President Coburn?

THE AMERICAN THINKER ^ | August 12, 2010 | By Bruce Walker

[onyx]

Is the good doctor/senator from the great state of Oklahoma the R/x for our nation in 2012?

FWIW, he's always been on my back-up list, on the chance Sarah Palin doesn't run.

[HiTech RedNeck]

There are probably a lot of names on the “OK” list. Ideally what is wanted is somebody who is going to get a realistic picture of what the overall population wants, and then carry that out as far as the Constitution and good morals will allow.

For any politician who’s been heavily involved in the legislature, there are doubtless going to be a spate of gotchas in that person’s history, where a compromise was made on this bill or that. If the GOP goes down that road, then there is a danger that the perfect will become the enemy of the good.

[lentulusgracchus]

The list of Republicans who could fill that requirement seems not too long: Sarah Palin, Mitch Daniels, Michelle Bachmann, Bobby Jindal, and John Thune...did I leave anyone out?

Mitch Daniels?! Again? What is this, the RiNO Judas-goat-of-the-month club?

I'd feel a whole lot better about Tom Coburn if this guy hadn't tossed his name out as part of the continuing RiNO game of "Keep Away -- from Sarah/Michelle/Real Conservatives".

[onyx]

For any politician who’s been heavily involved in the legislature, there are doubtless going to be a spate of gotchas in that person’s history, where a compromise was made on this bill or that. If the GOP goes down that road, then there is a danger that the perfect will become the enemy of the good.

Right. Even governors have a paper trail, and that's politics.

I prefer our next president have NO ROOTS in Washington, D.C. -- none --- zero.

Strict loyalty to our Consitution and to hell with the rest of the progressive garbage. There's a whole lot of legislation that must be repealed and a lots of unconstitutional departments and agencies that must be dismantled.

[freekitty]

Romney and Huckabee are Rinos. Romney gave MA it’s healthcare and Huckabee let a murderer go.

[onyx]

I'd feel a whole lot better about Tom Coburn if this guy hadn't tossed his name out as part of the continuing RiNO game of "Keep Away -- from Sarah/Michelle/Real Conservatives".

What you said, bump! (I hadn't thought of "that" angle).

I have to add, that I don't actually know much of anything about Mitch Daniels. I watched his on Fox News Sunday, and he seemed like he wasn't interesting in running.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Governors tend to make more competent presidents, anyhow. Even at the level of someone like Carter — Carter in the rear view mirror of history appears to have been several times more competent than Obama is now. Carter’s main problem was his ideology, not his experience. Both issues combine in Obama’s folly.

[onyx]

Romney and Huckabee are Rinos. Romney gave MA it’s healthcare and Huckabee let a murderer go.

I'd use harsher words for both,...lol, but you got your point across to me, and I concur. Both are non-starters and I think both plan to run. UGH.

[arthurus]

He or she must also be intelligent. He or she must grasp the nuances

He must understand economics. I wish there were enough understanding of the problem that one of the major Tea Party demands could be that a candidate have read Adăm Smith or Von Mises or at least Henry Hazlitt and demonstrate some understanding of what he has read. That is what made Reagan able to put all those qualities cited to use.He understood real basic economics.

[onyx]

Right. Governors are executives. They have to make decisions.

Recall the Marxist was used to voting “present”?

It kills me to say anything even neutral about Carter, but Obama is the worst of all.

[arthurus]

Perhaps we would already be facing the reality of re-education camps and the Govrenment as sole employer and sole Parent if the Kenyan were competent with his Marxism.

[T.L.Sink]

I find it somewhat bizarre that his list of Republican conservatives who “might” become moderates includes EVERY prominent conservative (except Coburn?) This, to me, is just a game of speculation. Perhaps Palin will become a socialist - to speak of “possibility” while ignoring “probability” is an exercise in fantasy.

[TomGuy]

Speechifiers (aka, Senators) do not make good presidents.

They should go to the bottom of any list for consideration, right after Humpty Dumpty, Bugs Bunny, and Popeye.

[TomGuy]

He must understand economics.

An MBA was driving the bus when we started over this cliff -- he was the one who signed the first bailouts.

==

We do need someone with strong executive experience over 'political' experience.

[arthurus]

MBAs are normally quite ignorant of basic economics. My daughter got her MBA at LSU and got very successful with it. She learned her economics long before she went to LSU, though, because I gave her a lot to read. MBAs learn Finance which is not the same thing and they only get a quickie survey course that is probably heavy on Keynes if it gets into theoretical econ at all. Reagan had a degree in real Economics and look where that got us! Bush II was pretty good on the executive side but is an ignoramus on Economics and gave us the lead in to Obama. Politicians are dynamic people and mostly cannot believe that it is not up to them to "make" the economy work right. Being dynamic they never read economics because it is a dull subject. If you read Hazlitt's short Economics in One Lesson all will become clear to you. Amazon has it and it is not dull.

[ScottinVA]

It kills me to say anything even neutral about Carter, but Obama is the worst of all.

I agree. I think Carter was grossly incompetent and simply not up to the job, whereas 0bama seethes with evil intent to cause irreparable harm to the country.

[SoFloFreeper]

Coburn has the right politics. He'd be outstanding if he were able to get the office with a conservative Congress.

Of course, he DID endorse John McCain, which would cause some here on Free Republic to soil themselves in anger.

[grame]

Mitch Daniels basic info - Born: April 7, 1949, in Monongahela, Pa.
Family: Married to Cheri Lynn Herman Daniels; four daughters: Meagan, Melissa, Meredith and Margaret.
Education: North Central High School, Indianapolis; president of the student body, 1967; National Merit Scholar, 1967; Presidential Scholar, 1967; Princeton University, 1967-71; Indiana University School of Law, 1975-76; Georgetown University Law Center, 1979.
Career: 1971-75: aide to then-Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar;
1977-82: administrative assistant to Sen. Richard Lugar;
1983-84: executive director, National Republican Senatorial Committee;
1985-87: President Reagan's chief political adviser and liaison to state and local officials;
1987-90: executive vice president and chief operating officer for the Hudson Institute, and a partner in the law firm of Baker & Daniels;
1990-93: vice president of corporate affairs, Eli Lilly and Co;
1993-97: president of Lilly's North American pharmaceutical operations;
1997-2000: senior vice president of corporate strategy and policy at Lilly;
Dec. 22, 2000: nominated by George W. Bush as director of the Office of Management and Budget.
Jan. 23, 2001: confirmed by the Senate.
May 6, 2003: announces he will step down and return to Indiana.

IMHO -
He is unassuming, and his wife was not 100% on board the run for governor. He doesn't seem to be afraid of work. He's seems like a behind the scene guy who gets things done. He's a patriot, his participation in Soldier/Hero funerals is genuine and heartfelt. I've witnessed that myself. But I can't see him running for president. He's mushy on social issues.

[onyx]

Speechifiers (aka, Senators) do not make good presidents.

Yes, I agree with you. Governors are executives.

I'm repeating myself, but I prefer our next president have NO ROOTS in Washington, D.C. -- none --- zero.

Strict loyalty to our Constitution and the guts or (cojones) to direct congress to repeal and dismantle unconstitutional legislation, departments and agencies.

That said, the good doctor/senator remains on my short list because nobody has declared and it's still all a guessing game.

[onyx]

LOL. Bump.