My Presidential Crystal Ball

This interesting piece from the Boston Globe titled "What Is the Future for Mitt Romney?" got me thinking.

I find that, as of today, I'm leaning toward wanting Obama to win this fall. I really don't like McCain, and I really don't want to see him as president. And after eight years of Bush—with the country going the wrong direction with the Iraq war and the national debt and many other problems—it's the Democrats' turn for the presidency again. I think Clinton was a better president than either Bush was, and I like having the two parties take turns at least every eight years.

However, I don't want a Democrat president and a Democrat congress at the same time, and I suppose that's what would happen this fall, so maybe I don't want Obama, unless it would mean that the Republicans could start retaking congress soon—but that would still give the Democrats at least two full years of too much control.

Anyway, what I'm moving toward is this: I might like to see a Romney-Palin ticket in 2012 or 2016. I wonder what kind of political chemistry the two of them could generate together. I know Palin is still relatively untried and her bubble might burst, but if she stays in the game, I'd like to see her paired politically with Romney at some point. I'm somewhat attracted to the idea of a strong, charismatic female leader for a change.

If McCain-Palin wins this fall, I think Romney is finished as far as future presidential politics. John and Sarah would run the country for four or eight years, and then for sure the Democrats would get four or eight years, and by then I think Mitt would have expired as a viable candidate. (And anyway, I tend to agree with the Boston Globe columnist that Mitt's religion may never allow him to really soar in national politics—but I can't help but hope he keeps trying, as it's just so interesting to have a fellow Mormon involved in top-level national politics.)

Right now, it feels like McCain-Palin has the momentum, and part of me likes that because I find Palin somewhat refreshing (for now) and I'm a little uncomfortable with some aspects of Democrat philosophy (like higher taxes and more permissive morals), but a slightly larger part of me hopes that Obama (and whoever he's running with—has he announced his V.P. yet?) can pull something together in the next two months and keep the scales balanced, at least at the level of U.S. presidents.

(I'm only kidding about Obama's V.P. I know it's Bowden or Bidet or something like that.)