BY DAN WOLTORNIST

Conservative Columnist

I have a confession to make. The past few months have been emotionally tolling for me. Out of concern for me or more likely curiosity, you may ask why. The reason is because everyone is asking me what I think of the Republican presidential primary contenders and every time someone does so, a little piece of me dies inside. Quite honestly, none of them dazzle me and this is depressing.

Many people have offered me counsel and told me that my standards are too high and that I can't have it all. They say I should find a candidate I agree with most and get behind him. I feel like they are asking me to go out with a girl who is drop dead gorgeous but dumb as a nail with the personality of a rock.

I don't just want a candidate who says he is pro-life. I want a candidate who has done everything imaginable to undermine the greatest evil of our time. I want a candidate who cares just as much about the citizen in the womb as the one on the street.

I want a candidate who has a strong commitment to our Constitution and the principles of the American founding. I don't want a politician who will seek to find ways to 'get around the Constitution' but instead seeks to fulfill its mission every day in office.

I want a candidate with a strong record on job creation. I want a candidate who frees the businessman from regulations instead of binding him with them.

I want a candidate who has a strong stance on national defense. I want a candidate who seeks to make America the preeminent military leader in the world and protect all the good we have that is worth protecting.

My problem runs deeper though. Beyond the issues, I want a man of character. I don't want another politician. I want, instead, a statesman who cares about his country and is willing to make sacrifices and tough decisions.

I want the next great communicator, one who doesn't speak from talking points or a teleprompter. I won't even settle for a man who speaks from his own heart. I want a statesman who speaks from the heart of our great nation and from the principles that have guided our nation through time.

I want a man with real charisma. I'm not looking for a candidate that I can have a beer with. I'm looking for a statesman that I can admire in awe who instantly fosters a feeling of inspiration in all of us.

I want a man with a vision for America. I don't want a man who wants to just create jobs or strengthen our military. Even more, I do not want a politician who apologizes for being American or seeks to Europeanize our nation. I want a statesman who truly wants to restore America to our former greatness and make us once again the shining city on a hill.

Most of all, I do not want a politician that I agree with. Instead, I want a statesman that I believe in and about whom I can say with certainty that he will make our country a much better place in four years.

The time for accepting candidates as they are must end. At the end of the day, all it gets us is candidates who care about garnering your vote rather than a vision for America. As conservatives, we need to demand that our candidates no longer settle for being themselves. We do not need a Mitt Romney for president. We do not need a Michelle Bachmann for president. We do not need a Ron Paul for president. What we need is someone who is willing to put himself aside and become presidential in character instead of convincing us all to simply settle for him. The ray of light in the situation is that we will all know it when we see it.