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EDITOR OF REDSTATE

People Are Badly Misinterpreting Rick Santorum

By: Erick Erickson (Diary)  |  March 23rd, 2012 at 04:47 AM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

Much hay is being made of Rick Santorum saying he’d prefer Obama to Romney. Except that is not what he said or what he meant. Certainly he could have had a clarifying clause in his statement, but given the context, I think he was saying no more and no less than what I have been saying.

I’m on record thinking it is over and Romney is the nominee, but the hand-wringing over Santorum is juvenile and reminds me again why I so dislike Team Romney. We’re going to have put up with months of Team Romney whining about things if he is the nominee. This is the latest example.

What Santorum said was:

“You win by giving people a choice,” Santorum said during a campaign stop in Texas. “You win by giving people the opportunity to see a different vision for our country, not someone who’s just going to be a little different than the person in there.”

Santorum added: “If they’re going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have instead of taking a risk of what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate for the future.”

I think it was clear from the context of his remarks that Santorum was not expressing his own thinking, but expressing the thinking of general election voters. And I think he is absolutely right, which is also why I think Romney makes such a bad nominee (not that I think Santorum would be any better).

As I have said before

conservatives may not like Barack Obama, but most other people do. And when faced with a guy you like and a guy you don’t like who says he can fix an economy that no longer needs fixing, you’re going to go with the guy you like.

Right now Mitt Romney has higher negatives with independent voters than Hillary Clinton did in 2008. Add in the Etch-A-Sketch comment and he is ripe to be painted as the next iteration of the Massachusetts flip-flopper no one can trust.

I think Santorum was spot on in describing how voters would see the race in November. Why would they want to give up a guy many of them like, but who don’t much care of his job performance, for a guy they don’t like whose own campaign admits is like an Etch-A-Sketch.

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  • davesinsanantonio

    negatives about each of the candidates, and start talking up the positives (because each of the also-rans may be getting cabinet posts) and start emphasizing the horrific job Obummer and his minions are doing against this country. We should be showing videos of all Obummers snarky comments and his gaffes, and analyzing the results of his policies.
    The campaigns themselves should also be moving in that direction by now, or come November, the voters will be able to remember nothing but the negatives our guys have already filled the airwaves with, and we will be stuck with the Destroyer of America as We Know It for four more years.
    Get positive about all of us, and negative about the guy who is the real enemy!!!

  • ghostship

    Santorum is certainly right in that when voters are given a choice between a big government democrat incumbent and big government republican challenger voters will stick with the democrat. Although it is ironic for him to say that given that Santorum himself is a big government republican as well.

    However, nominating a big government republican also hurts the party in the long run as it damages the reputation of the party as a platform for small government conservatism ideas. A win by a big government republican will also allow the democrats a chance to pin the blame for their failed ideology squarely onto the shoulders of the republican party.

    The party still hasn’t truly recovered from Bush and his compassionate big government conservatism and yet we’re about to nominate another big government republican to be our standard bearer. Maybe the republicans aren’t the stupid party but are instead the suicidal party.

  • gmscan

    … is that he has given John Sununu such a prominent role as his attack dog. This is the same John Sununu who brought us David Souter and Bush Senior’s tax hikes. The man has no sense and no ethics.

  • pg1701

    I detest Team Romney.

    Starting out to chose our candidate I was so excited and enthusiastic, but Team Romney have totally ruined the whole process by going so negative on our own people.

    Of course we’ll rally to the cause if he is the last man standing.

    If its a choice of the dems slimeball or our ours, I will pick ours.

    When Mitt slides into the deep leather chair in the Oval office for the first time, he will still be a man who got to the top in a most vulgar fashion. Personally, I can’t for the life of me understand why anyone would take satisfaction in winning this way, unless at heart you are a democrat…

  • sowa1

    lieing to the American people constantly and if you believe it I don’t know what to say except wise up. He is trying to take credit for the part of the pipe line that is being constructed which he has nothing to do with. States can do that themselves. The Economy is not really coming back. Even if it were to come back, it won’t be because of anything Obama did. It’s also no reason to vote for him. All his regulations, taxes, Obamacare etc. make him the worse possible person to lead this Country.

  • sowa1

    use every dollar he has along with every lie he has told to try to win. We all must stop this bickering and support Romney so he will win.

  • obamney2000

    Romney is the John Kerry of 2012.

    In 2004, Kerry was an unlikeable candidate who flip flopped and was weak on the key issue that the lefty base was up in arms about: Iraq.

    Now the same thing is happening with Romney and obamacare.

    Watch the first couple minutes of this Kerry v Bush debate for a preview of what the Obama v Romney debates are going to look like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZfs6xOsyV4

    Kerry goes on and on about how bad the war is, then Bush turns around and totally destroys Kerry by quoting his past statements.This exchange and others like it destroyed lefty turnout for Kerry because he wasn’t a true believer, and it destroyed middle support for Kerry because it shows him as a man without principle.

  • http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu Rhymes With Right

    In which a supposed conservative turns apologist for an Obama-endorsing RINO.

    Remember — Santorum liked Arlen Specter over Pat Toomey, too.

  • ghostship

    Won’t do a thing to change the direction of this nation.

    It will make it easier for the left to pin the blame for their failed policies on republicans if Romney was to win. It will also make it harder for voters to believe the next republican who talks about smaller government and cutting spending if we elect another big government republican as the party’s standard bearer.

    I wish you big government republicans will one day learn that you can’t defeat liberalism with liberalism.

  • Scope

    on Fox, complete with his sour face, and his obvious anger at what he termed Gingrich and Santorum as losers. Romney may very well be the nominee, but he hasn’t won the race yet. Sununu seems to forget that out of all of the offices Romney has run for in his past, he has been a loser many times over. This guy does nothing to help his candidate, and only adds to the majority of voters anger at his campaign negative tactics.

    As was stated above, many are still not over their BDS yet. Jeb Bush’s endorsement won’t be viewed as a big positive. He’s just another Bush adding his name to the list of Romney pushers.

  • driveinkid

    No, Santorum plainly screwed up. He’s done because Romney is certainly no Obama by any stretch. Even Newt understands that and he is no great fan of Romney. I wouldn’t say “most” people like Obama either. That may have been true once, but not now. It isn’t Rick’s job to psychoanalyze voters anyway. Rick’s record is hardly more Conservative than Romney’s either. Let’s cut the nonsense and start focusing on beating Obama.

  • Scope

    are as bad as your candidates. You can’t tell anyone to “get real” and expect them to jump on board a train that many are hesitant to get on to begin with. Be careful who you advise to get out of the race if they can’t take it, many will do just that.

  • pieter

    Folks not too long ago dismissed Gingrich as someone who’d gaffe and wander off message ending his campaign. So far the opposite is true. Santorum is more likely to implode in the coming months than any of the others.

    Santorum…english first in PR, birth control and now stating that Obama is a better alternative to a fellow republican candidate.

    I think this illustrates why Gingrich should be the primary consideration for the non-Romney vote.

  • dvdmsr

    catering to the Conservatives in the Republican party; maybe it can. Maybe it doesn’t need Conservatives at all, but if that becomes their approach in the general election campaign, I think a lot of Conservatives will let him test that theory by working a double shift, going hunting, raking leaves, helping our kids with their homework, watching tv with the family, etc. on election day. I guess if Romeny wants Conservatives to remember his big day, he”ll remember us on the stump even after the convention or not the choice is his.

  • APA Guy

    The headline is all over Fox News…along with this narrative:

    “Rick Santorum says if Mitt Romney is GOP nominee voters won’t have a clear enough choice and ‘we might as well stay with what we have,’ as Romney expresses disappointment with remarks and Gingrich says Santorum ‘dead wrong’ to suggest Obama a better choice than GOP nominee.”

    It really doesn’t matter what he MEANT by saying what he did. HE SAID IT. He reeks of desperation right now at a time when we should be working to improve our foothold on Obama where gas prices and Obamacare are concerned. Rick Santorum saying stuff like this only distracts the voting public away from the issues that matter…just like the Fluke/Limbaugh nonsense.

  • nepanyrush

    First, unlike EE’s view, it is not at all clear that Santorum was referring to the public’s view. In fact, quite the contrary, it is a contorted reading to spin it the way EE is spinning it. Rather, the way it was stated that it was clearly Santorum’s view. He uses “we” not “the public’s view.”

    Newt also thinks that Santorum is stating Santorum would prefer Obama. Newt’s response was: “?Rick Santorum is dead wrong. Any GOP nominee will be better than Obama.?

    The media certain read it as Santorum preferring Obama. Look at this CBC article:

    http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/03/22/santorum-might-as-well-have-obama-over-romney/

    Look, the mathematics is obvious that Romney will be the nominee, with NY, CA, CT, NJ, UT yet to come in, which will all be big Romney wins. Santorum has jumped the shark both with this comment and by painting Romney as the etch-a-sketch candidate. He is doing lasting damage to Romney, while not having a chance himself.

  • syd

    It’s a bit rich to absolve Santorum for his “Obama is preferable to Romney” remark– accusing evil Team Romney of taking it out of context and “misinterpreting it”… (When it’s not Team Romney, whoever that is, who seized on it and blew it up: this was immediate catnip for the MSM…)

    And meanwhile make a big deal (as Santorum did) of the “etch-a-sketch” comment, which didn’t even come from Romney himself, and was meant to say nothing more controversial than that the transition from the primary to the general involves a reset in political strategy and tactics (*not* policy or platform)– a new game, new scorecard, new set of players, new audience, requiring new defense and offense moves. But, let’s hang Romney for a comment misinterpreted out of context which he didn’t even say, and absolve Santorum for a comment he himself said and which prima facie claims there’s no significant difference for a voter choosing between Romney, the all-but-certain 2012 GOP nominee, and *Obama*. OBAMA.

    Seriously?

    And I don’t think it’s “Team Romney” who are most upset about this. I think a lot of Republicans who don’t much like (or are lukewarm about) Romney and who like(d) Santorum are the most disgusted and disappointed of all over this. When Newt, who loathes Romney, gets to show more class and graciousness and party loyalty than Santorum, when Newt has to remind Santorum of the priority of ABO (especially as we’re nearing the end of the primaries and the start of the general).. that should tell Santorum something.

    You absolve Santorum for saying something that maybe you or others here– internet bloggers or commenters– might have said. In a careful context which you take time to explain, or as part of a rant. But Santorum isn’t an internet blogger or commenter: he’s a GOP primary candidate for POTUS against Obama 2012. To imply, in *any* context, that given the choice between Obama and the now almost certain GOP nominee, voters might as well vote for Obama (Obama!)… is irresponsible, reckless, stupid, and reprehensible.

  • http://www.political-woman.com politicalwoman

    he has plenty to do in this election cycle to win many voters to his side (personally, he can start with a staff overhaul, since he once said he likes to fire people who don’t give him good service.) However, Rick Santorum’s comments are going to be taken in the context and venue that they were given. I don’t need someone’s interpretation of what he meant to say. He’s an adult and running for POTUS.

    Under the pressure of the campaign trail in this crucial election year, when everyone wants to get it right, both the voters and the candidates, people mis-speak. But this type of rhetoric by a Republican running for the Republican party nomination is unprofessional and unbecoming, and only makes Axelrod’s job easier.

    Santorum is positioning himself as the true “conservative”, but his voting record doesn’t support the mouth-speak. His ego is getting the better of him, as he, too, realizes his moment in the sun is fading, just like Bachmann, Perry, Cain, and Gingrich before him. With this kind of behavior, he’s not the one I want taking that 3am phone call.

  • jeffbwillis

    There are two trains of thought. One is, “Elmer Fudd could beat Obama.” The other is, “he is as incompetent as he is likeable.” Personally, I disagree with both assertions! Obama can get re-elected. He has money and a plan. His entire campaign was designed around an anticipated clash with Mitt Romney. It looks like he’ll get it! Make no mistake! This is what Democrats wanted. It takes months to devise an advertising campaign. Their strategy will be “class warfare.” Romney is the ideal opponent. Santorum won’t have a chance because California is “winner take all.” If Newt drops out, things might change. Paul looks to be in and he will pick off probably 8-10% of California votes. Even then it will be very difficult for the former Pennsylvania Senator. Still, if Mitt shows up to Tampa without 1144 delegates, it’s probable that he will not be the nominee. Could Santorum beat Obama? I definitely think that he would be a stronger general election candidate than Romney. But those “mushy Republicans leaning Independent” will likely stay with Obama. Romney has run a dirty campaign. If anything, he doesn’t deserve the nomination. My preference would be to first try to keep Romney from securing the necessary delegates. Then, if the party leadership could not agree on one of the remaining candidates, draft a candidate. We must “get out of the box” and realize that this is 2012! It would not be too late, even in August to introduce a new opponent for Obama. I base this opinion on the fact that social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter did not exist 10 years ago. Therefore, if the candidate excites the base, while uniting the party, we must look there. Mitt Romney has pulled up all stops, alienating many. He will be remembered for having “set the party back 15 years” if he is the nominee. And this is if he wins! If he loses, the party will split. The Establishment will be blamed for “rigging” the election in Romney’s favor. This is what the Obama camp is hoping for. They want mainstream America to feel that their participation is a useless waste of time. This primary could lay the ultimate groundwork for that sad realization to actualize.

  • pieter

    Most of EE’s readership would agree that Santorum’s comment echos what some of us are saying on this blog. Santorum obviously lacked the wisdom to restrain himself to speak this on the campaign trail.

    I back Newt but would never ever consider Obama preferable to Romney (or Paul, for that matter).

    It was a stupid thing to say and displays his lack of political acumen. His comment was ironically reminiscent of the ridiculous statements coming from Biden or Obama.

  • RSSS

    & I’m not sold on Romney yet.

    But Santorum can’t say what he said if he wants to be considered as a serious presidential candidate.

  • AceInTX

    he’s won by spending millions taking things his republican opponents said and twisting the meaning. Romney is a liar and a fraud. I don’t believe there is an honest bone in the man’s body.

    IF he wins the nomination…(Which I won’t concede he’s done yet)…and IF he becomes the nominee…I will vote for the man…but no more. I won’t become a part of the lie that is Willard Mitt Romney. I will not destroy my reputation and integrity defending a man who wouldn’t know the truth if it walked up and slapped him in the mouth. I won’t try to make a case for any position he takes on the general because in doing so, I would expose myself to the inevitability of defending why I followed him out on a limb only to have him walk back to the trunk and saw the limb off behind me.

    IF Romney is the nominee…the establishment of the Republican Party and the money who props them up will have foisted the one man who takes the topic of repealing Obamacare off the table…the single most important item of action this nation has ever seen where 60% of this country agrees with us…will be rendered it moot.

    Way to freaking go morons!!!

  • AceInTX

    nt

  • sigmasix

    Damn straight.

    And ? I know all the pansy-assed willardbots are going to scream ?TRAITOR!!? but Santorum is spot on.

    This Romney nomination is a complete lunacy. I?m not quite sure what exactly the top ten BAD IDEAS of all time are but ?

    I?m pretty certain that nominating the only other man in this entire nation besides Obama who has a Socialist Health Care system named after him ranks somewhere in the TOP 5.

    Let?s see here ? let?s take our number one wedge issue ? ObamaCare, and completely neuter it by nominating the guy who provided the seed for ObamaCare ? WILLARD!

    Let?s see here ? let?s nominate a guy who loves to dish dirt on Conservatives ? but will refuse to fight Obama in the general with equal gusto! WILLARD!!

    Let?s see here ? Let?s nominate a guy that will raise taxes, just like daddy Bush- WILLARD!

    Willard will SINK the Republican Party as President ? if he even makes it that far.

    He will crash this nation as President because he hasn?t got the BALLS to do what it takes to save us ? and we only have a few years in which we can be saved. The moment of truth will come on his watch ? he will fail ? Conservatism will get the blame (even though he?s not a Conservative) and the Dims will BLOW-OUT the ceiling in the 2016 elections.

    It?s not being traitorous to save us from that kind of fate.

  • salemst

    It was New Hampshire Senator Warren Rudman who pushed Souter. Rudman stated Souter “was a home run” when nominated.

    Rudman was the social liberal, not Sununu

  • salemst

    I’m excited for the campaign with Romney taking on Obama. Not only is Romney the smartest guy in the room and quickest thinker on his feet, but will consistently use conservative principles to destroy Obama daily indicting him for his abysmal economic record. Things are not improving jobs wise–the government numbers are a hoax–1/4 of the jobs “Bias Factor” or “Birth-Death” guestimates on jobs created the government can’t find.

    Romney lived the American Dream as a successful businessman whereas Newt, Santorum and Obama are government parasites. I’ll gladly take the businessman earning success outside government and Washington, any time

  • jeffbwillis

    A friend in Fort Lauderdale introduced an interesting comparison. Don…, a lifelong Democrat and a member of Broward counties’ large Jewish community, admitted to having voted for Obama in ’08. “But,” as Don confessed, “he turned out to be much more liberal than advertised.” Don admitted, that “if Romney is the nominee, I’m definitely voting for him.” Calling himself a “Bill Clinton Democrat,” Don described the ’08 Obama campaign as “misleading.” Thinking Obama would be a centrist(he thought Hillary was “too polarizing”) he expected a pragmatist, not an ideologue. He sees Romney as the opposite.
    “Look at Romney’s friends.” Don points out. “William Weld(former Massachusetts Governor) and Paul Tsongas(former Democrat candidate for president.) “Both were social liberals, yet fiscal conservatives.” Weld endorsed Clinton in ’96 in his re-election bid against Bob Dole.
    “This is the real Mitt Romney” Don added. “If you like Bill Clinton, you’ll love Mitt Romney. He is Clinton without the sex scandals.”

  • salemst

    Only minorities, feminist single women, far lefties, and government workers like Obama. Those most government dependent.

    it’s a myth that people in general like Obama. Romney will attract a sizable number of normal women’s support as well as an enormous moderate anti Obama vote. The economy is awful and not improving despite government lying stats. Regardless what government says, people don’t feel economic improvement in their personal lives.

    Romney will defeat Obama and go down in history as one of our top 3-4 presiidents.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …jus’ sayin’….

  • GeneralAl

    Former Senator Santorum, please shut up! You are a big loser on the political scene, just like your pal “The Gingrich”. Romney is not the perfect but what Republican out there is? Everyone has his/her faults. Gingrich turns me off at evry corner and winning a debate is not the insurance policy for winning an election. Santorum just keeps creating more ads for the Commiecrats, and Ron Paul is there just to be heard.
    I live right in the heart of Liberal Babylon. Namely, the Chicago suburbs. Santorum’s morals, Gingrich’s debating, or Paul’s knowledge of the Constitution is not going to sway enough votes. Its going to take someone as ruthless as Romney to beat the political love child of Saul Alinsky and David Asselrod. It may be different in Macon, but here in Obama Land, Romney is the man!

