First of all, congratulations on winning Iowa. Better late than never, right? Iowa is the new Florida.

I attended the debate in North Charleston Thursday night an undecided conservative voter. I arrived in South Carolina the previous night ready to campaign for Gov. Rick Perry, who at the time, was still the best and most principled conservative in the race. With Perry’s withdrawal earlier in the day, my wife and I walked into the debate open-minded but leaning toward Newt.

Ironically, on the way to the debate, my wife and I ran into Jim Bob Duggar and a few of his kids. We told him we had been Perry supporters. Jim Bob Duggar had said it had been a tough choice between Perry and Santorum for who he endorsed. To my surprise, he asked us if we thought most Perry supporters would now back Santorum. I told him I thought it would fracture, with most Perry backers moving toward Newt and then Santorum.

I am very familiar with both yours and Newt’s strengths and weaknesses. I’ve articulated them on this forum at RedState multiple times. I am most concerned with your failure to pull the plug on wasteful spending and raising the debt ceiling multiple times. I expect you to strongly support right to work, cut spending and balance the budget if you are elected. The zero percent tax rate for manufacturing is not a good idea. Government should not favor one sector of the economy over another. That’s not free-market capitalism. Embrace a low flat tax for all businesses similar to Perry and Newt’s plans, and the economy will come roaring back, because we will once again be competitive internationally. Our current corporate tax rate, as you well know,  is second highest in the world. Your economic plan can definitely be improved, and I think you will be open to revisions. I believe you’ll reign in spending and thereby honor your word if you become President.

I appreciate your staunch pro-life support and your passion to promote the family in America. Your willingness to tell the truth about Iran and take steps to counter that evil regime’s rising influence. I served as an Army intelligence officer in Iraq in 2010, and I completely agree with your analysis on Iran. That government has much American blood on its hands, and Iran is the greatest threat we face as a nation. We are on a full-speed collision course with that country toward full scale war, unless we think outside the box in how we deal that regime.

Your debate performance Thursday night won us over. Newt definitely gained the momentum early on after soul-crushing John King. Newt quickly gained empathy from the audience for CNN’s opening full-scale attack. But you reversed Newt’s momentum by defending and promoting conservatism better than any other candidate on that stage. Further, you effectively exposed both Newt’s and Mitt’s glaring anti-conservative (and anti-constitutional) healthcare positions. You came out swinging in that debate, and you convinced me you are most in tune with conservative thought and philosophy. You come across much better in a live setting then you do on television. I do not know why, but on tv you seem a little over the top emotionally. However, in person, you seemed passionate about conservatism.

One last piece of advice: lose the vest. The vest was all well and good and endearing in Iowa, but you’re running for President of the United States now, not President of Iowa anymore. When Piers Morgan dresses more Presidential then you in a national interview, something is wrong. By Providence, you somehow made it to the top 4. So please always dress like a top tier Presidential candidate.

You have our prayers and support. I think it is only by Providence that you’ve made it this far. Now go forth and win this thing.

Cheering for You,

Justin Wax

@JustinWax on Twitter