The Last Republican?

The American Spectator ^ | February 3, 2012 | Geoffrey Norman

[Cincinatus' Wife]

..Mr. Romney has captured the Republican flag and will carry it into battle this Fall. If he loses, those people who believed devoutly that the times require something more than a standard-issue Republican for whom all things political are negotiable and to whom there is no dispute that cannot be settled by compromise … those people will be saying, "Never again."

If, on the other hand, Mr. Romney wins, what then? Does anyone expect that when he gets to Washington and starts running the government like a business, entitlements will reform themselves, the deficit will shrivel on its own accord, and Leviathan will shrink to a size where it can be domesticated and housebroken? Has Mr. Romney demonstrated, ever, any convictions regarding the proper size and the rightful powers of the government? Does anyone believe he shares the fear millions feel about government power and their angry indignation at its arrogance and overreach? His overriding sentiment about government seems to be that it would be nice if he were in charge of it … so it would be run (all together now) like a business.

In short, does anyone think that Romney will ride into Washington next January determined to tame the town… or die trying?

Mr. Romney's aim will almost surely be to take Washington on its own terms and try to "make it work." Whatever anti-Washington sentiments he might express during the campaign, the odds are they will be discarded and forgotten within weeks of his taking the oath of office in a replay of George H. W. Bush and "read my lips." The people who voted for Romney in the belief that he would take on Washington will be patronizingly told by the political class that "Governing is not the same as campaigning."...

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Thanks, but it would be nice to know we’re not dependent upon the Saudis.

[Colonel_Flagg]

Lost in the narrative is the undeniable reality that Myth has no chance to win the general election.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

.....“The tea party people are scattered in whom they’re supporting,” said Jeri Taylor-Swade and Laurel Fee, editors of TRUNC, a group that works to build bridges between the tea party and the Republican Party......

Thank you for the link and excepts. I'm reminded of Venezuela and the fractious groups that gave Hugo Chavez an unopposed path -- so now there is only his path as he controls the army, the oil, the supreme court, the education -- the whole shebang. And yet his opposition still argues and remains weak in numbers due to their division. Often, while they still had a chance, I'd hoped they'd come to their senses and stand behind ONE of their leaders and combine their groups to move against Chavez, but they didn't. And they have forever lost the opportunity.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

It is unfortunate this minor problem arose. It would have been inconsequential if it hadn't been a photo finish. Today, even Craig Robinson from "The Iowa Republican", who has been the loudest voice calling for Strawn's resignation because of the snafu, had this to say, "While Iowa has been put through the ringer recently with the results process, the truth of the matter is that 75 percent of the precincts in Iowa are run flawlessly. The other 24.5 percent of the precincts make tiny errors that are easily caught. The remaining half percent either didn’t fill out or lost a piece of paper."

In no way do I believe anyone was trying to cheat anyone. Also, all the numbers were out there for everyone to see--no one ever hid anything.

I do think Strawn could have used better words when reporting the certified results, but still all the numbers were there.

[ZX12R]

OK, fine, now how are you going to make sure everyone is 100% pure and how are you ever going to win an election?

I don't subscribe to the idea that candidates have to be pure, just on the same page. For instance, I think right now there are two very distinct pages to our current book. A liberal page and a conservative page, with a few kooks who are a bookmark between the two. Our problem this election is that the GOP-e is trying to pick the candidate that lives on the liberal page, but has recently gone on a camping trip to the conservative page. In that sense, Romney is an illegal immigrant.

We only vote for candidates which are not career politicians, and have proven they are interested in upholding the constitution, enacting term limits, and preventing the destruction of our country, our economy, and our society. Candidates that are interested in reforming entitlements and the tax system. They could be from any political party. I am really beginning to think that the party designation has come to be destructive, if anything today. See Romney.
If Romney is considered a republican, then the term truly has no meaning anymore.

And if those candidates can't win elections, due to the ignorance and indifference of the American electorate, then we simply are waiting to hit bottom, and I don't think it's far off.

