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It has begun. The descent into ... the race for the Republican nomination for president.

So far, the big noise-makers are a birther and a truther. Then there's the big government, pseudo-conservative former governors. You got a couple of quitters in the mix...

Let's look at this motley crew. And then I'll tell you about the current glimmer of hope I have.

First, the motleys...

Ron Paul. Or, more correctly: RON PAUL!!!!!1!!!11!!!!! Yes, he's running again.

He's the GOP's Obama. Got a lot of fired-up nutcases supporting him. And he believes some really scary stuff. Sure, he's sound on fiscal policy, but that whole truther business... Simply put, Ron Paul is nuts. As are his supporters.

Donald Trump. No, I really don't believe he's running for president. I think he's promoting a TV show. Or, at least, it started out that way. But, he's tying himself to the birther movement.

Let me state that I don't believe Obama is qualified to be president. Not because of where he was born, but because he is an unqualified oaf. After over two years on the job, he still has no clue. But, he does meet the Constitutional requirements:

No Person except a natural born Citizen ... shall be eligible to the Office of President; neither shall any Person be eligible to that Office who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty five Years, and been fourteen Years a Resident within the United States.

But still, I've seen trees that would do a better job as president than Obama.

But we're supposed to be talking about Trump. And that's the problem. We're talking about Trump. He should be ignored, and he'll go away and play a tycoon on TV. Which is the perfect job for him.

Mitt Romney and Chris Christie could be described the same way: conservative for their states, but way too left-wing for my tastes. Like the scene in Hall Pass where the guys see a hot chick, only to discover that, once she's seen apart from her ugly companions, she's not so hot. That's Romney and Christie. And we don't need no Hall Pass Conservative.

Newt Gingrich did some good things as Speaker of the House. And he is sound in many, many ways. But there are a couple of things that bother me. While I understand why he did it, his resigning from Congress isn't a good thing.

Same thing about Palin. She bailed on the job as governor. I understand why she did it. But that still bothers me.

I'm not so much worried about her experience. I seem to recall the left all up in arms over her experience in 2008. The same left that helped elect the even more unqualified Barack Obama. While Palin isn't the most experienced candidate, she's far, far more qualified for president than Obama.

Tim Pawlenty might be a good choice. Best of the lot I've mentioned so far. I know that doesn't sound like much of an endorsement. But I do like the guy. He's one of my top three.

The thing is, I don't know enough about him to know if he's a true conservative. His state elected Al Franken, so, yeah, he's going to look conservative by comparison. I just don't know. Christie and Romney, I know enough about, and they ain't really conservatives. I want to know more about Pawlenty. If he's the real deal, I could support him.

One of my favorites I actually know something about, a true conservative governor, has decided not to run. Haley Barbour said "no" to 2012.

Another favorite, Herman Cain, is a long-shot, but is running. I'm not so much worried about long-shots as I am getting the right man for the job.

Cain has business experience, and a long track record of success. We need somebody like Herman Cain. So, why not get the real Herman Cain?

Despite the glimmer of hope I have in Cain (and maybe Pawlenty) I'm worried. Right now, the focus is on Trump and RON PAUL!!1!!!11!

I'm worried that the GOP is going to nominate someone who isn't a conservative, and we end up with a choice between a left-wing nutcase, and a not-quite-as-left-wing not-quite-as-nuts Republican.

In other words, I'm worried we're going to do 2008 all over again.