  • pieter

    I’m uncertain as to whether it’s true…doesn’t matter. Hat tip to you, Doc.

  • PGDeFreese

    he veered too close to the line of aiding and abetting for me to be comfortable.

    If Santorum is so bad at communicating his thoughts and ideas that he needs an allied pundit to explain his words to a sympathetic audience then he needs to go.

  • ConstitutionMan

    I’m gettin’ really po’d at many of my conservative brothers. Let’s cut the crap; It’s TIME to close ranks. I’m not really worried about the race going on, but it’d be a great move for Rick and Newt to bow out at this time. Very statesman and sportsmanesque.

    Mainly, we could shift energy and resources to the Senate and House races. In the words of Leftist John Lennon – IMAGINE – a comfortably conservative Congress. Then,

    1) If Romney is indeed Obama Lite (I don’t believe it), what could he do? Could he sustain a veto of good stuff? He would have the bully pulpit, but would he war against Congress?

    2) If he is as “malleable” as some claim, he’ll play act Mr. Conservative as President, won’t he?

    3) If he’s as intelligent and capable as I believe he is, he’ll make as good a President as I would guess any of the other three would. After all, the Prez isn’t ‘sposed to drive the national agenda, but Congress is. The Prez “administers” the will of Congress.

    Let’s step out of the circular GOP firing squad and aim at Obama and his VILE administration.

    Let’s roll!

  • radicalrighty

    This same style came out in Perry’s first debate, when the smarmy Santorum (and Bachman) attacked Perry viciously, going on and on about the Gardisil and in-state tuition issues.

    So it’s not suprising that faced with certain defeat, he goes all in, no matter the damage he does to the ultimate goal – the defeat of Obama.

  • dmt1021

    Time to shift gears, Mr. Red State. Santorum is doomed. He sealed that deal when he couldn’t stay on message – It’s the economy stupid! – and instead had to get in the weeds of contraception, women’s rights, abortion, gay marriage, and that whole plethora of social issues that brought him to that landslide loss in Pa. in 2006. He’s through. Done. Cooked.

    For God’s sake, if you don’t want to be stuck with Obama for another four years, throw your weight behind Romney

  • horizonscanner

    Specter was/ is a dangerous snake.

    I know both men.

    Rick was forced to back Specter by the Republican leadership because we feared that without Specter maintaining his Senate Judiciary Committee chairmanship we wouldn’t be able to get our Supreme Court nominees through the DemKrat gauntlet.

    Now, it is argued that had we backed Pat Toomey at that point, Pat would have won. Also, critics of this decision claim that Senator Kyl would have done the job that Specter did, indeed, do, as promised to Rick and W.

    Well, the political calculus at that moment didn’t indicate that Pat Toomey would have won. Look, even when he did win in the landslide Republican year (2010), Pat Toomey didn’t win in a landslide. Specter’s constituency was still impressive at that juncture in time. Despite the fact that he underminded Judge Bork, he did fight on the side of truth and justice for Judge Thomas. Look, Specter is a weird guy, a snake. Over a long, long career spoke with a forked tongue and – I saw this myself – had a deep belief in his own self-animated genius. Remember, he’s the guy who came up with the Magic Bullet Theory that, in his view, saved the Republic in its darket hour. Like a character with fatal character flaws by Shakespeare.

    Anyhow, Rick did what he came to feel (after being implored) needed to be done. It cost him big time. Regardless of what you and Don Trump believe, I saw all of this relatively up close and can tell you: Rick was made to stand with Specter by the exigencies of politics. Trump better understand that if his guy, Romney, wins this thing, he’ll be damn glad that Rick worked the game to ensure that Roberts and Alito are in SCOTUS.

  • gafisher

    “… a train that many are hesitant to get on to begin with.”

    Especially when that train is still trying to find its track.

    .

  • Ender

    my diary :)

  • Marcus_Traianus

    …Rick will tell us what he’s for. Rather than constantly reminding us what he is against. But frankly, I believe most folks have stopped caring.

    Rick’s candidacy has gone well beyond “screening” or additive debate which helps the primary process. He has become nothing but a self-serving, destructive, selfish gadfly trying to poison the well because personally, he doesn’t like the way the water smells.

    Despite all the punditry and analysis, Rick lost in Pennsylvania because voters believed he no longer had the temperament for office. They were right. As we now watch Santorum come more desperate and unglued each day, we can be thankful he will be nowhere near the Executive office.

    Pick up your phone Rick. It’s common sense calling and it misses you.

  • gafisher

    A big part of Romney’s success in business and elsewhere was his priveleged birth. Unless the American Dream is now to be born rich and hire people who fall for the /old/ American Dream, Romney falls far more into the European Dream category.

  • conservativemusician

    And no, I am not a Romney supporter (I supported Perry). At this point, I don’t care who our nominee is. I am motivated simply by getting Obama out of office…period…and I don’t care who we have to use to accomplish this goal.

    I normally agree with you Erick, but there is no excuse for this comment from Santorum no matter how you spin it. I’ve had enough of this kind of talk from our candidates.

  • bbhorst

    Can someone explain to me why it is not time to just start a new party? I know the potential is there to divide the conservative vote, but it seems like there is enough dissatisfaction with the current crop of candidates, and especially the one who is most likely going to get the nomination, (Romney) that if a third party put up a truly conservative stalwart, the conservative 50% of the country would rally behind him, and we could bypass both the left wing ideologues and the republican establishment.

  • Patriot’s Tool Box

    As a 35 year employer of 160 to 200 employees depending on job needs, a person learns to correctly profile job candidates prior to hiring them. Some may take offense to the word profile but that’s why there are employers and employees, leaders and followers.

    I will vote Republican no matter what but have an increasing hollow feeling this time around. I seldom have ever looked at a future employees resume, CV, or to their prior employers for a reference as they come to us by reference with most working out fine. I have checked the candidates resumes and CV’s and wonder why others have not.

    When both the front runners offerings are correctly viewed we have a choice. One who helped the White House pattern health care while he appointed some obvious left-leaning mission-oriented judges while Governor. Santorum’s voting record speaks for itself and shame on us.

    Whine is the perfect word Eric when you honestly profile this guy who had nothing to do with selling the first pencil at Staples but everything to do with people losing their retirement and shipping jobs offshore while part of the decision making team at Bain. When I look at Willard he represents an 8th. grader picking on the little kids and when one of the little kids 11th. grade brother shows up he cries foul.

    I fear the Dems will at the opportune time expose why Romney stores his money offshore leveraging it in ways few understand and unreported.

    I see the unrest growing in this country day by day as we watch preoccupied with who’s best to steer this 60% submerged sinking ship with no power. I see the Communist Chinese today working toward replacing the USD as the global reserve currency successfully and when that happens by design my friends you will understand a whiner was the wrong choice.

    Again, well stated Eric but….

  • RSSS

    .

  • gafisher

    If these were the Democrat Primaries that would be merely significant. Given that Romney’s running as a Republican it’s crucial.

  • gafisher

    Around that guy wandering way out there beyond the horizon?

  • rogershru2

    I’m not excited about any of the 4 left (voted for Newt, would do so again), but they are all major upgrades over Obama. Even Bill Clinton would be a major upgrade over Obama at this point. To suggest that it is a reasonable point of view to consider the presumptive republican nominee as equivalent to Obama is ridiculous.

  • littlehouse18

    ..

  • indieinvirginnie

    A new party! Why didn’t someone think of that before? Oh, that’s right, they did. And lost every time.

    This country has diminished more in the past five years than in the previous fifty. We can dick around with ideas about a new party or a perfect candidate. Or we can get behind Romney. Not because he is great, and not because he is “electable,” but because he will be the Republican nominee.

    I did not even vote in the primary (VA), where the choice was between Paul and Romney. But I will be getting up early on that fateful Tuesday in November to vote against Obama. Think about it as a vote against Obama and not a vote for Romney if at makes you feel better. It works for me.

  • benson1

    This is why people need to get behind Gingrich…now! He’s the only person in this race that has made the president, Chu – Energy Secretary, Carney – Obama mouthpiece and Axelrod answer to his message of higher gas prices and drilling.

    It’s getting national and internet coverage now but Newt is the one who started it and continued to hammer Obama in speech after speech that the above people had to answer to. Even Fox news finally came out with all the particulars about oil and future reserves, facts Gingrich outlined in a speech two days earlier.

    Unless we want Romneycare Romney and doesn’t know how to fight Obama and the press Santorum you better get behind Gingrich. He’s had Obama running around in circle for weeks.

    Here?s what Gingrich did.

    Came up with slogan 2.50 gal gas.
    Did a 30 minute video explaining how to do it.
    The conversation about gas prices began to take hold
    The president had to go out and start making speeches about gas prices and drilling.
    Gingrich used the speeches to ridicule Obama policies and understanding of drilling.
    The president had to go out and make some more speeches about gas prices.
    The presidents Energy Secretary pronounced he wasn?t interested in bring down gas prices
    Gingrich called him on it telling people this administration wanted European gas prices $9 and $10 dollars.
    The presidents Energy Secretary had to back pedal on his original statements
    The presidents mouth piece Carney ridicules 2.50 a gal gas saying not possible.
    The president mouth piece Carney had to back pedal on statement.

    In presidential speeches Obama specifically used the 2.50 a gal gas which meant he was talking about Gingrich.
    The outcry and press coverage about gas prices escalated and Obama is making a 5 state tour trying to explain his energy policy.

    This is how it?s done folks. Gingrich is inside Obama?s head and taking it to him. What plan of Romneys or Santorums is the president concerned about. NADA !

    If you want to see what hammering Obama looks like go to Newt’s site and see the speeches.

    While your there donate to the only person in this race that will beat Obama and the press.

    http://www.newt.org/

  • RonsBoy

    Romney success is based on his performance. Bain Capitial was an equity firm based on finding distressed compainies and turning them around. Performance is what makes that model successful. It isn’t about being rich. It is about creating wealth.

    You can knock the guy as moderate but at least give him his due when he’s earned. it.

  • benson1

    There is no bad interpretation of Santorum,

    he is bad and this is the kind of gaffs we can expect in the future.

  • ConstitutionMan

    Just read my comment again and meant to say my conservative Brothers AND SISTERS! Our conservative lovelies have been great and are every bit their male equals in fighting the good fight against the digressives (f/k/a progressives) and Obama and his marxist fellow travelers. I won’t bore you listing all the conservative women I admire, it’d take too long.

  • http://www.hakubi.us/ Neil Stevens

    Past endorsements of pro-abort socialists don’t matter?

    Who was it who said the past predicts the future results? Oh wait, it was Ricky himself.

  • littlehouse18

    Although I think it will be difficult to undo the damage, both to himself and Romney. I’m afraid he just cost himself crucial votes.

    He needs to change the “we might as well stay with what we have” part. I think it’s fine to say that Romney will lead us down the same path but slower, but he is nowhere near the same as Obama. Romney the ‘Etch-A-Sketch’ does scare me, but Obama in a 2nd term is terrifying.

  • Ender

    Fox News, CNN, MSLSD, you name it – ABC, CBS.

    When Romney made statements out of context or gaffs, or whatever, there was no such “Oh Poor Romney was misinterpreted” but instead – what an idiot, should’ve thought before speaking.

    When Santorum makes a rather clear preference call that voters should make of Obama over Romney, echoing some of the trolls here, we have these excuses suddenly popping up that he is being misinterpreted.

    Face it, Santorum is not a smart guy and he really stepped into it yesterday.

  • Patriot’s Tool Box

    and amen.

  • jon11

    …and projecting that thinking on to general election voters.

    Santorum doesn’t know if general election voters feel this way or not. He’s not God.

    He feels this way and presumes general election voters do to.

    As for general election voters liking obama:

    Ive always felt his personal approval numbers were misleading.

    Lets be frank. We live in a racially retorted country were speaking your mind on race issues can and does get people in serious trouble. If a pollster asks some general question about how you feel about obama ‘personally’ you’re likely to respond in a positive manner just to be on the safe side.

    The left is so quick to play the race card that many conservative swho criticize obama on policy often feel the need to add something nice about him personally after the criticism.

    Finally, even if he is as personally popular as Erick thinks, that doesn’t mean people won’t pull the lever for the other guy if they are unhappy with the direction of the country and find the alternative acceptable…

    We know voters are unhappy with the direction and i think when push comes to shove you’ll see that they find mitt more than acceptable.

  • Ender

    from Santorum, you know Santorum screwed up:

    Newt Gingrich spoke up in defense of Mitt Romney Thursday night, insisting any Republican presidential candidate would be a better president than Barack Obama.
    “I want to start with something Rick said tonight that I frankly was very surprised that he said and that I hope he’s taking back,? Gingrich told the Baton Rouge Tea Party event crowd referring to Rick Santorum?s comments earlier today.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    pro-lifer. Santorum has zero conservative accomplishments as an elected official and there is NO reason to believe he’d be one bit more conservative in office this time around.

  • redstateneck

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duverger’s_law

  • littlehouse18

    and on national tv. He clearly implied that Romney has been just saying things conservatives want to hear in order to get their votes, but then in the general he will be moderate to liberal and who cares about conservatives, he’ll get their votes anyway.

    Besides that, though, I agree with Newt’s response.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    or the convictions to stand up against “the leadership” on his core issue. Thanks for admitting that he’s just a cheap politician, and, one who’s never shown an ounce of conservative leadership in office.

  • Ender

    and throwing everything and the kitchen sink at Romney. This is as real conservatives are getting behind Romney. Sen.Jim DeMint said yesterday:

    “I can tell conservatives from my perspective is that, I’m not only comfortable with Romney, I’m excited about the possibility of him possibly being our nominee,” DeMint said. “Again, this is not a formal endorsement and I do not intend to do that right now but I just think we just need to look at where we are.”

  • ConstitutionMan

    Since Ronald Reagan is unavailable as is Charleton Heston, I’m throwing in with Romney. You can applaud yourself for never bending your “conservativism” if you will, but I don’t want to win a battle and lose a war. Discretion is the better part of valor. I want to win the war! I want to save our country. Obama is a clear and present enemy to be VANQUISHED! I never implied Romney was my first choice (my first choice is not in the running at all), but my “team” GOP has chosen him and it’s therefore now: Dang the torpedoes; full speed ahead!

  • littlehouse18

    because it was made by Romney’s communications director, not some blogger. It was made on CNN in response to whether Romney had shifted his positions too far right. It was indeed about policy and platform, not campaign methods, and Team Romney is trying to spin

  • la2000

    and run a true conservative as a third party candidate, Obama would get his second term. But at this point, that is looking increasingly likely anyway.

    So why not take this opportunity to straighten out the republican party in anticipation of 2016.

    If the Conservative block walks away from the republican candidate in 2012 and votes for a third party conservative, the republican party has no choice but to bend to our will if they wish to remain relevant. They aren’t hearing us because they believe we will vote for “anybody but Obama”. And to them, that means their guy, Romney. They think they have us over a barrel. But they don’t. We put OURSELVES over a barrel by suggesting that absolutely anyone but Obama was sufficient.

    We don’t want just anybody. We want a true conservative.

    It’s crunch time. Either we stand up for what we want and what we believe in or we don’t. But in the end, we will have no one else but ourselves to blame if Obama-lite ends up in the Oval Office.

  • Ender

    is to apologize to the Republican Party, or I can’t see him having any future in our party.

  • littlehouse18

    The blame for the internal chaos and bitterness in the Republican Party can be laid squarely at the feet of Mitt Romney and his dirty, divisive campaigning. I’m not even sure if he has the social awareness to realize this. We are in deep trouble with a weak candidate who can nevertheless win primaries with ruthless campaigning. I fear it’s too late for a draft candidate. And besides, that could very well turn the Romney people toward Obama, since he’s closer to their preferences!

  • wbuoni

    From my perspective Romneyis a tad bit to the right of Obama (maybe), and is as much the “enemy” as Obama. I guess the real question is whether it makes sense to be registered is a party that is not much different then the other party. I look at fhe Republicans from 2000 to 2008 and they spend and act like Democrats. Maybe it is time to focus on purging liberals from the party (or finding a new home). Just my thoughts.

  • countryroad2012

    Rick went way over the line. This is a year when we will need everything we have to defeat this president and Rick wants to put his ego first. Disgusting! I am sick of hearing from this mean, condescending, blow hard irish man. He showed his drive for power when he was in congress. His words do not match his deeds and I don’t need to be preached to by a president. I have had to listen to Obama preach (lie) to me for three years. Rick has shown himself not fit to be the nominee. No matter what, Romney is soooo much better than Obama!

  • rogershru2

    Just not this one.

  • honoraryintern

    the Dark Wizard, pulling Newt’s strings.Sheldon’s millions strike again….

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …or he cannot post on RS!

  • littlehouse18

    But I still have to vote Romney over Obama – and hope that Conservatives constantly and loudly separate themselves from him by opposing any of his moderate/liberal policies.

    Still, you make great points – is it better to let the country go down in flames and see exactly what liberalism/leftism has wrought, or to slow down the process and have Conservatism get the blame?

    Then I think of Iran …. and I don’t think I can go down the first road.

  • trickamsterdam

    People can use all the fancy analysis they want but w/ these four candidates and at this late date the voters basically divide into two groups of people:

    1. Those who cannot stomach voting for Mitt Romney.

    2. Those who can.

    You’re going to get a lot of ridiculous comments here (I haven’t had a chance to read most of this thread) and elsewhere saying “I was going to support Rick Santorum until this!”.

    All lies. Romney’s supporters are exactly like Romney…at least the fervent ones.

    Santorum should just revel in the hatred so many of us feel for Romney and which will inspire passion in the anti-Romney people which may be necessary for turn-out since so many people feel this thing is over (actually Romney still has about a 5-10% chance of losing).

    Actually since Santorum is a Party lifer I suspect he’ll drop out if he doesn’t win Wisconsin staying in only to see what happens in PA perhaps.

    BTW that’s probably what Newt is staying in and waiting for. With a chance at a few protest vote victories in winner take all states at the end if he were the sole Romney opponent he could get on the ballot at the convention and increase his power and delegate count significantly.

    No one can say this hurts Romney in the general election either since being seen as similar in policy to Obama should not hurt him w/Independents who after all supported him in 2008. So Romney people saying this hurts the Party is just more lies…or stupidity.

