Iowa Countdown

In about 72 hours, the pundits will be dissecting the Iowa caucus and searching for this year's memorable moment. I'm hoping that moment will be a Romney concession speech.

Tonight I think it reasonable to close out the year by listing the things I feel are important in a candidate:

• Honesty - let's face it ... we have gotten so used to dishonesty on the part of our elected officials that we don't even get all that upset about it. We often accept the half-truths because it is easier not to ask the hard questions.


• Integrity - you might think this is the same as the point above, but I define it differently. I want a candidate who has the integrity to stand or fall based on who he/she really is and what he/she really believes.


• Consistency - I want a candidate that doesn't change his/her position based on the group being addressed. I want a candidate who is willing to take some flack for his/her belief.


• Values - I want a candidate I can believe in. I want a candidate to inspires me and makes me feel that our best days are yet to come. I want a candidate who values all the people, not just those who have the deepest pockets or wield the most power.


• Faith - while I do not apply a religious litmus test to a candidate, I expect that a candidate who claims faith demonstrate that faith. I want to see more than lip service.

Of the candidates running for office, is there anyone who meets the test raised by these points? You bet there is! And if we all work to get out the vote, Mike Huckabee will win the Iowa caucuses, place strongly in NH and move on to sweep SC. This isn't a pipe dream ... it can happen. We can make it happen if we stand up in Iowa and tell Mitt and Fred that we don't want their brand of politics!