Reality TV With Real Consequences Part 2

By Chuck Marshall

Huckabee and Santorum

Yesterday was Martin "who?" O'Malley and Rand "perfectly round eyebrows" Paul.   Today, I'd like to review the campaigns of Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum.   At this writing both Mike and Rick have bowed out of the race so this is a "retrospect" review of these reality TV stars.

Interestingly enough, after google searching both candidates it turns out they both have the exact same estimated net worth;  $5 Million.   They also both won the Iowa Caucus in past elections.  They both are born again "Evangelical" Christians.  They both dropped out of the 2016 Reality TV Show in the same week !  What a coincidence !  Creepy, right ?  It's  like the Kennedy-Lincoln similarities we've all read about.    




Mike  "Sunday School Teacher"  Huckabee


Governor Mike Huckabee- Republican (Arkansas) -  Mike is already famous due to his run for the Presidency in 2008, so a lot of people already knew him.  Not to mention  he also had a talk show on Fox for a while "Huckabee", which aired from 2008 to 2015.  So, Mike is famous and that  IS half the battle to becoming President.   I've always liked Mike Huckabee.  His "aw shucks" demeanor and his quick wit make him a crowd favorite.  He's likable !  Unfortunately for him, his last name sounds a lot like "Huckleberry Finn",  as in the bumpkin character of  the Mark Twain novel by the same name.   People naturally think of this when they hear his name and so he's immediately at a disadvantage in that he has to prove he's not a bumpkin.   In my mind Mike seems like a friendly, lovable Sunday school teacher not a President.  Also he's a little too far to the right on social issues.  I'm not saying I agree or disagree, I'm just saying it probably wouldn't play well in the general elections.

Final Verdict;  Mike couldn't stay on the reality TV show because his name puts him at a disadvantage and he seems too much like a Sunday School teacher.




Rick "yesterday's news" Santorum

I've already elaborated on Rick Santorum above since he's a near duplicate of Mike Huckabee.  BUT, just to add a couple of comments.  Rick is not as likable as Mike Huckabee but his name does sound more serious, so that's a plus and a minus for Rick.   Rick was relegated to the "Kiddie table" at the Reality TV debates so I sincerely don't have a fresh take on his positions.  He was always hard to the right, but I liked his sticking up for the common guy.  Rick is a big believer in educating young people according to their skills and that we need to stop making all young people feel like they have to go to a University in order to be worth anything.  I really like that he emphasizes that.  Rick had a real chance back in 2012, but he did eventually run out of steam.  He's kind of like "yesterday's news"this election season.

Rick couldn't stay on the Reality TV show because he was sent over to the Kiddie Table for TV debates which is really the "kiss of death".   Also, at the end of the day he lost in 2012, so I think most people see him as "yesterday's news".

Finally, I did want to bring up another candidate that I totally forgot about ( there were a lot !)




Governor George Pataki -Republican (New York)
"Forgot about Him"


Tommorrow?

Chris Christie and Carly Fiorina

Obama Presidency Example of Flawed Political Process

By Chuck Marshall


I don't write about the President too much.   The right is so hard on him I've always felt they were going too far  in their hysterical vitriol.  I also think their incessant criticism and nitpicking habits are disrespectful of the office.  I'm not saying don't criticize, but I am saying there should be some self control.  As far as the Fox News talk shows are concerned he can do nothing right.  It's excessive.  He has two important qualities in my mind;  His is a truly great orator and I believe his heart is usually in the right place.  He's doing what he thinks is the right thing to do.   A trait often missing in a lot of our leaders.   So, I've tried to reserve criticism lest I feel myself beating on a wounded dog.  All that being said, I must admit that I don't think he's a very good President.

The reasons are the reasons I think most thinking Americans have seen over the last 6 years.  He has not worked well with Congress.  I know nobody likes them, but it's his job to work with them and establish some sort of dialogue acting as the leader who bridges the gap.  He has failed at that.  He has allowed the Federal deficit to balloon by $10 Trillion since his election in 2008 when  part of his original platform was to stop the government from spending so much.  He has offered no ideas whatsoever to stop this fiscal bleeding.  He has demonstrated a lack of leadership on the world stage, allowing foreign dictators to spread their wings with no fear of consequence.  Mostly he has been "learning on the fly"  which is a big part of the problem.  The President should be ready to rule the first week he moves into the White House, not 6-7 years after.  Now he's nearing his "lame duck" stage of a failed Presidency and so we're back again to waiting for the next election for the next round of odd-ball candidates that each of the parties draws up for us hoping against hope that one of them is "the one"......a Presidential candidate we like !  

So, in my humble opinion, it's not all his fault.    It's also the fault of our political system.   I believe he's simply unqualified to be President and should have never made it to the primaries.  If we had a system in place to draw up the most talented leadership in our country this would have never happened.  Barack Obama made a great speech at the Democratic national convention in 2004, and suddenly he's the darling of the Democratic Party.  The man can make a speech., but he did not have the experience, 'nor does he have the talent to run our country.   Being a great speaker is only a part of the whole equation.  It was the flip side for George "W" Bush.  He made it through the primaries because he was the son of a President, definitely NOT from his speaking abilities.  I think most people figured that at least he could call his father if he runs into trouble.   That's what I was thinking when I voted for him holding my nose in 2000.  (The Bush presidency is a great example of the catastrophic consequences of the "good ole boy" network).    

How do we fix this ill advised system of electing the President and all of our leaders ?  See my blog titled  "Restoring American Democracy Part VI- The Elections" for my elaborate,  if somewhat wordy explanation of one idea.  To all you naysayers, "I know, I know" it would be a futile to change "the way we've always done things"  but just to discuss the fact that what we have now is not working would be a step in the right direction, right?!

In my humble opinion......

http://chuckmarshall.blogspot.com/2013/01/restoring-american-democracy-part-vi.html