I still think Sarah Palin is the (pink) elephant in the room. I know all the arguments against her, but when I look at her history and the kind of person she is my gut just says she's the right person (Palin/West is my dream team). Polls (even straw ones) mean absolutely nothing regardless of who you support but I doubt Bachmann has a chance this time around and according to many Palin doesn't either but that's what primaries are for and this will all sort itself out. I don't know that the two of them could run together and win but that would be pretty awesome. I'd love, love, love to see Bachmann regardless of who becomes president, as AG because cleaning up Holder's mess is going to take someone with very high moral character and a sharp legal mind. Holder has helped me remember how extremely important justice is to the fate of our country.
It does take time to gain the name recognition, though, especially if you come from the relative obscurity of the House of Representatives. Considering how the media and the left (but I repeat myself) are, by the time they're through she'll look like Fred Phelps' bastard cousin. While my first choice is Palin and my NO choice is Romney I really want someone with executive experience. I consider effectiveness more important than "time served" and include Cain in that category because I don't think experience needs to be in the government. And West. Military experience makes an incredible leader.
To be honest, I simply don't know enough about her to make a decision. Has she run a business? Was it successful? What was her role in it? What's her political history? What's her tenure in the congress been like? What committees has she chaired? Legislative history? How was she viewed by the foster parent system in her state? Is she still close to her foster children? She does say she RAISED 23, which indicates to me rather long-term relationships. My aunt & uncle are in the foster program and usually don't have their children more than 6-18 months and don't consider themselves "raising" these kids though they smother them with love and affection (most desperately need it), their role is mainly to provide a stable, safe place for them. I'm sure most of this info is available I'm just not ready for this full blown campaign stuff yet.
Some of those running/might be running are so well known we don't need a history of their life this time around. I absolutely do not expect political perfection. The things I've heard about Perry make him a kind of mixed bag for me. No one is going to vote the way I want every time. No one is exempt from having made boneheaded decisions. I am concerned about some decisions she's made in her campaign thus far but again, I don't expect perfection and as long as someone is honest and forthcoming about WHY they make their choices I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. And I'm suspect of anyone who's selling themselves as perfectly passing a political litmus test because that's how 0bama was sold to the country last time around. Any "pretty boy" the establishment is trying to push on us is pretty much a no vote for me. They have no more love for the republic than the left and I'm sick to death of establishment crap.
Cindie