Stark contrast indeed:
Posted on 10/07/2011 4:32:34 AM PDT by Kaslin
Two new sets of Republicans are feeling deflated today -- the Chris Christie hopefuls and the Sarah Palin stalwarts. The Christie decision didn't surprise me, perhaps because I grew up in Jersey. In fact, Christie and I attended the same high school! Anyway, Jerseyans are many things (not all of them nice), but slick dissemblers we are not. When Christie said, repeatedly, and in ever more colorful terms, that he wasn't running, I believed him. And, while I understand the boomlet for him, I'm also a little relieved to see that he is indeed a truthful guy.
Sarah Palin, by contrast, has finally dropped the longest tease in the history of presidential politics. Her bus tours, her visits to Iowa and New Hampshire, her coy references to the importance of finding just the right candidate to challenge Obama (prompting predictable chants of "Run Sarah Run" from her audience), and her refusal to say whether she was in or out of the race. She could use some Jersey straight talk.
Still, there are a few diehards out there who cannot quite relinquish the pursuit of a knight errant. No sooner did Gov. Christie reconfirm that he will not be running for president than some of the great mentioners began to whisper that the "big donors" are encouraging Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., to make the race.
Sheesh. It is no reflection on Cantor to say that this is beginning to look desperate and even a little pathetic. I confess to having participated, to a point, by urging first Gov. Mitch Daniels (choir sounds please) and then Rep. Paul Ryan to run. But those pleas were in December 2010 and August 2011. It's too late now. The first primaries are only a few weeks away. (Bad move Florida, but oh, well.) Preparing to run a presidential race is just too complex. It takes months (and sometimes years) to assemble the local activists (also called the ground game), the money, the advisors, the advertising team, the speechwriters, the advance men and the other necessities of modern campaigning.
Additionally, the candidate him or herself has to bone up on dozens of issues so as not to be caught flat-footed in debates (some of the current crop neglected that part). No one can do all of that at this late date.
So realistically, we have our field of candidates, and we're going to have to settle for one of them.
Yes, settle. I'm disappointed too that my favorites decided to sit this out. And I wish the Palestinians really wanted peace, that Vladimir Putin were a democrat and that the San Andreas Fault would go quiet. But part of being a conservative, I believe, is taking the world as you find it and dealing with it.
So, how do we feel about Romney? A year ago, I made the bold prediction that he was going nowhere. Romneycare, I believed, would prove a millstone around his neck, and he would be unable to recover from it.
I was wrong about how much of a role health care would play in the race. Obamacare remains important, but as a part of the larger issue of the failing economy. And Romney is widely perceived to be strong on economic issues.
Romney has also proved very fortunate in his adversaries. First Tim Pawlenty swung and missed (or, actually, failed to swing). Then Perry stumbled in attempting to recite Romney's past flip-flops. It's as if some Harry Potter figure has placed a charm on Romney, causing toads to fall from his opponents' mouths when they open them -- or making them produce gibberish.
To be fair, Romney, who was a good candidate in 2008, has become an excellent one in 2012. He's knowledgeable, unflappable and dignified. He doesn't frighten Independents, and he may be the Republican Party's strongest nominee -- and we simply must win in 2012.
But for Romney to overcome the hesitation among conservatives, he needs to shed his excessive caution and boldly embrace a platform of profound reform. This is an epochal political year, pitting competing governing philosophies against one another in the starkest match-up since 1980. On entitlements, the great anchor dragging down the ship of state, Romney has been vague and timid.
Romney's literature promises to repeal Obamacare, yet his proposed reforms are not so much a bold departure from the top-down Obama approach, as a promise to be a better manager. His website promises "Mitt will use limited federal regulation to correct common failures in insurance markets, while eliminating counterproductive federal rules." It's proposals like that that make our hearts sink.
Palin definitely teased it out for a long time and probably misled quite a few believing souls. In the end, she did just what she did in AK--walked away.
It's possible that she originally intended to run, but that circumstances gave way under her feet. Either the poll numbers, or possibly her family relations. That would explain the delay and somewhat abrupt statement.
I ruled out Christie and Palin a long time ago. I forced myself to see the field as is. I saw a lot of people repeating the 2008 self-denial, refusing to believe that what you see is what you get. And I can understand why. As in 2008, it's a hard swallow to accept that this is the best the GOP or the Tea Party has to offer.
Romney sits as the last resort default choice. No one likes him, which is why people like Charen were pining for Daniels ( I liked him too, though he also has his flaws), or Christie, or Ryan, etc.
Meanwhile, the Tea Party went from Bachmann, then some went to Perry, and now perhaps coalescing around Mr. National Sales Tax. Shades of Sharon Angle.
The big story to me is that the GOP and conservatives in the Tea Party have utterly failed to put up a solid, experienced, talented leader.
You’re right. And at this point, same end result in the primaries.
Why is Romney going to repeal Obamacare?
He invented it.
I’m not sure Romney is going to do well in the South. In some respects he may be considered another Kerry.
Yeah, I thought she was better than that -- so many columns over the years ruminating on social issues and coming down on the side of social conservatives. Maybe she's getting Peggy-Noonanish in middle age?
Being the “Lame Stream Media’s candidate” is what I’ve been thinking too. It reminds me of Bob Dole, and more lately, John McCain. McCain could do no wrong until he became the Republican candidate. Then, the media turned on him, and he could do no right. If it hadn’t been for Sarah Palin, he would have been crushed. Déjà vu
If Romney gets the nomination, I will be happy to vote for him and against Obama—it’s a no brainer.
You may be right about that.
Mona was for Mitt back in 2008 as well. So this is nothing new for her.
We need a Scott Walker (my governor)-type candidate to get in there and start leveling things. We need a destroyer of liberalism...not someone who justs wants to manage the welfare state better. Sure, Romney would be far better than Obama. But there are other candidates who would be better than Romney.
Stark contrast indeed:
What’s wrong with Romney?
A - Abortion; for/against, whatever gets more votes
B - Backstabber; he is one
C - Conservative; he isn’t one
D - Democrat-lite
E - Everything
F - Flipflopper
.
.
.
If Romney gets the nomination, Obama gets re-elected, imo.
That’s what I meant.
Same thing that’s wrong with Obama...they both represent the worst of their respective parties...
but the “best’ from the view of the RinoCracy
Romney is pro-queer all the way.
He is so loathesome that if he gets the nomination so many conservatives and Republicans will not vote for him or do a write in that the Dem nominee, whether Zero or someone else, is guaranteed to win.
PS - check your freepmail.
And, it's only the beginning.
done and thanks LJ
Romney may indeed get the nomination but not with my vote!!
Right now this is just speculations of the pundits, This said, we must make it clear to the GOP, that under no circumstances do we want the nomination to go Romney
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