    PS – Santorum’s analysis was precisely correct. It has nothing to do w/ liberal/conservative it has to do w/ sitting President/challenger. You could see the same dynamic w/Kerry/Bush i.e. if Kerry voted for the War too and can’t explain why effectively (the same way Romney doesn’t effectively explain why RomneyCare works but ObamaCare wouldn’t) people are going to stay w/ what they know and that is Obama…a “conservative” move actually by the electorate ironically.

    As for me while I concede Romney is better and different than Obama he is not better or different enough to overcome my intense dislike for him inspired by his scorched earth campaign and to get me to vote for him….and certainly I’m not the only one. Without those to groups (Independents and conservatives) Romney should not be considered electable and in fact is absolutely unelectable…measurably more unelectable than Santorum actually.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Newt has been defending the other candidates against the media and the slimy attacks from other candidates since the beginning of this race. That was long before Sheldon started funding him. If you’re going to talk about shady backers, look at your own candidate who won Iowa by buying an endorsement.

    Conspiracy theorists don’t live in real world though, so I doubt you’ll be able to understand anything I’ve said.

  • la2000

    then you are crazy.

    You either believe that the Obama policies are dangerous and have placed us in a precarious position or you don’t.

    Voting for someone who is only a baby step to the right of the current President doesn’t fix anything. But it does make the conservative movement incredibly vulnerable if the whole house of cards comes down on Romney’s watch.

    When you vote for Romney as a conservative, then you are endorsing Romney and the consequences of his policies become your legacy.

    Think of it this way: if Kerry had won in 2004, the entire meltdown would have been credited to the democrats, Obama wouldn’t have run (because the incumbent President would have been a democrat), and we’d have a republican in the White House right now.

    Knowing when to lose, knowing when NOT to endorse a compromised candidate like Bush or Romney, is as important as showing up in force for the right candidate.

    Your vote builds our conservative legacy, for better or worse.

    Use it wisely.

  • http://www.doctor-bob.biz rsklaroff

    …overwhelmingly.

    Comment?

  • momac

    Neither of them are what they are made out to be. But you end the article with the same kind of overreaction to Romney’s campaign comments as people are taking Santorum’s comments. Romney didn’t even say his.

    Of course the national campaign is like a reset, is he going to be running against Gingrich and Santorum then? The comment was almost completely innocuous.

    Same with Santorum”s, although I think less so. He was vocalizing the thought process of a hypothetical voter. Not a big deal, but not great.

    It’s just sort of disingenuous to say people are miisinterpreting Santorum and then end the article with the same kind of misinterpretation of Romney’s campaign guy. Everybody makes hay out of what they can, I don’t think either were worth more than a passing glance.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    is the best reason why we shouldn’t listen to anything you have to say. That goes for the rest of those here that won’t vote for Romney. The rest of us are still trying to win an election here. We’re ready to go to battle with the army we have, not the one we wish we had. You guys are quitters and not worthy of the battle.

  • natek58

    If the Romney nomination goes through, I fully intend to join another party because it is obvious that the Republican Party will have left me.

    Now, that having been said, I still fully expect to normally vote Republican.

    Alone, we can only not vote, and as can be seen on any given argument here on RS, that is not a unified entity and there is absolutely no power in that.

    We need the equivalent of a union that will negotiate us in a block. With Socially Conservative Party, we can band together and our leadership can monitor the activity of elected Republicans to ensure that social conservative priorities are a taken into consideration. When an officeholder does not hold up to our principles, we will, as a block, explicitly NOT vote for that person while still remaining engaged electing other conservatives that do follow socially conservative principles.

  • chuckludd

    I will reluctantly support Romney after I am satisfied he has chosen a good VP candidate. If he chooses a clone or a pro-choice VP, forget it. If the process is stacked against conservatives. It’s hard not to say it isn’t stacked against conservatives, though I can’t explain how. My evidence is quite simple from the past 25 years: Bush 1, Dole, Bush 2′s second term, McCain, Romney.

  • la2000

    Standing by your principles is not “quitting.”

    It’s refusing to quit.

    You are the compromised one. You are the one who puts a hollow victory over principle. “Anyone but Obama” is not a standard. It’s a failure to set a standard.

    This party cannot afford another George Bush style faux Conservative like Mitt Romney.

  • YnotNOW

    but there is a real and substantive difference between Obama and Romney, and between Democrats and Republicans.

    If your party does not sufficiently reflect your values and policies, get involved to make the party better reflect the people. It makes much more sense than starting a whole new party that has such small niche support that it can never win.

  • annie54

    How dare anyone make a statement against their beloved candidate, Mitt Romney!

    What conservative-in-the-know even watches Fox anymore?

  • rogershru2

    “You either believe that the Obama policies are dangerous and have placed us in a precarious position or you don?t”

    I do believe this. He is the most dangerous president we have had in many years. I think since Wilson. We need to get rid of him. I agree we don’t need big govt conservatives like Romney (and Santorum, or Bush), but they are far better than Obama.

  • cbartlett

    If Newt can just keep his own foot out of his mouth, either of the others certainly have the ability to implode on their own. I just feel like Newt does a better job of teaching conservatism – that is, explaining to voters why conservatism is better for them and the country than liberalism on every issue. Iif an electorate is looking for something different from Obama, Newt is the “most different”. The GOP establishment and the media are afraid of what he might do to shake up power in DC. They are both ignoring him – just like they did to Perry. Patience. Might work. Who knows.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Yeah, it’s people like you that got Obama elected. You are the one without principles. You’re just a selfish adolescent. You’re a quitter.

    The Party is strong enough to survive Mitt Romney. We’ll just go elsewhere to find support….and your influence will be even less. But you know, that’s not such a bad thing.

  • chuckludd

    The top two contenders are big government Republicans, with one (Santorum) being slightly more consistent over the years. I voted for Santorum in my primary as the “non-Romney” even though I think Romney might make a better president than Santorum. My problem is that both are not conservatives. It is time for conseravtives to do some self-reflection, I know I will be.

  • littlehouse18

    Mitt and his staff make huge gaffes and have left so much fodder that plays right into the Obama campign’s plans. We are so vulnerable with him as our nominee.

    Newt’s affairs and inability to manage his own campaign organization are just going to destroy his chances to beat Obama. Sad, but …

    Rick tells the truth and is passionate about freedom, but he is having problems managing his message so that people are receptive. He’s overly relying on his talent for speaking off the cuff, and having it lead him into trouble. He has potential to be a great candidate and president, but I fear he needs more time than we have this go-round to develop this. Or maybe he just needs a vacation. I suspect running against the Romney machine is not healthy!

  • Finrod

    That’s exactly what I was thinking. Certainly if third-party advocacy is banned here, advocating for Democrats is as well.

  • rogershru2

    ..

  • naysayer

    Standing by your principles is laudable as a conservative, but failing to support the Republican nominee makes you a quitter as a Republican.

    Politics is compromise. No one candidate will ever fully satisfy everyone — we will have to support who we get and influence that person however we can.

    That said, the nomination isn’t over yet, so it’s still game on. In the end, though, the actual important fight for the Party and the nation starts August 27. Please show up.

  • littlehouse18

    nt

  • Finrod

    .

  • http://www.thestandardcandle.com Justin Spagnolo

    Look when Newt Gingrich (“Rick Santorum is dead wrong. Any GOP nominee will be better than Obama.”) and Ron Paul (“are you tired of the ‘games’” video) are correcting Santorum on accuracy of statements and implications…

    It’s clear Rick stepped into it.

    I’m not sure what his motive was for saying what he said. And reading into context and subtext that just simply isn’t anywhere in the statement… or similar statements he’s said regarding his feelings about Romney…

    Let’s face it, Rick Santorum made a desperate grasp at the heartstrings of conservatives and libertarians that mistrust Romney… hoping to create a false equivalence, and offer himself as the only real contrast to Obama.

    It backfired, he’s been called out on it. Ripple effect aside, what effect it may have in the general regardless of who our nominee is, it showed a willingness to “do harm”.

    Santorum broke the 11th commandment. Let’s not make excuses, let’s move forward.

  • renl57

    The day that Iran test-fires its first nuclear weapon,

    and the days when Obama appoints two of the most ultra-liberal judges (Stephen Reinhardt maybe?) to the Supreme Court,

    Santorum will regret his words.

    Romney is no doctrinaire conservative. But I’m sure he won’t cave in to Iran and I’m sure that he won’t appoint ultra-liberal judges to the Supreme Court.

    Anybody like to bet what Obama will do?

  • gekster

    Why are there so many sore losers posting here.

    RS has, and always will be;
    Conservative in the primary,
    Republican in the general.

    If anyone can’t live with that, go somewhere else to lament.

  • fightnright

    signalling his poor judgement and lack of control when under pressure. Not a great sign of the enormous personal discipline the POTUS needs as the most powerful leader on the world stage.

    We’re lucky if such a character flaw is caught now in the demanding primary season and not in the pressure cooker of the global arena. It’s too serious a matter to be rationalized away for political sympathies, when in one news cycle a single slip of a U.S. President’s lips motivates unhinged leaders of radicalized armies in the growing numbers of destabilized nations that hate us.

    Aside from that, I’m surprised that a brilliant man like Gingrich would be more bitter toward Romney than Santorum. I’d far rather face traditional political mud-and-dirt slinging ad attacks from competitors like Mitt than deal with the knowledge that Rick, a not particularly intelligent lightweight with a resume and profile that pales compared to Newt’s own has come from behind to overwhelm Newt’s far more worthy candidacy and be in a place to cinch the nomination away from the Speaker.

    And that, too, is due to desperation – that of primary voters who seem at this point, not to be thinking clearly, but feeling and fearing.

    If I were in Gingrich’s place – that’s what would be most disturbing to me.

  • rogershru2

    …

  • annie54

    of holy matrimony from awhile back – in any shape or form: Gingrich/Santorum or Santorum/Gingrich.

    That’s our only hope. ‘Sorry it took me so long to come around. Is it still possible?

    What effect does the RNC Rule #40 have on their ‘union’?

  • cbartlett

    I said the exact same thing to my husband yesterday after Faux news showed the tape of Santorum.

    It doesn’t really matter how Erick spins Rick’s “intent” with this statement, or whether we agree with him or not – it’s all about how the sheeple who only hear the sound bytes (along with MSM commentary) interpret his statement. The way they vote is all that counts in the end.

  • annie54

    n/t

  • plwinteregg

    …he is right. By buying into the MSM & Establishment meme that only Mitt is electable (a total fallacy) many on the right are being duped. Rick has his own problems and questionable electability issues, but polling shows that in places where Mitt & his super PACs haven’t ravaged the living daylights out of every breathing conservative through tens of millions spent on negative advertising, it is often Rick or someone else who comes out on top–not Mitt.

    We will best win this election not only for President but for every office downstream through providing a positive, forward-looking vision that is a dramatic contrast to the disaster of the past 3.5 years, not through a scorched-earth voter-suppression campaign.

    Mitt, so far, has only occasionally shown brief glimpses that he can provide that vision, and his past record including on RomneyCare provide the least contrast of any of the remaining candidates. Instead of taking the conservative field head on in the debate of ideas, he has behaved like a liberal and gone negative in a viscous way. This only reinforces the idea that instinctively he is not conservative, and is in many ways just an Obama-lite.

    Rick is right–this is not a winning choice for November.

  • eldstenorge

    Over a 90% conservative voting record while in the House and Senate, begs to differ with you. And, Santorum has said he has changed his mind on earmarks and will not allow them. Good enough for me, especially when he stands for the foundations of this nation, as stated by John Adams: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.” That is where we have to work first, as we have turned from God and morality and our Constitutional form of government does not work in that situation.

  • la2000

    for what you claim to believe in?

    Dole/Bush/Bush/McCain/Romney

    That is the legacy of thinking like yours.

    Tell me which ones you think were sufficiently conservative.

    Your strategy of “going with the flow” is getting us nowhere.

  • lemmi

    the reason not to start a third party is they always fail and they have the opposite effect as intended by dividing the vote. The answer is the primaries, elect your candidate in the primary and you will succeed Third party will fail.

  • cbartlett

    nt

  • acat

    didn’t sink him .. the rising economy did.

    This race isn’t Santorum or Romney’s to win, it is Obama’s to lose .. and somehow Gingrich is the only one who seems to be landing body blows on ol’ Barry….

    Mew

  • ceili_dancer

    The nominee won’t even bother extolling any conservative ideas or values. The only thing going for Romney is his cash, and that worked so well for Governor Whitman and Senator Fiorina, oh yeah, nevermind. Throwing cash at any problem is not going to cure it, much like all of the stimulus packages.
    If the candidate doesn’t have our back, why should we expose ourselves to more attacks, just to get stabbed in the back.

  • acat

    Turn off the TV, log off of the computer, and go sit by a lake and feed ducks for 2 hours. You need some perspective.

    Mew

  • acat

    at least on *staying on message* several times already…

    This just represents him getting off social issues long enough to shove his entire leg in his mouth.

    Mew

  • lemmi

    I consider myself an independent (not a moderate) I donate and support individual candidates not the party. its how to rid the RINOS in the primary.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    lightweight fool and go get a job in the private sector. Assuming he could find one, although McDonalds had a good year, they’re probably hiring.

  • acat

    This is exactly it – it’s not about beating Romney or beating Santorum, it’s about beating Obama ….

    Mew

  • renl57

    Santorum: “If they?re going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have”

    If Santorum were merely “expressing the thinking of general election voters” as Erickson claims, then he would have said:

    “…the American people might as well stay with what *they* have.”

    He said “we,” not “they.” “We” is a pronoun that means “I and others”.

    Santorum, being a lawyer by training, should know that.

    Finally, it’s one thing for some folks here on RS to say that there is no real difference between Romney and Obama. Such folks tend to see themselves as conservatives first and Republicans second. They care more about conservative principles than party loyalty. And that’s fine–for THEM.

    But Santorum can’t be “a conservative first and a Republican second”–he’s seeking the nomination of the Republican Party, and (if he got the nomination) the GOP’s funding, organization, and manpower to help his campaign.

    Santorum–like any other GOP hopeful–has to be a Republican first.

  • littlehouse18

    He just was not an appealing guy. Less even than McCain.

    Regarding the economy, I fear that it will at least give the appearance of improving due to restlessnes and pent-up demand. All recessions eventually end on their own, and Americans can only live austerely for so long, or keep their businesses stagnant. Not to mention to strong propaganda by the press. We’ve seen their power to make ordinary recessions worse with their negativity (as during GHWB’s term), and there is now doubt they will sugar-coat what’s going on now. So the current economy, Mitt’s one issue, may well not be a strong one for the GOP.

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    or just a loudmouthed blowhard.

    If you want to “change the party” what are YOU doing?

    If your best answer is bleating for a third party, go hang out with Alex Jones. Or jump off a tall building. They’re equally effective in changing the country.

  • acat

    while the moderate/squish/establishment hand out lemonade!

    This was entirely predictable, it goes the same way same every four years, just like clockwork …

    You don’t like it? Great! December 1, 2012 – figure out who you want to run in 2016 and start advocating. The avalanche has already started, the pebbles no longer have a vote.

    Mew

  • http://908StraightSt.wordpress.com/ mbecker908

    I’m not advocating suicide, simply pointing out that splattering your self on the sidewalk is every bit as effective as yelling at your computer screen, especially when you’re as obviously ignorant and or stupid as you appear to be.

  • trickamsterdam

    Yes you should because there’s still time to salvage the situation and force a brokered covention (close to one in ten odds of it).

    If you were really trying to “win an election” you would realize you’re not going to win this election w/ even 97-98% of the Base (Nader only got 2.75% in 2000) let alone having the bottom completely drop out and he only gets 90-95% of it (entirely possible w/ Romney as the nominee).

    But your first reaction was to tell people to get out instead of looking for a compromise and that tells me your goal is not “winning the election”.

    LOL it’s getting Romney the nomination and always has been.

    You’re a stealth Romney supporter pretending to support a guy you knew had no chance in the end (Newt) unless he got the nomination at an open convention (something you were always ardently against).

    You’re kind of a joke, ‘Twister.

    In any case I won’t be posting here much once (I should actually say if) Romney locks it up except rarely to try to draw attention to specific issues that are important to me (in particular I want to prevent Gov Walker of Wisconsin from being recalled).

    PS – You’re military analogy is ridiculous. I’m a free man and this is politics. Or to put it another way I’d never serve in an “Army” where Romney was the General.

  • gekster

    just what are you going to do.

  • countryroad2012

    I just saw a clip on Fox news and Santorum is NOT walking his comment back instead he is doubling down. Time for Rick to close up shop or join Obama’s administration or campaign team…Oh wait maybe he already has?

  • rogershru2

    ….

  • annie54

    “I regret that that my statement concerning Willard Romney expessed the thoughts and concerns of the citizenry of America as well as my own.”

  • acat

    Ever since we conservatives whittled the field down to the horndog, the gilded weather vane, the nanny-statist, and the quack, there’s nobody who can win it. They’re just not good enough politicians.

    They might get lucky, though…

    As for Dole, if he hadn’t run a pure anti- campaign, he could have won it, as his post-loss appearances proved. All he had to do was present a more trustworthy, competent, has-a-sense-of-humor image .. and it would have been much closer.

    Mew

  • littlehouse18

    ‘We’ refers to himself and the American people. It’s just a common use of language.

    I’ll agree that with the way compaigns go now, Rick stepped in it. Every little word is picked apart. But he did not actually mean for people to vote for Obama instead. He was pointing out the near-futility of voting for Obama-lite. I often use this kind of language without truly advocating for the latter point. I’m from Pennsylvania too, is this an idiom peculiar to our state? (Doubtful)

  • Stricia

    Is that when you will help Gov. Walker from being recalled? Why not start now? Oh, and your idea for a brokered convention is not worth even discussing.

    Uhhh, why am I even trying to convince somebody who has such a specious claim as to how they came up with their online moniker. Trick, care to repeat that ridiculous story for us again? Didn’t think so. Tell us again how porn stars and street names factored in your decision to use that moniker. Bahhhhaaa!!!!!!

  • Ender

    Well, you are a bit tougher on fools than I am. No argument there.

  • honoraryintern

    have tried to take of my Rick glasses and understand the offense. I don’t get it. lots of smoke and activity but no there, there.

    Rick has said a version of this a thousand times, it’s ?bama and ?bama lite. The only way to highlight the pain that America has gone though in the last 3 years is to give the voters a real choice. Mitt ain’t it. Voters will choose what they know.

    Did people not understand ‘what they know’, is ?bama?

    I think the SCUMedia are trying to end the Etch-A-Scetch comments. They want to do to Mitt as they did to John McCain. Love him in the primary and leave him in the general and the E-A-S is the path to Mitt’s destruction.

