Fellow Perry Supporters: It is time to pick a new candidate (Perry supporter drops endorsement)

Redstate ^ | January 11, 2012 | Tim Griffin

[Qbert]

Following much thoughtful consternation, I have decided to pull my support and endorsement of Texas Governor Rick Perry for the GOP presidential nomination.  I realize the redstate diary commenters, won’t be kind but this needs to be said.  This decision wasn’t easy but a serious evaluation of the field should inform us that Rick Perry has no realistic path to victory in South Carolina, Florida and beyond.

I realize that redstate.com’s Erick Erickson continues to stick by him, that South Carolina is Perry’s state and that he has re-tooled his staff.  But it is too little too late and at this point, Mitt Romney is all but certain to capture this nomination.  I realize that he is one of the only smaller government conservatives in this race, but he has blown this race through his own actions and we can no longer help him.

I have been an ardent Perry supporter.  On griffinelection.com, we have over 35 positive pro-Perry-for-President articles.  But no matter how much we have tried to help Perry from the grassroots up, his campaign staff has been plagued with incompetency and Perry himself let us all down with his terrible debate performances.

The truth is that, this race was never about Rick Perry the person, we got behind him because he was the only candidate that had governed a state successfully and was also a strong advocate for smaller government.  But his time is gone.  Outside of the conservative blogosphere echo chamber, there is almost no support for Perry.  As intelligent political thinkers we need to know when to fight and when to live to fight another day.

I chose Perry because I thought his bravado, record as a job creator and social conservative views would be the ultimate contrast to President Obama.  Unfortunately, he has instead seemed aloof, asleep and shallow in debates.  I above all people, hate to admit it, but neither Perry nor his team were ready for prime time.  In fact, none of the campaigns, save Romney have been ready — but others have survived.

Perry was the ultimate Christian leader who held open prayer in Texas and held socially conservative views on almost every issue came in fifth place in Christian Iowa.  In all honesty, he should have displayed the same responsibility that Ms. Bachmann displayed in bowing out then.  Now, Perry goes limping into South Carolina even more injured.

He received 1% in New Hampshire last night.

But it isn’t simply his past failures that have brought me to this point.  It Perry’s dismal chances of future success that has forced us to embrace someone new.  Perry is polling at 5% support in South Carolina, his strongest state, his “last stand” state, the state where he announced he would run.  I love Governor Perry.  I wish he had never had the “oops” minute, but he is now polling at fifth place in South Carolina without any momentum at his back.  With less than two weeks to go and a six person race, Perry simply has no chance to make a comeback this late in the game.

Even if Perry had a strong uptick in support, it wouldn’t be enough to slay Romney who is receiving over 30% of support in South Carolina.  There is simply no alternative.

So, what candidate should voters support if they don’t support the candidate who is:

The father of universal healthcare and the individual mandate in America, the father of Gay Marriage in America, a candidate that supported abortion his entire career and still doesn’t think Roe v. Wade should be reversed.  If you think gun rights are protected under the Second Amendment and that Ronald Reagan was the best modern day president, who do you go with?  Certainly not Mitt Romney, he opposes your views.

There is only three other guys – Huntsman, Santorum and Gingrich.

Jon Huntsman had an above average night in New Hampshire last night, but losing to Ron Paul in his “must-win” state isn’t going to raise him above 3% support in South Carolina.

That leaves two.  Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are the guys left standing going into South Carolina.

They both bested Perry in Iowa and New Hampshire.  They are both getting the necessary press time.  And in South Carolina, they are both receiving 20% support.  Rick Perry is receiving 5%.  If that 5% could go to either of these candidates, we would have someone who could compete with Romney’s 30%.

Let me reiterate, that this isn’t a normal race.  If there is one clear alterative to Romney, that person can rise from the ashes and still win this thing.  There has never been such a weak yet inevitable frontrunner in modern American politics.  Because of this Romney will lose in November.  The voters who stayed home in 2000 after learning of Bush’s DUI, aren’t going to vote for a pro-abort, individual mandate, Massachusetts Moderate.  Romney will campaign without a passionate base.  Sure, our leaders from elected officials to tv personalities will get in line, but many conservative voters still think for themselves and won’t.  So anyone interested in winning should consider alternatives.

Overall, the base is just to unenthused about Romney to give him the nomination this early.  His delegate count is still very low.  We need to make this a fight.  After South Carolina we have Florida, where Rick Perry is garnering 4.5% support from likely voters compared with 20% apiece with Santorum and Gingrich.

I ask that all Rick Perry supporters in South Carolina and Florida join me in leading.  Please make the difficult decision to back a new candidate that can actually beat Mitt Romney.

Santorum and Gingrich are both infinitely better than Romney and a two-man race will make it easier for a victor to emerge.  Over half of us are against Romney, imagine what we could do if we could unite under the umbrella of conservatism.  There is still time.

(Emphasis added)

[cizinec]

Conservatives will rue the day they attacked Newt for not being a “perfect” conservative.

That's like saying a battered wife should go back to her husband because she really loves him even though he's not a "perfect" husband.

Not a "perfect" conservative . . . try *not* a conservative. He's a filthy opportunist in both his political and personal life. He has no self control in denying himself anything he thinks he wants and will say anything to get it. "But . . . but . . . he's a different politician now." Yeah. Right.

Don't believe me? Run back to him like a dog back to its vomit, then. IF he gets elected (which I seriously doubt), we'll talk again in a couple of years and see if he has really changed. I'm sure he'll have had plenty more photo-ops with gun banners and far left marxists.

[novemberslady]

South Carolina is Romney's state because it has an open primary where democrats can and will crossover to help Romney.

