Posted on 10/06/2012 6:51:03 AM PDT by Kaslin
He tried ignoring his base in the primary when it was rallying behind marriage in North Carolina and rallying behind Chick-fil-a when it was under attack, and that didn’t work. Then he tried just scaring people into voting against Obama, and that didn’t work.
Finally, Mitt Romney tried conservatism at Wednesday night’s debate—and that did.
The result was Romney – that’s right, the guy that was once named the No.8 RINO in the country by Human Events – provided the country the most teachable moment on the differences between Republicans and Democrats in a presidential election since before Al Gore invented the Internet.
No, he wasn’t perfect. He still bought into the Left’s “soak the rich” redistribution of wealth flawed premise. He still got caught lauding the virtues of government regulation. And he is still the guy that provided the blueprint for Obamacare.
But Rome wasn’t built in a day.
When Romney was on, he was really on. He invoked the 10th Amendment. When was the last time a GOP presidential nominee did that? The answer that gave him the highest marks from a CNN focus group featuring undecided voters in the swing state of Colorado was Romney contrasting our philosophy of government from the Democrats, including Romney citing our founding documents like The Declaration of Independence.
Be still my beating heart.
Romney made me forget he was, well, Romney. I found myself cheering him on for the first time since, well, ever. Why? For me it’s not about personalities, factions, or partisanship. I’m just not a person motivated to vote for any hackneyed Republican because the Democrat is so bad anymore. Been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt. All that gave me was more big and immoral government and a loss of brand integrity.
The ruling class wants it to be about those petty things so it doesn’t have to provide what the American people are clamoring for—leadership. So if only Nixon could go to China and Nebuchadnezzar could praise Daniel’s God, then I’m certainly not going to muzzle the ox while it’s treading its grain. Yes, Romney’s record in Massachusetts is still heinous. And yes, there are times I trust him about as much as I trust the secondary of my Detroit Lions. But I’m also thankful that Romney chose the biggest stage in the world to defend vital parts of my belief system. Besides, given his past, it’s not like he doesn’t owe us one or a few.
See, for me this is about principles. A good friend of mine who is a national leader in the pro-life movement told me after the debate Wednesday night, “I never thought I’d be cheering on Romney.” I told him, “You’re not cheering on Romney. You’re cheering on our principles because Romney finally decided to run on them.”
Most of us become Republicans because of the principles in the party platform, and we recognize that those who don’t are usually the worst Republicans. After this debate, I sensed conservatives more united than we had been since the Scott Walker recall. That’s because principles unite us, while tactical obfuscation and “architect” electioneering divides us. The party establishment thinks we want their candidates to be perfect, when really all we want them to be is Republicans.
This was different than Romney’s well-chronicled and convenient etch-a-sketches in Republican primaries the past two election cycles on issues conservatives care deeply about. This was a candidate going on a national stage and doing what John McCain, George W. Bush, and Bob Dole were either incapable of doing or unwilling to. This was a guy willing to draw some stark worldview differences between himself and his Democrat opponent, while pointing out exactly why his Democrat opponent failed.
Remember when McCain-Palin spent four total debates four years ago never challenging the Democrat meme that free market economics is what led to the banking crisis? Remember how you got so mad you wanted to dislodge your own eyeball without anesthetic out of frustration? Remember screaming at the television set, begging and pleading the GOP ticket to actually defend what you believe for once?
Wednesday night our pleas were answered from an unlikely source, but at this point I’ll take it where I can get it. You can tell Romney was effective because the Left is claiming he transformed himself into a moderate to defeat Obama. No, we’ve seen Romney as a moderate. It’s called the 2012 Republican presidential primary. And we’ve seen Republican presidential candidates running as moderates, and we all have the collective scars to prove it.
This was Romney finally throwing caution (and hopefully his incestuous batch of defeatist consultants) to the wind and proving once for all that unlike McCain he’s willing to do what it takes to become president. What it takes is drawing stark distinctions between Republicans and Democrats and meaning it. When voters see stark distinctions between Republicans and Democrats, Republicans win. When voters don’t, Democrats do.
Conservatism works every time it’s tried.
Now that Romney has gone from sprinkling to full immersion conservative baptism under fire, let’s see if he follows through the final four weeks of the campaign. If he does, then for the first time I believe he could actually become the next President of the United States, and Republicans down ballot all over the country will benefit on November 6th.
Finally, for more of my thoughts on the impact of the debate, and what it means in the race moving forward, you can click here.
Wow, talk about an article lavishing someone with faint praise! For every one “attaboy” there were two-three negatives.
Nice tepid support. But hey, unemployment is down to 7.8%, didn’tcha hear?
Most excellent, Kas.
>>Romney made me forget he was, well, Romney.<<
“I ain’t gonna vote for no damn RINO” back-channel obama supporters take note.
When Romney divests himself from his support of the Gay Agenda:
1. Gays in the Military.
2. Gay Adoption
3. Gays in the Boy Scouts
and when he actually becomes Pro-Life and drops his support for Abortion for the following reasons:
1. Incest
2. Rape
3. Life of the Mother
4. HEALTH OF THE MOTHER
The author of this article might have a point, until then, it’s all smoke and Mirrors where Romney is concerned, as it always has been.
Meanwhile, the dual of chameleons goes on.
ASnd he wasn't totally (or even close to being) honest with the "negatives".
Romney isn’t the conservative many want but he sure beats Obama and gives time for America to be saved. When drowning, even a soiled life perserver is better than going under for good.
Hope those who would rather Obama win than vote for Romney live well with what they cause us all to suffer.
I thought the article was more than generous. Romney has an established record of campaigning conservative and acting RINO.
It doesn’t matter what he says now. He can Etch-a-sketch his positions after he wins.
And to use the born again label?!? Really? Was this aimed at Evangelicals?
Seriously, this guy isn't what he would like you to think he is ~ he pays lip service to some Conservative principles, but he is in league with the Acolytes of the Antichrist to drive Conservatism from the public square.
Next time come up with a candidate about whom it is possible to say more than that he's better than Obamugabe ~ or some other trashy Democrat street thug.
Almost ninety minutes of argument about which one of them, Romney or Obama, can best micro-manage the unconstitutional socialist welfare state and the lives of the American people is not mitigated by a tiny dose of lip service paid by Romney to conservative principle.
When Romney references the Tenth Amendment it is always in the context of the national government being on top, and “giving” something to the states.
Which shows yet again that he has no clue.
Did Obama say “you won” at the end of the debate to Mitt
around the 20 minute mark
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZMZNjUdWA4
Until then I hope and pray that the Lawless One will be defeated...severely, and the corrupt-o-crat tyrants will be defeated and their anti-liberty hordes will be sent packing.
Don’t kid yourselves....Romney is a RINO...still, he’s better than the communist.
So, apparently Romney did so well that Obama claims it wasnt the real Romney.
Folks, this WAS the real Romney.
Latest Ras poll - ROMNEY UP 2 POINTS.
ROMNEY LEADS.
you got that right. anyone with half a brain will vote for Romney, and pray that pubs take over the senate and keep the house.
you can keep Mitt’s toes to the fire that way. if the obamanation returns we are doomed.
a morman president will be much better than an islamofascist.
what i have seen is that Romney understands business, taxes, economics and has honor and compassion. much more credentials than a marxist rabble rouser that couldn’t “even run a lemonade stand”.
Blessings, bobo
I am open to giving him a try and holding him to what he says. Stalin, Mao, Lenin, Hitler are a few I see as a worse choice than the Muslim. I think any Rino goes slower at socialism than the Muslim and it is easier to stop a slow vehicle than the speeding train we have in the WH.
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