There are only three names to consider. One of them, Rick Santorum, has based his entire platform on angry, looney tunes, over the edge right wing ideas on both social issues as well as the economy. He's had little to say about foreign affairs. Maybe State is one of the federal departments he'd shut down. He has been undisciplined as a candidate and hasn't even done a good job of managing his campaign staff. No way I could draw myself to put an X next to his name for the presidency of the United States.

As I've said before, I have been disappointed in President Obama's leadership. Some of his accomplishments have been laudable, but on balance the manner and pace with which he has accomplished things has been too liberal and too slow for me. Most importantly, he has shown no ability to push or lead the Congress towards any kind of workable government. I said when I voted for him in 2008 that if he didn't work out, he wouldn't get my vote in 2012. That's where I'm at. I don't hate him like many here. I don't want him to fail. I think he's an extremely smart, well meaning, but liberal president, who has shown little ability to lead, either the government or the country. It's time for a change.

Is Mitt Romney the answer? He did a marvelous job creating and running Bain Capital. He clearly understands economics. He demonstrated an ability to work effectively with the opposite party while governor of Massachusetts. His intelligence and morality is unquestioned. Whether he has any ability in the area of foreign affairs or the military is an open question, although the U.S. is likely to find itself with a dangerous worsening of the situation in the Middle East, even before inauguration day in 2013.

I would hope...and it's only hope...that Mitt Romney could provide some leadership to what is now a totally ineffective, broken government. I hope he is smart and thoughtful enough to confront problems in the arera of foreign affairs that almost certainly will confront him on the day he takes office, if he is elected.

I only hope that whichever candidate is elected doesn't cause me to reach the same sad conclusion announced by Senator Olympia Snow today. She's quitting the Senate. She's giving up. She sees no hope that the Senate or the Congress can ever effectively govern this country.

I'll give Mitt Romney my vote, although I doubt that he can be elected. His party is too fractured for him to effectively mount a winning campaign. I just hope I don't reach the same conclusion as Senator Snow did today.