The Race Is All But Over ~ Now What?

With his youngest daughter in the hospital for the second time since he declared his candidacy,  perhaps this is the opportune time for Rick Santorum to bow out of the race.  Gracefully.  No one would blame him.

He has hung on longer than he should with prospects dimming. Newt has faded away yet Santorum hasn't been able to capitalize by getting the would be Gingrich voters to give him a victory.  To drag it out even longer serves no good purpose and makes a weak front runner even weaker.

The Republican ticket as a whole is going to be less than inspiring mostly because nothing has been articulated to inspire us.  The only potential Vice Presidential candidate that hasn't given a flat "no" is Marco Rubio, the first term whiz from Florida.  We have one of those in the Presidency now and it hasn't borne too well for the country.  Granted the number two spot isn't the same but there is always the possibility of the unthinkable.

I'll be watching the next few weeks with intense interest as the speculation begins to build.  Why?  Because the VP slot is all that's left to give die hard Republicans any hope.  Unless America Elects comes up with a dynamite ticket.

The Presidency has never been won on the strength of the Vice Presidential nominee but it has been lost the weakness of one.  Take McCain's choice of Sarah Palin.  She came across as a flighty, if spunky, lightweight.  That paired with a promise of hope and change moved many who wouldn't ordinarily  have gone there to the Obama camp.

I'm trying hard not to fall into the same trap twice.  This time I know what he represents and his abilities and come away thinking we must do better.  Romney would not have been my choice to be the opposition but he is going to be never-the-less.  So now what?

Putting aside his wealth and the "gaffes" he makes when talking about his life, I'll be listening to how he returns to the middle, which he will.  The general election always brings out the more moderate stances of the candidates.  There aren't enough extremists on either side of the political spectrum to get one elected.

I now understand what Obama's agenda is.  I know he's waiting to get the election behind him so he can let loose with nothing more to lose.  I have no idea exactly what Romney has in mind.  I'm not sure he does either.  I'm not sure which is more worrisome since I'm not an ideologue.

By standing aside at this point Santorum would be doing the Republicans a favor.  He'd be giving them more time to figure out just what negative advertising has bought as a candidate.  We voters sorely need that opportunity and Santorum isn't going to get the nomination under any circumstance anyway.

Maybe when all is said and done,  the parties will come to their senses and cut the primary season down to a reasonable length so the candidates and the public aren't exhausted and tuned out by the time of the general election campaign.

Maybe too, with disaster looming, those who are considered the most able will step up to the plate instead of running for cover.  One last hope that is highly unlikely, maybe the media will become responsible once again.

It's Easter in the Christian world.  A time of rising from the dead.  In my version I'd like it to be my country and those who aspire to govern it rising, being reborn as all the good that has come before.  I fear however, I'm falling down the rabbit hole!