This election season, the Republican party is putting forth some of the most diverse candidates that the American people have seen in many years. This would include Mitt Romney, a Mormon; Sarah Palin, a female and former governor of Alaska; Michelle Bachman, another female and congressman from Minnesota; and Rick Perry, the current Governor of Texas.
Romney and Perry represent the conventional, business-oriented, male politician, while Palin and Bachmann are a different breed altogether. It is Perry however that would be the more a-typical of the candidate choices since many presidents come from political positions in Texas — i.e. Presidents George Bush Jr., George Bush Sr. and Johnson.
Palin personifies small town mindset
Though Palin has not officially announced her intentions for presidency, she has made several statements implying her contention, causing many people to expect her to run for the GOP. Statements such as, “I think there is plenty of time to jump in the race. Watching the whole process over the last year certainly shows me that, yes, there is plenty of room for more people,” insinuate that Palin is indeed running in the 2012 elections.
Palin began her career as a mayor of the little Alaskan town of Wasilla. Although Wasilla is a small town, it is the sixth largest city in Alaska, with a population of around 7,000 people. Palin began her political career as a council member of the city. One of her greatest achievements for Wasilla was strengthening their police department, something many residents felt was needed.
After serving as mayor for two terms, Palin took her career a step further by aiming for the gubernatorial ticket of Alaska. She ran against former Alaskan governor at the time, Tony Knowles. This election was not as “down to the wire” as the mayoral election, and Palin went on to win it by a comfortable nine points. As Governor, Palin changed many things including investing $5 billion in state savings and creating Alaska’s Petroleum Systems Integrity Office, which monitors the state’s energy resources to ensure that they are being used responsibly.
Palin’s strengths are not in her policies, but more in her enthusiasm towards America. Her education cannot compare with an MBA or Law degree like most presidents’, but her strength is in her ability to connect with people, making citizens feel as if they are truly one united nation. Palin has grown very adept at shrinking the country and bringing her sense of small town Alaska into her campaigns. Many blue collar workers support her, as her main audience is the Tea Party.
Bachmann runs with experience, mainstream views
Bachmann and Palin actually have much in common; the biggest similarity being their almost identical looks. Aside from their physical similarities, they have the same style, as they are both very fierce female politicians who represent the far right end of the political spectrum. Both candidates are seen as this because of their strong support of the Tea Party and their very critical opinions of President Obama. Yet they do have many differences as well and are by no means the same person.
Bachmann is a congresswoman who began her political career when she was elected as a state representative of the 56th district of Minnesota. From this position, Bachmann only moved up in the political world, and was elected in 2006 as a representative of the 6th district of Minnesota in the House of Representatives. In fact, Bachmann was the first female Republican congresswoman to come from the state.
Bachmann serves as a member of the Financial Services Committee in the House. For those who do not know what this is responsible for, the committee: “… oversees the Nation?s economy through its oversight of the Federal Reserve Board and individual reserve banks, the Treasury, the production and distribution of currency, and the Nation?s capital markets.”
Through recent crises, America’s finances have become a large concern to the public. Having a president that has experience in this area of government could be very helpful. Bachmann runs on the platform of limited government and constitutional conservatism which is sounding more and more like a broken record seeing as many GOP politicians set their standards to these tenants.
Candidates inadequate for presidency
Although these ladies are in fact very aggressive and outgoing, they do not have what it takes to assume the responsibility of a president. Palin’s political experience is extremely limited to two terms as a mayor of a small town, one term on that same town’s council and half a term as Governor of Alaska. She lacks experience in Washington and often criticizes President Obama though she has no real ideas of her own. This country has had enough people reminding the government of all of its flaws; what America truly needs is someone who will bring their own ideas to congress instead of just being critical of others.
Bachmann, on the other hand, does have experience in Capitol Hill politics but her opinions are too far right and she lacks the capability to compromise with opposing parties. The ability to find middle ground between two opposing parties is what America truly needs as partisanship has grown more severe in recent years, as was shown with the recent debt ceiling crisis.
The people of the United States deserve a president that is willing to make sacrifices for them. Sacrifices such as going against their party’s beliefs to get a bill passed. The next president of America will have to find a way to get bills passed and must force Congress to find a more efficient way to pass them. Seeing as neither of these candidates cannot or are unwilling to do this, it is unlikely that they will win the presidency.
For another view on the 2012 presidential election, read the Sept. 1 article, Moderatism, conventionalism mark battle for presidency.