Then perhaps things will change, but I'm as optimistic about that, as I am that Romney can beat Obama. Romney could probably beat Obama, but only if he challenged him as a fellow democrat.

[Linda Frances]

In no way do I believe anyone was trying to cheat anyone. Also, all the numbers were out there for everyone to see—no one ever hid anything.

---

Why didn’t the gop/romney/romney media say, wait minute, we better hold off giving it to romney. They knew THE NIGHT of the caucas romney did not win. Also, how do 8 different precincts accidently lose their ballots?
Like I said, if romney needs them they will be found. Don’t you care that these people are acting like democrats with their lyiing, cheating an stealing, or are you a romney backer?

[fieldmarshaldj]

They must be exposed as being enemies of the Conservative cause and friends of big government expansionism. Far too many voters in the GOP have absolutely no idea they’re being misled by these charlatans. They talk out of both sides of their mouths and claim to oppose this regime in DC while they privately laugh behind our backs and give high-fives to Emperor Zero in private.

The question you will have to ask yourself this year, do you continue to validate people who lie to your face about them sharing your values, or do you tell them, “Enough ! I will not be fooled again !” 2008 should’ve been the wake-up call, and the results from 2010 were the direction we needed to be heading in, instead, for 2012, the establishment insists on shoving down our throats candidates that are as antithetical to Conservative and Constitutional ideals as can be. Anyone who challenges them and their supremacy are destroyed. We’ve got to retaliate the same way, unapologetically, and drive them back to the party whose ideology they share.

To make it plain, there is no room for pro-big government Socialists/Statists/et al, in the Republican Party. If we let them win, we ALL lose, and that includes our country. And yes, ma’am, it is just that bad. Frighteningly so.

[fieldmarshaldj]

The Whigs died not for being out of touch, but for having two thoroughly diametrically opposed ideologies under one roof. You had to run candidates who wouldn’t risk offending either side in a national election (which meant they stood for absolutely nothing). You had elitists who wanted the institution of slavery to go on ad infinitum and conversely you had reformists (even some Southern ones) who wanted it abolished. Conscience vs. Cotton. Even the Democrats of the 1850s had a similar dilemma and would’ve come apart had the Whigs not done so first (and by 1860, the Democrats came undone as well, with the Northern and Southern factions splitting).

[fieldmarshaldj]

It’s very hard to ignore someone who has a jackboot on your throat and a pistol pointed at your temple.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Hell no, I'm not a Romney backer but I also see this for what it was--and extremely close election where every vote counted. The mentality here on FR has become the mentality of victimhood. Everyone wants to be a victim. There were no victims in the Iowa caucus. I know you want it to be that way and you won't be happy without being a victim and you are not listening.

I want you to again read the words of Craig Robinson from today's theiowarepublican.com. Craig was the one leading the charge to have Strawn removed from his chairmanship. Today's words make me wonder if he thinks he may have gone too far but, again, here are his words: 'While Iowa has been put through the ringer recently with the results process, the truth of the matter is that 75 percent of the precincts in Iowa are run flawlessly. The other 24.5 percent of the precincts make tiny errors that are easily caught. The remaining half percent either didn’t fill out or lost a piece of paper."

All ballots were counted, there were some misplaced Form Es. You have access to all the numbers and no one is disputing them.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Over doing the drama a bit, don’t you think? This mentality has become pervasive here on FR to where it is crippling and dangerous. Instead of fighting this war, many want to surrender and be able to whine about being victimized.

[old school]

Among the electorate, there have always been the illiterate and malinformed. That fact has never been more shockingly evident than it is today. It will be the obligation of each of us to re-educate these people one person at a time, if we are to have any hope of surviving as a republic.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Our problem this election is that the GOP-e is trying to pick the candidate

How is the GOP trying to pick our candidate? Can't you vote for whomever you want? I did. I voted for Perry. No one is going to tell me how I have to vote.

We only vote for candidates which are not career politicians

And this website is supporting Newt? Isn't Newt more of a career politician than Romney?