    I’m getting a Etch-A-Sketch today and will be bringing it to the caucus!

  • http://www.thestandardcandle.com Justin Spagnolo

    If he has I’m perfectly willing to overlook this, and chaulk it up to tired candidate speech…

  • Ender

    “I regret I am such a moron, and I am sorry that I thought that a fellow republican might be worse than Obama”. Your ideas of what the “citizenry of America” might be thinking are delusional, similarly to the other deluded people in this thread cheering Santorum on.

  • honoraryintern

    …I’m bringing my new E-A-S to the caucus tomorrow, wanna meetup?

  • trickamsterdam

    Why don’t you look in the mirror and say “People like me put Obama [it should be back in Office] in office by ignoring people who said for months they wouldn’t support Romney under any circumstances because we assumed they were bluffing”?

    I really think it is a case of like candidate like supporter. Because you Romney people are willing to say anything to get him elected you assumed we were saying we wouldn’t support him as a bluff to intimidate voters on the fence into not voting for him.

    Surprise!

    Entirely wrong in my case and if it’s wrong in my case I can’t imagine if I mean what I say the others who say they won’t vote for him don’t mean what they say too.

    So dust off the mirror to look after the Goldwater like disaster that will be Mitt Romney in November…that’s if the supporters of a vampire like Romney can even see themselves in a mirror of course.

    Note: I’d point out that there’s still time for a compromise (brokered convention) and to get everyone on board but it’s clearly pointless. You are clearly owned by Romney entirely.

  • laodalisque

    This is EXACTLY THE PLACE where la2000 should be talking about his opinion. And I, for one, totally agree with him. He’s talking about something that’s been enraging me since the start of this election cycle and I think there’s got to be some way for us to reach these people in the GOP-Establishment.

    My plan was to “drop the big one” and vote for Obummer. I’m so angry at this point that, the further this cycle goes with the establishment shilling for The Mattelchurian Candidate, the more I’m beginning to believe I’ll vote Dem. down-ticket, as well, to reach the other GOP Indie-mongers and emerging Centrist wetnoodles like Cantor.

    In fact, MattelMitt may be the best thing to hit the GOP since The Gipper. Because now, I have a handy litmus test of ideological reliability: those who’ve come out for Mittens are now on my Banned-As-Liberals index. The list is growing and includes some I’d previously considered stalwarts like Ann Coulter, Mark Levin, Niall Ferguson, Sean Hannity, FoxSnooze in general, and Rush “Caver” Limbaugh. I include him because he’s been altogether too coy on his flirtation with Mittens AND because he caved.

    The future of the country is too important an issue to play games drawing the philosophical and ideological line on Conservatism. It’s not the “Issue of Our Times,” it’s, rather, the “Issue of ALL Time.” There’s no United States like we knew it afterwards if we continue to softheartedly corral these Liberal ‘familiars’ into our corner. Best to cut these vampire-wannabes loose and let them find their way into the Democrud Bootlick camp where their ideological indeterminacy can weaken the Left.

  • gekster

    What are you going to do when Mittens gets the nomination?

    la2000 hasn’t answered me, will you?

  • funwithknives

    S C O T U S, for starters.

  • Scope

    Go back to a speech Newt made in Las Vegas in Feb. He said many times in that speech that Romney was Obama lite. He said that Obama is the food stamp president, and that Mitt is the “little food stamp.” Newt has often compared Romney to Obama, yet now he has the gall to come out and pile on Santorum for saying the same thing. He may not have added the line about some staying with what we have, rather than electing the etch-a-sketch president, but the clear meaning is still there.

    The etch-a-sketch flap was huge, and even those on Romney’s side are repeating the etch-a-sketch line, therefore it has to be replaced with something else to focus on that his main rival said. Probably every one of the candidates have compared Romney to Obama at one time or another. It is difficult to not compare Romney to Obama when he has been on the wrong side of the issues for conservatives, but has fallen more closely in line with Obama.

    Romney is very much in danger of saying more dumb dang things, and now his surrogates want to clear the field so that whatever mistakes he continues to make, we are stuck with him. I can promise you, he will say many more dumb things.

  • lemmi

    I agree with most of the comments, Romney is not my man but it looks like he will be our nominee. I have decided in order myself for the general election I’ll hang pictures of Obama, Pelosi, Reed, Schumer, and Biden in my living room and when I vote I get to take one picture down and each time I get a conservative friend to vote I get to take another picture down and so on. I’ll be getting ballots for early voting.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    .
    .

  • mesalady2

    Our enemies laugh at our infighting and bickering and the constant barrage of negative press on our side. If we don’t come together it’s game over. There’s no re-do if Obama gets another four years. It’s as simple as that. Moaning over the candidates and wishing for something that cannot happen at this stage is so counterproductive. If we keep this up, we will cripple our nominee with an apathetic voter base. Enough is enough!

  • xymbaline

    with the qualifications to be President of the United States.

  • westcoastpatriette

    555

  • wbuoni

    Most of my adult life. From working phone banks and polls to door to door activities getting signatures, verifying registrations, etc.

    Romney has a record. It is liberal. From RomneyCare to his autoos for welfare receipients, he has stood on the opposite side of EVERY issue I believe in. Add in that he is the worst kind of panderer and a horrible general election comparison for Obama (rich white wall street panderer) and all I can say is the GOP has become an embarrassing joke.

    You want to put lipstick on this pig, be my guest. Just don’t expect me to get in line and vote for it. Ain’t.gonna happen. I’ll leave the party first.

  • morrigan

    He keeps saying stupid things on a regular basis. The man is a gaffe machine.

    Up until now I’d have been fine with Santorum winning the nomination, as unlikely as that appeared. But the media would eat this guy alive. Instead of discussing the problems with Obama’s record, a Santorum-Obama matchup will be all about abortion, contraception, porn, and who’s really a Christian.

    >”Santorum was not expressing his own thinking, but expressing the thinking of general election voters.”

    I was not aware that Santorum had a direct link to the hearts and minds of generic American voters. Given his performance in the primaries, he seems to have trouble connecting even with Republicans voters.

  • annie54

    ?Again, this is not a formal endorsement and I do not intend to do that right now but I just think we just need to look at where we are.?

    . . . . .and then he went into the men’s room and had a good puke.

    Some of us aren’t accepting “where we are” right now.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    for the conservative movement and the GOP, not to mention what he has done outside of government. If you’d bother to do a little research, you might be able to get beyond the talking points. And if you can’t be bothered to do any research, I’ve done it for you here.

  • wbuoni

    After 20+ years as a registered Republican my wife has the vowed to rerefister independent if Romney is the nominee. I initially thought that was an over reaction, but seeing Romney’s scorched earth candidacy coupled with his disregard for the party base has me rethinking that position.

    When I hear liberal RINOs like Romney and the fat man from NJ being called Conservative I realize how far out if line that my values now are with those of the GOP. I am of the opinion that they use the base to gain power, but they view us as useful idiots otherwise. I have to agree … it is time to move on.

  • hayekwasright

    OK, I will grant that Romney is not the full tilt socialist wolf that Obama is, but neither is he very convincing as a conservative. Santorum and you, Mr. Erickson are correct — we want something we can get excited about voting FOR as conservatives. Ironically enough, the sheeple out there will get more excited about voting for a real wolf than Mr. Etch-a-sketch with a fleece draped over his back. This seems to be true even when the real wolf has exposed his teeth and is on the verge of devouring them. The amazing thing here is that as a center right nation (poll after poll has confirmed this), we still dance to the tune of the left with “conservative” candidates taking the conservative vote for granted and trying to appeal to as much of the left as they can.

    In November, if conservatives are as uninspired about the GOP nominee as as we currently are about Romney — Obama will win a second term (Note low turnouts in primaries he wins).

    The needle in the haystack that I am looking for is that this will go to convention and that the GOP will come to their senses there and put forward a convincingly conservative candidate. If this (highly unlikely) series of events were to transpire, I believe that conservatives would turn out in great numbers for the chance to actually win something and Obama would be defeated in a landslide.

  • http://www.thestandardcandle.com Justin Spagnolo

    notext

  • wbuoni

    What he is is a pandering Democrat who happens to be running i will the Republican primary, has money and is willing to say or do whatever others want to hear.

    Romney is Obama lite. I’LL never support him.

  • westcoastpatriette

    You are mirroring the thought process for many of us right now as we struggle with our consciences and try to think of any positive way to move forward. Kudos for creativity.

  • morrigan

    And I’d do it again if I had to, though I held my nose the second time.

    Romney strikes me as being somewhat less of a squish than Bush was, so I can certainly vote for him, though I’m not blind to his flaws either.

    Mitt, Rick and Newt are all flawed candidates, though each also has some good points. If everybody could acknowledge this then a lot of the heat would evaporate from the discussion. None of these guys is actually the Great Conservative Candidate. That would be somebody like Jim DeMint, IMO. And none of these guys is actually The White Obama.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    is that it’s not just one man (Romney), but every establishment, RINO-loving, power-hungry, media-pleasing, status quo politician and staffer who will willingly stab conservatives in the back in order to further their own little fiefdom. Do I think Romney can destroy the GOP? No, but I think he can damage and maybe even kill off any influence conservatives have with the aforementioned backers.

  • lemmi

    But I’ll vote for him and encourage others to vote for him if he is the nominee. Not voting in the general election because your candidate didn’t get elected is like yelling ready, aim , fire at a firing squad when you are the one with the blindfold on.

  • wbuoni

    What Romney’s nomination means to me is the enemy is now within. A blue blood pandering liberal …you want hin you vote for him.

  • morrigan

    >”if Kerry had won in 2004, the entire meltdown would have been credited to the democrats, Obama wouldn?t have run (because the incumbent President would have been a democrat), and we?d have a republican in the White House right now.”

    We can only guess whether there would be a Republican in the WH right now, and if so what sort of Republican he would be.

    But we KNOW that in your version of history, Roberts and Alito would not have been appointed to the Supreme Court. Instead there would be a solid liberal majority locked in place for decades in that branch of government. I don’t regret voting for Bush over Kerry.

  • califgal

    Chicago Bears’ running back Matt Forte in his now-famous tweet from yesterday.

    Ego. If I can’t be first, then nobody can. (ie, “You guys don’t appreciate me and I”ll get you for that.)

    For all Obama’s weaknesses, the GOP is looking like the party for 8th grade girls who weren’t asked to the Christmas dance .

    Go back on Greta, Rick, and whine some more, and tell us how Obama has run a company …like Romney. Tell us how Obama believes in capitalism, like Romney. Tell us how Obama loves America and how it can uplift people, like Romney.

    Tell Greta.

  • cheetah2

    He included himself in the statement.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    why are you here?

    Vote like that and you leave those conservatives we do have in Congress high and dry. As for your banned index, you’re going to be very lonely if you continue to add everyone who doesn’t meet your purity standard. I despise Mittens as much as anyone, but I’m not going to throw people with strong conservative records under the bus just because I disagree with them on one or two issues.

    Are you the kind of voter who goes to the polls every four years and whines about how bad things are the rest of the time? If you don’t like the direction in which the party is headed, what are you doing to change it? Are you a member of your local and/or state GOP?

  • Juggernaut

    He’s not going to back off and the lying style they’ve choosen will destroy him against Obama if he wins. We don’t have much choice considering his left wing smear campaign. It really does not matter if we stop or not, dems know all the dirt and they know what has not been vetted on Romney. Trust me, the media have only scratched the surface and will pile on, especially if he smears Obama with too many lies. Nothing ticks off liberals more than lies, that’s their department.

    Otherwise I agree but till the primary is over its a fight and its not over yet. After Texas.

  • sfox

    I could have written those words 4 years ago. As a moderate republican, I felt abandoned by the party when it tacked so hard to the right on social issues, first with Sarah Palin, and then in 2010 for real.

    I definitely felt the party had left me, as you say.

    Now the socially conservative wing has pushed the party so far to the right that you’ve mostly lost moderate business people like me (and there are a lot of us), but you’re still not satisfied. So now you’re deserting your own creation.

    If the christian conservative wing pulls out, there will be no one left, because fiscally conservative, libertarian, socially moderate republicans have already left the party. That leaves no one.

  • sandollar

    This morning, I woke up thinking about how much this campaign is like every bad relationship we’ve ever had. Hindsight that should have been foresight, if we were thinking clearly.
    The only one who hasn’t “warned us”, repeatedly, is Newt. When the bad fall comes- and it will, it is too late to look back at all the ways we saw it coming, but rationalized it away, over & over. We are stuck with them for 4 long years with no recourse.
    RP was easy because he is so obviously off the wall. Mitt & Rick have been one cringe after another & have solid histories that should give anyone pause. Imho, we have the “good provider” & the “faithful husband” who have real potential to be abusive tyrants who make your life a living hell.

    I’m not able to think of a single thing that Newt has said that made me think “oh crap”. I can’t think of anything he did, as Speaker, that offended me (nor can my husband). His only “baggage” is either intensely personal or a mere hint of things other candidates have actually done, all in. (Pelosi couch/ Scozzafava vs Specter, or Paul Tsongas/ Kennedy. Consulting F&F vs actual lobbying & Bain holdings getting fed funds. Not to mention issues they have not just supported, but promoted)
    Ironically, it is Romney & Santorum who have done, multiple times, all the things we were “warned” that Newt would do. He has done none of it, yet.
    What he has done- and continues to do, is exactly what we needed & wanted our candidate to do.

    I do not understand why no attempt whatsoever has been made to impeach Obama, after all of the blatantly corrupt & power grabbing things- esp via the DOJ, that he has done. No attempt has been made to bring it out to the American people. Why are we expected to avert our eyes & be quiet so much of the time? (That’s a rhetorical question. We all know why.)
    But that’s another topic. My point is that it should not be a foregone conclusion that he will remain the president, elected or not. If re-elected, he will get much, much worse.

  • Change Jar Conservative

    INTRODUCTION
    Let’s start with the basics. I’m a 4 cornered stool conservative (with the 4th being ending illegal immigration). My wish was for a conservative governor to run which is why I backed Perry then Huntsman (check Huntsman’s policy ideas they were tremendous especially his foreign policy). I really wanted Mitch Daniels or Paul Ryan or Marco Rubio, but alas I didn’t get them.

    SANTORUM
    I’m sorry, Erick, but Santorum meant exactly what he said. Even his “clarification” today that he would vote for the eventual GOP nominee stops short of Gingrich’s comment that “any GOP candidate would be better than Obama.”

    Santorum tries to make a lot of Mitt’s flip flops, but he himself was not incredibly fiscally conservative in his time in the Senate.

    Worst of all, he can’t stay on message as yesterday shows AGAIN.

    ROMNEY
    I say Hello Mitt and I kind of laugh at the people on this website (note I’ve been active here since a bazillion years ago) and their hand ringing over Mitt.

    Many of us (myself and Rick Santorum included) supported Romney late in the 2008 primary as the conservative against McCain and now everyone is saying Romney is super liberal.

    Listen, Romney will do fine on judges. If he doesn’t then the blogosphere will bludgeon him to death the way we did Texas Bush on the Meiers issue.

    And Romney knows how to make money so I think he’s the perfect guy to do this. You say he lays people off to make money? Well that would fit our government “company” just fine right now.

    Let he and Obama talk economy during an election debate and I’ll take Bain Capital over Teleprompter boy in that fight any day.

    Is he Marco Rubio? No. He’s not.

    In fact, Rubio to me is now THE best thing since Reagan and that’s not based on his hispanicness, but on his CPAC 2012 speech.

    Ryan/Rubio is still the dream ticket, but it’s going to be Romney/XXXXX.

    So am I telling you to “get in line and shut up”?

    No. I’m telling you to join the team in a role of keeping Mitt focused on conservative ideas. He’s going to get the nomination so what we should be doing as conservatives is flooding his inbox (so to speak) with how we will be more excited to vote for him if he has a conservative VP, how we will send him money if the VP is conservative (he understands money right), how we will vote for him if renounces (global warming), etc.

  • Stricia

    I like your calm focus. Oooh, and I also like that 4th leg of the stool. Nice.

  • cheetah2

    I guarantee Obama will finish the job if we give him 4 more years.

  • cheetah2

    .

  • Change Jar Conservative

    Just made me snort Pepsi out my nose.

  • sfox

    Completely agree that Republicans from 2000 to 2008 spent and acted like Democrats. And they are STILL DOING IT with all this social legislation–just like the liberals are always pushing social legislation.

    The only thing the tea party has right is the fiscal part–small government is something I can get behind.

    But you cannot claim to be a conservative and then try to use government to force people to act a certain way or believe a certain way. That’s big government. That’s the opposite of conservative.

    As a lover of liberty, I am extremely opposed to all the social legislating that is going on now.

    Conservative means small government. Period.

    If you keep dragging government into the bedroom or the school-room or the doctor’s office or the church, you are doing exactly what the liberals do.

  • acat

    They’ve been running the same flim-flam scam on Conservatives for decades now. It’s entirely predictable, and yet we keep falling for it… refusing to pick *our* nominee before Iowa.

    If Gov. Perry had started running on Dec. 1 2008, he’d be the nominee right now, eh?

    Mew

  • wbuoni

    I’m going to vote for Conservatives down ticket and either not vote president or write in someone I’d prefer. I will not vote for either liberal running in the general.

  • acat

    Just a thought.

    Mew

  • littlehouse18

    Santorum is quoted today:

    ?I would never vote for Barack Obama over any Republican and to suggest otherwise is preposterous. This is just another attempt by the Romney Campaign to distort and distract the media and voters from the unshakeable fact that many of Romney?s policies mirror Barack Obama?s. I was simply making the point that there is a huge enthusiasm gap around Mitt Romney and it?s easy to see why ? Romney has sided with Obama on healthcare mandates, cap-and-trade, and the Wall Street bailouts. Voters have to be excited enough to actually go vote, and my campaign?s movement to restore freedom is exciting this nation. If this election is about Obama versus the Obama-Lite candidate, we have a tough time rallying this nation. It?s time for bold vision, bold reforms and bold contrasts. This election is about more than Barack Obama, Mitt Romney, or Rick Santorum ? this campaign is about freedom and I will fight to restore your freedoms.?

    His spokeswoman also gave a walkback today. But Rick has to watch his words. He’s generally done well off-the-cuff but when people have a talent they sometimes neglect to do the proper preparation. I hope he’ll take a lesson from this episode. He needs to demonstrate this to be prez. I won’t give up just yet.

  • sfox

    Great post, Ghostship. Totally agree.

