Election Reflection Part 1 - Republicans

California’s primary is tomorrow, and I’ve been reading last week’s CNN debate to get a bit more info on the Republican candidates. If I were to vote purely on likeability, I would probably choose Huckabee. I like his down-to-earth manner and the respect he seems to have for human dignity. By contrast, I didn’t enjoy watching McCain and Romney bicker over who wrongly smeared who, then refer to each other as “a fine man” as if they hadn’t just called each other two-faced, flip-flopping, well-poisoning scoundrels. How sad to see grown men who want a position so badly that they’ll demean themselves and others in that way.

That being said, the only real choice Republicans will have on Super Tuesday is Name Caller #1 and Name Caller #2. Huckabee hasn’t won a state since Iowa, and though I admire Ron Paul for staying in the race to get his voice heard, I think he’s out of touch with most of America. That brings us to Romney and McCain. Both are determined to curb the overspending (which I applaud), and both insist they will do all possible to win in Iraq (which I think is important, if it’s attainable). What sets them apart in my mind is their experience.

Romney made the excellent point that serving as a successful governor is good preparation for the presidency because he learned to manage dozens of different agencies and address many interconnected issues. A senator, by contrast, does little administration and tends to specialize in a narrower range of subjects, depending on which committees he’s on. Moreover, Romney impresses me as one who does his homework, who sees the big picture but pays attention to detail, who identifies problems and finds creative but practical solutions.

By contrast, I was rather unimpressed that McCain’s answer to nearly every question was: 1) I’m an expert on National Security (I’m sure Romney could find an advisor who’s just as capable), 2) I was a foot soldier in the Reagan Revolution (so was Ron Paul), or 3) I was an officer in the military. For example, he gave #3 as his qualification to boost our slumping economy. Leading fellow soldiers in combat is admirable and can potentially teach many useful skills, but it doesn’t necessarily mean he has the economic know-how to stave off a recession. It’s like saying you’d be a great chef because you studied food photography in college.

In short, I think Romney has the brains, skills, drive, and experience to be a better president than McCain. My biggest concern is that while he may be an efficient president, he may not always lead in directions I want to go. His personality strikes me as more adversarial than compassionate. He takes a very tough line against political opponents, illegal immigrants, non-democratic countries . . . essentially anyone different from him. That superior hostility grates on me, but I’m not convinced that McCain is a good enough alternative to win my vote.

Ironically, my decision won’t have any impact on tomorrow’s election. Though I tend to lean Republican, I’m registered as an independent and therefore I’m not allowed to vote in the Republican primary. I can vote on the Democratic candidates, though. I already have a pretty good idea who I’ll vote for, but I want to do a bit more research just to be certain.