Despite the barbs that the GOP presidential hopefuls hurled at each other in Wednesday's debate -- and the predictable piling on against conservative front-runner Rick Santorum -- one encouraging truth surfaced again and again: Any of the four Republican candidates would be an antidote to the reckless policies of President Barack Obama.
• Former Pennsylvania Sen. Santorum, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich all said realistically that our nation needs to take a firm stand against radical Iran, which is engaged in a dangerous pursuit of nuclear weapons. Obama, by contrast, has downplayed the Iranian threat, even though that country is a frequent sponsor of terrorism.
• Santorum, Romney and Gingrich were joined by fellow candidate Texas Congressman Ron Paul in calling necessary attention to the oversized federal government.
• Santorum criticized Romney's support in Massachusetts for health care reforms that later became the model for ObamaCare. But if there was any doubt, all four candidates have made it plain they would seek to dismantle unconstitutional ObamaCare.
• Santorum also reiterated his opposition to costly federal bailouts of banks and auto companies, which protected those businesses from the consequences of poor decisions and mismanagement.
In addition, the candidates have long expressed views on expanding U.S. energy production which outshine Obama's prescription of more "investment" (read: subsidies) in unworkable "green energy" projects.
It remains unclear which Republican will win the nomination.
But it is clearer by the day that voters in November will have the option of someone who would do a much better job in office than Obama has done.