In the interests of full disclosure, as they say on television, I admit that I am a registered Democrat (surprise!). Technically, therefore, it is none of my business who wins the Republican nomination to be its standard-bearer against Barack Obama, except that as a patriotic citizen I often worry about the safety of our country. Accordingly, I have followed the races of the Republican candidates running for president with more than a little interest...or maybe “horror” is a better word.

The common prediction at the moment, on the basis of results from two states with tiny populations, is that Mitt Romney will be the presidential nominee. But hold on there. Not so long ago, Barry Goldwater, then known as Mr. Conservative, was running against Nelson Rockefeller, the Republican liberal governor of New York, and Goldwater’s hold on the nomination wasn’t secured until Goldwater won the California Republican primary by the closest of margins.  All that glitters for Romney, therefore, may not be gold. The problem seems to be that while Romney is not very popular with a majority of the Republican primary voters, they have not been able to settle on an “anti-Romney” candidate who they think will be able to beat the Republican “anti-Christ” Obama. 

Be it remembered that Goldwater was slaughtered in the presidential election of 1964 by Lyndon Johnson. Goldwater only won New Mexico and four states of what was then considered the "solid south," for a total of about nine percent of the electoral vote.

In a field of such heavyweights as Rick Perry, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Ron Paul, Jon Huntsman and the aforesaid Mitt Romney, only Huntsman has exhibited the slightest talent for what it takes to be president, and his chances of winning the nomination have now been reduced from a glimmer to a pinpoint. The way to vote in the Republican primaries is “none of the above.” That way, you can’t be disappointed in your selection and you can save a not-so-small fortune in campaign funds. On the other hand, I urge all Republican contributors to spend their money in the primary season. It helps the economy and doesn’t leave much for the presidential election itself.

Aha, you say, but what about principle? The truth is that with what each Republican primary candidate has said about the other primary candidates, none of them have any principles at all. They are, according to their opponents: liars, adulterers, job-killers, favoring immigrants over true Ammerricans [stet], anti-capitalist, too pro-capitalist, and the like. According to their peers, they have certainly flip-flopped over the years on practically all issues. The single exception may be Ron Paul. That is the good news about Paul. The bad news is that the policies that he has consistently espoused would result, if he was elected president, in a country so stuck with its head in the sand, that it would never realize it was being swamped by a tsunami. Most of the presidential voters have surely noticed this. Accordingly, his chances of becoming president are no better than Barry Goldwater, and Goldwater is dead.

Even faith-based voters, who believe that Paul or Santorum is chosen by God, when they examine their souls, can’t believe that one of these candidates is electable. God, they may hope, will intervene to elect their candidate, but may I say that He never did before. It seems likely that God doesn’t involve himself in political campaigns. Otherwise, it is hard to understand how Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Saddam Hussein reached power. God may work in mysterious ways, but not that mysteriously.

It is widely said, and not just among Democrats, that this is the worst group of candidates since the Republican Party was founded just prior to the Civil War. Its second candidate, and the first elected, was Abraham Lincoln. What a contrast! Where is Calvin Coolidge or Herbert Hoover when we need him? Good grief, Charlie Brown.

These are very serious and difficult times for our country. If we are to recover our prosperity, our safety, and our stature in the world, we have to treat the presidency seriously. The "just say no" policies of the Republican congress have to stop. If the Republicans can’t find a serious candidate, Barack Obama will be re-elected. I believe that is a good thing, but many Republicans may not. If that happens, they will have only themselves to blame.