For Conservatives, Cain More Able Than Romney

It's a pretty much a forgone conclusion that we here will be voting for Obama come November 2012. He has done far too much, and with dignity, to let his efforts go for naught. Whether it's supporting Bush's saving of the American banking system, trying to find a reasonable approach to improving health care coverage, to beginning the process of bringing troops home from Iraq while handling international terrorists, the man has been firing on all cylinders. His detractors detract, because either they (the right) are caught believing or making lies about the man due to various versions of hate or they (the left) were never, and are not, clear on who he is.  He is his own man.

If Romney becomes the Republican candidate, and if he runs a clean campaign, we will not be overwhelmed in grief if he wins. He is capable. But we suspect he has his own burdens to overcome. Those most interested in Christianity are not easily swayed that Mormonism, with its additions, secrets, and collectivism, is that exact same thing that Christ laid out. Mormonism spirals in many directions, and no amount of commercials showing regular folks doing good will convince Christian conservatives that Joseph Smith didn't put a little something odd of himself into the theology. The unusual set of new Mormon commercials running now make people wonder about the scope and interconnected dealings between the Church of Latter Day Saints and those it supports. It's not a coincidence that the commercials are on now, laying the thought paths in 2011, so that they will be settled thought patterns later in 2012.

Ultimately Romney has to win the votes and we suspect it will be a tough battle, with activists of a conservative stripe leading the way. That's why someone like Herman Cain is having such a strong appeal at the moment. We  don't know if he can address all the issues that need to be addressed; Romney can. But Cain's his laser-like focus on economics in a year when economics is everything may prove hard to beat.

We actually like Herman Cain. We like the bigness of his economic plan which is wrapped in a seemingly simple package. "9-9-9" he reminds us over and over, referring to the tax rates for individuals and corporations, along with a tax on spending. We also think it's workable with a few tweaks. It may not be progressive, and it might force more people onto the tax rolls who currently can deduct their way out of taxes: that might be a good thing. I know people who actually don't marry to suppress reported income, seek help from the state and from federal tax credits, and thus live fairly well between the wife's paycheck, the "husband's" paycheck, and the additional government support.

It would be an oddball election if we ended up with Obama against Cain. It would be the only election where one race or another could be said to be voting based solely on race. That might be a good outcome, but don't hold your breath. You can only stir things up and raise cain so much, before forces sit you down.