Romney proving he has right stuff

The first presidential debate among the Republican hopefuls made me an even bigger believer in Mitt Romney.

The former Massachusetts governor outshined all the other candidates with apparent ease. He came across as presidential — that intangible quality the American voter looks for, though can’t define in simple terms.

Romney did not stumble over his words like the other GOP frontrunners. Rudy Giuliani’s opening remarks sounded like he had not spent one minute preparing while Sen. John McCain’s stuttering was likely due to him trying too hard.

In fact, the big mistake most of the candidates made was that they came across as a bit too eager, too desperate to win over the American people.

Romney had complete command of the issues, didn’t break a sweat when asked the tough questions about his apparent flip-flopping, and convinced me that he’s got at least the demeanor and charisma to be president.

The debate was held at the Ronald Reagan Library and almost every candidate mentioned the late president’s optimism in their responses. They said that optimism should be an essential quality for our next president.

With a war in Iraq that our nation might not be losing, but definitely isn’t winning, and our nation’s place in the world on the line with the outcome of that conflict, Americans are not feeling all that confident about the future.

Just like Reagan returned our pride in being American, we need our next president to boost our spirits and show the world that we are not just a super power but a true global leader.

Romney’s charisma clearly stole the show Thursday night and I felt better about being an American just listening to his responses.

McCain gave it his best shot with emphatic hand gestures and bold words, reminding me of his last presidential bid eight years ago.

But it was clear that he had lost his edge and that his best stumping couldn’t compare to Romney’s.

However, I can envision Romney winning the GOP nomination and picking McCain as his VP. That would be a ticket that would boost the sinking spirits of Republicans everywhere and give the Dems a true race for the White House.

Giuliani was flat, plain and simple. It seemed like every time he responded to a question he reminded everyone that he was mayor of New York City on 9-11. I respect that fact, but I did tire of hearing it over and over. I was left wondering if he had any other credentials making him worthy of the presidency.

Besides Romney, there was one other candidate who I was impressed with — Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

I was impressed that he was one of only three candidates to say he did not believe in evolution. The moderator asked for a show of hands among the 10 candidates to see who sided with Darwin and who didn’t. From what I could tell, Huckabee was the only candidate to not only raise his hand but say out loud he did not believe in Darwin’s theory.

I’m certain that among the 10 Republicans on the stage Thursday night that there were more than three who oppose Darwin.

Many will say that Huckabee is nuts for saying such a thing, but I was impressed with his honesty. To me, he's got guts.

Huckabee answered questions with a confidence similar to Romney’s and I was left thinking that the Arkansan is another viable VP.

But will the GOP’s best have what it takes to defeat the Dems at a time when the Republican Party is paying the price for an unpopular president and divisive war?

I’m not sure, but Thursday’s debate did make me feel like the Republicans, with Romney as their presidential candidate, have a much better chance than I earlier thought.

I have said that when faced with the possibility of losing the White House, Republicans will find a way to support Romney, despite any problems they have with his LDS background.

There were a couple of references during the debate to Romney being Mormon but it was definitely a non-issue.

And I think as election day nears, Romney will be increasingly judged solely on what he can do for our nation.

Those Republicans who do not like the fact he’s LDS will have a tough time denying that he’s the best person for the job.

But the road Romney has ahead of him is far from easy. Winning the White House in the current political climate will definitely be the greatest challenge of his career.

The race is still probably the Dems’ to lose.