John Burris: God Must Love Republican Primaries

The field of candidates for the Republican Party Presidential nomination keeps getting bigger. It keeps getting better too. Improvement was certain, as Senator Ted Cruz was the first to announce. Ben Carson could have beaten him to setting the bar.

The large group of contenders will only get larger. That’s good for Republicans and good for the country. 2016 should be a conservative year, with some level of competing messages and personalities. Republicans will have options.

That’s because our bench is finally growing up, in the political sense. The Obama years have given us Walker, Rubio, Sandoval, and others, just like the Bush years gave us McCaskill, Franken, and Obama.

The Clinton years gave us another Clinton, along with a Clinton Foundation. It did give Little Rock a library, which is certainly worth appreciating.

At this point in the race, it’s foolish to make many predictions. Hundreds of events, fundraisers, and gaffes stand between the present and the final decision of the future.

Still, candidate experiences and personalities are worthy of discussion. Those won’t change, which is always unfortunate for some.

Governor Scott Walker and Senator Marco Rubio are two of the most promising. I lump them together because of age and geography, but also because of talent. Both are young, articulate, and come from critical electoral states.

Both have strengths. Walker has very carefully positioned himself as the boldest of the bold. Rubio has broader experience, but also a politically helpful biography and background.

Both have weaknesses. Walker handled the debate over Medicaid expansion in a politically expedient way. The end result added 250,000 citizens to federally subsidized healthcare, but allowed him to say he technically refused Medicaid expansion dollars. It was all semantics – not true problem solving – and he has the most riding on the Supreme Court ruling on King vs. Burwell.

Rubio has not shone as brightly in the Senate as some expected. He risked boldness on immigration reform, but retreated fast. He probably could have engaged in more debates on serious topics.

If forced to choose, Walker and Rubio would top my ballot today. That’s not because there aren’t other good ones.

Jeb Bush is easy to respect. He shows some level of depth, both politically and personally. He met his Hispanic wife, Columba, while living in Mexico, an even that shapes many of his current views. He’s gone against the overly simple political logic on issues like Common Core and immigration. Even if his position is wrong, you know he didn’t arrive there by following the path of least resistance. That alone is refreshing in a cycle where the lowest common denominator is chosen too often.

If there is Bush fatigue, Jeb might not be the first victim. It could be Rick Perry, the strutting former Texas governor with an almost manufactured drawl. Most could get dejavu. Otherwise, Perry is impressive. Any baggage from his previous Presidential run or his previous governor shouldn’t hold him back.

Governor John Kasich will announce soon. He’s likely the most qualified, by resume and accomplishment. But personality matters too. His would be brashest of all, were it not for Gov. Chris Christie.

There are many others, Gov. Mike Huckabee and Sen. Rand Paul being the most formidable. Both have unique appeals, coupled with unique flaws. Regardless of the outcome, they’ll add flavor to process.

We’re less than seven months from the Iowa Caucus, the first real ballot in the 2016 Presidential election. Mentally, it all seems so far away. Realistically, it’s not that far away at all.

More candidates will join in the near future, after completing the required prayer, talking to supporters, and visiting with family members. With ten announced Republican candidates and more on the way, there are only two safe bets at this point.

First, we’ll have a chance to nominate a serious contender for the White House.

Secondly, God must love Republican primaries. He hasn’t told any of them not to run yet, at least not according to them. Maybe people run for different reasons, not just the ones they say publicly.

Regardless, conservatives will have plenty of choices, and primaries are good.

I just hope I like the outcome.