An End To Barbourism

Haley Barbour, currently serving the last year of his second term as governor of Mississippi, announced that he would not run for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination. The 63-year-old Barbour cited his uneasiness with possibly spending the next ten years of his life running for and being President as too much energy for him to devote, but I think that the biggest reason for his non-candidacy is his baggage. First, he comes from Mississippi, a state known for its racist past and its racist present. Secondly, Barbour is a former Washington lobbyist, and lobbyists aren't very popular with Americans these days. Thirdly, for a smart guy, Barbour has said some stupid things, like when he accused President Obama of encouraging rising gasoline prices to encourage more use of public transit and the sales of smaller cars. Hah, I only wish Obama were that clever and devious!

Barbour's exit from the Republican presidential field makes it easier for Mitt Romney, the one Republican with a realistic chance of defeating Obama, to gain the GOP nomination. But with less serious candidates - this month, it's Donald Trump - sucking up the oxygen, the Republicans could be gasping for air indeed when ol' November says howdy-do late next year.

Mississippi has never produced a President of the United Staes, but it did produce the President of the Confederate States - Jefferson Davis. Yeah, how did that turn out?