Trent Lott: Sharp, savvy, and marketable

Believe it or not, the presidential election is sooner than most Americans believe, which means both parties are due to wrangle with the mix of diverse ideologies and positions that prospective candidates will campaign on. As for the Republican party, many names have surfaced as possible candidates: Lamar Alexander, Dan Quale, George Bush, Jr., and, yes, Newt Gingrich.

But, have we not forgotten a leader who has fought for conservative economic principles along with traditional family values? Maybe so. Trent Lott, Senate Majority Leader of the Congress can not be ignored. With an historical track record of battle, persistence, and achievement for the good of ordinary Americans, Lott portrays a professional aura of business before pleasure. Fighting for tax cuts, a cap on federal spending, and a no-compromise resolution to the infanticide of unborn Americans, Senator Lott might take the lead in the upcoming primaries in the near future if he declares his nomination bid and declares it with clear heart and soul.

Because he has a well-established record of negotiation patterns, he has the intelligence and savviness to lead a G.O.P. comeback to the White House. The last time Republicans controlled 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue was 1992. In order to recapture it, however, it will take a candidate who can bounce from the inevitable troughs, like a Bill Clinton, and maintain composure, direction, and most of all, optimism. If this stylistic devise can be executed as President Ronald W. Reagan did so frequently, the probability for such a Republican comeback rises substantially. If not, it's another four years for Democrats.

Yet, another ingredient to this objective for success is Lott's marketability. As a Southern lawmaker, my prediction is that the Deep South will be anything but hostile. It is almost a certainty that Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi (of course), Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas vote Republican. Various analysts also cite that the Wheat Belt and parts of the Industrial Midwest will continue their long-standing support for Republican Presidential nominees. As for the coasts, it's not certain. Much of my analysis, of course, depends on the state of the economy which I predict will ease up from the robust 3.8% growth of 1997 due to the Asian crisis and continued worry over corporate profits.

However, regardless of the infinite amount of variables at work in 2000, the Republican candidate must exhibit conspicuous examples of sharpness, savviness, and marketability in order to convince Americans that the Democratic ideology is not worthy of incumbancy. There are few doubts that it can be done, but much will rest upon intra-political party fights and squabbles during those all-important and most relevant primaries.