  • clintonformccain

    I can’t think of an example of Romney waging a particularly dirty campaign. Can you give me one?

    I mean, it’s not like there were robo-calls in SC accusing Gingrich of fathering a black child.

  • runner12

    Listen, I cannot stand Mittens. I am still hoping and praying for a brokered convention with a Jindal nomination.

    Mittens irritates me and makes me angry. Obama scares the fire out of me. There is no comparison between the two and to pretend there is seems ludicrous to me.

    I seriously doubt Mittens would have repealed DADT, appointed two Leftist judges to the SCOTUS, forced religious organizations to subsidize something they find morally objectionable, and/or a host of other aggregious and unconstitutional things Obama has done.

    Newt was right to call out Santorum on this one. Comparing RomneyCare and a ObamaCare is a legitimate critique. Acting as if Obama would be better than Mittens is sheer lunacy.

  • uselogic

    He just won’t have the delegates to make it to the Finals vs. O.

  • littlehouse18

    Impeaching Clinton (albeit over much less) backfired on the Republicans, and they rightly realize that impeaching the first black president will do much greater harm, especially since it will fail. Even if Republicans gain enough seats, there will not be enough with a spine to do it. Disgusting, but that’s how I see it.

    But they should expose the abuses nonetheless, and to the extent that they haven’t, they are cowards.

  • uselogic

    “…whittled the field down to the horndog, the gilded weather vane, the nanny-statist, and the quack,”

    Now I’ve got Diet Coke all over the keyboard, Again.

  • laodalisque

    My husband and I are voting Obummer if Mittens gets the nod. It’s the last thing the GOP-Establishment, in their wildest nightmares, imagines I will do. In fact, they take it for granted that they can foist any old liberal GOP hack onto me and I’ll act just like the DemoMob does and get carried away by the mindless collectivist rapture of the moment in order to acclaim the spineless slimeball. Easy-peasy, hard work done.

    “Wow, the unwashed troglodytes swallowed it…again! The idiots keep voting for us expecting REAL conservatism afterwards. How gullible can you get?? It’s now Miller time!”

    “Screw the beer: waaay too rightwing and NASCAR, Biff. Let’s get Skip and Buzz and go down to La Maison Snob and hoist a snifter of cognac.”

    “Yeah, those pathetic Bible-thumping bubbas are such morons. They think we’re conservatives. Hyuk, hyuk, hyuk…”

    They are taking my lifelong Republican ‘Baser’ loyalties for granted in their shameless and whorish pursuit of the clueless Center (whose predilection, anyway, is to vote for whoever promises them the most goodies) while leaving me high and dry afterwards nursing a string of broken campaign promises.

    Oh, No. Not this time. I’ve got’em right where i want’em. I’m making up for 35 years of rage. I’m voting in the following order:
    1. Newt.
    2. 3rd party if Newt’s not available.
    3. Obummer.

  • winning2012

    I don’t think he was taken out of context at all, he’s saying we might as well stick with Obama.

    This is coming from the guy that stated unequivocally that Romney was a conservative.

    So Santorum was either a liar 4 years ago or he’s a liar now.

    Get off the state Santorum, you’re embarrassing yourself.

  • PGDeFreese

    was turned upon him as the nominee. ughhh

  • xymbaline

    Since it takes 1,144 to take the nomination, there’s every reason for us Not-Romney folks to step up the fight.

    Don’t give up now!!!

  • laodalisque

    College Republican days in the mid- 70s when I was the only member on campus after Watergate. I was one of about 3 people in the room when G. Gordon Liddy came to speak at my university. The campus Comintern found out about it and i earned D’s from my commie profs for being the wrong ideological color, thank you very much. What were you doing??

  • cheetah2

    The pro union Gdansk shipyard protests helped propel their leader, trade union activist Lech Walesa to the presidency of Poland after which he presided over Polands transformation to a post communist country.

    If you are saying our country can recover from Obama, I don’t feel as optimistic as you. Anyhow I would rather stave off the end a little while as we can hopefully do with Romney as president and take a shot at a better leader next time. It would be the less painful course.

  • rightland1111

    http://www.trilateral.org/go.cfm?do=Page.View&pid=6

  • http://www.thestandardcandle.com Justin Spagnolo

    Apparently Rick meant exactly what he said…but stopped just short of advocating a vote for Obama…

    Contrast and acknowledgement of the enthusiasm gap is one thing… breaking the 11th commandment, and advocating for the devil, is another.

    The lesson… get more sleep
    The result, emboldened Rombots, and resistance of Newtonians joining St. Santo… which is unfortunate going into Lousiana tomorrow.

  • xymbaline

    would make you happy?

  • clintonformccain

    NT

  • dsimk

    I’ve read through Romney’s website and I listed via YouTube to his speech at the University of Chicago. It’s too bad, Erick, that you didn’t critique that speech. I can understand that Romney may not have the depth or conviction of conservatism that you desire. And raising questions about his health care law and minimum wage positions are valid.
    However, to defend Santorum on this point isn’t smart. Why did Santorum back Arlen Specter? Santorum’s rhetorical use of an Etch-a-Sketch is foolish. Is there anything positive, Erick, that you can write about Romney? I never thought of Santorum as a conservative. I think he’s become much more so during his presidential campaign. My positive view is that the Tea Party still matters and will continue to matter. And I think expecting a presidential candidate this soon after 2010 is unrealistic. In ’06, the Dems made major gains. In ’08, many conservatives refused to vote for McCain and some voted for Obama.
    In ’10, the Tea Party and variations emerged strongly as a voice against limited government. To expect a president from the Tea Party mold at this point is unrealistic.
    I think both Santorum and Romney are influenced by the trends within their own parties and the nation — not unlike other politicians. Vote Romney and continue to hold the GOP accountable.

  • acat

    in the ear of the listener. This cat disagrees, and thinks Santorum hasn’t come off well…

    Mew

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Not that it matters at this point.

  • sfox

    Yea, but gafisher is right, he was born rich ruling class, and it shows.

    His dad was president of an auto giant, then a governor. Romney went to exclusive schools, worked on wall street, and lived an exclusive life, his whole life.

    He oozes “rich guy” every time he opens his mouth. Even business folks like me connect with all types around a football game. Romney’s point of connection with the NFL is that his friends own NFL teams? Come on. Worst of all, he looks uncomfortable in jeans.

    Hate to say it, but privilege is in his blood. He’s way more European Dream than American Dream.

  • gekster

    Go to HuffPo, it’s more to your liking.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    We the people do share the blame for not being involved in the process more than voting every 4 years. We’ve got to convince folks that this is going to take more than one election cycle. As you say, start working for 2016 or 2020 in 2012. But it’s going to be difficult to keep people involved and energized.

    If folks like me who have taken those first steps to get involved in party politics are discouraged, how are we going to get others to join? We’re so conditioned to immediate gratification that if we (conservatives) don’t have some strong leadership backing us, I’m worried people will either give up or won’t get involved in the first place.

    The tea party was a good start and a great grassroots movement, but now they’re being trashed by folks who only remember the poor candidates and are ready to blame them for not choosing a better one for POTUS (as if it was all up to us) instead of encouraging us to stand and fight another day if we lose this battle.

  • sandollar

    & to a certain extent, they are reasonable. But the facts are what they are. If one looks at the sheer extent, it is stunning.
    The racism aspect is a big part of it, but it is in reverse (The New Black Panthers is the first obvious issue). I wish that this case was being built (with the campaign as the preparation of public opinion) to be ready to go right after the election.

    The spine- or whatever it is, is the problem. It is imperative that we reclaim the Senate by enough & lose no one in the House. I almost wish that were possible to get Newt as Speaker again or Majority Leader. (because he seemed to be more powerful than Clinton to me). They would fight him every step of the way, though. Who the Speaker is, is crucial.
    I have heard the spineless story from both sides. I am more inclined to think it is corruption/ collusion to some extent.

    Disgusting and/ or depressing. I cannot bear the thought of becoming cynical, but it’s a struggle.

  • xymbaline

    I was so disgusted by Nixon and the ‘Republicans’ that I got very involved in starting the Libertarian Party here in Florida.

    I also got disgusted by the McCain nominations, and thought about doing it again.

    However, the reality is that the deck is so stacked now that getting another Party going is just not going to happen.

    We have four choices:

    One: Stop Mitt ‘The Hitman’ Romney from getting the nomination;

    Two; get involved in a takeover of the Republican Party at every level; (My current choice)

    Three: Take over and reform the Libertarian Party into something reasonable; They have ballot access in many states;

    Four: Take over the Constitution Party and take away the Biblical planks. Make it a real Constitution party.

    Pick one.

  • sfox

    —whittled the field down to the horndog, the gilded weather vane, the nanny-statist, and the quack…

    Best post today. Thanks, kitty.

  • sandollar

    in every debate, that every candidate on the stage would be better than Obama. And that we must defat Obama. I believe he says it every time he speaks to people.
    I don’t think there’s any implication at all in what he’s saying about this now.
    Nothing has changed.

  • gekster

    Your colors are starting to show.

  • gracie

    two issues we likely will not recover from.

    I would love to stand on principle! My meter for Romney has reached “despise.” But, to those I respect on RS, How can we take the chance on not only these two but Obama’s unchecked use of Executive Orders??

    I say vote non-Romney, for me that would be Newt, until the general…still dreaming of a brokered convention. But then….OH! the mightmare of an unchecked Obama… seems to be a no-brainer!

  • acat

    but one thing that helps is knowing there are communities – local Tea Party chapters (where they haven’t been overrun by Paulistines or worse) and there’s always Red State.

    We have been conditioned to expect everything to resolve in 24 minutes (plus commercials) … but we’re also supposed to be adults and to know life doesn’t work that way.

    Hang in there. Find a congressional race (house or senate) that you can work for, somewhere in Alabama, there’s a weak Dem you can campaign against.

    Mew

  • goodgovernance

    Or at least, salemst would have you believe it.

    As for you, gekster, the point is Romney is out of touch with regular people. I could care less if he has millions or even billions of dollars if I thought he understand what the middle class worries about and struggles with. I dare say Romney might in his heart agree with Obama that we all “cling to our Bibles and guns” out of fear and ignorance.

    And I am increasingly concerned by how Romney has become so comfortable lying to us repeatedly. “I never was for a national mandate.” “Etch-a-Sketch? He meant a shakeup in the organization.” Really? These are bald-faced lies.

    If Romney lies to us like this now on the campaign trail, how would he behave once he’s in office and gets into a bunker mentality, like so many leaders get into? I don’t trust him, I don’t like him. Yeah, I’ll support him out of duty if I have to. But this guy stinks like week old fish.

    No way he gets on Mount Rushmore. That’s just not going to happen.

  • acat

    ZootSuit, who I hope will correct me if I misspeak, takes the position that we’d be better off crashing it and starting over.

    I take the position that the crash is inevitable, but that it can be managed… a controlled crash, if you will.

    Romney isn’t going to be Reagan, we’ll be lucky if he’s Ford. I fear, given his likely staff picks, that he’ll be Nixon. I don’t think a Nixon will finish us… and it ought to make the distinction between GOP and Conservative much, much clearer… which is a good thing!

    Mew

  • filobeddoe

    Mittard is COUNTING on you holding your nose. He pretty much says so. So, guess what? Im not going to vote for him.

  • LDahl752

    how many times do people have to make excuses for a candidate who misspeaks? Of course I knew what he meant, but statements like that are inept, at best. It will be used against Mitt if he gets the nomination, and I don’t want to hear Rick whining about it being misinterpreted. He’s a grown man who wants the nomination to run for POTUS. So, face reality, Rick. Admit you misspoke and don’t blame it on “misinterpretation.” Good grief already.

  • goodgovernance

    It used to be Rombots told us we had to vote for Willard because he was the most authentically conservative, and everyone else, including Pawlenty, Huntsman, Perry, Gingrich, and Santorum were all squishes on the verge of turning liberal at any moment.

    Now we’re supposed to like Romney because he’s the moderate with Democrat appeal? Well, at least now you’re making an argument with a shred of basis in the truth.

    But I can’t help but feel die-hard Romney supporters are coming up with facile arguments that will serve the exigencies of the moment, as opposed to telling us why they truly admire Mitt Romney. In their own way, they are withholding the truth from us as Romney has withheld the truth from us.

  • demsaresatanic

    probably hung out with him a lot. Thanks for sharing your informed opinion.

  • gwbramhall

    And when faced with a guy you like and a guy you don?t like who says he can fix an economy that no longer needs fixing, you?re going to go with the guy you like REALLY ???

    Let’s see what has to happen for the economy to be fixed by
    election time. 1) Unemployment drop to 6% or less 2) Gas prices
    drop to $2.00 or less 3) Get federal spending under control
    enough to reduce the deficit to maybe a manageable 200 billion.
    4) Turn around the whole bureaucracy from their chief tenant that
    the economy can be run from Washington 5) Somehow get
    through to enough democrat Senators and Obama to repeal the job
    killing ObamaCare before it takes down the economy. Is that
    enough or should we add the reforming of Social Security and
    Medicare to make them solvent for future generations? Now, if
    Obama can do that, maybe I’d vote for him this time. I don’t think
    Romney, or whoever our candidate turns out to be, has anything
    to worry about other that we conservatives letting our petty diferences
    get in the way of supporting our candiidate..

  • rogershru2

    I have never advocated for Romney. It sounds like we agree on primary strategy My hope (I agree with you it’s a very long shot) is Newt will have another recovery and strong finish that gives him strength in a brokered convention. Unlikely but I don’t know of a better option. I do not think santorum is a better option.

    It’s only if Romney wins that I would then advocate him over Obama.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    and I applaud and thank you for doing so. I haven’t been as active as I should have been, but now I’m working with my local tea party, and I’m the newest addition to the steering commitee (sets the agenda for the members) of my local GOP.

    I understand your frustration, and I’ve been tempted to mark folks off my own “list” many times. I’ve been tempted to take the “I’m going to teach them a lesson” approach and stay home. No doubt you were as disappointed in Bush ’41 and ’43 as I was. I wanted Fred in ’08. Can’t stomach the moderates, RINO’s, whatever you want to call them, anymore than you. Truly, I can’t, but I sincerely hope you will reconsider your position.

    I’ve come to despise Romney during this primary season ( voted for Newt in our primary). You’re right that we’re being taken for granted – a point I’ve made more than once. But a re-elected Obama will be one that is unharnassed by his own party, the media, public opinion – by anything. He is and will be far more dangerous than Romney could ever be.

    If I’ve learned anything as I get older (and based on your college years, we’re about the same), it’s to be more pragmatic, at least in the general. By all means, vote your conscience in the primary. In November, however, consider everything that is at stake. We can survive Romney and live to fight another day. I honestly don’t think our country will survive another 4 years of Obama, especially if we don’t control Congress.

  • ajsdaddie

    Whart social legislating are you talking about?

  • honoraryintern

    ..

  • gekster

    We got alot of those today, don’t we.

    As Mark Stien said today, while filling in for Rush,
    ANYONE with an R after thier name WILL be better than Obama.

    So many fatalist, and nothing to do with them.

  • ajsdaddie

    That Sarah Palin holds that you think are “hard right” socially.

    And if you include being against gay marriage, then please name three OTHER positions since gay marriage is a minority position in the whole country, much less among conservatives.

  • lineholder

    you’d be more welcome at HuffPo than here.

    Your comments make it sound as if you think this is all about YOU. I can understanding why it would be tempting in the current situations for Conservatives to feel used, abused, and discarded like yesterday’s newspapers because of how certain people in the Republican party have been acting.

    But it isn’t all about YOU. It isn’t all about me either. It’s all about trying to make the best possible decision for our natiion’s future within the context of the options presented to us.

    Romney isn’t my first choice by any stretch of the imagination. But vote for him over Obama I will, in a heartbeat.

  • goodgovernance

    I’ve said before I won’t contribute one thin dime to Romney’s campaign, now or in the general. And I mean that. I won’t try to convince anyone to support this man. I can’t in good conscience do it anyway.

    I will talk to people about the superiority of conservative principles, and how they are the ones we need in these times. I will point out the flaws of a big government agenda that recklessly adds trillions to the national debt. If nothing else, we need to have this argument with the Left and win it, right now.

    As for pulling the lever in the fall, that will be about all I can do out of loyalty to the party, and respect for the fact more people have apparently voted for Romney than the other Republican candidates, as misguided as I think those people were, influenced by Romney’s massive money advantage more than any argument or cause advocated by Romney himself.

  • lineholder

    A new kind of ‘anti-Romney’ attack method, maybe?

    I’m hoping that it is something along those lines and that we don’t have genuinely have a wide swath of people across our nation who think this was. If we do, Obama will win in 2102.

  • goodgovernance

    And maybe you already did support him, back in 2008. So your man Mitt could get another shot in 2012?

    A clever bit of strategic planning… if utterly disloyal and a complete betrayal of the conservative cause.

  • demsaresatanic

    You call Rush a pornographer, and now we hear from you that “the socially conservative wing has pushed the party so far to the right that you?ve mostly lost moderate business people like me.” How much more nonsense do you have to share with us today?

  • honoraryintern

    … confined to one sub-thread..

    Come on folks. Your guy is at one in 10,000 at this point and yet still Mittens is better?

    Rick’s not Newt is your answer to every objection. Rick is better than Mittens. Why is it so hard to admit that? It’s getting to the point you’re using Mitten’s talking points, rather than admit Newt’s defeat.

    I have no idea what type of judge Mittens would choose for SCOTUS and neither do you. Every judge nominated in MA was of the Breyer type. No different in a 5-4 court than if ?’ nominates a whack job lib.

    Mittens will continue to be who he always has been, even if they want ‘shake up’ our perceptions.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    Not giving up, but it looks like we’re stuck with our weak Republicans for another term here in Alabama since we lost our challenges to incumbents in the primary. We turned our state legislature red for the first time in over 100 years in 2008, so we have our work cut out for us to keep them honest. And yes, there are a few Dems we can try to oust.

  • Stricia

    You are just a ray of sunshine, huh? So, you’ve had your public venting of your feelings and plans for November. I hope you feel better. Thank you for your time.

  • honoraryintern

    … but a good laugh.

    The radioactive glass that would result in the Middle East is the only thing that would prevent me from agreeing. So 3-4 are neck in neck…

  • gekster

    Conservative in the primary,
    Republican in the general.

    Now tell me, oh wise one, what part of that don’t you understand.
    I’ll await your answer, but won’t hold my breath.

    And I’ve supported Republicans since 68, (first time voting) when I asked someone what’s the difference between Republicans and Democrats,
    and I was told that Republicans say,
    “If you make money, you should keep it”,
    and Democrats say,
    “If you make money, give it to us because we know how to spend it better”.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    no text

  • demsaresatanic

    who are you to talk.

