Our choice is depressing; the MSM loves it!

The CNN/You Tube 'debate' on Wednesday highlights the dilemma for Republican voters. It was apparent to me that none of the candidates is ready to make the changes necessary to move this country forward; I am truly concerned that the American people are going to be faced with another Clinton presidency or worse yet, another ineffectual Republican one. The MSM (mainstream media) couldn't be happier!

Mitt Romney and Rudy Giuliani are using their high powered media machines and big bankrolls trying to establish which one was the most liberal before they decided to try to cozy up to conservative Republicans and run for President. I am sorry. After seven years of George Bush and the squandered promises of a conservative candidate, I want someone I can trust really believes in conservative ideas and these two have plenty of reversals to answer for.

John McCain and Fred Thompson are old friends and ideological soul mates, with Fred having chaired McCain's insurgent campaign in 2000 and helping him shepherd limits on the First Amendment through the Congress. Sen. McCain is to be admired for his record of service to his nation but too many times, he has abandoned his principles (immigration reform, buying into global warming, voting against tax cuts, McCain/Feingold, etc) and we have had too much of that from our allegedly conservative Republican leadership.

Fred had the promise and the star power but has utterly failed to light a fire. He may be good reading a script but has not impressed anyone that he has a burning desire to change Washington for the better. Is this about the fame or about the historical opportunity to make a difference?

Mike Huckabee is a sweetheart; a wonderful speaker and an empathetic politician. But he is a politician and make no mistake, he is hardly a committed conservative. Much has been made about his fiscal record in Arkansas and it is bad; but we haven't heard much about how he opposes school choice, which is a fundamental tenet of education reform and conservative doctrine today. Would he champion Social Security private accounts? Would he back folding the Departments of Education and Energy and really cutting the budget? He didn't in Arkansas and we know he had a Democrat legislature but what does he think he will confront in DC?

Ron Paul is a solid principled man but way out there on certain issues he doesn't have to pursue. Will the average American go for getting completely rid of the Federal Reserve? We know the United Nations has become corrupt and way overstepped its original purpose but pull out and move it from New York? Great idea but not one to reassure Joe Sixpack.

Tom Tancredo is right on the issues but can't get elected blaming everything bad on illegal immigration. He is right to pursue the issue but that is not enough to base a campaign. Same for Duncan Hunter, another career politician who is a solid conservative but you cannot base a whole campaign on bashing China.

All this comes down to what I am going to do in this campaign. As is now obvious, the mass national media has made its decision about my candidacy. I am not a career politician or billionaire, so I am not worthy to put before the American people as an alternative. I have to accept this because there is not much I can do about it; I don't have the fame or huge base of support that would move the major networks or media corporations to change their posture.

I will be fine but I worry for our nation. This is a nation that has always celebrated the individual. We have always protected individual rights and we have always rewarded individual initiative. This is a nation where hard work, integrity and perseverance pay off. There is no end to the success you may have in this country if you dedicate yourself to that effort. You don't need to be born into wealth, you have the opportunity to create wealth for yourself and others; that is why this country has been so successful.

We all have to keep fighting for progress in addressing our major challenges - we have a huge debt, we have government programs that will run out of money, we have a broken immigration system, our health care and education is too bureaucratic, too expensive and lacking in quality from a lack of competition. Of course, we also face the huge threat to our nation's survival from a threat outside our borders that is bloodthirsty and dedicated to our destruction.

What we need are true statesmen, not the career politicians out for money that we have in Washington today. Unfortunately, I am not convinced that any of this crop of mainstream candidates will take the bold steps necessary to lead these changes. I will continue to work and pray for that kind of leadership that our children deserve and this nation sorely needs in this time of testing.