Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Republicans

I'm watching a bit of the debate for the republican presidential candidates. I'm not really a republican - I'm not even American (don't tell them), but it's pretty interesting. Here are my impressions.:

Keys - has yet to actually answer a question. He may not be an idiot, but it's not helping his case when it doesn't seem that he's able to actually link up a (long-winded) response with a question. He's much more interested in talking about how his ideas are all being oppressed. I gotta admit, I don't get it. I mean, he's on TV, talking about whatever he wants to talk about. I wish my ideas were that oppressed.

Giuliani - comes across as legitimate. I can't help but like him.

McCain - good, well spoken and intelligent. Just gives the impression of a man who should be in charge.

Huckabee - doesn't seem to have much to say... nice sentiments, but vaguer than... something really vague. Like, a really vague kind of pudding or something. Likes his pet phrases ("weapons of mass instruction", "I can't part the red sea, but I can part the red tape", "we're a polarized country, and that's led to a paralyzed government"), so I guess he'll get votes from people who are into that. I don't have anything to say about what kind of people those would be. I wouldn't have guessed, though, that he's been a state governor for 10 years.

Tancredo - tough to understand... may have some good stuff to say, but he's not a great speaker.

Hunter - okay, I guess, but seems like he's more about good stories than principles, like McCain and Guiliani project.

Thomson - reminds me of a football commentator. That's not necessarily bad, I guess. Just depends what you're looking for. I did find it a little odd that he seemed to think that NAFTA was only between the US and Mexico.

Romney - seems to know his stuff, but just comes across as a little too polished, somehow. Maybe it's just because I'm Canadian.

Paul - everything he says makes it sound like he's trying to pick a fight. There's a fine line between determined and pissed off, guy, and nobody is going to want to listen to that for four years. Is he really that angry? I think he may need someone to help him.

They're all following similar conservative themes... freer market forces, enhanced security, less tax, smaller government. But at least they've admitted that global warming may actually be happening, and that people may even be contributing to it.

5 comments:

Anna said...

Re: Giulani. Every time he gets stumped on a question he just yells "9/11!"

Re: Thompson. I'm confused... who'd he forget about in NAFTA? :p

If my choice comes down to Hillary or Rudy... I'm moving to Switzerland.

Darryl said...

Yeah, I know... 9/11 doesn't mean he's presidential material. But it still gets me.

And as for Switzerland, I'm not convinced the politicians are any better; it's just that you've never heard of them.

Anonymous said...

Anna, Nafta includes Canada.

Darryl said...

Well, that's the problem with the internet, I guess. If you knew Anna or saw her face when she said that, it would have been different...

Anonymous said...

Wow. My international influence has induced Darryl's Mom to quasi-formally identify herself as such on this blog. I am so gratified.

As for Republican candidates... thanks for the impressions, this Republican is just plain stumped and what the heck to do about this election.

McCain has trumpeted his willingness to lob more bombs, even at Iran, which is idiotic. Romney reports to the Mormons, who have a very publicly-stated agenda of taking over the country. I'd sooner vote for Hillary, which is saying a whole freaking lot. Giuliani (and most of them unfortunately) have a special line and small guillotine waiting for them in Atkinson's "Warm Welcome to Hell"... somehow people guilty of that really bother me in other areas of life as well. Unfortunately, the current president, who apparently is not guilty of this, hasn't done any better.

Imogene Heap's song works for me right now: "I need a hero..." But I don't think we're going to get one this time around.