too vacant (not just in the eyes) on details for economic reform and really solving problems.

Huntsman - This guy is getting more desperate than a guy nearing last song at the high school dance. Also, why can't he just tell me his plans instead of always telling me to go read them! American voters don't want to read! They want a bumper sticker phrase so they sound smart the next day to their liberal friends. His "jokes" were poorly timed and not funny. He's gone in two weeks, along with his tanning membership.

Paul - Wow! Ron Paul looked kind of crazy in the last debate, but he made the most intelligent comments this week. Although, nothing he said is new for him or to his supporters, so I doubt he gained much, if any traction. If he'd compromise on some of his more extreme views on the Federal Reserve (*see aside below!) and maybe even the drug laws, he'd pick up a lot of votes. But of course, if he did that, he wouldn't be Ron Paul and everything he stands for, so there you go. The Adlai Stevenson of GOP politicians for this generation.

Santorum - Aside from raising money to feed his seven kids, I'm not sure why he is there. People in PA hate him, so not sure where he has any support. Although, I must say there were times where he made the best sound bites and logical conclusions, which frightened me a lot! I'm sure he'll be back to bombing abortion clinics by Halloween.

Gingrich - What can I say about Newt that hasn't already been said about him in the past 20 years. Let me know when he actually answers a question.

Caine - I want a slice of what this guy is selling! Ok, I know he has some far out there ideas and even though he keeps yelling "9, 9, 9" which sounds an awful lot like another slightly less mustached fellow that yelled "Nein, nein, nein!", I'm not sure exactly what his plan is. And why "9"? He made a very interesting point about healthcare plans for sectors of the economy instead of the highly fragmented, state based, ones we have now. It is also refreshing to see that now in 2011, the lone black GOP candidate isn't always referred to as "the black one" like in previous election cycles.

*All this talk of the Federal Reserve by the GOP is quite hyperbolic. For all the talk of "free market", "private enterprise", and "state's rights", does anyone else find the fact that the majority of GOP candidates want MORE political and DC influence at the Federal Reserve?!? Long story, short, in lieu of a central bank ala most of the individual European countries, now the EU, and China the US government 'allowed' the establishment of the Federal Reserve many decades ago. The Fed is more or less run by all the private bankers (the board) with a providentially appointed Chair (Chair of the Federal Reserve Board). Essentially, to ensure politicians didn't get involved with macro economic planning, the government agreed to let those that "own" the money in our society to "control" the money flows and make corrections (for their mutual benefits) as needed. They have always controlled the printing and amounts of money flowing at any one time into the system, especially since the end of the Gold Standard under Nixon.

Monday night, there was a lot of discussion for "auditing" the Fed and pairing back on its role. As for the audit, the Fed is audited. I have a friend that does JUST that! As for the scope of the roles the Fed has played in the past few years, perhaps that could be discussed, but the role and actions of the Fed are some high level macro economic theory that even those that sit on the Board struggle with each day. Even average bloggers like myself have a hard time determining their best course of action or even understanding what result their actions are trying to accomplish, and I took several econ classes and almost became an economist! Only one or two of the candidates can intelligently even talk about the Fed (I'll let you figure out which!), but it is a much more detailed and nuanced understanding than can be understood at a debate with 30 second answers. If you really want to understand the role of the Federal Reserve, read Allan Greenspan's tremendous autobiography. I bet more than half the candidates haven't even done that!

Funny true moment, when all this discussion about scaling back the Fed's role in our economy came up during the debate, I paused it and said to K, "Right, I want Congress to be MORE involved with economic planning! I can't wait to see the debates when they have to decide on whether or not to raise interest rates!" Not 60 seconds later, Mitt Romney echoed my sentiments!

So with that, I toss my hat into the 2016 election! haha.