By DONNA BRAZILE

 

What's going on with the GOP side of the 2012 presidential race? From my vantage point, it seems like people there are looking for a "Republican Obama" -- one who can provide hope for the base and can attract the middle with feelings of compassion on certain issues like immigration.
Some polls show that, despite the GOP having an already large field of candidates, the party's core voters are a little unhappy with their current choices.
Can you blame them? I've been watching the televised debates. I thought the purpose of these events was to start focusing on who Republicans want as their candidate. But it seems that after every debate, folks hit the reset button and call for a new addition to the crop of leaders.
Hey, if I want to see a bunch of losers from Washington on television every week making fools of themselves, I'll watch Washington Redskins games.
Traditional Republican voters (religious and libertarian types) who prefer their tea party candidates steeped in conservative principles are likely to grumble that they have no chance to win next year unless they find a strong standard-bearer who can both uphold their principles and challenge President Barack Obama.
And voters who prefer their candidate leaning a bit toward the center -- to attract independent or swing voters -- are very vocal in saying they don't stand a chance to win next year unless they find a strong standard-bearer of their own.
So far, there is no Republican candidate who excites both factions of a party seriously split between the purists (tea party) and the conservative pragmatists.
The quest for a Republican Obama continues to haunt the current field.
Party voters have already seen the withdrawal of six candidates: Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour; Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels; former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and real-estate mogul Donald Trump.
And the press continues to focus on the flavor of the week (as Sarah Palin put it), giving each promising presidential star his or her 15 minutes of fame. But each, in turn, has fizzled.
The latest is Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who has turned in lackluster debate performances. As a colleague of mine put it, "It's too early to say Perry's toast, but he's definitely a 'sell' stock when he was a 'buy' stock."
This is why Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey is now resisting pleas from professionals to run. Christie has firmly rejected them, but his reasons for not running will likely be played endlessly by networks news should he change his mind.
Christie repeatedly said "in my heart" he knew he was not prepared to be president. Yet, he gave a campaign-style speech this week at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library that was combative, highly partisan, yet also revealing about what's lacking in the 2012 GOP's presidential contest: someone who is thoughtful -- showing he has the potential -- if he gives himself or herself the time to become a real mature leader willing to evolve and lead from where he or she is at this propitious moment.
For now, Christie is interested in being like the other undeclared candidates and fantasy-league front-runners -- a tease.

Donna Brazile is a political commentator on CNN, ABC and NPR, and a contributing columnist to Roll Call, the newspaper of Capitol Hill.