And Why It Doesn't Even Matter!
So, I’ve been sitting around all week watching MSNBC and CNBC following the mundane reports of this year’s presidential election. Much like our esteemed editor, John Schmitz, I’ve been drinking way too much coffee so I’ve decided to switch to something of more sustenance. Full flavor, 99 calories, Budweiser Select; the good stuff. Now I’m ready to forge on with my latest craze on American politics.
The presidential campaign of Mr. Mitt Romney has entered into the phase of vice presidential auditions. This phase is usually the most fun to watch because vice presidential vetting can be quite ridiculous. This is the phase where the candidates (or candidate in this case) entertain public tryouts for his right hand man attack dog. Let’s take a look at some of the potential republican hopefuls.
New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie declared in a speech in Kentucky last week that Democratic President Barack Obama is “the most ill-prepared person to assume the presidency in my lifetime.” 
I guess Christie thinks that he could do better despite the fact that his state, as of April 2012, suffers a 9.1% unemployment rate. The 6th highest in the country: including Hawaii and Puerto Rico. Not to mention his education budget that was deemed illegal by a New Jersey advocacy group, The Education Law Center, which required Christie to return hundreds of millions of dollars to the budget for some of the poorest schools. Although Christie, in January, nominated the first openly gay and first immigrant to serve on the NJ Supreme Court, he still has a ways to go before he’s taken seriously on matters of presidential readiness.
Our next target of inquiry is Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. We’ve all heard this up and coming firebrand’s name at least once this election season. Unfortunately, some of us have heard it more than twice. Anyways, the Senator is quoted telling North Carolina Republicans that there hasn’t been such a “divisive figure in modern American history” prior to Obama taking office. 
Funny. Maybe it fails Rubio’s memory that the Republican congress has dedicated their lives to blocking and obstructing any agenda put forward by the Obama administration. This isn’t the fault of the President’s when America suffers at the hand of a vindictive and possibly racist minority. It would befit Mr. Rubio to consider FDR’s New Deal policies and the significant backlash he sustained from it. It would behoove Mr. Rubio to keep in mind the division in American politics created by former President George W. Bush and his failed war effort. It would be wise of Mr. Rubio to consider history and recall that the actions of a great former President, Abraham Lincoln whose ideas led to a time so divisive in America, that she was nearly split from one nation into two! And lastly, Mr. Rubio, for someone so divisive in politics, President Obama sure didn’t have a problem uniting 52.9% of the country with 69+ million votes to secure the presidency of the United States. I suggest Sen. Rubio go find a hole in the basement of the Senate building…and quietly reside in it.
Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan, a young star of the Republican Party surely had to throw in his useless two cents. Rep. Ryan, speaking at the place where Republicans go when they need more attention, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, stated that “Obama wants to take us further in the wrong direction.” Here’s another genius! 
Ending Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT); Stopping defense of DOMA in court; Passing the Hate Crimes bill; Appointing two pro-choice women to the Supreme Court; Expanding access to medical care and providing subsidies for people who can’t afford it; Expanding the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); Killing Osama Bin Laden and several other Al-Qaeda leaders; Ending the War in Iraq and drawing down the forces from Afghanistan are all things that don’t seem to strike me as moving in the wrong direction Mr. Ryan. Maybe it’s time for Rep. Paul Ryan and company to consider the possibility that they are the ones who have become so bass-ackwards, that they wouldn’t know American progress if it slapped them in the face!
Sorry Mitt, your pool of prospects looks just as sad as the last go round. In fact, you might be better off running with the family Irish Setter, Seamus. At least he wouldn’t be able to put his foot in his mouth on the campaign trail – not figuratively anyway. However, my best guess is that Romney will select NJ Gov. Chris Christie. He seems to be the only one left who is still politically viable. The question is, of course, can whoever he choose give him the edge he needs to unseat President Barack Obama? Hmmmmm… Probably not.
Stay tuned…
Terencio Safford
Born in Atlanta, Georgia and raised in the small town of Anniston, Alabama, there’s no doubt that country living and sentiments still reside in Terencio Safford, Secret Laboratory’s managing editor.
He came a long way from his roots. He had a very unique childhood which allowed him to experience different cultures, religions and family values; this ultimately gave him a sense of awareness and acuteness that formulated his inspired outlook on life.
He graduated from Anniston High School in 2001 in Anniston, Alabama. He was recruited as a high school senior by the U.S. Army National Guard where he served two years as an Aircraft Electrician. After leaving the Army in 2002, Terencio migrated to Minnesota in 2003 in search of a better opportunity. He attended the Minnesota School of Business in Richfield studying Music Business before realizing that he wanted to pursue music as a hobby and not a career.
He has dedicated his time and talent to writing professionally. Terencio discovered his gift at an early age but pursued other talents and interests with the thoughts that writing was boring and time consuming! Now he finds pleasure and peace in formulating thoughts into creative treasures of literary prose!
Email him at terencio@secretlaboratory.org and visit him at http://www.wix.com/literaryprose/byterencio
I’ve been saying for months that Christie will run alongside Romney–it’s about as inevitable as Romney getting the nomination. There was never even a question of who the candidates will be in 2012.
–Ed.
I’m going with Rubio just because I like his hair. Yeah, it’s been one of those days where my cynicism gets the best of me.
Ha Ha! So the hedging begins. We might need a bracket for this one! If Romney is smart he will go with Christie for his daring rhetoric and political experience; if he is prudent he will go with Rubio for his freshness and teachability. However, Republicans aren’t always known to be smart nor prudent so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him ending up with Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal!
There’s always Sarah Palin–she’s not doing much these days.