To start out, I really like Jon Huntsman, he is my kind of candidate. He radiates of a radiant energy that you don't see in the other candidates. You would enjoy having a drink or dinner with this guy (and especially his daughters). He's just likable to most people, except for the Tea Party types, who want red meat.

Governor Huntsman has a wealth of experience the others do not. He has run a business, has been an ambassador, has worked for President's and was himself the successful governor of a state and has the needed executive experience. He would be ready to take over from day one.

He's served under both President Reagan and the Bushes. He also seems to share the sunny disposition of former President Reagan. It is funny how the Tea Party types love to talk about Reagan, but they never really seem to know what he stood for. Heck, Reagan would probably not be welcome in today's Republican Party with his views.

Huntsman has many conservative views which should be looked on highly be the right, but they are not. The governor has been shown to be a strong fiscal conservative and has many strong social conservative leanings as well. He seemed to believe there was man-made global warming (wake up Republicans, there is so much proof that it exists, find a way to make a buck off of it instead of complaining and listening to that drug-popping idiot Limbaugh) and believes in evolution. I guess to some, that discredits him. Well, even many Christians believe in a form of evolution, even if you want to call it intelligent design. The point is, religion should not dictate everything. I am a Catholic, does that mean that I am only going to vote for Catholics, absolutely not?

Huntsman has tried to appeal to the center and the left (what remains of it) in the party. It may play well for him in New Hampshire. Regardless, his views are not really left, it is that he doesn't take the angry tone of a Gingrich or others. He sees hope and optimism in the future of our country. Isn't that what we tend to like on our leaders.

I realize that he will probably not get the nomination, unless things change overnight. That being said, I think he is the best candidate the Republicans could put forward.

Okay, throughout the Republican Presidential nomination, there has been a strong anyone but Romney faction. They have been looking at the other candidates and seem to rally behind them for a bit then leave them.

Tim Pawlently bowed out early. Michelle Bachman was the "It Girl" for a bit, but then people actually listened to the crazy things coming out of her mouth and left in droves. Then it was Rick Perry to the rescue, but his debate performances were horrible, and they didn't like his position on illegal immigration. Then came Herman Cain, but he seemed to have no real interest in foreign policy and had a few ladies accuse him of behavior that was not appropriate...okay maybe it is appropriate for Democrats, but not Republicans. Then Newt Gingrich debate performaces were paid attention to, and he rose in the polls.

Regardless, why would anyone support him? He would not only lose a national election, but lose in a landslide. First to the nutty right-wing of the base, he is a Washington insider. That doesn't bother me, but it bothers many others. Second, he worked with Democrats on health care reform and climate change reform, and spoke against the Ryan Plan (three things that I actually liked him doing), but then changed his positions to appeal to the far-right wing of the base, since they are the ones who always seem to dominate the primaries.

Also, he should be a pariah to the social conservatives of the party. He has been divorced twice and was known to have affairs. Hell, he got one of his divorces when his wife was suffering from cancer. That will not play well in the heartland or anywhere else for that matter.

Newt has been called the smartest man in the room. I may agree with that statement, but he would still get crushed. The Republicans need to rally around Romney or Huntsman. Both could win, but Romney has a better chance at the nomination. If Romney wins, he should take Gingrich as his Chief of Staff.

Basically my party needs to decide if they want idealogical purity, or to win elections. I am not sure which direction they will choose, but they really need to make some changes and make them fast before they are a regional party of the South and parts of the Mountain West.

If you were to ask any American who their favorite President is, they would probably give you the popular choices of Washington, Jefferson, one of the Roosevelt's, Kennedy, Reagan, Clinton or maybe even Obama, but you would never hear my favorite roll from their tongue.

As a college instructor, my choice is even stranger. Most in my field would pick Roosevelt or Clinton, but I choose Mr. Unpopularity himself, President Richard Nixon.

Why do I choose such an unpopular man as my favorite president, the answer is simple, results. If you look at his successes, Richard Nixon should go down as one of the greatest Presidents in history. There was just that little Watergate thing, a third rate burglary that he should have apologized for and moved on.

But moving past that, we should look at his successes. At home, it was under Nixon that the schools in the south were finally desegrated. Nixon created the EPA and gave us the Clean Water Act and the Clean Air Act. He was truly the environmental president at a time when there were many Republican Environmentalists who didn't only live in New England. He created OSHA. He helped bring about a positive version of Affirmative Action, not quotas, but actualy affirmative action.

His foreign policy successes were even better. Although he had perhaps the finest foreign policy mind of any president of the past 100 years, he also had the greatest mind in foreign policy guiding him. While many hate him, no one can doubt the genius of Henry Kissinger. Kissinger helped Nixon formulate many policies that are just genius. We all remember Nixon opening China to America. What other President could have done that. He had been an active campaigner against communism his whole career. If McGovern had tried it, he would have been seen as soft on communism. He introduced the policy of detente with the Soviet Union and you saw the reduction of nuclear missiles. He was a strong advocate for Israel and helped bring about a solution to the mess between Pakistan and India, for the time being. He helped bring about the end of the quagmire known as the Vietnam War.

One of my favorite pictures of Nixon is doing Laugh In saying "Sock it To Me." He was out of his element, but it was funny. I also love the picture with Elvis, since again he looks so funny.

Nixon's problem was that he didn't think anyone could like him, or at least that is how it appeared. It shouldn't have mattered. The man was a genius. He lied to cover up for others according to Ben Stein, not to protect himself.

I don't pretend he was perfect, but Clinton fans don't admit he was perfect either. Clinton seemed to see the genius of Nixon and even gave a eulogy for him at his funeral.

I hope that history will be m