Initially, this primary looked promising. The field was open and varied and, for the most part, I was content to vote for any of the candidates. However it didn't take long for the race to completely devolve. For all I know this could be how all primaries have gone and I just wouldn't know any better. Certainly the mud slinging, dishonesty, and outright nonsense are nothing new to politics. But for some reason I expect a bit better when the politics was no longer partisan and it was all people of the same party and with similar ideas standing up on stage. Perhaps that's where I went wrong, assuming that politicians would behave for a few months instead of disgracing the entire party and conservative movement.
Regardless, I've decided to spread this misery around. Here are just some of the reasons why I consider this field of Republican Presidential hopefuls to be...disappointing.
Michelle Bachmann: Gardasil Causes Retardation
This is a habit Michelle Bachmann falls into. Instead of sticking to reasonable, good points, she picks the most (and excuse me for failing to find a better term) retarded angle and goes at it. Bachmman, for the record, refused to back down on this point.
Michelle Bachmann: The Devil's in the Details
This had been a theme that some particularly fanatical Bachmann and Perry supporters had been circulating around. Most people with a sense of decency and a shred of common sense dismissed them. If you want to attack 9-9-9, after all, there are so many better ways. You can tell she really couldn't help herself; she just HAD to get that in there. I can almost imagine her campaign advisers telling her to not make this point, and Bachmann thinking she had done such a great job in her explanation that she couldn't help but pat herself on the back by pointing out that 9-9-9 is the number of the beast flipped upside down. Wait...wouldn't that make it the opposite of evil?
Actually that video has two points. Notice at the start how she dismisses 9-9-9 as a tax plan that will have no effect on jobs? Well a debate or two later Bachmann enthusiastically discussed how this country needed tax reform and how it would help spur job growth. Combine this with Bachmann's attacking Perry for calling Social Security a ponzi scheme when, earlier, she had made a similar criticism, and you begin to see a very dishonest, very political person.
Rick Perry Won't Shut Up
Rick Santorum Won't Shut Up
Lets be fair here: Romney was lying. But this is classic Santorum. Instead of trying to talk over him when its his time to speak, and then pointing out he's out of time cause you wasted it all, why not just wait til he's done and reiterate once again that Romney is a liar?
Santorum seems like a smart, conservative guy, but he also seems like an arrogant jerk who looks down on any conservative who thinks differently. This is just one example of this, he's actually done this throughout the debate.
Conclusion
Although I touched on a handful of moments here, there are so many other terrible things to come out of this primary. To name a few: Perry seemingly having a stroke on stage, Huntsman's cheap shot against Perry, the dirtiness of the Cain's sexual harassment accusations, and the Bachmann camp accusing the Paul camp of bribery. But I think there's enough here to make my point. I can't help but feel that this entire primary has been a complete disaster and a squandered opportunity. Instead of getting on stage and having respectful debates that present a strong image for conservatism change, most of the candidates choose to put their ambitions first. The result has been bad for everyone involved, and no doubt strengthened Obama and the left.
