AVERAGE JOE AMERICAN: The Joe Show #60

Sunday, February 3, 2008

The Joe Show #60

New this week on

Average Joe Radio

Episode Sixty:

Keep Em Covered by Bean and Bailey
courtesy of the Christian Comedy Podcast and Mike Williams

Permanent Pause by American Angel
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network

Every Minute of The Day by Nelson Bragg
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network

History Repeats by Josh Woodward
courtesy of the artist

Moving Backwards by Jeff Caylor
courtesy of the Podsafe Music Network

Still by Strangers In Wonderland
courtesy of the artist and the Podsafe Music Network

Undone by Tim Blane
courtesy of the artist and the Podsafe Music Network

I've been pretty vocal for the past several months about my support of Fred Thompson for the Republican Presidential nomination. Two weeks or so ago, Fred pulled out of the race, and I struggled with the decsion of where to put my support. In last week's show, I announced that I was now supporting Rudy Giuliani for the nomination. Three days later, he withdrew and endorsed Senator John McCain.

I am once again in the position of having to decide who to support for the Republican nomination for President. That decision gets harder each time I make it. Ron Paul is a no-brainer -- meaning that I'd have to have no brain to throw my support behind him. John McCain and Mitt Romney are the front runners, but I'm not completely sold on either of those.

McCain's a war hero, and he would certainly not pull us out of Iraq before the job is finished. That's a good thing, but I'm having a hard time thinking of any other good things about McCain in the White House.

Romney is a proven success at both business and government, and has experience as Commander In Chief of the Massachusetts National Guard. But for some reason I'm not completely sold on him, either.

And then there's Mike Huckabee -- a former Baptist Minister and former Governor of Arkansas. He's truly a conservative and presents himself well, but I don't think most Americans see it that way. I think many Americans, even those who say they want someone who believes in God, are afraid to have a Baptist Minister in the White House.

So where does a Conservative Christian like me throw his support? Not Ron Paul. Not John McCain. Not Mitt Romney. And not Mike Huckabee. Unless....

I was thinking today, and I think I know what kind of ticket I could get behind and support. I also think it's the only ticket that has a chance at this point of defeating John McCain for the nomination. I don't know how -- or why -- John McCain pulled out in front of the pack, but somehow he did, and now we have to figure out how to deal with it. And this is how.

Romney/Huckabee. I think if Huckabee would drop out of the race and endorse Romney, those Conservatives who are voting for Huckabee will give their vote to Romney. I can't think of a primary yet where McCain has beat Romney by more than Huckabee's percentage of the vote. And if Huckabee dropped out before Super Tuesday, and openly endorsed Romney, I think we might see one heck of a fight in the Super Tuesday primary states, and maybe -- just maybe -- Romney could pull it off.

Now, I'm not a big fan of Romney. He could probably do a decent job in the White House, but I don't feel comfortable just yet putting my support behind him. But I certainly don't think McCain is the right man for the job. And if Romney could pull it off, and offer the VP slot to Huckabee, we might just be able to make it through the next four years with a Republican in the White House.

But it has to happen quick. If Huckabee is still a candidate come Super Tuesday, I'm afraid that McCain will sweep the primaries and lock up the nomination before I even get a chance to vote in the Indiana primary on May 6. And if that happens, well, I'll just have to cast a symbolic vote for Fred Thompson.