Posted on 02/01/2012 4:32:22 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
I really try to be a fair man, but I can’t find anything significantly positive about Mitt Romney’s work as governor. Maybe it’s true that his voters are focused on electability, because there is simply no evidence that Mitt believes in any of the three conservative pillars: fiscal, social, and strong national defense. So even if we win with this guy, we lose.
Frankly, I despise the electability argument. First, no one can predict the future, so within reason, no one really knows who is or isn’t electable. Sure, there are extremes there, but pretty much any of the front runners is electable.
Second, if you vote for someone who is at cross purposes to your goals simply because they are electable, you still lose even when they’re elected. For example, if you want government reform but elect someone who is only willing to manage the decline (Romney comes to mind), then what have you gained? Not much.
Third, the electability argument is used to cut off debate over the issues that really matter. People can’t justify Romney based on his performance as governor, so they say he’s most electable. Why? Because they don’t really want to discuss his record. If his record was really worthwhile, they wouldn’t need to use the electability argument, would they? In other words, the electability argument is really nothing more than a lame excuse to shut off debate about a candidate’s real record.
Now that you’ve verbally eviscerated Newt...
Your SOLUTION is?...
LLS
Millions of us my friend... enough to deny even a close race.
LLS
I voted for Conservative Duncan Hunter in 2008
I was 1st in line at our county election commission the 1st day of early voting on the Wednesday
that Saturday Duncan dropped out...
2 days later on Monday FRed dropped out...
Did I have a wasted vote ???
No, I had a clear conscience...
2 weeks later on the actual election day in TN Huckabee won...
We need to have all the primaries on the same day...
Since you seem to love the idea that Romney had a “big win”...never mind the details of it...
Pray tell us WHAT won the day in the Romney win.
If you’re clapping, WHAT are you clapping for?
The writer believes Romney’s “win” means the GOP establishment is signing their party’s death warrant, and he explains WHY that would be true.
That’s his point.
What’s yours?
You think this fight hasn't gone on within the pubbie part since Goldwater?
I think you need to take some history lessons....
We aren't going to win the fight if we can't win the deck stacking fight within the party first....Face it, the progressive wing of the party has been stacking the deck and calling the shots for a long, long time...one person isn't going to win against that...
you can't lay this at the feet of Palin...
But he doesn't count because he isn't taking media attention ( he is the media) and he hasn't sucked campaign money out of the process that could have been used by quality candidates. Candidates who would have had difficulty getting around the cult of personality in the primary process, but over time could have demonstrated their mettle to the primary process.
Unfortunately "You Betcha" sort of sealed their fate and didn't even give us a chance to say yay or ney to "You Betcha" or those other candidates.
Will lay odds the Ron Paul people have the caucuses sewed up as I type.
My take away line from the article and from the Florida primary in general.
I'm not sure about Rand Paul ...still trying to figure out exactly what he and his Dad have planned. (My initial inclination is to beware of “dynasties” no matter which political party engenders them.
My take on Sarah is that the elites fear her so much that they have marginalized her. I honestly believe it is possible they matched her w/McCain with the expressed purpose of destroying her political potential; even at the cost of losing the election to Obama. Sarah was too much of a threat and had already done a lot of damage to the elites machine in Alaska.
Sarah is doing as much as she feels she can from the sidelines ...it limits the amount of power she has but allows her to use it more judiciously to get her message out to the most people w/o the constraints of GOP “filters” to “muddy” or destroy the content.
Remember, she was the only person of national GOP stature that was out there telling people to “VOTE FOR NEWT” to keep the process going ...and “rage against the machine.”
Sarah's not perfect; and she's more of a populist than a hard line Conservative, but she's “good people” and has demonstrably done more for Conservatism and freedom than any of the other current crop of politicians. (Incidentally, Newt self-identifies as a “populist” in his speeches of late, I noticed.)
The GOP power structure will sell out Conservatives every chance it gets ...count on it. They're a MAJOR part of the problem.
The problem with the current probably slate is we now have to settle. A moderate or a candidate who shoots from the hip, can't decide what they stand for, demonize those who are at least moving ideas forward (conservative social engineering comments) and has a slimey past. I chuckle when I listen to talk radio these days because hosts you used to say we are the party of values are now flailing with we have imperfect candidates. I've never heard that kind of rationalizing before.
And then you have someone playing I may be a candidate who has a cult like following who simply was playing with a lot of good peoples emotions. Stole a lot of attention and spotlight and sucked a lot of money out of the process.
That's why were in the mess we're in.
It wasnt a big win RomneyBot
Willie Mitty didnt get a mandate...
54% voted against him...
hows that a big win ???
bump
So very true.
A real-life example of this would be Arnold Schwarzenegger. The electorate passed on Tom McClintock (true conservative - now congressman) to elect a highly recognizable candidate who did absolutely nothing for the state of California.
In the case of Rubio and Rand Paul, they've begun their terms in the Senate. Why expose them to likely defeat because of the "experience" factor.
Plus, considering the meatgrinder all the candidates have had to undergo, including attacks from the dems and the MSM on their families... I have a hard time faulting them for their decisions. As for Palin... c'mon.. the Palins have been run hard through the ringer... they've probably asked her to give it a rest.
That problem existed long before Palin hit the street...we are up against a well entrenched enemy. You can't expect to win without some team building.
I believe that is what Palin is up to.....and where we need the help the most.
The rest of the Establishment, country club types also had now better open up their wallets - wide. And they had better learn how to cheer for Mitt at TV rallies and strap on boots to go door-to-door for Mitt, because I ain't.
Good luck with all that. Yeah, I know, the Establishment just thinks we have no where else to go and in the end we'll flock to Mitt because of our dislike of Obama. You know what I say to that? Just watch me NOT vote for Mitt in the general election.
Great article and my sentiments exactly.
“Tawdry is good too...
MO on the spending spree for clothes...”
The “First Clothes Horse”???!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.