That would be ideal..unfortunately, and as you say, Is there one available...and that according to "intellectual" requirments some look for? Nope not one...because how people see intelligence and the other tinsel around a candidate will vary.
Further, outside of Palin, I do not see a Candidate with the popularity to hold the lead over Obama or Hitlary, in view. The popular vote carries some weight if for no reason than exciting the public...who are easily excitable. Romney sure won't, he had his chance and people will simply see him as a re-tread and part of the good ol' boys club who changes with the wind..... and they sure don't want those connected with former runners or hard ties to Washington...People want their country back and they will gravitate to those who seem most agreeable and capable to associate with them, and do that job.
On the other hand there are those who do look for strong conservative qualities, who can do as you say...but the general public no longer votes according to what we see as significant. BO did not appoint himself to Office...idiots with no clue about politics or government operations voted for Him because he was "liked".......Bo was charming, a big talker, and told them what they wanted to hear...not who he was and is. So the majority voted for a looser.
The hardest thing I've had to settle within myself...is who can beat the opponets....who will gather a strong team around them with similar values of the people, perhaps even stronger and wiser than they are....In my book, and thus far, Palin is the only one who can fill that and get our good people in the positions we need them in.
Well, I can agree to alot of what you said. But I would argue this. President Bush was a good man. And really, he was excellent on the stump (though debates, not so much - but neither were his stiff opponents). Had he championed Reaganism, not the hodgepodge of compassionate conservatism, he would have wiped Algore off the map. And if he had governed as a rock-ribbed conservative, the dems would have been as out of ammo in 2004 as they were in 1984, and Lurch would have been landslided out of town.
My point is that real, genuine, articulated conservatism sells. Yes, you need a good messenger, but even more importantly, you need a trusted messenger.
Palin may run, she may win the nomination too. I’ll support her if she does. But for craps sake, the primary is the time to duke it out. To demand precise answers, to probe, to put feet to the fire. And yet there are many here, well before primary season has even started for 2012, telling me and everyone else that if you don’t think that Palin is the best we got you must hate her, hate women, be a troll, want Obama to win, etc etc. I got sick of that some time ago, and that’s why I do what I do.