(May 10, 2010 - Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images North America)
So, who will claim the Republican nomination for the 2012 Presidential Election? It seems that everyone in and outside of the conservative community has a readied response, but few agree on the man or woman that will grace the stage poised to oust the Obama regime just a little over two years from now. Some point to the obvious “front-runners” like of Mitt Romney, Sarah Palin, or Newt Gingrich; while many more call upon wild cards, unknowns, or political upstarts like Mike Huckabee, John Thune, Mitch Daniels, Tim Pawlenty, Mike Pence, or Michele Bachmann. My early inclination would favor seeing a combination of Pence, Romney, and Daniels, but it is still 2010; so I won’t be making that call for quite some time. That said, many are… and if you ask Tom Coburn, it won’t be Newt Gingrich.
From Politico
“He’s the last person I’d vote for for president of the United States,” Coburn said during a town hall event in Wagoner, Okla., over the weekend, as was reported by the Tulsa World.
In explaining why he wouldn’t support Gingrich, Coburn specifically targeted the ex-speaker’s three marriages as proof that Gingrich “doesn’t know anything about commitment to marriage.”
“His life indicates he does not have a commitment to the character traits necessary to be a great president,” said Coburn, who also noted that Gingrich is a “super-smart man.”
The audience generally seemed to find comfort in the potential for a Republican takeover of Congress, but Coburn warned that that alone would not necessarily yield the desired results.
“If the conservatives in Congress gain control and don’t live up to expectations,” he said, “the Republican Party will be dead.”
Gingrich “is a super-smart man, but he doesn’t know anything about commitment to marriage,” he said of the thrice-married former House speaker. “He’s the last person I’d vote for for president of the United States. His life indicates he does not have a commitment to the character traits necessary to be a great president.”
So you’re saying there’s a chance!! Wow. Coburn unplugged in Tulsa.
[...] Tom Coburn – “Newt is the Last Person I’d Vote For” [...]
I happen to agree with Dr. Coburn. He is one of the most plain spoken men I know and that is refreshing. I put a Newt Gingrich presidential run on the same level as one by Sarah Palin. Either one would probably doom the GOP to failure.
Concerning what Coburn said about conservatives living up to expectations or killing the Republican Party, I also agree. They have to understand that we will be watching what they do and if they refuse to do what they said, they will be voted out of office. It is as simple as that.
I thought of you when I read about his comments. I think I remember from health care debate time that you were a pretty big fan. I certainly concur in that I don’t see Newt as a legitimate presidential candidate. I think similar to Palin, he could bring some weight as a VP candidate perhaps, but I would certainly prefer to see both of them on the sidelines.
As to the end of the GOP statements, I agree that Republicans will have no choice but to do that which they run on in November. Call me a pessimist though in that I fail to see how they will get anything done. Just like the Contract with America in ’94, they succeeded in bringing bills to the Floor, but they couldn’t pass anything. There is a very large part of me that would like to stop one vote shy of a majority in both Houses if we cannot claim significant power. Otherwise, Republicans will talk a big game and accomplish nothing.
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