On Romney...

You know what I think?

He spends far too much time PANDERING.

If he is doing it to "appeal" to the average American, then he is wasting his time and squandering his opportunity to gain ground and momentum across his voting base. If he's doing it to appeal to moderates, then he's making himself look an awfully lot like Hillary.

Say what you will about Paul and Giuliani and McCain, but they do far less pandering than Romney does. They just don't have the charisma that Mitt has.

If I had to back a GOP candidate, it would still be Thompson. I really liked what he said in regards to the economy last week, he is as plain-spoken and clear on defense and national security as you could hope, and he is the ONLY candidate that has openly stated that blanket tax cuts are NOT the answer, but that comprehensive tax reform IS. His "fair tax" answers are the closest thing I can see to a viable, implementable answer to how best to keep money in the public's pocket AND keep a functional flow of needed revenue coming into the Federal coffers. He hasn't (to my knowledge) said he wouldn't push to make the Bush tax-cuts permanent... but it isn't a position he is basing a large portion of his platform on, either. Bush's tax cuts are not going to square off with his "fair tax" plan, after all... if he wins.

THAT'S the problem... I just don't think Thompson has the personality and charisma to win a general election... let alone the primary. He isn't the "best looking" of the bunch, by a long shot. What he does have is face recognition... something he shares with Giuliani. Thompson is "religious" enough for most moderate Americans, without spouting his theological accomplishments the way Huckabee has done, and Romney has been forced to do. He has no history of "flip-flopping", which neither Huckabee nor Romney can say... and no compromise or cross-isle positions like Giuliani has (i.e. abortion).

Again, I think Thompson is missing an opportunity by NOT selling himself as a plain-speaking, right-minded, middle-of-the-road candidate. His background and demeanor tells America he is "one of them", after all. No one looks at Fred and thinks multi-multi-millionaire, do they? They think "guy next door", for God's sake. No one thinks that of Clinton or Romney.

I'm beginning to wonder how best I am going to serve MY interests come the PA primary. As a registered Democrat, I have the opportunity to cast a vote for the Democratic candidate I feel would best represent my interests as President... but I am increasingly unable to consider voting for either Clinton or Obama (the obvious front-runners). I have the opportunity to "write in" a candidate, and PA law makes those write-in votes binding to electors and delegates (if enough are cast), but I know that would be about the same as not voting at all. However, knowing what I know now about the election process, and especially the PRIMARY process, that isn't always a bad thing... because PA bases delegate assignment on percentage of votes gained... not by number of votes gained. Something for me to think about, but not like it is going to decide the issue here in NEPA.