Republican candidates have their own Greek tragedy

As we have been watching the ongoing Greek financial crisis unfold before our eyes, one cannot miss the similarity to the tragic flaws being exposed by our current group of Republican presidential candidates. In dramatic theatre, a Greek tragedy has a lead character who is a person of importance falling to disaster through some combination of personal failings or unfavorable circumstances.

Whether it’s billionaire Donald Trump on the stump with his bright red tie (soon to be removed from Macy’s); Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) calling the Supreme Court decision on gay marriage legalization among “some of the darkest hours in our nation’s history”; or Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.) suggesting that the Supreme Court should be disbanded altogether, this early-stage Republican campaign has become one of the most entertaining Greek dramas ever to be viewed. Even registered Democrats are on board with the Republican show, planning to start “Democrats for Republicans” to help fund the effort as they watch the opposing party implode in real time.

The entire group of aspiring presidential candidates is truly entertaining. Trying not to watch them in action is akin to going into your favorite ice cream shop, seeing a flavor that you can’t resist, and then announcing that you are on a diet.

{mosads}When Fox News host Megyn Kelly asked former Gov. Jeb Bush (R-Fla.) “Knowing what we know now, would you have authorized the invasion [of Iraq]?” Bush replied, as part of a longer answer, “I would have.”

That single comment caused many pundits to just go wild. Roger Simon, who writes for Politico, indicated that he’s been left “to wonder just how many times Jeb was dropped on his head as a child.”

When Gov. Scott Walker (R-Wis.), who almost graduated from Marquette University, and who will soon announce his candidacy, was asked how he would handle Islamic terrorists, he responded with “If I can take on 100,000 protesters, I can do the same across the world.” His response leads one to question how dealing with peaceful pro-union protestors in the middle of Wisconsin would remotely have anything to do with terrorists who behead captives in the Middle East.

When Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) received a huge opportunity in 2013 to issue the nationally televised GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech, he took a water bottle break while he was talking to America on TV. This was one of the oddest moments in U.S. television history. Can you imagine Richard Nixon chugging from a water bottle in the middle of his “Checkers” speech?

When the Supreme Court ruled that the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate was upheld in 2012, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) issued the following statement: “Just because a couple of people on the Supreme Court declare something to be ‘constitutional’ does NOT make it so.”

Paul’s comment is interesting because he is representing the Republican Party, and his statement makes everyone wonder if he actually remembers the 2000 Supreme Court decision in Bush vs. Gore. Decisions from the Supreme Court can’t be tailored to fit a candidate’s political preference of the day.

When Cruz decided to share his vision of the climate change debate, he came out with a very unusual non-rationalization: “You always have to be worried about something that is considered a so-called scientific theory that fits every scenario. Climate change, as they have defined it, can never be disproved, because whether it gets hotter or whether it gets colder, whatever happens, they’ll say, well, it’s changing, so it proves our theory.”

Then, of course, there is former Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R-Texas) who mentioned to a crowd of potential voters that “Those of you that will be 21 by November the 12th, I ask for your support and your vote.” Of course, when the cloud lifted, most people understood that Election Day that year was on November 6 (not the 12th) and the voting age is 18 (not 21).

It was in 2011 when Perry, perhaps forgetting that Juarez is next to El Paso, but physically located in Mexico, said: “Juarez is reported to be the most dangerous city in America.” In 2010, he also said that: “George W. Bush did an incredible job in the presidency, defending us from freedom.”

As we watch the candidates, and as we remember the definition of a Greek tragedy being one that has the main character in a position of importance, we do begin to wonder and observe who will implode when the heat gets turned up. Running in an election is not easy, and candidates are only human and certainly prone to gaffes. However, this Republican collection of 15, or perhaps 16 candidates, truly needs to get their act together, or America will most certainly evolve into a one-party nation, which is good for the Democrats but not good for democracy.

The first Republican debate will be on August 6 in Cleveland. On that day, it would be best to grab a seat in front of a widescreen TV, cuddle up with your favorite ice cream and fasten your seatbelt.

Helfenbein is a political pundit and strong advocate for a robust U.S. trade agenda. He lectures frequently on the subjects of supply chain and international trade. Follow him on Twitter @rhelfen.