What a hoot! Having been on my share of primary races for political office, I came to understand right away what the process was all about. I don't know if other countries and their political processes require a primary, maybe so, but here in America it is the same as "mom and apple pie". It is the battle ground for the right to lead.
The 24/7 news cycles breathlessly explains every 15 minutes that the Republican primary is simply terrible. It is diminishing the party because the candidates are saying things about each other. It just must be terrible because, oh my goodness, it will hurt the survivor in the general election! I laugh my self into hyperventilation listening to these numskulls on the news. Even in the little local leftwing blogs we hear the same mantra. Posters and commenter's alike just don't seem to understand the process. What amazes me is the present occupant of the White House was in a knock down, drag out fight with Hillary and Bill just three years ago!
All these numbskull's on the left and in the media seem to have lost their memories. The democrats started out with what, seven or eight and over the primary battle for the democrat nominee most were all peeled off to end up with two. Wasn't old Joe Biden one of those peeled off? Yep. He called Obama early on in their primary a "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy,"didn't he? Yep. Well, since the left is held to no standards by the press, they can say and do anything outrageous and naughty and it may get one pass in the next days edition (the National Enquirer fills in becasue the mainstream won't go after a democrat). A Republican gets smashed day after day and the press will bring it all up again in the fall to aid Obama.
The idea of the primary is simply "the last man standing", you know, "the survival of the fittest", " the king of the jungle"! No big deal. I think it is great. The difference though this time out is the "junk yard dog" press has its teeth in the candidates and won't let go. They also do not explain the pprocess which I think they should do at least as a simple lead in to each ridiculous story they do.
If there was ever a truly democratic pprocess to pick our leaders, this has t be it. Heck, poor Mitt Romney gets no respect even when he wins a state's primary. That tells me the "in the bag for Obama" press corp think Romney is the biggest threat. The man has more delegates than all the other candidates combined (and securing the majority is what it is all aout) but you would think he has none. The process of selling yourself in 50 states is greuling and costly. A nation of 300 million only produces nine people to go for the top dog spot so we all know it must be tough.
Romney is showing me he has some staying power and I have been careful not to get all exited every time Newt, Ron or Rick attack Romney because it is just one stop in the nomination journey. There has been no letup against Romney though. Yet there he is in the lead. The next attacks will be against his religion because none of the other strategies seem to be working. The attacks will come from the "progressives". Those people who are so tolerant of other religions, like Islam or Buddha types. They will trash Romney's religion. Just watch.
I think any of the Republicans would be better, way better, than Obama. I just think Romney has proven so far to have the staying power to get to the finish line. He seems to me to be a nice man, a smart man, and a good businessman. I listened today to his interview on O'Reilly and I did not know he gave away his inheritance to charity. He earned his money the right way. Hard work and smarts. Ethical and friendly. So can a really nice man become President? We will see. But to all the busybodies spouting off about the primary process, I say, just don't get all excited about the battles, we will win the war because we are simply culling the chaff.