Posted on 11/24/2011 8:28:09 PM PST by rocky88
"In short, the electoral experience of the last 50 years does nothing to undermine the common-sense notion that most political battles are won by seizing and holding the ideological center. In the last two presidential elections, more than 44% of voters described themselves as "moderate," and no conservative candidate could possibly prevail without coming close to winning half of them (as George W. Bush did in his re-election).
The notion that ideologically pure conservative candidates can win by disregarding centrists and magically producing previously undiscovered legions of true-believer voters remains a fantasy. It is not a strategy. At the moment, it is easy to imagine Mitt Romney appealing to many citizens who would never consider Rick Perry or Herman Cain. It is much harder (if not impossible) to describe the sort of voterRepublican, Democrat or independentwho would refuse to support Mr. Romney (over Barack Obama!) but would somehow eagerly back Messrs. Perry, Cain or Gingrich, let alone Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum or Ron Paul.
Conservatives, as well as their moderate and progressive neighbors, may have plenty of reasons to oppose Mitt Romney in favor of some rival candidate. Electability can't reasonably count as one of them."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
I see. So to defeat an angel of Satan, one must support another angel of Satan.
Got it. Thank you.
So clear now.
PS - Why don’t we have a Third Party? Answer: Because we must first have a Second Party.
Polling Update: Newt leads GOP pack in SC, AZ, IA, PA
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2812112/posts
hmmm if only we could get Tebow to run - talk about ‘it’ factor LOL!!! j/k
nathanbedford described it perfectly in his post above in comparing Newt to Sarah Palin after mentioning the emotion of OWS to the freeloading hippies. Obama/Soros are good at that. Sarah is good at that. And now, with Newt rising, we see he is good at that too. I am grateful to nathanbedford for putting this all into context for me because it is so black and white now... whichever GOP candidate can espouse the most emotion with a ‘cause’ will get the nod. I mentioned earlier that maybe Newt can do that by showing America how they’ve been lied to by the MSM since Cronkite!
I know. I'm not a fan, just offering an insight to why he's getting the bump. BTW, what is the catchy term for Gingrich supporters? Newtonian, Newton? Wondering.
That is your opinion only and you are trying to get a feeling the way the elites are trying to get a feeling on what conservatives will do if Romney is the nominee. Well you can tip your hand and tell them you’ll fall into line no matter who they put up there, but only conservatives have my vote.
If that gay rights loving, baby murder loving, father of obamacare and gay marriage is on the ticket, I’m not voting for it. I will vote for the most conservative candidate running be that a third party candidate or candidate “None of the Above.” I hear that candidate “None of the Above” is way more conservative than Obama or Romney. He or She deserves my vote.
Masquerades. People are sick of them. Obama could run "as a conservative" as well, while still being as far left as he currently is.
In 1968, Nixon ran as a conservative, appealing to the forgotten Americanand won
[ Why are Barak Obama and George Soros ginning up the Occupy Wall Street movement? ]
“Top down, bottom up, inside out”.. Cloward-Piven tactics..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZeoTskdsUM
at this point, you are probably correct unless Newt can overtake Romney. At least with Newt there is hope to energize and excite independents when he makes a fool of Obama in the debates. I don’t see how Obama could make any headway with independents having Newt as the opponent that would upstage him at every turn.
And your point about splintering and blowing this, it is so evident even on this board by the sniping that is taking place because I dared to ask if people would unite behind Romney if he were the chosen one - and I am a political conservative! Sad to say, but a lot of people here give me less hope with an attitude that is very discouraging and almost feels like people would rather have a complete collapse of our country and our way of life than vote for someone who does not represent their views 100%. It’s like in a marriage, no spouse loves 100% of his/her mate’s habits, LOL! My husband has some bad ones, as do I. BUT I love him and accept ALL those habits, though, because I love him and he’s a good man and does what is best for us and our family. I understand people don’t love the idea of voting against their political convictions, I get that. Electing a completely conservative candidate is very important to me, but even if I don’t get my way it won’t rank above my conviction as a wife and mother to ensure my family’s well being - so in the end I will rally behind and vote for the person who is best for my family AND I will work to get conservatives elected to Congress instead
Conservative GOP Candidate + Republican Congress = Awesome America
Romney + Republican Congress = An America way better than what we have now!
4 more years of Obama + more Holder = end of America
“Or do you believe things will not get worse for our country if Obama is reelected?”
What does Obama have to do with Romney? I won’t ever vote for Obama. I sure as hell won’t vote for someone with the same ideas and attitudes as Obama either.
I don’t think Romney will be able to fix a damn thing that is wrong with this country. He will be just as bad as Obama.
You know, despite your protestations, you are beginning to sound like a Romney shill.
Nope, I’m not pro-Romney. Never have been.
A lot of ‘damn things’ wrong with this country are being done by Obama and Holder and at least he could fix those if we get stuck with him as the candidate. Gun Walker, NLRB, Department of Education, EPA, etc - all those and more can be affected in a more positive way with anyone but Obama/Holder, right?
For the life of me, I just don’t get the whole ‘throw the baby out with the bath water’ mentality here with you and others if we end up with the guy. Let me repeat, I have no love for Romney. I have all the love for God, my family and my country, though, and don’t want to see it end and will do what I can to keep those intact.
Do you know if Newt has changed his stance on global warming since the Climategate emails??? I don’t remember him saying anything to prop up the GW farce recently...
Let me put it to you as simple and direct as I can:
#1 I am a conservative, not a Republican. That is why I can never vote for Romney. There is nothing conservative about the man.
#2 Free Republic is a Conservative website, not Republican. That is why so many people here can never vote for Romney.
There is nothing Conservative about the man.
If you are still confused, re-read #1 and #2 above.
oh and understandably so...there is hardly a conservative blood cell trapped in Romney’s body.
So if there isn’t a conservative on the ballot, you don’t vote, then. Correct?
San Fran Nan and the couch!
yes, I know but wasn’t that before the climategate emails surfaced?
Don't confuse the current work out with a failure to unite. All in good time.
Summer of '08 or thereabouts
“So if there isnt a conservative on the ballot, you dont vote, then. Correct?”
Incorrect.
There is likely to be someone who at least has conservative leanings SOMEWHERE on the ballot. There is nothing conservative about Romney so why should I, or any Conservative vote for him?
There is more than Republican and Democrat to choose from.
If there is not a conservative, I will write one in.
I will also support as many conservative candidates as I can find, down ticket. There are more offices up for grabs in the election than just President/Vice President.
But I will NOT pull the Republican lever just because the Republican Rino elites in charge think I should. They just assume that if we don’t want Obama, we will take whatever they try to shove down our throats. That isn’t going to work anymore.
It is time for the republican Party to get this message: ignore Conservatives at your own peril.
It is time for Conservatives to get THIS message: The Republican Party does not like you. They don’t care what you think and they are NOT your friends. Stop running to them to save you from the Democrats, because they CAN’T. They are too much alike.
How is flushing our country down the 0bama toilet to spite the RINOs going to do us any good in the long run? The primaries are the place to have it out, and if conservatives can’t muster a primary win then we need to work on (a)recruiting stronger candidates and (b)educating the electorate, because that’s where WE are failing. All staying home in 2012 does is deny you the opportunity to cancel out a Democrat’s vote for 0bama.
Medved outs himself, finally.
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