George Will wrong about GOP's presidential field, House whip says (video)
| Washington
House majority whip Kevin McCarthy (R) of California disagrees with the highly negative view conservative columnist George Will holds of the 2012 Republican presidential selection process so far.
At a Monitor-sponsored breakfast for reporters, Congressman McCarthy was asked about a recent column in which Mr. Will argued that the 鈥淩epublican winnowing process is far advanced. But the nominee may emerge much diminished by involvement in a process cluttered with careless, delusional, egomaniacal, spotlight-chasing candidates to whom the sensible American majority would never entrust a lemonade stand, much less nuclear weapons.鈥�
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To support his negative comments, the widely-read Will cited remarks by Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor, saying President Obama was influenced by the 鈥淢au Mau revolution in Kenya.鈥� He also singled out a comment by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich that Obama could only be understood 鈥渋f you understand Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior.鈥�
After first noting that 鈥淚 love George Will,鈥� McCarthy said, 鈥淚 think Republicans are in a good place.鈥� He argued that 鈥測ou are having a deck clearing鈥� in the party after John McCain鈥檚 2008 White House run. In 2012, 鈥淚t is not somebody who has been around for so long, it is their chance, their turn,鈥� McCarthy said.
McCarthy鈥檚 theory is that, 鈥淎 longer primary is going to be better for Republicans. A primary based upon ideas is going to be better for Republicans.鈥� The fast rising Congressional leader said, 鈥淚 want to make sure we have the big debate to fill鈥� the presidential candidate鈥檚 position. 鈥淚 do not want to have a place where a primary collapses really fast.鈥�
There currently are no major declared Republican presidential candidates although the list of potential contenders is long. Lydia Saad of the Gallup organization wrote on March 7 that in Gallup polling since 1952, 鈥淩epublican Party nomination races always featured a clear front-runner at this stage of the campaign, and in almost all cases, that front-runner ultimately won the nomination.鈥�
By contrast, Gallup says that this year there is nearly a three-way tie among the GOP's top unofficial contenders: Mike Huckabee, Sarah Palin, and Mitt Romney.
