May 5, 2011

 
     What if the Republicans held the season's first debate for presidential wannabees and hardly anyone came?  It's happening today in Greenville, South Carolina.
 
     Just for comparison, the GOP held a similar debate four years ago this week.  Ten candidates showed up--four former governors, two sitting senators, and so on. Today's debate has drawn just five possibles.  The only one most of us have heard of is former Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty.  The others include former Godfather's Pizza executive Herman Cain, former Senator Rick Santorum, and libertarians Representative Ron Paul (Texas) and former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson.  (Who?)
 
     Not there?  Well, former, Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich...I could go on.
 
     Why?  Well, it's early, of course;  those Iowa caucuses are still, what, nine months away.  But of course that's never stopped anyone before.  Has the attack on bin Laden has made Obama unbeatable?  No,I'll guarantee that's not so;  he could still blunder and lose.
 
     I don't know what it is, really.  I'm tempted to sum it up in one simple line:  count your blessings.