Posted on 01/31/2012 5:59:50 PM PST by tcg
...While Mitt Romney "carpet-bombed" Newt Gingrich with merciless attacks; while Newt Gingrich succumbed to the temptation to respond with similar efforts, one candidate demonstrated the singularly most important trait we need in a President, character. His name is Rick Santorum, Bella's Dad.
There was a book of essays on Presidential leadership written in 1996 entitled "Character Above All" The book contained an excellent essay by Peggy Noonan on Ronald Reagan...
"In a president, character is everything..."
People like me, "former" Democrats, were inspired by the courage, character and manner of Ronald Reagan. His was the kind of "conservatism" which made sense to people like us - who never thought we were "conservatives". ...
We were not then - and are not now - comfortable with the "Nelson Rockefeller" blue blood image of the old Republican Party. Sadly, the image seems to be at work again in the coronation effort of the Republican establishment in Florida. ...
Sadly, this Republican primary has degenerated into a brawl. It just seems to get worse - at least between Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney. Many people like me who are following this campaign are eager to replace the current occupant of the Whitehouse for many vital reasons. However, we do not want the "establishment" candidate for many reasons...
While "Mitt" and "Newt" were wresting in the mud (and I favored Newt in that match) Presidential candidate Rick Santorum stayed out of the fray. In fact, he went home to care for his beautiful daughter Bella. She had been hospitalized and was in a critical condition.
The very act of his leaving the campaign - while the pundit class was interpreting his exit as a sign of his demise - reveals the character of this good man...
(Excerpt) Read more at catholic.org ...
Going to ben early I see.
And we wonder why the religious right stay home?
Thank you.
I learned a long time ago that nothing is as it seems. I try to figure out why.
Even though the same principles apply to Canadian (which I am) and US politics, you guys do a lot to help me understand the subtleties and backgrounds of US politics.
Sometimes there’s a great deal of reality in the screen names we select.
I-hoot responds: Then you just aren't aware of what truly is at stake in this race.
Oh, really? Here's what's at stake in this race. If Romney gets the nomination, millions of decent, God-loving, God-fearing Americans will be put in a situation where, in a desperate attempt to vote "against" Obama, will find themselves seriously contemplating voting FOR a guy, Romney, who (among other things) celebrated and condoned junior high school kids in their embrace and declaration of open homosexuality, and who made cheap, taxpayer-subsidized abortion-on-demand part of the Massachusetts health care plan.
Itsahoot, Romney IS demonstrably depraved and craven, and YOU come on here and praise Santorum for contributing to the likelihood that Romney will get the nomination?
What is truly at stake in this race? Whether or not God-fearing Americans will be tempted to vote FOR a craven, wicked politician named Romney.
"You just aren't aware of what truly is at stake in this race" -- you've got some nerve.
That’s a good way of saying it!
If I am correct, then you had BETTER LOOK DEEP INTO YOUR HEART and understand who and what Mitt Romney is, and you had better start considering the difference between showboating your faith from voting your faith.
I would add that Santorum now trails Newt by ~440,000 votes through the first four states.
Each vote Gingrich gets is probably .98 of a vote Santorum could get. Who did the establishment cheat to win against in Iowa. Who does the Occupy movement try to destroy, while they are okay with the other 3 candidates?
Maybe that's what some people are doing?
I know what Mitt Romney is, sadly I know what Newt is as well.
Don’t kid yourself inton believing that you really had a choice in this election, and that is no disrespect to Jim, but the lesser of two evils is still evil.
I would vote for Newt, but Never for Romney, or Paul for that matter and that includes Rand.
{you’ve got some nerve.}
Do you have any idea what I said? No you do not.
I did not praise Santorum, I was asking why we expect soldiers and sailors to put The Constitution above family every day, but a politician is not supposed to have the Honor to do that?
One hundred and seventy years of family history and not one member has served in the military. That is who Romney the dual citizen is. Look to the establishment Republicans that put him in this place, for that matter they are the same ones that gave us the current president, for some one to pi$$ on, I didn’t do it.
I could be wrong, but it’s highly unlikely that Santorum could pick up 98% of Gingrich’s votes, if Gingrich left the race.
Maybe 30 percent.
So you are saying Romney is your #2 after Gingrich. I understand completely.
Romney is just about everybody’s number 2 because it’s either that or Obama.
Just as long as your honest that you’d vote for 3 leftists before you’d vote for a conservative.
Judging from Santorum’s actual record, you know, his personal voting record, he must be one of the leftists that you’re talking about.
Yes, if Santorum was the nominee and I could vote for him, I probably would.
But I’d rather have somebody with a 90% lifetime conservative rating, like Newt, based on his actual voting record.
In post #75, you imply you’d vote for Obama over Santorum. 1: Gingrich, 2: Romney, 3: Obama.
The Reagan/Ford contest was no polite tea party. Who’s kidding whom?
The unfortunate lesson of the 2012 GOP primary season will be as old as the hills: money talks. Millions of dollars of negative advertising in IA, then many millions more in FL that cannot be matched won the votes there.
Santorum’s polling showed it wasn’t worth the $$$ for Romney to spend on him. He focused exclusively on Newt. Had Santorum built on his IA showing, he’d have been the target of millions in negative ads, and had funding to run his own ads. THEN we’d have seen his character under fire. As it is, he stayed above the fray only because he wasn’t a viable candidate in this contest.
Especially someone far out of the running who had abandoned the state?
As the saying goes, I was born at night but not last night.
This primary has become the theater of the absurd.
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