(BTW, I realized my last post #1225 had a typo, which is why I logged back in and then saw several pings to me. I meant to say that “I do not have a problem with ‘Anybody but Obama’ people — they include the vast majority of my Republican friends in my county who supported Rick Santorum.” What I wrote was “Anybody but Romney,” which would also be accurate, but it's not what I meant to say. My point was to say that most local Republicans I know, even if they were opposed to Romney, are willing to vote against Obama. We do have a fairly active Constitution Party group in our area but I don't see them realistically getting traction in a presidential campaign in a closely divided swing state like Missouri where it is quite possible that every single vote could count.)
Thanks to caww as well for your kind compliments at #1229 on what I wrote. And I agree, Elsie, on your assessment at #1246 of likely motives. I don't know many of these people or have a prior background reading their posts, so I'd rather be charitable if in doubt.
Back to ohioWfan: yes, some of Obama’s core constituencies, including blacks, Hispanics, and young voters, are seriously hurting. There are reasons why the Democratic Party is pushing student loan issues now, sending racial signals on the Trayvon Martin-George Zimmerman case, and trying to make a “war against women” argument.
Also, I agree with you that lots of unhappy people in 2008 projected their idea of “change” onto a largely blank slate, and now that they're seeing what the “change” involves, they're disillusioned. As conservatives, we can only hope that people have changed their minds about the nature of Obama’s “change.”
For the sake of the conservative movement in the short term, probably the best possible scenario out of our current bad situation would be an extremely narrow Romney victory with lots of conservatives in “safe Republican” or “safe Democrat” states casting protest votes for third parties, making crystal clear to Romney that he doesn't have a mandate to push a left-of-center agenda.
I think Romney will do whatever he thinks it will take to get elected, and I'm extremely unhappy with the trial balloons he's been sending up about a “move to the middle.” If we don't hold his feet the fire we're going to have an awful mess if he's elected, and an even worse mess with four more years of President Obama if Romney is defeated.
Interesting perspective, darrell. If we could control those numbers and still get rid of Obama, I would agree with you.
No matter what, the Conservatives we elected in 2010 (some of whom have been enormous disappointments, some of whom have not), and the new ones we elect in November have GOT to hold firm with Conservative principles in both the House and Senate.
I'm also hoping that both Santorum (my choice because of social issues) and Gingrich will offer much advice on conservatism that will be understood and accepted by a far-from-conservative candidate.
I think Romney will do whatever he thinks it will take to get elected, and I'm extremely unhappy with the trial balloons he's been sending up about a “move to the middle.” If we don't hold his feet the fire we're going to have an awful mess if he's elected, and an even worse mess with four more years of President Obama if Romney is defeated.
The 'move to the middle' nonsense is exactly the kind of thing that Santorum, Gingrich, and all of us need to stop Romney from carrying out. He has no core (which, of course, is why he was none of our choices), but perhaps he can be persuaded to actually BE the conservative he claims he is.
Again.......I am a hopeless optimist, and am always looking up, and not down.
I do trust in God's promise that, no matter what happens, HE will never leave us, nor forsake us.
If we are subjected to punishment as Christians under a second term Obama, if we face the very real possibility of persecution under an unbridled Marxist regime, we need to fight for all we're worth, but also TRUST that God will give us the strength to endure what we never dreamed would happen to us in America.