Tilley: Ticket Punching

Michael Tilley with our content partner, The City Wire, uses his weekly column to express his concerns regarding the already crowded GOP Presidential field and next year’s top of the ticket election.

The gaggle of Republicans hoping to get their chance to redecorate the Oval Office in early 2013 participated Thursday in what these days passes for a debate.

Not willing to limit themselves to attacking the easy target that is President Obama, the GOP candidates attacked each other and, probably in a hope to gain some real points with voters, attacked a couple of the media panelists.

There was briefly a temptation to predict that the GOP slate of candidates — including johnny-come-lately-pretty-boy Rick Perry — doesn’t have a chance. But the GOP nominee will face a President who has proven so feckless on domestic and foreign affairs that his indirect killing of Bin Laden is not likely to keep him from being a one-termer.

Also, it is unlikely the economy will get a head of steam between now and November 2012. Even more unlikely is any scenario in which Congress behaves in an altruistic and responsible manner that restores fiscal sanity to the nation’s finances. Therefore, folks on Wall Street and Main Street will remain nervous, because they realize that each time Congress shoots itself in the foot, the bullet often ricochets off the marble halls of government and kills another percentage point or two of GDP.

To be sure, there is political blood in the water.

Tilley assesses the GOP Presidential field and even has a pointer or two for Obama, but his early conclusion is that practicality and pragmatism are pretty much lost on Presidential politics these days. Read more at this link.