There are always more qualified people looking to do whatever it is a person wants to excel at. It’s only a matter of determination moves anybody forward. Extreme dedication leads to being ranked among the best unless, you involve yourself in politics.

Here you’re not required to be the best. You must be the most prominent and easily recognizable because you have a gimmick preceding you into the political arena. Eisenhower was a war hero. Kennedy was too. Where the one commanded the allied armies, the other survived one major action while in his day to day operations, was no more heroic than his peers. It’s the subjective perception of the man and the Madison Avenue intellect pushes any candidacy forward. For Eisenhower the gimmick was Reputation; for Kennedy it was Public Relations.

Up until recently the GOP candidates racing to confront Barack Obama observed Ronald Reagan’s Eleventh Commandment: ‘THOU SHALT NOT SPEAK ILL OF OTHER REPUBLICANS’. This commandment tried maintaining the solidarity of the core elements of the party line and the elements of the corps in their efforts to address the alleged infamy of the opposition. But it’s falling apart as the “front runners” and “butt draggers” pummel each other in debate after debate. They seek proof their interpretation of the ideological dog poop seen on the opposition’s shoes is somehow worse than that found on theirs.

Debating the enemy was developed by the press in the 1960 election between John Kennedy and Richard Nixon; The Good looking versus the Bad and the Ugly. Now, one attractive candidate attacks the other attractive candidate while trying to show how disingenuous, misdirected, naïve or outright stupid the other is in their stand on the issues. This isn’t so much a campaign for discovery as it is a discovery of the ignominious elements of another candidate’s past, present or future gaffs and how some will try profiting from it. More efforts are made to broadcast this campaign horse spit (sic) while never realizing they’re doing irreparable damage to their party and its members.

There are too many people running for top billing on the GOP ticket. They’ve crawled out from the shadows like roaches insinuating themselves into the spotlight. It takes an SPF (sun protection factor) of 100 to keep some of these people on the dais. Others don’t have strong press alliances and poll standings necessary to gain a podium so they can address innovative ideas.

What we have to choose from is a laundry list of past candidacies placed beside newer ones. It’s like walking through an art gallery. Where the newer candidates appear to have vibrant colors and the strong attraction of new oil paintings; their opponents carry the washed and pastel watercolors creating an entirely different background to get the audience involved.

Romney, Paul, Gingrich; all share the textured tones of past, well-worn candidacies and presence in their personal spotlights. The understanding their new work is painted over an older, less appreciated painting to save the cost of the new canvas could be more valuable than the latest effort. There have been lousy subjects and masterpieces painted over because the artist wanted to hide what he/she saw as errors. The history of a candidate can be telling and compelling.

Because of this, some see them as being washed out when placed against the bold new canvases being worked by Bachmann, Cain, Santorum, Huntsman and Perry. These “artisans” are shifting their tones and making minor brush strokes count while trying like the dickens to get the subject matter right. They fail to see slinging paint clots onto the other guy’s canvas does nothing to address the poor quality artwork being mass produced by the opposition in the other party. It’s all distracting.

Few people will believe the act of joining hands after the mud-slinging is done will cause everybody to come together in unified love, joy and happiness. How did the spit (sic) head you cussed last week become the best, blessed hope for the American people this week, after you’ve lost?

And people wonder why politicians list lower than used car salesmen on the integrity scale.

Thanks for listening.