When seven Republicans who want to lead the United States for the next four years lined up in a televised debate Tuesda night, did you see a president among them?
The hopefuls were former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Godfather’s Pizza executive Herman Cain of Georgia, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Newt Gingrich of Georgia and U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota.
The best thing to recommend the hopefuls, whose debate was heated at times, is that any of them, if elected, would take quick steps to reverse the harmful policies that President Barack Obama and Democrats in the U.S. Congress have imposed or proposed over the past three years.
We can be certain that any of the GOP hopefuls would take a dim view of massive income tax increases.
We can be sure that, if Congress votes to repeal costly ObamaCare, any of them would willingly sign that repeal into law.
We can say with confidence that none would propose new “stimulus” plans that purport to create jobs, but in fact bloat the national debt and do little to boost employment.
Nor would they use agencies such as the National Labor Relations Board to punish companies that try to create jobs in right-to-work states instead of states where Big Labor is stronger — as the Obama administration did when Boeing expanded in right-to-work South Carolina instead of in Washington state.
And they would not seek to use the power of the federal government to impose dubious, job-killing environmental regulations on business.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that Republicans cannot rely only on the weakness of Obama’s policies in the quest to defeat him. They have to put forth a candidate who can articulate the different course that he or she would chart. That person must have clear, inspiring leadership qualities.
We do not doubt that all the Republicans seeking the nomination would propose policies that are superior to those of Obama. But did you see signs of inspirational leadership in the Tuesday debate?
Are you excited about picking one of the Republicans — or fearful that Obama will have four more destructive years in office?