Art of the Union

Recently I’ve had this odd sensation burning in the pit of my stomach. A dark, ominous cloud lurking above my head. It is foreign, almost parasitic in nature. It won’t be denied. I have developed a sympathy for my Republican colleagues. Before we get carried away, I should clarify that it has nothing to do with their views or policies. Unfortunately for them I am still a liberal on that front. Where we find ourselves common ground, is that I am a liberal unsure of who my presidential candidate is. 

If the recent Iowa Caucus proved anything, it was that the only thing sure is that Republicans are unsure. Mitt Romney flip-flopped for first with Rick Santorum in a joke that writes itself while Ron Paul Jim-Crowed himself into a close third spot and Gingrich left first place to be serviced by fourth in the back of a Chrysler Concorde. Completely opposite from last week. On the opposite side of the ideological coin, I’m non too comfortable about voting for Obama to conservative it up for four more years while flying the false flag as a progressive.

Not to be completely dismayed, I’ve found tempering by looking beyond the wrinkly skin congregation of the debate stage. Beating pavement and using social networking sites as a soapbox is where you will find former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer. A former Democrat turned Republican who first charmed me on The Daily Show, Roemer doesn’t waste his southern twang extolling cheap talking points and towing party lines in favor of telling it like it is and like it should be.

Roemer certainly has the pedigree to lead. Aside from being a former governor, he also served as a congressman and his business ventures should make him a private sector hero. Naturally I don’t agree with all of policies, such as nuclear energy support, advocating gay marriage as a state right instead of making it a national right, or his refusal to retweet me (hint hint). 

Fortunately, his pros far outweigh his cons and consequently put him far above his GOP competitors. Unlike Romney, he made his profits on proper business practices instead of layoffs. A true darkhorse candidate, who unlike Paul, won’t write an essay warning about the darkness of said horse. A man of conviction, who unlike Santorum, isn’t a creepy dark-age zealot.

It’s the tone of Roemer’s campaign that sets him apart. Completely absent are venomous attacks to the gay community, generic gouging of government social programs, or double-bass drum bible thumping. You won’t find him trolling the country in a faux-symbolic pickup truck while an emotionally vapid wife waves an American flag in the back.

No, Roemer forgoes the nationalistic clowning to speak to the true issues affecting this country. Running on an anti-corruption platform, Roemer constantly speaks to the dangers of a political system flooded with special interest money. Backing up his anti-SuperPAC words he has instituted a $100 campaign contribution limit. He speaks to the foolishness of free trade over fair trade. He is one of the only people speaking the true downfalls of Obamacare, not the contrived stance that it is an unpaid for job killer. Rather, that it is packed full of benefits for insurance companies and big pharma. Roemer does not mince his words when it comes to representing the people and that’s what makes him so appealing.

This is also the crux of my problem, though. In politics, loose lips do indeed sink ships. Roemer’s boisterous support of campaign finance reform and donation cap limit has made him invisible to the debate stage. As high as my hopes are that he can get into the debates, the reality that weighs on my back tells me he will have to run as a third party. The question then becomes do you follow your heart and vote for your passionate but ultimately doomed candidate or vote for the lesser of evils? The thought of Nadering Obama out of office for four years of Romney has me leaning lesser of evils.