today is anything but super.

Looking ahead at today's tsunami of delegates (410 to be exact) that will be mopped up by the top republican candidates, I can't help but feel sad at what the near future of the republican party holds. If the only options for the republican presidential nominee are the current panel of candidates, I believe the GOP is facing certain doom in the fall.

As Super Tuesday voting starts today in ten states, I reflect back on the panel of candidates we have for the republican primary. I can't see one particular candidate as being very presidential, which, I will admit, is a trait that everyone has to define in their own minds. Someone being presidential in one person's mind doesn't mean that person is presidential in another's. I view it as the undefined characteristic. There is no measuring stick or barometer for how "presidential" a person is. It's one of those things, I suppose you'll know it when you see it. It's essentially what the Romans called gravitas. It encompasses a certain feeling that you sense from a person, a seriousness and sense of dignity. I suppose it's what I would define as "presidential", and I don't see that gravitas in any of the current candidates.

Which is why, part of me hopes that the race will be close all the way to the convention, and that a "dark horse" emerges, much like Polk, Harding, or Lincoln, and picks up the votes. The only person I can think of, the only person, that can enter the game this late, still pick up the republican nomination, and have a shot against the democrats in the fall, is Colin Powell. He would not only energize the party, but running him against President Obama will actually take race out of the picture for either side, leaving them to focus more on the issues itself. Of course, he has said repeatedly that he's not interested in pursuing that.

Now, I know I may offend certain people here with a politically-charged post, but hear me out. I'm not saying I'm unhappy with Obama, or that he needs to step down, but I simply agree with the republicans more on issues. In the interest of full-disclosure, I have to admit that I have been a republican for most of my life. I would characterize myself as a moderate, not because I tend to steer myself away from activism and controversy, but because I am swayed by the merits of individual issues, sometimes falling on the right, and sometimes falling on the left. I view myself as a conservative on most issues, and progressive on a few.

Right now, there doesn't seem to be much to be excited about for Super Tuesday. It seems like we're just picking the guy we dislike the least. I wish there were a better option, or one that speaks to my issues more, but there isn't one. All of these guys have the right qualifications, but none have that presidential feel, that gravitas. For now I'll just watch and see what happens, hopefully someone will step out of the shadows and lead.