Open Letter To Senator Coburn: Run, Tom, Run

President Tom Coburn?

Senator Coburn: Suggesting that you run for president, as I do here today, does you no favor. But suggest I do, after looking over the potential field of Republican presidential candidates and assessing your chances with Oklahoma experts in whom I have confidence.

An Open Letter To Senator Coburn:

Run, Tom, Run

In Which I Argue He Would Improve

The Field And Give The GOP

A Reasonable, Responsible Candidate

With The Courage Of His Convictions

By Mike McCarville

The genesis of this open letter occurred two months ago, as you battled yet another congressional spending ploy. Like many, I am beyond weary of the excessive federal spending that has now encompassed at least the last 40-plus years and threatens the future of the Republic.

To accomplish what we both want...salvaging the future of this country...there must be a resolute, determined and courageous occupant of the Oval Office who has demonstrated by his actions that he means what he says and who is a devotee of fiscal sanity.

You, sir, have so demonstrated.

I am not alone in my surmise of your ability, determination and electability nationwide.

Let me now share with you the thoughts of others.

Pat McFerron, he of the respected Sooner Survey, is out with sentiments that mirror those etched here.

Quoth Mr. McFerron in the Moore Monitor (a new weekly newspaper): "Given the apparently strong personal relationship between Coburn and Obama, I think a Coburn presidential campaign could be great for America. Perhaps I am an idealist, but I am able to envision a true debate about the fundamental direction of our country -- a debate we need to have. In addition, I would be excited to see Tom Coburn go to Iowa and espouse his opposition to ethanol subsidies. I have no polling data to back it up, but if Coburn were the only Republican not pandering to the Iowa corn farmer, I think he could surprise people there. Second, because of his opposition to ethanol subsidies, expectations would be low in Iowa -- but watch out in South Carolina, where we could expect Jim Demint to be a strong ally."

A nationally-respected and well-known observer who desires to remain anonymous tells The McCarville Report Online: "The GOP field is ill-defined, and in many ways deeply flawed. You need someone who combines ideological consistency (lacking in Romney), with evangelical acceptability to get through those early southern primaries. But there is also the need for the executive function needed in a mature leader. Coburn has all that, but the field is crowded and raucous. His voice won't stand out because no one will sit still for his professorial discourses on how to do things. There are upsides to Coburn as a candidate. Unlike the conservatives who can appeal to the Tea fringe, he has the added advantage of not seeming like an ill-informed, unpleasant demagogue (Bachmann, Cain, Palin, Santorum, Trump). He's got the interesting and active mind like the 'boring' guys -- Mitch Daniels, Jon Huntsman. And, he seems to be less clownish than Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani. And, he's got better name identification that the two candidates in the field who I see as the most presidential. Gary Johnson and Haley Barbour. At the end of the day, a Coburn candidacy doesn't fly because of one of the unpleasant truths of Coburn, well-known here in Oklahoma. He doesn't like to raise money. And, to run for president, it is all about the cash register."

Another of Oklahoma's premier political observers, who also wishes to remain anonymous given his position, added, "In a wide-open field where the likes of Donald Trump are in the conversation, yes, Dr. Coburn is viable. He's a leader of the Grown-Up caucus (with Mitch Daniels, Paul Ryan, et al) at the very time Americans are worried about our spending and debt crisis and are looking for adult supervision. And if Daniels can't successfully walk back his 'social-issues truce' comments, that could open the door for Dr. Coburn, whose bona fides are impeccable both as a fiscal conservative and a social conservative."

Barack Obama will have mega-millions to try to sell us (again) on his particular, and peculiar, vision of America. It is not a vision that you, or I, embrace. The contrary is true, and it is a powerful argument that a man of your gravitas should offer himself. 

Should you seriously weigh what is suggested here, ponder the enormity of the task. There's no doubt you're up to it; the question is whether you want to undertake it. I urge you to do so.

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