  • garfieldjl

    I actually understand where laodalisque is coming from, while I imagine many people here would like to believe that it is just Obamabots saying things like supporting Obama over Romney just to cause problems, unfortunately that would be believing in a lie.

    You need to accept the truth that Romney has actually managed to anger conservatives to the point that some of us consider Obama to be better than Romney. I’m not at that point, I’m at the point of thinking Obama and Romney being one and the same. I quite honestly don’t know who I’m voting for this November at the Presidential level, I will be voting Republican for House and Senate for sure, and mostly Republican at the state level, I just don’t know which way I’ll vote at the Presidential level.

    I don’t believe laodalisque is saying that she likes Obama one bit, I believe it is she quite honestly believes that Romney is even worse than Obama, and I understand where she is coming from. Blaming laodalisique, la2000, myself, etc. isn’t going to change the fact that the only one responsible for this is Romney and his campaign team.

    Behaving like Mittbots isn’t going to help the situation and you only play right into the hands of Democrats whom claim we are somehow intellectually inferior to them. This should be a wake-up call to Romney and his campaign team that they need to clean up their act.

    @ gekster specifically

    Sorry, but I can’t even stand looking at HuffPo due to their blatent intellectual dishonesty. I seriously suggest you respect laodalisique and la2000 (I’m assuming that they are not Obamabots because I have a similarly low of Gov. “Etch-a-sketch”, as does Rick Santorum), instead of behaving like a Mittbot/Obamabot (they usually act the same) and insulting them.

  • goodgovernance

    Fantastic.

    When you’re back here begging the rest of us to take part in GOTV and demanding that we donate now, goshdarnit, now! NOW! because Romney’s ten points behind but he can make it up, yes he can, if only everyone just gets on board and carries him over the finish line, why won’t you help carry him over the finish line? – why, at such time, I hope you’ll look back and consider whether you were the best advocate for your man, or whether you made matters worse for him.

  • garfieldjl

    If Rick’s opinion of Romney really is that he would be worse than Obama, then telling us the truth isn’t crossing the line.

    It should be a wake up call to everyone here that Romney probably shouldn’t be the nominee.

  • garfieldjl

    If Romney is the nominee, the GOP can count me out of doing any volunteer work to help in November, let the Republican Establishment go door to door. They can count me out.

    I’m not going to support someone whom is just like Obama.

  • gekster

    of the brightness stick.

    Thanks for the confirmation. ;)

  • garfieldjl

    Romney is a Conservative, then I’m El Rushbo.

  • lineholder

    in the comments we’ve been making.

    Conservatives in the primary. Republican in the general.

    And if you think we haven’t been just as angered by the circumstances taking place where Romney is concerned, you’re wrong. I have my own share of emotions about it, which as it just happens include the word “despise” and “Romney” in the same sentence. And I daresay gekster does as well. With plenty of other people feeling the same way.

    But can you honestly say that it is wise for Conservatives to be so driven by their emotions that they allow it to dictate their actions to the extent that they will vote for Obama if Romney wins the nomination?

  • Stricia

    Where’s your buddy, ava? Maybe we will have to go for coffee sometime when you are taking a break from canvassing your neighborhood with Romney handouts.

  • garfieldjl

    Democrats are the ones that can’t face the truth, do you want to be like the Democrats.

  • swampgator

    If this were the first time Santorum had mis-spoke that would be another matter. But he continually sticks his foot in his mouth and then he doean’t admit that he stuck his foot in his mouth. When he made the statement that “this election is not about the economy” and then he started on the porno bit — his views on abortion – his “throwing up” remark about Kennedy. His talking about how “he’s just an average guy from PA ” – when he’s not a blue collar guy at all. His 2 million dollar house in VA – his rental homes in PA. (Seven, last I heard). He was raised on a Government compound (VA property) and his parents both worked for the VA hospital. I’ve had enough – I’m voting for Romney!

  • garfieldjl

    At the very least we can go down fighting and have the pleasure of telling everyone that we told them so when Romney stabs the Conservatives whom supported him in the back.

  • gekster

    I’ll say it once more.

    Conservative in the primary,
    Republican in the general.

    I will now follow a rule of mine that is similar to the digging holes rule.

    If you’re dumb enough to argue with an idiot,
    be smart enough to know when to stop.

    I will now stop.
    And you can infer anything you want into that.

  • garfieldjl

    Yeah, I’m saying that Elmer Fudd is better than Obama, problem is Elmer Fudd is better than Romney too.

  • gekster

    I can just see the writing on the wall.

  • garfieldjl

    If he becomes the nominee I just won’t bother to post here.

    Until Romney is the nominee, and there is a good chance he won’t, I’m going to fight tooth and nail to prevent Obamney from being the nominee.

    So far, what people have said isn’t breaking the rules because Romney isn’t the nominee, stop threatening to ban people for not supporting Mittens. That’s how democrats behave and is a reason why I wouldn’t support Romney even if he offered me $10 million bucks.

  • swampgator

    I voted for Romney in 2008 in the primary and as a dutiful Republican I went to the polls, held my nose and voted for McCain! This year I again voted for Romney in the Primary and I am now and will be a Romney backer! But I’m one of those despised “moderates” – or as some in the Republican Party call a RINO! After hearing his speech at the University of Chicago I KNEW I was voting for the right man. And, his speech after he won Illinois was another winner. The man is running for President – on the other hand Santorum is running to be my Preacher! Enough already of this man!

  • gekster

    Running around being blind is not a good stategery.

  • demsaresatanic

    The worst possible strategy is to give up. People saw through the Romney bs in 08 and told him to stick his money where he emits his severe conservatism.

  • Stricia

    –

  • garfieldjl

    Learn the difference.

  • gekster

    Does your Mom know you have her laptop again?

  • swampgator

    It’s time for all Republicans to get on board the train!

  • garfieldjl

    It may knock him out of the race, but it will probably take down Mittens in the process so he doesn’t get the nomination.

    While I wanted Gingrich to win, I wanted him to win against Santorum on ideas and them being on the same ticket, not Santorum going out in a blaze of glory. Though if he takes out Obamney in the process, I’m going to have to send a thank you card to Rick for answering my prayers.

  • sharrondeer

    Unitarians believe in morality and God, of course, but they don’t believe in the divinity of Jesus, only that his life and his teachings should be the model for living one’s life. They don’t believe in original sin and therefore don’t believe in the need for baptism or to be born again. They also place a high emphasis on free will, with religion providing guidance on how to lead an ethical life. They don’t believe in taking the Bible literally.

    Thus, to truly understand what Adams meant when he said,”Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other”, you have to know about his religious beliefs.

    (He was also anti-Catholic, so I’m not sure he’s the best person to quote regarding Santorum.)

  • sharrondeer

    He is a compulsive liar and goes way beyond the usual political “shading the truth”. You can tell that he’s one because he lies about stuff that doesn’t matter. You have to wonder about his morality when he is clearly so comfortable with lying.

  • acat

    Morality is quite possible outside of religion.

    Mew

  • streiff

    this is just a very dishonest argument based on one fact.

    Yes, he was Unitarian.

    But “religious” is a pretty unambiguous term and Adams was clearly smart enough to know that most of the country was not Unitarian. What it demonstrates is that Adams had deep and abiding regard for religion and considered religion and morality to be inextricably interwined.

    I don’t see how Santorum’s religion is relevant here unless you are claiming Catholicism is not a religion but I’d certainly like to read more of your views in this regard.

    Anti-Catholicism, btw, is more properly anti-clericalism. Adams and most Protestants of the era did not object to Catholicism, they objected to the Pope and to the place Catholic clergy held in predominantly Catholic societies.

  • BuckeyeTexan

    How about his jobs’ initiative as governor of Massachusetts that directly contributed to the 2008 financial crisis and the bad assets on the books of Fannie & Freddie?

    http://www.redstate.com/buckeyetexan/2012/03/23/romneys-ma-jobs-initiative-directly-contributed-to-the-2008-financial-crisis/

    I don’t call that success. Seems to me that his instincts as governor were not the sweet, juicy ball of wonderful goodness that his supporters are selling us.

    Regards,
    Tex

  • garfieldjl

    I’m a conservative, I have been my whole life.

    I am not a slave to either political party.

    If I feel that Romney would be more destructive to this country than Obama, then sorry Romney wouldn’t get my vote.

    Right now I consider Romney to be just as destructive to this country as Obama, something that just didn’t seem possible 5 months ago, for anyone to be as destructive as Obama.

    Maybe you’re willing to lose your credibility by supporting a man whom is just like Obama, simply cause he has an R by his name, but I’m not.

    I’ll vote Republicans for House and Senate, but Romney better hope that there is no third party candidate on the ballot and he’s lucky in the coin toss if he’s the nominee.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    I’ve already voted for Newt. I’ve donated to him. I’ve convinced other voters to do the same. I voted for every single Gingrich delegate on my ballot. I’ve written 4 pro Gingrich diaries. I despise Mitt. There are a lot of folks here who have voted for someone other than Mitt or plan to if they haven’t had their primaries yet. I’d be thrilled if Newt and Santorum get enough votes to deny Romney and force a brokered convention. I don’t know anything else I can do at this point. So if you have any suggestions rather than running around shooting off at the mouth, please let us know.

    We’ve made it very plain that we don’t support Romney in the primary. We don’t want him as the nominee, but we’re not the only ones who get a vote. I’m certainly not going to be happy about it if he’s the nominee, but when reality smacks you in the face, there’s not much you can do about it. Calling us rombots or shills because we’d rather vote for Romney than Oabma is ludicrous.

  • acat

    Not that ol’ T.J. was a winner, but .. he has a point.

    I don’t know that Adams believed religion and morality were mixed, but I think there’s sufficient proof that morality existed prior to religion, and can exist in the absence of religion.

    This doesn’t reduce religion, it’s still the most common and most reliable enforcer of morality – much more so than government – but the two appear to me to be less linked than your Adams statement implies.

    Mew

  • streiff

    I’m going to vote for Rick Perry in two weeks.

    In November I’m going to vote for Romney even though I believe he will be a disaster, he will be better than the incumbent.

  • gekster

    That was a question.

    Get out of the basement and get a grip.

    I guess we should expect these kind of posters.
    It is spring break for highschoolers also.

  • sandollar

    It’s really up to us.

  • gekster

    Where were all these anti Romneys back when we had a full field of candidates.
    Back when they could’ve done some good.
    I’ll take anyones answer.

  • lineholder

    is very disturbing. I have a rather intense personal dislike of Mitt Romney. I think he is a moderate at best, who leans left in his policy positions on many things.

    But in the context of things such as IPAB, I know that with a President Obama we will get “selective rationing” based on who and/or is not defined by IPAB to be a productive member of society. With a President Romney, at least I can still have the hope of free-market measures being implemented rather than selective rationing.

    With a President Obama, I know we will get even more regulatory measures that act as an oppressive influence on our economy. With a President Romney, at least I have the hope that we could see a reduction in regulations that eliminate this oppressive influence in a way that generates badly needed jobs.

    With a President Obama, I know that we will get even more erosion of our Constitutional freedoms and liberties. With a President Romney, at least I have the hope that this trend will be reversed.

    With a President Obama, I know that we will face even more racial tensions and discord amongst citizens. With a President Romney, I at least have the hope that these societal infuences will be reduced.

    A President Romney isn’t perfect by any means, and I won’t say that he would be. But in comparison to another term of President Obama? How any self-respecting Conservative could even remotely consider voting for the man is beyond my comprehension.

    False comfort it will bring them if they do, I’m afraid. I hope love of country will cause them to reconsider. I genuinely do.

  • claudiustg

    crimestop – Orwell’s definition: “The faculty of stopping short, as though by instinct, at the threshold of any dangerous thought. It includes the power of not grasping analogies, of failing to perceive logical errors, of misunderstanding the simplest arguments if they are inimical to Ingsoc, and of being bored or repelled by any train of thought which is capable of leading in a heretical direction. In short….protective stupidity.”

  • garfieldjl

    You and I have differences in opinion on just how bad Romney is, I can respect that.

    I wasn’t accusing you of anything, because you weren’t the one implying that people were obamabots for having this opinion that Mitt is the same or worse than Obama.

    I must respectfully disagree with you on your stance that Romney is better than Obama. Only two people can change my opinion on this matter either Romney changes his behavior or Obama ends up doing stuff even more outrageous than he is currently.

    I want Obama out of office, but I’m not going to support someone just like Obama just for the sake of replacing Obama. If I don’t believe the person running against Obama is going to work to undo Obama’s destructive policies, but is instead going to continue and expand on them, then that individual will not get my support. I quite honestly don’t know which way I’m voting at the Presidential level in the general, when people here insult me, pressure me, etc. to vote for Romney with no other reason than him being the “nominee” (and after this bombshell that Santorum threw out, there is a good chance Romney won’t), it actually makes me less inclined to vote for Romney (I imagine the same holds true for other people that share my opinion concerning Romney).

    I’m guessing that my state will finally get a voice in the primary though, I intend to vote for Newt.

    Romney has managed to scare me enough that I’m actually throwing myself into this and posting on forums, just like how Obama scared me (some liberal sites have banned me cause I thought they were gaming sites with a political discussion area and I spoke out against Obama in 08). I blame Obama’s destructive policies as to why I can’t find a full time job in my degree field.

    I hope that answers your question Melody.

  • Stricia

    Maybe with 8 candidates their objections didn’t carry as far. Who know. Like most Romney supporters — he was not my first or even second choice. It is what it is, though.

  • streiff

    that morality, as an absolute, can exist in absence of religion. Why is it immoral to take someone else’s money or property? Where is the source for that.

    Unlike a lot of the gibberish spread, the Founding Fathers were very respectful of religion. Jefferson remained on the vestry of his Episcopal parish until the end of his life and on his deathbed he was tended to by a minister. Unitarianism was a New England phenomenon but it was by no means not a religion. To the contrary it carried on many of the beliefs that were brought over by the Puritans.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    that what people said at the beginning of the primary season is true. Once it’s over or close to being over with the general looming ahead, we all get back together.

    We may not always agree, but I’ve got your back in November. Glad to see you’ve got mine.

  • gekster

    I would rather have a liberal Republican than a liberal Democrat.
    At the least, we can expect to get 1/2 to 3/4 of what we want out of him.
    And who knows, maybe more.
    No has ever said that Romney couldn’t/wouldn’t learn from past mistakes.

    With Romney though, it does feel like I’m aiming my pea shooter at a windmill.

  • gekster

    I’d like to order a gross of those noseplugs you got.
    They are cheaper by the gross, arn’t they.

  • garfieldjl

    lineholder, you really don’t get it.

    I expect Romney to do the exact same rationing that Obama would do.

    I don’t expect Romney to try to undo Obamacare, I expect him to try to sabotage any attempts to do away with it.

    One thing I not sure about is if Romney will go quite as far as Obama and that’s why I’m on the fence.

    If Romney intends to behave like Obama, and his record indicates that is highly likely, then he is arguably more destructive to this country and the Republican Party than Obama is because we would have lost our credibility in opposing it.

    If Romney is slightly better than Obama, then it’s a tossup as to whether a 2nd term for Obama or a Romney Presidency is worse for this country.

    That’s the problem here, Romney doesn’t have to be exactly the same as Obama, he just has to be similar enough and he would be as destructive for the country if not more so than Obama, because supporting him costs us our credibility.

    If Romney is the nominee, the only hope we have is to somehow take the House and Senate (with a majority large enough to block Obama’s destructive policies, radical court picks (doesn’t matter who wins the White House they would nominate leftist judges), etc.).

    Seriously, someone in my situation can argue that what I’m doing is supporting the Republican party, because Romney would end up destroying the party (Nixon was better than I think Romney would be, and Nixon was certainly better than Obama).

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    which may very well mean voting for Romney if he’s the nominee is the only choice. If you don’t think a re-elected Obama will push his agenda ahead a 1,000 times worse than he has thus far and certainly worse than anything Romney could do, then I don’t see we have anything further to discuss.

    No, you didn’t imply I’m a bot, but you might as well have with your comments to geks and lineholder which are just as ludicrous. Both have a long record of comments that are anti-Romney. In fact, comments from lineholder and NightTwister early on are what prompted me to consider Newt after other candidates dropped out.

  • halle

    I read this yesterday. After viewing it, I have no doubt that
    Romney would lead as fiscal conservative. This election was
    supposed to be about the economy and not social issues.

    http://conservativesamizdat.blogspot.com/2011/09/part-v-how-mitt-romney-turned-3-billion.html

    Take the time and read!

  • Stricia

    as you call it can argue whatever you like. You wrote
    “Seriously, someone in my situation can argue that what I?m doing is supporting the Republican party, because Romney would end up destroying the party..”

    So this is all about punishing the GOP? That’ll show em!

  • red2013

    I don’t think Mitt Romney has any core value. He has a hard time to admit a fault. He repeatedly told the American people that RomneyCare was meant for Massachusetts. However, he promoted it to BHO to be used as a model in 2009, according to op-ed in USA Today and speeches he made at irregular intervals. So far, he has been successful through his negative ads (spent more than $60 Million) against his fellow republican candidates. Every time he run for a government offices, he kept changing his previous positions. To divert the public’s attention from his past liberal records, he has been attacking BHO for his perceive or/and real policy failures. His bravado has been seen by some as a sign of “confidence and electability”. We have been misinformed that his business experience is what America “needs” to come out of its economic crisis. If we look at past American presidents with prior private sector experiences, they were not as successful as those without a private sector experience. If the Romney?s of our country and he world couldn?t solve our and the global economic crisis, what makes us believe that Mitt Romney could turn our economy around? A president cannot & will not create an economy and jobs. A private sector and especially a small business do. Romney is for big Wall Street businesses, which give money to his campaign. More than 390 lobbyists are currently funding his campaign.

  • acat

    Romney raised government revenues by increasing fees, expenses that either are paid directly by the taxpayer or that are passed on to the taxpayer by corporations.

    This is fee-for-service, so is not anti-conservative, but Romney clearly ran Massachusetts as an efficient-big-government guy, not the small-government guy that many think of when they hear “fiscal conservative”.

    The jury is still out…

    Mew

  • aesthete

    His views on religion reflected that state’s views on religion (last state to truly dismantle sectarian religious tests and barriers for higher office and property rights). Each state had different trend lines wrt this, but most grooved along the lines of the VA Constitution written by George Mason, and dismantled the religious-state infrastructures they had while they were colonies in short order.

