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 ...
If you thought I implied it, I apologize. That was not my intention. I think I’m fairly clear to most people that getting Obama out is the number one priority, if there’s any hope in turning around America’s future.
What I did say is that I do not believe that Santorum is able to beat Romney, Newt can if the votes are no longer being split between Gingrich and Santorum. Between the two, they have enough votes to beat Romney, but not enough individually.
If Romney gets the nomination, it’s a handoff to Obama.
10,000 times AMEN. And people need to remember Santorum has SEVEN children. SEVEN. He spent essentially a year camped out in Iowa.
His continued campaign makes no sense, even as an "issue" candidate.
Ron Paul is dangerous.
Ron Paul, Soros and Defense
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4q1vYx1V3g&feature=related
Before everyone gets their panties in a wad. Obama is already starting to make the moves to destroy our military.
Ron Paul will just drive the knife into their backs.
I thought it was clever how the Obama military haters are going to cut Benefits for veterans and wounded soldiers.
Wonder how far enlistment will drop on that one.
One of Ron Pauls best friends is George Soros..
It may not, but you can’t let that stop you from trying. If you’re going to go down anyway, go down swinging.
I agree, go down swinging. For me, that means nominating a conservative.
Just because Santorum is a family man, doesn’t make him a conservative. It speaks well of him, in that area, but it doesn’t make him one.
Can you tell me, through his political record, what has he either initiated or supported that would lend credence to his claim that he’s a conservative?
I can do that with Newt, despite his personal life being less than optimal.
Oh, did I insult your wittle Rickypoo by telling the truth? And to combat the truth, you comment about a screenname? Quite pitiful.
An important factor to remember.
The primary season is only beginning and none of us should forget that the top lineup has changed many times. Either of the two top guys could make a major mistake and we, as conservatives, need a backup plan.
I would be saying that even if I were a Gingrich supporter. So far the election results do not show that Gingrich has actually been denied a single delegate due to Santorum. And yes, I know that could change.
40 posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:44:56 PM by hinckley buzzard: “Santorum endorsed Romney already, in 2008. Nothing since has happened to suggest he will do differently this time around.”
That requires qualification.
Abortion is a core issue for Santorum. Four years ago even some of the top leaders of the evangelical Christian movement were divided over whether to back Huckabee or Romney, thinking they were agreed about abortion and differed mostly on economic policy.
It has become far more clear in the last four years just how bad Mitt Romney's views really were. I fear having a flip-flopper who seems to make decisions on abortion based on polling data appointing judges to the Supreme Court who will never again face a vote after their Senate confirmation hearings.
44 posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 8:48:14 PM by VanDeKoik: “Santorum and his vulture groupies can go f@ck off. Like I said, they are just rooting for Romney from the sides in some pathetic effort to justify him still being in the race.”
You're welcome to your opinion. For some of us, abortion is a core issue and we could never vote for Romney in the primary because of his views.
62 posted on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 9:25:35 PM by itsahoot: “(Quoting Finny:) ‘sanctimonious religion-on-his-sleeve altar boy like Santorum.’ And we wonder why the religious right stay home?”
Hey, Finny — we're Republicans too. You need our votes to get your secular conservative candidates elected. I hold my nose and sometimes vote for anti-religious candidates who are economic or military conservatives who are right on most issues other than social issues, and will vote pro-life because they know they have to be pro-life to win a Republican primary.
We're here to stay, Finny. We've been here at least since the Deep South turned Republican, and then many more conservative Roman Catholics were brought in by the Reagan Revolution. And except when people talking like you make us too mad to vote, we usually vote for your candidates, so all you're doing is hurting yourself to talk that way.
Darrell chimes in: Hey, Finny — we're Republicans too.
And hey, Darrell and itsa, I'm a Christian, too.
My "in forum" posts speak for themselves. A lot of us are hard-core Christians here (I know of one whose smart, conservative grown son recogizes in Santorum the kid in school who'd remind the teacher that she forgot to assign homework) who are thoroughly turned-off by the "holier-than-thou" flavor of Santorum's campaign. WE're also here to stay, and you need OUR votes. So right back atcha, pal. When I see Santorum implying that one shouldn't vote for Newt because of his failed marriages, my hair stands straight up that a man calling himself a Christian would pull that card, and that people LIKE YOU eat it up.
A key tenet -- THE key tenet, actually -- of Christianity is forgiveness. All this prattle about Santorum standing for "family values" (i.e., I've never cheated on my wife that anyone knows of and only been married once, so vote for me instead of thrice-married Newt, even though Newt is my senior in politics and has considerably more experience than I do in limiting government and making things happen) I find, AS A CHRISTIAN, pretty disgusting. If you want to talk about REAL family values, it is forgiving those who ask for it. Seven times 70.
You and Santorum, get off your high horses and stop thinking that being the "better Christian" (and James Dobson approved, no less!) does anything but turn most people off.
Methinks your definition of “conservative” is based on things other than politics.
Seems there’s a question on whether either Santorum and the moron Mormon are NBC???
I’m very pro-life but that’s not my only issue. I love that Rick keeps calling Romney out on Obamacare. He’s been the only one period to consistently and passionately address this.
Words fail me, you claim it is un Christian to be Christian, because other Christians are supposed to forgive, but it is very Christian to criticize Christians that defend Christians when they are called Sanctimonious.
Thank you for the lesson in humility.
Santorum's lifetime ACU rating is 88.1%. While Newt beats him by a whole 1.9% keep in mind that difference reflects the voting record of a Representative from a safe conservative district vs. a Senator from a purple state. One could just as easily say that Newt voted against his conservative constituents 10% of the time, while Rick voted against his moderate constituents 11.9% of the time.
That may be true, but Santorum still doesn’t have what it takes to be president. That’s just my opinion.
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