5th Congressional Candidates

The field for the 5th congressional seat is a very crowded field and it is time to whittle it down a bit. I have been asked about my assessment of the field of candidates and I will be doing this in three parts over 3 days.

This piece will be about those who need to go ahead and leave the race.

The first candidate that should leave the race is ViJay Qumar - ViJay is a good man and he has strong feelings about certain issues but he is in large a one - issue candidate. ViJay's stance on radical Islam makes him a favorite of conservatives but when you get past that he has a rather left leaning past. This is not to say he is a leftie simply that the past ties put him closer to the left than the right.

The second candidate who needs to hang his hat is Bob Ries. Bob is a delightful man and a very light-hearted candidate who successfully interjects humor in a sometimes dry political arena. Bob is 70 years young and presents himself well but he does not have a full grasp of the issues and his hearing has made for some situations where he has been way off the mark in his answers to questions (he admitted as much at the close of the debate.)

The third candidate that needs to hit the adios trail is Patrick Miranda. He comes across as a guy with a chip on his shoulder and has attacked many of the candidates in a negative way. Patrick, last night, appeared to be out of his league and very uncomfortable in his answers. Also Patrick has called for "mandates" and when asked about it he said he would get them enforced through "his position". This is not what we need as citizens. As a matter of fact, we need LESS mandates and more people who are dedicated. Finally, Patrick has taken this race so lightly he has done very little campaigning outside of Facebook. Whereas Facebook is an awesome tool it is not the sole way to campaign.

The fourth candidate that needs to retire from the race is Jarod Scott. Jarod lacks the passion and the vision, at this time, that the 5th district needs as we move forward. Jarod also needs to study the demographics of this district and be a student of conservatives and politics a few more years.

The fifth candidate that needs to drop out is Tracy Tarum. Tracey is by far the best candidate material on this list. He is green to the political scene BUT he is willing to learn and not compromise who he is. Tracy, last night in the debate had the best line (IMO) when he admitted he did not have an answer but would learn more about it. He has the integrity that we look for in candidates. Tracy does not have the momentum or the roots yet to win a political race of this magnitude but he does have the moxy to win a state level race in the near future. Tracy needs to leave this race but not politics. He will be a representative on the local or state level soon if he keeps at it.

Tomorrow - Mid Level candidates