    As far as the morality/religion dynamic goes, it’s true that you can have morality, or be a “moral” person (i.e., mostly conform to your own moral code), but it’s nigh-impossible to justify a universal system which applies to all based on deonotological morals (i.e., moral absolutes) without referencing a higher power. It may not be formalized religion, but the absence of a mechanism to explain deontological ethics without religious explanations is something that philosophers have grappled with for years.

  • garfieldjl

    If Romney wins the general and then proceeds to thumb his nose at us and continues Obama’s destructive policies, we will have lost credibility.

    Already our credibility would be in serious trouble if he is the nominee due to his record in Massachusetts and he the fact he won’t renounce Romneycare.

    That can be salvaged if he genuinely means what he says, but the problem is that I don’t believe Romney is telling us the truth.

    This isn’t about punishing the GOP, if that were the case I wouldn’t be saying I’m voting Republican for House and Senate, this is about the fact that I’m worried Romney will destroy the GOP and the country because we supported someone that is just like Obama and turned our backs on our principles just cause we wanted to win an election.

  • red2013

    The problem we currently see within a Republican Party is mainly caused by the party political leaders. Instead of remaining impartial, they presented Mitt Romney as an
    ?Incumbent president” to the American people. After the so called vote recount in IOWA, the IOWA Republican Party reluctantly declared Santorum a winner thereby depriving him the momentum he badly needed. After the Michigan Primary, the state republican party changed their rules and gave one more delegate to Romney. As long as Romney is not attacked, they and their media supporters remain silent. For their own ratings, he mass media like controversies. Romney& his supporters want us to simply believe their words and don’t want him to be properly vetted. They want others to quit campaigning right away, in order to save themselves and Romney from an embarrassment because of they fear that the more if more of his past flawed liberal records are exposed, the worse his chance of winning would be. Whether they like it or not, BHO & DNC have been preparing themselves by collecting enough data on Romney?s past records. Once the republican nominee is known, the mass media which know give a pass to Romney would immediately start attacking him. I urge all patriot Americans to put USA first and reconsider their support for Mitt Romney as he is the weakest of all the candidates because of his records & shiftiness. I hope Republican Party officials may have start seeing the writings on the wall in order to save the country & its core basis from an embarrassment.

  • acat

    I found ‘em over at The People’s Cube .. not sure if they’re sold out or not.

    Mew

  • aesthete

    is how much of a non-sequitur it really is. Even if you need morality for society to function (something I agree with), there’s no relation between that and the sort of laws and politicians favored by social conservative types. Does anyone think that Santo and his favored laws will make us a more moral country? Can they prove it? If not, the whole discussion is a pointless expression of identity politics, and the application of ill-defined logic in pursuit of vague and unreachable government policy, to be enforced at the expense of those opposed to government moves in that direction.

  • gekster

    :)
    :)

  • garfieldjl

    Unfortunately, I believe Romney is extremely likely to do the same things a re-elected Obama would do, and there lies the problem.

  • streiff

    and I gave my word, but you are making it very hard on me.

  • lineholder

    looking at this with blinders on. A second term of President Obama is our worst nightmare come true, garfield. A President Romney, on the other hand, does leave us at least with some options.

    You’ve said yourself that our best chance would be to ensure that we have Conservatives elected to Congress. And indeed it will be. If Conservatives in general can get their heads on straight and channel their emotions, frustrations, and misgivings into fighting tooth and nail to Conservatives elected, then this could have a significant impact on the policy decisions that are made. But our chances of succeeding are greater with a President Romney than a President Obama.

    And I don’t buy into the pre-determined outcome you’ve presented that it would irrevocably damage the Republican “brand”, garfield. I think at this point that’s little more than defeatist rhetoric. I even happen to think it is possible that as conservative policy measures are applied, we would see an increase in public opinion favoring our side. Much in the same way that Gov. Walker has been experiencing in WI.

  • alfromfl

    Romney started the negative stuff but at this point Santorum need to sell himself not bash Romney. Romney and Obama do the best job of negatives and Romney had better start polishing up his program if he wants to beat Obama. As for Obama and his likability – that wears think with high gas prices, $16T+ debt and counting, and a disdain for the constitution, not to mention no jobs. Wait until the taxes and new regulations kick in in 2013. The repub establishment will win the battle this time around, I suppose, but in the longer term I think a lot of people will begin to look at a different party both on the democrat and republican side. The progressives need to be weeded out and the anit-social conservatives in the republican party need to also be weeded out – perhaps they are the same.

  • aesthete

    Threadjack over.

  • trickamsterdam

    OK then I apologize. To be honest it’s only since FL that I’ve hated Romney. A few months ago I might have written a post like yours.

    I was actually banned from FreeRepublic for defending R. Perry (and to a lesser extent Romney) from Palin fanatics (although I like S. Palin it was clear she was never going to run…or was just keeping her options open on the one percent chance she would).

    Well what can I say to a version of myself from six months ago?

    I have simply become convinced he is a truly immoral person so even though I think he would be measurably more conservative than Obama I will not put him in charge of this nation and especially our Armed Forces (whether I’m right or wrong I truly think Romney is the sort of person who would send Navy SEALs to die on a suicide mission merely to have a reason to avenge them and increase his poll numbers).

    Note: I didn’t say he’d start a war to increase his poll numbers. This creature and brute is too smart for that.

  • garfieldjl

    I think we can stop Romney from the being nominated. That happens and we’re looking at a whole new ballgame.

    I think if Newt is the nominee we’ll clobber Obama easily and scare the heck out of the establishment.

    If Newt’s the nominee, I’d be looking forward to the debates.

    While I don’t think Santorum could beat Obama, for obvious reasons that we’ve all seen. I would wholeheartedly support him in the general.

    In fact the only two candidates that I have had an objection to this entire race (while remaining a Newt supporter this entire race) has been Romney and Huntsman (my concern was he was possibly a plant for Obama) I didn’t like Romney in 08 either.

  • Flagstaff

    Love it.

  • Flagstaff

    too much time sniffing glue.

  • jamesm

    question regarding this election.If Romney is the nominee, who is going to be disliked more..Romney or Obama? Heck if conservatives can’t stand Romney why wouldn’t many or most independents? Romney has record that showshe can’t be trusted. Obama has a 3 year record. He is the safe commodity to many genuine independents. I hear they are seliing more Etch-A-Sketches today.

  • aesthete

    I think we all picked a terrible week to stop sniffing glue.

    :)

  • cheetah2

    I would rather take my chances with Romney at the helm for a while, hopefully a short while!
    I think you might be right about inevitability though, acat. we are on the cliffs edge hanging on by our toenails right now. Maybe having any hope at all is being overly optimistic…

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    and conservatives (at least my kind of conservative), there also is a difference between moderates and liberals. Not as vast, but a difference nevertheless. And a difference as well between Romney and Obama, even taking Romney’s record into consideration.

    Do I think that Romney will support moderate policies? Yes. Do I think he will fail to push real reform and spending cuts? Yes. Try to “fix” Obamacare rather than repeal and appoint moderate judges? Probably. And doing so will most likely push us a little closer toward the cliff we’re heading for, but we can fight a slower push a lot better than one that’s full steam ahead. There is absolutely ZERO chance that Obama will listen to anything that the GOP has to say, much less conservatives. I don’t even think he’ll listen to any disagreement from within his own ranks. He’ll do whatever he can whenever he wants. Tell me how we’re going to fight that.

  • Scope

    Despite the fact that Cavuto has been a Romney supporter and shill, and was tough in the beginning of the interview, Santorum more than held his own. He clearly pointed to the comment Romney made last week in a speech saying that Santorum was an economic lightweight and said we already have one of those in the WH. How is that any different than what Santorum said? Santorum made it very clear also that he will vote for who ever the R nominee is, and has maintained that position all along.

    Sununu is a total arsehole. The Romney campaign would be well advised to get him off the air, and don’t allow him to speak for Romney. He is spinning for Romney like a top, and only adding to the already mistrust of Romney. He is a sick joke, who will never ever convince one voter to switch their support to Romney. Even Cavuto is correcting him.

  • mikelindell2

    His whole “surge” was manufactured by Fox News as a way to knock Gingrich down. How else could people on Fox say that Santorum would do really well in Iowa when he was polling in the low single digits there? Romney could never win conservatives so they needed to pick a weak “not-Romney” and they got it. Attack Gingrich relentlessly and build up an easily beatable Romney opponent.

  • trickamsterdam

    I’ve already sent him a donation but there are no threads on it here and I can’t write threads (Diaries).

    I assume when the Recall Election is close there will be threads which I’ll post on and try to convince people to help him and I’ll make another donation at that point (to help create momentum that people don’t want the Recall).

    “Uhhh, why am I even trying to convince somebody who has such a specious claim as to how they came up with their online moniker. Trick, care to repeat that ridiculous story for us again? Didn?t think so. Tell us again how porn stars and street names factored in your decision to use that moniker. Bahhhhaaa!!!!!!” – Stricia

    I’m sorry but I can’t tell if this is a joke or if it is a joke what sort of joke it is supposed to be? Are you Ann Coulter? Because the punch-line can’t be any funnier than “Romney is the most conservative candidate except for Bachmann” (actual Coulter quote when Perry and T-Paw were still in the field also).

    The only thing I can guess is somehow you know who I am in real life but don’t know me well enough to know my middle name is Patrick and I was born in Harlem?

    Or else you’re just unfunny and don’t like that I made fun of you on another thread lol.

  • Flagstaff

    That was way too general. I was reacting to what appeared to be a blog full of “Lets start a new party!” comments.

    To respond to the meat of Erick’s column–

    Santorum may have been misinterpreted. But the same could be said for Fernstrom. They both should know better than to use that kind of phraseology, but only one of them is running for President.

    “Right now Mitt Romney has higher negatives with independent voters than Hillary Clinton did in 2008.”

    I wasn’t aware of that. It looked to me as if Romney was winning the independent votes in these primaries.

    He is widening his lead in some demographics.

    But the polls are generally depressing, anyway. How anybody could vote for Barack Obama after the last three years is incomprehensible. to me, so I should just shut up.

    My hope lies in the fact that Romney’s strength’s are Obama’s weaknesses. Obama’s strength is his “charisma,” and he seems to have lost at least some of that luster. Romney doesn’t have any charisma (if you listen to his detractors), but when he talks, he does make sense, which will leave the press in the position of having to criticize the way he looks.

    RE: Obamacare–What ever Romney has to counter will also have to be countered by any other candidate, so I still don’t see Romneycare as a big problem. Romney has started the assault on Obamacare already.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Almost every time you say something, the next comment is followed by “I apologize”. You just spout off over and over again. It would do me no good to even explain to you where I’ve been during this primary process because you believe your clairvoyance gives you perfect insight into everyone regardless of what they have to say.

    I’ll be glad when spring break is over and you fools have to get back to school.

  • Flagstaff

    care who wins?

    Really. They win no matter what.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Rick is worse than Mitt. If not Newt, then Mitt. At least they’ve run something in their life besides their mouth.

  • acat

    as I’m sure you know. I’m also sure you know that hoping without working to achieve the object of hope is a futile endeavor, doomed from the start… similar to a kid wishing to ride a sled down a snowy hill .. but not working to get the sled ready for such a run.

    Mew

    p.s. sorry if the example is rather outdated… once upon a time, kids, sleds weren’t disposable sheets of plastic…

  • pieter

    Senator Etch O Sketch takes back what he said about Governor Etch O Sketch. The big labor-big government senator is sorry he made the unrepentant godfather of obamacare governor look bad as the possible republican nominee.

    Shake shake shake. Nothing to see here…,move along.

    Vote for the guy that will be the same conservative in the general election he was in primary.

    Santorum lacked the discipline to stay on message but that’s OK, right?

  • acat

    There’d be nothing left.

    Mew

  • laodalisque

    Thank you, Garfield, for the chivalrous support. Gekster seems only to be able to wrap his head around one thought and ONE ONLY: and it is that Obummer needs to be defeated so badly that we simply HAVE TO get on board the GOP train no matter what treacherous, cowardly, ungrateful little invertebrate they anoint for our zombie-like acclamation.

    Gekster doesn’t realize he’s advocating the playbook of the hard left: don’t bother the simpleminded peasantry with discussions of qualifications, voting records, and ideological integrity–just shove the repulsive little ideological chameleon out there for the unwashed to get a gander at ‘im and begin chanting “Imhotep…Imhotep…Imhotep…” and before you know it, you’re at the requisite delegate total. From the GOP-Establishment’s point of view, they don’t even need to work at getting our support.

    That’s the part on which I’m drawing the line. The Etch-a-Sketch comment is exactly at the crux of my problem with the GOP-Establishment. The stakes this election cycle are TOO HIGH to allow the GOP proceed with their bootlick, business as usual, accommodationist outlook.

    And, to lineholder: Shame on you!!! This IS about me. This should be about you, too! This IS about all those who’ve bothered to educate themselves about classical conservative thought. This IS about all who’ve lovingly burnished their nest egg of philosophical integrity, and maintained their commitment to its timeless Truths. This IS about all who’ve held the line throughout decades of ‘Soviet Inevitability,’ socialist programming, mindless hard-left rants, denunciations by ‘effete corps of impudent snobs,’ and academic dumbings-down, and generational welfare-state buyouts. This IS about everyone who has an interest in preventing the great ideas of conservatism from being squandered as so much political capital by the compromise monkeys and spineless toadies who infest the GOP today.

    I *AM* the Republican party. And you are, too. We all are. I’ve been at it since before it was cool. I was in it during Watergate. I worked the fundraisers and reelection campaigns. I’ve contributed thousands to the party. In my undergrad & grad. school days I took hits from all my commie-simp. profs for being a conservative. I now teach history at the university level and I’ve spent decades manning the battlements to repulse the horrors of collectivist enthusiasm.

    So, when I tell you that I am enraged at a party which has only scorned my loyalty, I can only speak for myself. But I really hope there’re others who feel the same way. Otherwise, as a philosophical anchorpoint for a wayward party, we’re doomed. I can only hope that there are others who’ve felt the same betrayals I’ve felt, the same heartsickness at yet-another BigGov takeover engineered by one of “our own,” the same humiliation when a GOP “stalwart” defects to the Democrud darkside. I can only hope my words serve to strengthen their resolve as well.

  • trickamsterdam

    ‘Twister my clairvoyance gave me the ability to perceive when I saw that title bar that you were talking about me. Aren’t I incredible?

    I’m not saying when I said you were a “stealth Romney supporter” that you were being paid. Because who on Earth would be dumb enough to pay you?

    And you’re even too badly organized and relentlessly obnoxious to be a Romney volunteer.

    No you’re just a guy who’s folded to peer pressure. Even on the Internet and even though you appear not to care if you’re liked…you do care if you’re liked. Or at least if you’re perceived as “cool” (just like high-school right ‘Twister…when you were made to carry the empty kegs into the cornfields to scare the cows).

    But an obnoxious jerk who endlessly posts one-line post nonsense trying (and failing) to be funny does want to be liked. Right?

    That is you’re trying too hard.

    So because the cool kids like acat and EE can’t really stand Romney either you kinda also pretend you can’t.

    But lol the fact that you were always against the brokered convention (and so strongly) gives you away. You always thought Romney was just great as a fall-back.

    The only way someone could be against a Brokered Covention is if they thought it would produce someone “worse” than Romney.

    And the only way someone could truly think there was someone worse than Romney is if they were a Romney supporter.

    In fact I’ll declare this: Anyone who was implacably opposed to a Brokered Convention was in their heart of hearts always a Romney supporter.

    This by the way was a cry for help and deliverance:

    “It would do me no good to even explain to you where I?ve been during this primary process because you believe your clairvoyance gives you perfect insight into everyone regardless of what they have to say.” – Night Twister

    Sounds like James Dean in “Rebel without a Cause” screaming out to his dad before he goes to prove himself to his woman and “play chicken”.

    I know ‘Twister you really wanted Perry or whoever. And I believe that. But when you blew off that “brokered convention” compromise all these months (and you’re right spring is definitely here) you made a fatal mistake…that is if you wanted to win this election because we’re (everyone who thinks like me) not supporting Romney.

    Might be a sliver of time left (but not much) to get on board the brokered convention train just like Newt has. Now you can say and lie whatever you want in a response to this but just between me and you was that “clairvoyant” and accurate enough?

    PS – I actually apologize very rarely. Have I ever apologized to you?

  • lineholder

    your feelings above what is best for this nation at this point?

    Because voting for Obama, and even suggesting that anyone should do so, is NOT what is best for this nation. If you haven’t stopped to consider what we would be facing if Obama wins a second term…maybe you should before you make any further comments.

    You crossed a line on that point. Under no circumstances should we consider this course of action. None. Even if we absolutely despise what the “party” has done or how it has acted.

  • garfieldjl

    A “Massachusetts moderate” would be considered a liberal in most of the country.

    Do I think Romney would support “moderate policies” well how are you defining moderate? If you are referring to what someone from Massachusetts would consider moderate than the answer is yes, problem is just about anywhere else in the country would consider it to be liberal policies.

    Same goes with Judges, etc.

    I think there is the same chance that Romney would listen to Republicans as it is for Obama to listen to Republicans.

  • garfieldjl

    What she’s arguing is she believes Romney will be as destructive to this country as Obama if not more so (partially because Romney destroys our credibility because we are compromising all our principles to support him simply cause he has an R by his name).

    I’m going to ask you a question: If Barack Obama was the nominee of the Republican party would you vote for him? Cause I sure wouldn’t.

  • rabun1016

    Just shows how out of touch Snore em is if he thinks he can walk this back. I will agree that Romney has run a sorry campaign, and for his ability, he has been woefully mismanaged by his campaign team, top down. Easy issues like tax returns showing millions of gifts or the obvious issue of federalism on the Mass healthcare solution get botched. His constant use of of the term Obamacare, versus using the more descriptive “federal takeover of healthcare” communicates less, when more is needed. Unfortunately, he seems genetically and perhaps religiously to be without any quick sense of humor or natural passion. He obviously has been deprived of bar room wit over the years, a woeful deficiency for politicians, and has received no cliff notes on even the basics of comebacks and repartee. But I will still take a straight arrow business guy for 25 years who was a four politician and top of his class at Harvard Business School over one who was a three and half year law associate and a 25 year politician.

  • lineholder

    So I’ll ask you some questions instead.

    Can you provide substantive evidence proving that Romney’s entire life has been filled associations to well-known liberal radicals? Radicals who would prefer by far to see our republic form of government collapse around us?

    Can you provide substantive evidence that Romney would deliberately and intentionally undermine the rule of law, superimposing the rule of man instead?

