Republicans struggling to find leadership

June 28, 12:33 PMPolitical Buzz ExaminerRyan Witt

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Sarah Palin and the rest of the field are failing to distinguish themselves.  AP Photo/File

 An interesting poll done by USA Today/Gallup and reported by CNN reveals that 47 percent of republicans and republican-leaning independents could not identify a spokesperson for the republican party.  This can hardly be a surprise the names which pop into the average American's head when you think "republican" are not really viable candidates for leadership at this point.

To survey a few of the bigger names, Mark Sanford may have been a leader based on his ability to portray himself as cost-cutting conservative but all that is now down the drain given his recent admissions.  Sarah Palin has a real appeal to the conservative base but as long as she continues to focus on issues relating to her family instead of more weighty issues such as Iran the American public will fail to take her serious as a policy-maker.  Other leaders like Gingrich and Cheney have already presumably reached their political peak and now are simply playing substitute teacher and speaking for a party that otherwise lacks a real voice.  Mitt Romney was picked as the 2012 front runner by a survey of conservatives but in this blogger's opinion Romney's Mormon background will forever keep him from gaining national prominence within the GOP.  In Massachusetts voters do not really care about one's religious denomination but right or wrong a lot the Southern Baptists GOP voters in the South simply will not vote for Mormon.

So then what does the future hold for the GOP?  Power voids do not last incredibly wrong in politics so I am sure someone will fill the spot for the republicans.  The issue right now is that the power in the party is held by a mix and match of talk show hosts, headline grabbing governors, and a former Vice President who wants to defend the past.  Such leadership is not the makings of a winning elections.  The GOP needs young leadership who is not defined or constrained by people like Rush Limbaugh but instead is able to take more moderate views that appeal to a larger base.  Only then can the party start to gain more power.

For more information on GOP candidates for 2012 read the following.