The Republican Party, with its aimlessness and disorganization, seems to be in the midst of making certain that it does not win the White House in November 2012. After all these months, the idea is being floated that despite his failed administration, it is most likely that Barack Obama will be reelected and there is nothing that anyone can do about it.
Considering Obama’s performance, his continued insistence on a pronounced division of Americans by class, and his potentially frightful designs for Israel, the Republican Party is nothing but derelict in the manner that it is going about winning the White House in the fall.
At this stage in the history of this country, one would hope that we could go about choosing the next leader of the free world in something other than an “American Idol” fashion. I have to say that the bickering between the candidates looking to replace Obama is sophomoric and even shocking. Granted that for a while it was somewhat entertaining, but now it is reaching absurd proportions. I’m not sure what the answer is, but the question that needs to be posed is what is more important—which personality leads the U.S. or how and which direction we are going to be led?
We have to figure out a way to get this race for president out of Hollywood and get it back into a serious mode with full cognizance of what it means for this country to have to deal with a second Obama term in office. While for many of us this administration’s approach to Middle East peace is a serious concern, it is not the top concern if Obama is reelected.
Democrats have to love the way in which the Republican candidates are doing everything they can to cannibalize one another. As long as there were nine candidates in the running, with the likes of Herman Cain, Rick Perry, and Michele Bachmann, it was a nice and interesting show to observe. The process has done its job and it has essentially whittled the runners down to Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and Rick Santorum. Yes, Ron Paul keeps putting up interesting numbers, but it has been understood from the start that he is nothing other than a protest candidate. He raises some interesting ideas but at some point will have to throw in the towel and toss his support behind one of the remaining three.
Staunch and strong supporters of Israel in the current political environment cannot help but favor Gingrich. He is the true Republican conservative and does not mince words. Nor is he embarrassed about his absolute and total commitment to Israel and the U.S.–Israel relationship. He has called out the Palestinians for the fraud he believes they have been designing all these years and are intending to perpetrate against Israel. There is little doubt that the Palestinian dawdling when it comes to negotiations with Israel indeed has a direct relationship to delaying and gambling on their hope that there will be a second Obama administration.
There is no question that both Mr. Romney and Mr. Santorum will also be strong supporters of Israel and have a realistic view of the peace process if either one of them is elected. In terms of attitude and policy toward Israel, Santorum has to come in second place to Gingrich, with Romney in a close third position. Those who know him and have met him say that when it comes to Israel, they are secondarily most comfortable with Santorum but also have no doubt that Romney would be just as supportive.
The problem here that impacts most directly on the political dynamics is the showy nature of what is taking place and the continuous nudging of the media to identify yet another “comeback kid,” which always sells papers and attracts viewers. To that end, Gingrich was considered down for the count until he was revived under the oddest of circumstances by the media. Until last week, the countdown was on for when Santorum would withdraw from the race. Now the former Pennsylvania senator is considered to be tied for the lead with Romney in the upcoming caucuses and primaries.
Still, Mitt Romney is considered the frontrunner in this race. Supporters in the Jewish community who preferred not to be identified said that they feared that Romney would not be able to defeat Obama in November. They additionally said that they would support the Republican candidate regardless of who he is, in an effort to beat Obama in the election.
The concern about Romney is also one of the good and refreshing things about him. Those reluctant to throw their full support behind him at this juncture point to a record of vacillation and policies tinged with centrism and even hints of liberalism. The fear is that in a debate, Mr. Obama would be able to point to many similarities between his policies and those of Mr. Romney.
Now this back-and-forth can certainly go on and on ad nauseam. It is, however, increasingly counterproductive while serving the interests of the Democrats who seek to reassume control of the White House. The Obama presidency has been an overt failure that continues to advocate redefining America while doing colossal damage in the process.
The Republicans in the race at some point soon have to take a step back and come to the realization that this race cannot be first and foremost about their personal ambitions. Yes, Romney has been grooming himself for quite a while now to be president of the United States. Gingrich entered the race as a long shot and on a lark. He is obdurate but also determined that this could be the crowning achievement of a multi-decade career in Washington. At this point it seems that Santorum is the balanced or the compromise candidate between Romney and Gingrich.
I don’t see the possibility of a Santorum candidacy as problematic. He may not come across as too presidential at this point, but why should that be an issue for a country that elected a novice named Barack Obama?

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