There’s a reason the banner for this blog includes Abraham Lincoln, as well as Spider-Man. I’ve written a lot about politics, especially when it comes to presidential campaigns.
Several pieces have been about the 2012 Republican primary. I wrote about Newt Gingrich’s problems with younger voters, and compared him unfavorably to Henry Kissinger. I pondered the appeal of Herman Cain, and the hole in Rick Perry’s resume which left the Governor of the second-most populated state in the Union unprepared for a presidential campaign. I noted the major flaw in comparisons of Mitt Romney to John Kerry (or Mike Dukakis.) I tried to figure out a way to explain Romney VS Gingrich to Democrats, and looked at some of the worst presidential primary fields in American political history.
I also considered whether it was possible for anyone to make a late entry into the Republican presidential race. And I looked at the political futures of two figures who probably didn’t do well in 2011: John Huntsman (who still has a shot at national office under the right circumstances) and Sarah Palin, whose best shot at relevance will be to challenge a sitting Republican President in a primary.
I pondered the five people most likely to become the Republican vice-presidential nominee, taking a fresher look a few months later and made a list of people who almost certainly won’t get that nomination. I looked at the 2012 veepstakes long-list split into three categories: Sitting Senators and Governors, the other guys and long-shot last minute additions, before I considered whether it really is disastrous to be a losing Vice-Presidential contender and considered the logic of McCain’s 2008 selection of Sarah Palin, who I compared to Tim Pawlenty, the ultimate “Do No Harm” candidate.
I also considered who would be the next in line in 2016, in the event Mitt Romney lost the General Election, and whether Hillary Clinton might be similar to John McCain in that cycle.
When Paul Ryan was chosen as Romney’s running mate, I considered the implications of a conversation he had with President Bill Clinton. I noted how choosing Ryan altered the 2016 Republican presidential primary landscape whether Obama won reelection, or whether President Romney faced a challenge. And then it was time to consider who could be replace Joe Biden if the need ever arose.
In general trends, I analyzed the Republican party’s preference for elderly presidential nominees, and whether there is any correlation between being a good family man and being a good President. I came across Christopher Hitchen’s description of the 2004 Democratic presidential primary candidates and considered the aspects which were especially prescient.
I pondered why former Maine Governor Angus King isn’t Obama’s Vice-President, and why it is probably in Romney’s best interest to support decriminalizing marijuana. And I noted that regardless of his experience deficit in 2008, President Obama does have significant executive experience this time around.
There had been some chatter about Romney’s difficulties in his home states of Massachusetts and Michigan, and I noted why that was pointless. However, there was a counterpoint that candidates from bigger states tended to win elections, which favors Obama.
I noted similarities between Romney and a pre-presidential FDR. As Jonathan Alter’s The First 100 Days showed, Roosevelt was willing to be an obstructionist.
I considered the qualifications of prior Presidents, with the most qualified and least experienced, as well as how potential Presidents compare.
I also came up with crackpot ideas for how to determine which states should go first in the presidential primary.
What Would Spidey Do? 