I didn't know that. Thank you.
I guess South Carolina will mean as much to me as Iowa and New Hampshire did.
I don't understand why Republicans put up with having an open primary.

[cizinec]

” and he’s done it twice.”

No, he did it several times as Speaker as well. Take the Lautenberg gun ban, for example.

No, his list of betrayals are much longer than two, and are much more recent.

[cizinec]

“Um, sorry to disagree, he stands no chance. “

So you’re one of those people who, regardless of conviction, feel some absolute need to be associated with the “winner,” no matter how corrupt.

I never understood how so many people during the American Revolution could be Tories. I recon they had an outlook similar to yours.

[af_vet_rr]

I don't understand why Republicans put up with having an open primary.

Republican officials and some Republican legislators are filing lawsuits or creating legislation to close South Carolina's primary, but it's too late for now. Hopefully in 2016 they'll be closed.

[SatinDoll]

Newt Gingrich was carrying a troubled emotional burden while serving in Congress but he sought counseling, joined AA and eventually turned his life around after a religious conversion.

What is shocking is the enormous number of so-called Christians here at Free Republic who are nothing of the sort. Christians are not better than other people. They forgive others, ask forgiveness for themselves, and try to lead a better life by not sinning further. I’m not disgusted with Newt Gingrich, who I believe has honestly changed his life.

I’m disgusted with the bigots who claim they are Christian but do not put it into daily practice.

[RasterMaster]

All the current candidates have baggage, some more than others. Santorum is the best choice for President given the slate of candidates we have (Pro-life advocate). Perry was a distant second choice, even though he’s not polling very well and likely to drop out soon. Newt has plenty of issues that would prevent me from supporting him in the primaries (gorebull warming, poor judgement, trust issues) and I would have to hold my nose if he was the last man standing.

Depending on the running mate selected, those are the only candidates I could vote for in the general election. Never Romney and no way in hell I would support a crank like Misses Paul. Any others are totally off my radar, but will dry up and fade away soon enough anyway.

[RasterMaster]

All the current candidates have baggage, some more than others. Santorum is the best choice for President given the slate of candidates we have (Pro-life advocate). Perry was a distant second choice, even though he’s not polling very well and likely to drop out soon. Newt has plenty of issues that would prevent me from supporting him in the primaries (gorebull warming, poor judgement, trust issues) and I would have to hold my nose if he was the last man standing.

Depending on the running mate selected, those are the only candidates I could vote for in the general election. Never Romney and no way in hell I would support a crank like Misses Paul. Any others are totally off my radar, but will dry up and fade away soon enough anyway.

[dragnet2]

I’m sticking with Rick Perry till the last dog dies.

In this case, the dogs are all dead, and buried.

Public pay phones have more chance of making a come back than Perry has.

Feeergetaboutit.

[dragnet2]

I’m sorry, but the “vulture capital” remark, right out of the progressive/liberal class warfare playbook, has ruined me on Perry....and, Gingrich!

I agree, however, with tens of millions American's out of work, under-employed, lost homes, businesses, investments all while government bailed out the banks, fat corps, and the Wall Street corrupt...

Now they tell the lowly private sector tax peons not to participate in class warfare, as they wink and nod at each other?

What a laugh!

The joke is truly on us.

[Windflier]

Santorum is not perfect...

Do tell:

What A Big Government Conservative Looks Like

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

You already answered he was in a dem district and Specter was probably the best of two evils.

[Sister_T]

I don't understand why Republicans put up with having an open primary.

They ain't called "The Stupid Party" for nothin'!

[editor-surveyor]

Romney didn’t get even close to winning Iowa; three caucuses had submitted false totals.

NH is looneyville, and means nothing at all.

Romney will lose big in SC and FLA.

(BTW, I’ve never supported Perry)

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

If that is what Santorum is he is no different than Gingrich.Hasn’t there been enough eating of our own there s almost no one left?There is no perfect candidate. But if folks keep up a ‘MY CANDIDATE ONLY’ business; get ready for Romney or Obama.

[Windflier]

Thank you for penning that powerful comment about Newt, LL. I just posted it to Facebook with a hat tip to you.

[Jim Noble]

Pardon my confusion, but even if Romney won every delegate in IA and NH (he didn’t) and then won every delegate in SC, FL, and NV (he won’t), he won’t be anywhere close to a majority of delegates.

Why would all those wins make it “over”?

[dsutah]

(chuckle..) I’m not arguing with you! You’re right. There are a whole lot of other races to go yet. If Mr. Perry feels he doesn’t want to stay in, that’s up to him! I don’t know why he hasn’t been able to “catch fire”. I guess there are just too many conservatives or perceived conservatives still in the race, and they’re all splitting the vote. I hope Perry doesn’t quit yet; at least until after Florida. If he does, I guess we’ll have to look at someone else.

I love “FOX NEWS”, but they’re really making me mad when all they do is brag up Mitt Romney! It’s disgusting! They act as if Perry is not even in the race anymore!

[Dubya-M-DeesWent2SyriaStupid!]

Romney will lose big in SC and FLA.

I wish; sadly that is a pipe dream.We are near the tail end of the game. Paul will spoil and come in third or fourth but we need a non Romney win in SC!The GOP has ensured his win in both states unless the tea party picks and backs ONE of the MSM so called conservative alternatives.

[joe212]

In all honesty, he should have displayed the same responsibility that Ms. Bachmann displayed in bowing out then.

Speaking of Perry and Bachman, is it just me, or did it seem rude of Rick Perry to announce his candidacy on the day of Michelle Bachman Ames Straw Poll win?

She worked very hard for it, and had a well deserved win. Rick Perry showed no respect with his “clever” timing...