The GOP Doesn't Need a Presumptive Nominee...Again

For some odd reason the GOP has a habit of nominating for president whoever's "next". That's how we ended up with Bob Dole in '96 and John McCain in '08. Melissa Clouthier has a good piece on Facebook encouraging GOP voters to avoid that trap again:

After George W. Bush left office, the presumptive nominee was John McCain. McCain was a relatively weak candidate but he had suffered a humiliating loss to Bush, and he was consoled with the notion that he'd get the backing of the Republican establishment this time.

Once McCain got the nomination and lost, who was second and who stepped back and waited his turn? Mitt Romney.

So now, Mitt Romney quietly raises money. He helps guys like Scott Brown get elected behind the scenes. He tries to avoid too many specific questions about the health care situation in Massachusetts.

And here comes CPAC. He's won the Straw Poll how many times?

Here's the thing: If Romney lost to a guy like McCain, what makes anyone think that he has what Americans want in their president this time around?

The Republican Party needs to stop king making. They need to stop throwing their resources behind the guy who has "waited his turn" and start looking for the nominee who is right--both literally and figuratively.

There should be no assumptions when it comes to who should be leading. The establishment folks have consistently screwed up in both message and messenger.

The Republican Party needs new blood. The people who watch, need to keep an open mind.

2012 isn't around the corner but the politicians are laying the groundwork now. Hopefully, no one is presuming the mantle. Our next president needs to earn the presidency the hard way and prove he or she has what it takes to lead the country.

Exactly.

I tend to think that the availability of other means of communication, such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs, will tend to keep the establishment GOP from simply anointing whomever they want. The voters and the grassroots activists will have a lot more to say about things in 2012.