[The Citizen Soldier]

It is time for a new party, even if it requires taking over a small third party for its name and existing presence on the state ballots. Constitutional Party, etc. The Republican establishment is way out of touch, both locally and nationally. The Whigs died for being out of touch, and so is the national Republican party.

More and more, I'm leaning in this direction.

I honestly don't think Mitt can beat Obama anyway. His money alongside Newt's looks like a mountain, but alongside Obama's will look like a mole hill.

Newt could overcome the money advantage with conservative ideals and American inspiration, but Mitt has neither of these and will continue to put his foot in his mouth from now until November. The media will maximize these perpetual blunders (again, Mitt doesn't have the soul of a conservative to begin with), and by election time we'll be wondering if he can do as well as McCain did in '08.

[The Citizen Soldier]

How is the GOP trying to pick our candidate?

If you honestly can't see that by now, then you've been spending too much time on Fox News and not enough time on Free Republic. :-)

Your candidate (at the time you voted) is no longer running. He dropped out and is supporting Newt. If you trust his judgement enough to vote for him, wouldn't his endorsement of Newt tell you something?

[fieldmarshaldj]

I wish I was overdoing the drama. You can’t ignore something that is that up close and personal. As you said above, you like to ignore them. You can’t. Not when they have almost complete control of the process and even the information that gets out. The fact that they can, at a moment’s notice, completely destroy a candidate who is a threat to their hold on power is frightening. Look what they did to Herman Cain. Think that was an exclusive hit job from the opposing party ? Look at Newt Gingrich, whom I consider to be a part of the establishment, and what was done to him in the course of a week in FL. They are hell bent to force their choice down our throats. If we had stopped Willard in FL, they’d have dumped him and brought in someone else. And the voters keep getting fooled and misled by these power-mad jackals.

[The Citizen Soldier]

Why didn’t the gop/romney/romney media say, wait minute, we better hold off giving it to romney. They knew THE NIGHT of the caucas romney did not win. Also, how do 8 different precincts accidently lose their ballots?

Right on Linda!

This has quickly become the Republican year of the mea culpa. Romney (and his minions -- they are many) utilize the dirty tricks of the left one day, accomplish their goals, then do a mea culpa the next (i.e Bloody Thursday). Of course, by then the damage has been done and the team has moved on to the next state.

Republicans (the establishment) move to the left first through watered-down thinking, and its only a matter of time until they move to the left in action. I believe we are seeing that unfold before our eyes.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Look what they did to Herman Cain.

Maybe this issue is not as black and white as you would like. I don't think it is and I have reason to believe that he is not as much a victim as many here on FR would like to think. That is the point, this is not a black and white issue, there is constant overlapping and people moving from one category to the other.

The other day, I asked a politically connected friend to define the "establihment" for me. He told me I am part of the establishment. Of course, we both had a good laugh out of it but I allege that to those who want to be victims that anyone who does not support your candidate is the current establishment. Don't worry, it will change tomorrow.

[Conservativegreatgrandma]

Oh, geez, have it your way—you’re happier being miserable. You betcha, the Iowa GOP was trying to cheat Santorum by trying to help Romney. Now, are you happy?

[ZX12R]

How is the GOP trying to pick our candidate?

If you don't see the concerted effort among the republican establishment GOP regulars against the outsiders, then you need trifocals, grandma.

Can't you vote for whomever you want? I did. I voted for Perry. No one is going to tell me how I have to vote.

Of course you can, but it could be like voting for Pee Wee Herman. Not much likelihood the he would win, and pretty much a pointless vote.

And this website is supporting Newt? Isn't Newt more of a career politician than Romney?

Yes, of course he is, but that's the choices we've been given by the GOP-E and the liberals. Due the the trashing of the good conservatives, in the last three or more years, by the GOP-e, the liberals, and the liberal propaganda arm that is the main stream media. In order to ensure they can't garner any popularity, by using comedy, ridicule and smear tactics.