Republican 2012 Presidential Nominee

Fox News reports that Mitt Romney won the 2012 GOP presidential straw poll at the Southern Republican Leadership Conference. He barely edged out Rep. Ron Paul.

I wish Ron Paul would have won the nomination in 2008. In my opinion, he will be too old to run for President in 2012.

I think Romney would make a good presidential nominee, although I would prefer a Christian. Besides his Mormon religion, Romney's other big problem in winning the nomniation is the socialization of health care in Massachusettes under his leadership as governor. Obama-care and health care reform in Massachusettes are very similar. The big difference is that regulation of medical care is traditionally and constitutionally the function of the states, and not the federal government. Although health care reform in Massachusettes has been a disaster with cost overruns and physician shortages, if he takes the appropriate steps Romney should be able to minimize the resulting damage to his candidacy. My humble recommendation to Romney would be to give a series of speeches in which he 1) defends states rights and 2) promises to roll back Obama-care if elected President.

I will be supporting my governor, Haley Barbour, if he decides to run for President. He served Mississippi well in the aftermath of Hurrican Katrina. At the Southern Republican Leadership Conference, he stated that the policies of President Obama and other Democrats are a "man-made disaster."