Yesterday in the Politico, Jonathan Martin gave a conservatives in the mist take on the 2012 “theme” from the GOP — America ‘in decline’.I think the take is exactly opposite how he characterized it — though it is all semantics. It is not ‘America in decline’, but ‘America the Great’ that is the theme.At a time when Barack Obama is intent on taking over the economy one-fifth at a time and leftists are turning the more-likely-than-not traitor Bradley Manning into a hero, it is more and more clear that the San Francisco left that Jeanne Kirkpatrick warned us about 25 years ago has finally gotten to have their way with America.The theme is not about our nation in decline, but about letting a group of people run the nation who want us to decline.It is easy to get hung up on the doom and gloom of the 2012 Republican candidates. They are a gloomy bunch. Sure they are trying to sound optimistic, but I’ve heard most all of them speak. With few exceptions, they have the oratory skills of a gaggle of warbling albatrosses and some, worse, sound like warbling albatrosses being violated by lepers.I still haven’t found what I’m looking for. And I may not. It’s precisely why I wanted Mike Pence to run for President.Huh? Well . . .There are differences in how people run for office. It seems that most of those running for the GOP nomination in 2012 are going through the motions. They have to talk about X in the G-major key to get group Y’s support.They think they have to hit on certain issues over and over. Hilariously, I recently attended an off the record meeting with several of the candidates invited to speak. Not one hit on any of the themes the attendees at the meeting much cared about.What these candidates need to do is not focus on the doom and gloom, which while they say they are not they really are. They instead need to focus on the greatness of America. And when they do, they could at least sound like they believe it and aren’t just saying it to get my vote.I was listening to one of these guys prattle on and on about education a few weeks ago to a group that would prefer less federal education spending. It transitioned into more about America the beautiful, etc., etc., etc. I was left with the distinct impression this guy really wanted to talk about anything but American greatness, but felt like he had to go through the motions.That’s why I like Mike Pence and why I wanted him to run. When he speaks on these issues, you know he means it. You know he wakes up and Russell Kirk is firing on all cylinders in his mind. You know he is not just going through the motions.With Mike Pence out of the running, I think, in all seriousness, the guy who does it the best is Mike Huckabee. I’m not a Huckabee guy, but he resonates. He exudes compassion and love for country in a way the other guys do not.I have not found what I’m looking for. I want a candidate who expresses the optimism of America — the shining city on the hill — and actually comes across as believing it, not just catering to me. I want Mike Pence or Mike Huckabee’s oratory skills and conviction in what they say with Mike Pence and Jim DeMint’s actual conservative convictions.I want somebody who may not even exist. That’s kind of depressing. Right now, I’m about right here. And Iowa draws closer and closer.