The clock is ticking and the pressure is on. This past week saw the emergence of a new candidate in the Republican field of nominees for the Presidency of the United States. Texas Governor Rick Perry announced, or rather proclaimed, that he was running for the office. There are only three viable candidates for the nomination, Perry, Romney and Bachmann, with Ron Paul being a fourth long shot. Two of the three, Bachmann and Perry, are either on the fringe or in the fringe of the Republican Party. It should make for some interesting sound bites.

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The three are very strong candidates from the party – the result of having a very weak candidate the last go around in John McCain. But, the strength could hurt them, especially Bachmann and Perry. In order for them to capture the nomination they are going to have to attack each other, professionally and personally, and there is a lot of fodder for the gristmill for all involved. Perry’s strong religious leanings and abrasive style may play well for the far right, but in an era where the public is tired and looking for compromise, it may not play well to the center.

Texas is the most successful state in the Union as far as creating jobs in this slow growth environment, but the jobs being created are not the type that you send your kids to college to get. But, it will play well on sound-bytes, and give credit where credit is due – sometimes any job is better than no job.

Bachmann comes with more baggage. She has the religious fervor but accompanied by strong anti-gay leanings. In a year where places like New York and the military have acquiesced to gay rights, Bachmann stands out like a sore thumb. Her strong Tea Party affiliations may also prove to be a negative amongst more moderate voters as it puts her at odds with any type of compromise with the Democrats when it comes to fiscal actions.

Romney will come out as the centrist in the party, but his Mormon affiliation will again hurt him as will the fact that he was unable to secure the nomination the first go around. And, his ties to big business and healthcare reform in Massachusetts that was the model for  may prove to be massive hurdles to overcome.

There are five debates coming up for the candidates and they should prove telling, as will the prospective choices for running mates. While the no compromise platform plays well for the minority of voters, in the end this country has never fared well when allowed only one direction with no argument.

Times are tough, serious policy decisions have to be made. The government is bloated and dysfunctional right now. The next two to four years are going to make or break this decade and maybe the next one if the proper course of action is not found and taken. If you want evidence of what a lost decade or two looks like, just look to Japan which is still suffering from a market collapse and deflation dating back to the early nineties.

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