Republicans: We Can't Blow 2012, But We Can't Mess Up 2013 Either

Here's a consideration for 2012. What if the Republican candidate wins?

Mind you, I don't find that especially likely. Certainly, a Republican win with the right candidate is achievable. Viewed from this far out, President Obama certainly appears to be politically vulnerable, but lot can (and will) happen between this day and that.

But what if we win?

Here's my thought:

How often have Republicans had George W. Bush thrown in our faces as the be-all and end-all of the Republican Party? He's a real man, with good points and bad points, successes and failures. He's not perfect, and his two terms in office were not, from a conservative perspective, by any means perfect.

And yet Bush, with every right or wrong step, is often portrayed as exactly what the GOP stands for.

I, for one, don't always appreciate that. The Republican Party is more than just one man; even more than just one president. Still, I suppose the effect is inevitable. We certainly do our best to reduce our opponents to their worst, even when that's their last three or four presidents.

My conclusion, though, is simply this: As we go through the primary process, we should be thinking not only of who will be represent our party as a candidate, but also who will best represent our party, if victorious, as President.