    Can you prove those things to be true about the man? Because if you can not, then you can not say that Romney and Obama are the same, garfield.

    There are differences between the two. Granting Romney even that much leeway goes against the grain with me personally, because my own personal dislike and distrust of the man is so high.

    But be honest in evaluating him, as a comparison to Obama, I will be. Whether I like doing it or not, I will do it.

  • lineholder

    and I mean a deep, heartfelt abiding love and respect for all she has been and still yet can become, then difference I’ve mentioned above matters.

  • garfieldjl

    But I can find evidence that Romney has some ties with Radical Leftists, not as blatent as Obama’s are, but they are there.

    As far as undermining the rule of law, I’m not sure the fact that Romney made off with the harddrives from the governor’s office when his term ended, is a big red flag in my book for starters.

    There there is the forcing religious hospitals to have to provide abortions is another red flag.

    So there is stuff there, and I imagine a lot more information will come out in the general.

    Obama’s already taking shots at Romney over Romneycare.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    as to how we fight Obama if he wins. Because the likely answer is we can’t unless we win both the House & Senate. So I’m going to do everything I can, including voting for Romney if he’s the nominee, to elect a conservative or Republican, in that order, for POTUS and in every House & Senate race I can. I’m not ready to hang those conservatives we put in office out to dry without a fighting chance.

    Again, there is ZERO chance of Obama doing anything other than more or worse of the same.

  • vastrightwingconspiracy

    …spinny spin, spin spin!!

    EE, this is nauseating. Everyone on this imploding campaign simply needs to EJECT, EJECT, EJECT!!! It was clear he was talking about him own thoughts. He’s been dancing around it for 2 months straigh and just now got around to finally saying how he really feels. He is angry and out of control. That’s why he got booted from his own state.

    The theo-con has showed his true colors. Perhaps that is why he likes Obama more than he likes Romney. Romney doesn’t really want to control people and Santorum has a real need to either be in control or under control. Who knows what kind of mischief autonomy would lead to?

    As a Raider fan, Rick reminds me of Al Davis. If he can’t win his way, he doesn’t want to win at all!!! He is is own worst enemy…aside from 300 million free thinking Americans.

    I can’t believe any self respecting conservative would apologize for this nitwit. Well, perhaps there isn’t.

    Carry on.

  • lineholder

    If you’re going to make an argument against Romney, wouldn’t it be extremely helpful to present such evidence?

    You don’t seem to understand something here….I DO NOT LIKE Mitt Romney I DO NOT TRUST Mitt Romney. I’m enough of a realist to recognize that the person who does or does not get the nomination is not within my means to make in and of myself. It’s a choice that ALL Americans have to contribute to making, not just me.

    But of above all things, I love this country of ours. And I believe in her, perhaps more so than other people do, I don’t know. I believe, given what I have learned about the steady progress made by the left over the past 50 – 100 years, that this next term could possibly alter everything this nation has stood for and against. The left is extremely organized, and they operate within the context of specific goals. They are much closer to accomplishing and achieving those goals now than they were three years ago, and another four years of Obama could conceivably complete their objectives.

    With that in mind, I am not in the least bit inclined to let my emotions of anger, frustration, irritation, betrayal or anything else to get in the way of doing what it might be within my means to do to ensure that they are thwarted on this much at least….that they will not fully and completely and succeed here and now, and that we can still have at least some opportunity left to turn back the tide. My vote is only one vote, but it is MY vote all the same, and it will go for the Republican nominee. Period.

    It’s a personal choice the individual has to make, and mine is made.

  • vastrightwingconspiracy

    …it’s independents that can’t stand conservatives?

    Ever consider the slightest possibility that “conservatives” are the problem? Ever think that “conservatives” are the reason “conservatives” can’t get elected?

    Independents don’t want to be controlled by conservatives any more than they want to be controlled by liberals. It’s like asking which foot do you want to get kicked in the junk with?! Uh, neither, thank you.

  • garfieldjl

    Melody, I don’t want to take a leap of faith like that, thus I want it so this entire discussion is moot because someone other than Romney is the nominee.

    If Gingrich or Santorum is the nominee, this entire argument becomes meaningless, because they are clearly different from Obama.

    Santorum has his issues, but he’s clearly different from Obama.

    Gingrich has different issues, but he’s definately better than Obama.

    The fact Romney is still touting Romneycare is a serious warning sign in my book that he actually doesn’t believe what he’s campaigning on.

  • vastrightwingconspiracy

    …as to who he’ll vote for now.

    Rick is very angry about being vetted.

  • ulyssesmsu

    All these attempts to parse what Santorum said and to make it seem like he didn’t really say what he said are lame and incorrect. He said it. He owns it. He’s toast.

  • Scope

    coming from a Romney supporter. Romney has done nothing but break the 11th commandment. Yup it’s primary season, but Romney has done absolutely nothing but attack attack and attack more at those in his own party. If Romney ever ran a descent campaign this season, and stuck to the issues that he promises to promote as pres. he would have been out of the race as a sick and sorry loser long ago. Wall St. money does wonders for any campaign, and I hear they are running back over to the Obama side.

  • acat

    Your timing stinks, though. You should have been working at this since 2009…

    Just a thought.

    Mew

  • Stricia

    I’m done reading you. It is simply the same mess simply re-arranged and re-worded. Good luck with all that.

  • lineholder

    Gingrich supporters. Did you know that?

    And you’ll not find a person on RS who has been as loud-mouthed in drawing attention to the similarities between O-care and Romneycare as I’ve been…to the point of driving other people batty, understood?

    But when it comes to suggesting that people should either (1) not vote or (2) vote Obama, as a way of submitting a protest vote against Romney or to stand up to the “party” or whatever reasons they might have….there’s no way I’ll support this, and neither does Melody, apparently.

    If you can find a way to continue to fighting against Romney as the nominee without doing either one of these two things, I for one will leave you alone. I swear it.

    Melody can make up her own mind about that, I have no doubt of it, LOL.

  • gekster

    . :) .

  • Scope

    in a dictionary. You’ve been a reliable Romney shill here for as long as I’ve seen your name posting here. And this part of your comment should blow everyone’s mind-

    Finally, it?s one thing for some folks here on RS to say that there is no real difference between Romney and Obama. Such folks tend to see themselves as conservatives first and Republicans second. They care more about conservative principles than party loyalty. And that?s fine?for THEM.

    So you put the race very cleanly and clearly as a race between us and THEM. Those awful damn dirty disgusting conservatives just can’t put their principles above party loyalty. You can count me among one of the strongest conservatives that stopped buying the “party loyalty” gig long ago. Oh, and you can take that argument and shove it.

  • garfieldjl

    [quote]However, there is evidence presumptive Republican frontrunner Mitt Romney may have been influenced by the late 20th century, Chicago-based radical.

    Political commentator Dan Riehl wrote on BigGovernment.com that the ?toxic-to-conservatives? Alinsky effect has its roots in the former Massachusetts governor?s father, George Romney.

    ?The progressive Alinsky is infamous and actually toxic on the right,? Riehl wrote. ?George Romney?s endorsement of him, coupled with his acknowledged strong influence on son Mitt, will do little to assure suspicious conservatives concerned about Mitt Romney?s record as a progressive, including his introduction of Romneycare in Massachusetts.?
    [/quote]
    http://mobile.wnd.com/2012/01/romneys-connection-to-saul-alinsky/

    He is also George Soros approved
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6aLQU_nYSM

    As I said the connections are there, they just are not as blatent as we see with Obama. Do I think he has as many radical connections as Obama, probably not but Romney set off warning bells for me back in 08.

    Romney has also said he won’t get rid of Obamacare.
    http://www.westernjournalism.com/romney-admits-he-wont-end-obamacare/

    Romney pushed for Obama to include an individual mandate in Obamacare:
    http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/03/good-grief-romney-urged-obama-to-embrace-individual-mandate-in-obamacare/

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fALl96KQqbI

    The sticking point here is he hasn’t acknowledged it to be a mistake.

    Also the part of forcing Religious institutions to provide abortion pills:

    http://bostoncatholicinsider.wordpress.com/2012/02/23/did-romney-lie-about-cardinal-omalley-to-the-nation-during-the-wednesday-debate/

    This is what I’m finding with standard google searches, I’m not even going full research mode.

  • Stricia

    Clinging to a sinking raft is bothersome, I suspect. I believe former Sen. Rick Santorum will exit this race shortly. His error is irredeemable.

  • lineholder

    and put it into the form of a diary, if you will. I can not say to you that it will alter the current situation we’re facing, because the likelihood that Romney will win the nomination is now so high.

    But at the very least, it will give us this much more reason to be enthusiastically and proactively involved in electing Conservatives to Congress.

    I’ve had no bone to pick with you personally, garfield. But to justify a no-vote, third-party vote, or to vote for Obama at this point will only make matters worse than they already are. We gain nothing by approaching it that way. Absolutely nothing. And we put our nation at great risk if we respond in that matter.

  • garfieldjl

    If the GOP wants to win in November, they should nominate someone that offers a clear distinction from Obama, not someone whom is very similar to Obama.

  • ennaneko

    Santorum is an Italian Catholic that managed to beat the Southern born Newt Gingrich and the establishment Romney in what is supposed to be a bastion of Republican voters.

    I’m not quite sure how you can call him weak when he is winning over what the media calls the “NASCAR’ crowd being an Italian Catholic lawyer from Pennsylvania.

    I think Santorum has earned some “street cred.”

  • Scope

    You’ve about PO’d everyone here with your inane comments. But carry on dear, you’re doing a great job of turning off even more people to your boy Romney, as well as the rest that are just demanding that everyone get in line. The more you creeps demand, the further away many go. As I said, carry on.

  • Melody Warbington (rwm52)

    and I truly understand where you’re coming from, but as previously noted, I’ve done about all I can do at this point. Newt has my support until he’s out of it one way or another. For the record, I agree with everything lineholder has said as well.

    If you don’t mind, let me give you a piece of friendly advice, and then I’m done because it appears I’m not making any headway with you. It’s just a guess, but I’m guessing you’re younger than I am (54). I say that because you sound a lot like I used to as far as wanting so passionately for conservatives to win the day. I still do, and I say that coming from the entire 3 legs of conservatism.

    I was sorely disappointed in Bush ’41 and ’43. I remember listening to speeches by each of them and thinking at the time that they could be great Presidents. And I’m thankful that Bush ’43 was POTUS after 9/11 and forever be grateful that he appointed Roberts and Alito, even though we had to go through the Meirs fiasco first. Then came more squishes. I’ve had years of political disappointments. I fear for my son and younger members of my extended family.

    Anyway, as I’ve grown older, I’ve become a lot less idealistic and a lot more pragmatic. There are things out of my control, and I can only do much to try and change them. I’m not giving up on a Not Romney candidate, but come August, we’ll have a nominee. Sometimes choices are limited. The general will be one such case. I either vote for the GOP nominee or Obama, and I will not under any circumstances vote for a man who is bent on destroying everything I hold dear. If you can’t understand that, regardless of age, then there’s really nothing else to say.

    So the advice is to keep the passion but learn to apply it to the things you can control. Blogging – along with rallies, flag waving, making signs, etc. are all good to raise your spirits, but if you aren’t already engaged in the process, you need to do so. Join your local GOP (if you have trouble with this, there are people here who will help you, Cold Warrior for one). Find your local tea party. And no offense intended, but learn to listen and perhaps take a little advice from those who are on your side.

  • ennaneko

    Conservatives are hunkered down to promote a cause and wage a long term fight to change and correct the country.

    Romney and his most ardent supporters are the ones that are desperate. They think Romney will be able to pull the wool over everyones eyes and that he’ll hook up the most powerful special interests in foreign policy and Wall Street matters.

    Santorum and other conservatives have much more long term goals that they believe will take them years, if not decades to achieve… particularly domestically.

    Conservatives and Tea Party believe they can bide their time, they don’t have to be desperate.

    Gay marriage, abortion, other issues… don’t really affect them on a personal level and are more reversible. Liberal social policies damage their environment, country, and future but society dies a slow death, not a fast one. Time is on their side, they have time to play with.

    The middle east is a hornets nest. Careers can collapse in the blink of an eye. Taxes hurt immediately. Companies can disappear over night.

    People who favor social conservatism don’t have to take anything, they can wait. There are patient.

    The problem the Romney factions have is that they want to have their cake and eat it, too.

    If Romney doesn’t offer the culture warriors and other conservatives ideological meat, they won’t care to help.

  • Stricia

    You are still sore that your candidate didn’t even get delegates in Virginia. You twice insinuated that other readers or posters would change their vote because of something someone wrote on a web site?! Wow. Amazing.

    I watched the Cavuto interview. The interview was a 12-minute panic-driven, b.s.- filled, walkback. Scope dear, I will leave with this – I now predict that Romney will eclipse Santorum in Louisiana tomorrow. How do you like that?

  • ennaneko

    Whatever happened to that oft romanticized strategy of Ronald Reagan?

    Whatever happened to,… “union leadership backs Democrats but we can make union members vote Republican?!”

    Remember when vying for blue collar voters and blue dog Democrat support was considered crafty?

    Now Santorum is “big labor” for going Reagan?

  • Scope

    “I think Santorum was spot on in describing how voters would see the race in November. Why would they want to give up a guy many of them like, but who don?t much care of his job performance, for a guy they don?t like whose own campaign admits is like an Etch-A-Sketch.”

    Unfortunately the polls have shown consistently that people may not have liked Obama’s policies, but the polling is still very high for Obama’s likability. OTOH, Romney’s likability in the polls is in the gutter, and getting worse as time goes by. Yes, that is a fact, Romney’s likability is going down among those polled. Have we not seen over and over, that the candidate that people “like” has been elected time after time”? Here at RS, we tend to be more into the issues, but, out there, voters have to “like” the candidate to get the vote out. Now, go back and read all of the posters here trying to tell everyone they have to “get in line.” Then tell me how many will come forward to donate, walk the streets, and post favprable comments for Romney? I’ve actually read more comments that say, yea, I’ll vote Romney, but I won’t lift a finger to help his campaign against Obama? There are many. Romney is winning in areas where Obama will crush him in the general, period.

  • rogershru2

    I actually can’t stand Romney and have felt that way since well before Florida. I appreciate your comments about the military and understand your point. . I did have Obama as my commander in chief for a time and as much as I distrust him would still consider Romney an upgrade. Still newt or better yet Jindal would be preferable.

  • hayekwasright

    I am not a conservative so that I can be herded on to a train because it has an R on the front without considering the destination or whether the engineer knows what he is doing. I thought conservatives liked to work in the realm of ideas rather than the high schoolish attitude of just picking the clique you like with little regard for what it means. Will I vote for Romney if he is the nominee? Probably, but I will not be enthusiastic about it. Back to the train analogy, if the choice is Obama VS. Romney in the end, we are at best choosing between the bullet train and a steam engine. Unfortunately, both trains are on the track to serfdom. If I have to pick one it will be the steam engine, but I will wait till the last minute looking for a train bound for freedom.

  • filobeddoe

    I dont owe anything to Romney or other Republicans. I vote for a candidate who has the same values I do.

    Personally, I think that Mitt Romney will hurt the “conservative” brand…severely while he runs around doing big government things under our label.

    No thanks.

  • filobeddoe

    help spread the misinformation.

  • mikelindell2

    O’Reilly for months has been saying that Santorum is the most conservative candidate, although that has proven to be objectively false by conservative rating groups such as ACU. When the group of Christian leaders met in Texas a couple of months ago, they decided to back Santorum, That process was very questionable as many Gingrich backers had been told it was a deadlock and they could leave, making them unable to vote on the last ballot. Other people saw Santorum backers casting multiple votes. Nevertheless, many Christian leaders are telling their congregations to vote Santorum. Santorum was never properly vetted, he was always flying under the radar. There was only one debate when he received any scrutiny. Otherwise, things such as the trillions in new debt he voted for or his vigorous backing of Big Labor over right-to-work would have come to light. Also, Newt was not southern born, he was born in PA. I’m not denying he’s winning, I just think he has been very lucky to be able to do so. I feel Gingrich is a stronger primary candidate against Romney and a stronger general election candidate. However, the narrative has been written that it is a two man race between Rick and Mitt making it very hard for Newt to gain traction again, especially since the other candidates backed out of the remaining debates.

  • 10ab

    Is getting on my nerves….their negativity sucks the air out of the room and their petty assaults (Robert DeNiro) look childish and desperate! At least with Mitt the heavy cloud of gloom and doom seems to lift just a little!

  • mikelindell2

    Why is the liberal media liberal? Fox News has been strongly pro-Romney, anti-Newt this election. Some of their most prominent commentators, like Krauthammer, have even called Newt “unstable.”

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Sorry, I didn’t realize that English was your second language. Perhaps you can find a better translation tool.

  • Filibuster Keaton

    Then you should talk Hillary Clinton into switching parties and becoming the Republican nominee. Her approvals are so high, you could win with her for sure!

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    Nope, never supported a brokered convention. I called it the idiotic idea it is when it was first being mentioned.

    Romney will be the Republican candidate. I guess we’ll see what you do at that point. My money is on crawling into the corner and bawling like a baby.

  • http://pocketchangeproductions.net/ anotherindyfilmguy

    People who don’t want to get what Santorum said in the context that he said it will not reason it out to be positive.

    People who want to hear it in a positive way will take it that way…

    The rest will scratch their heads and laugh about etch-a-sketch jokes…

    It just boggles my mind that someone who would try to play chameleon/flipper to suit so he can get elected would actually say it out loud to the public in an interview that hands every potential political opponent the club to beat his campaign to death with.

  • Scope

    do you really have anything to contribute here, other than your garbage posts? You are entertaining if nothing else. I’ll give you a hint, stand up comedy isn’t your bag.

  • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

    It’s you that refuse to vote for Romney in the general that vote for democrats.

  • zachv

    Still, Santorum’s campaign is crashing. He’s desperate and losing, and I think a lot of politicos are seeing the writing on the wall.

    What I think is MORE important Scope, is that after the crash, we as Republicans — and more importantly — conservatives can still come together at the end of the day.

    The Obama over Romney thinking that Santorum may (or may not) have expressed is dangerous because it allows Obama and the Democrats the upper hand. We cannot let that happen.

  • Scope

    because every time someone points out his record, he gets higher and higher in the unlikable polls. But, carry on.

  • Stricia

    But I won’t hold that against you. Just never give me tips at the bingo parlor! See you in November.

  • tnguy

    Like many on the right, Drudge has forever tainted himself in this cycle. I’ll never look at him the same way. Nor Nikki Haley. Nor Ann Coulter. Nor Michelle Malkin.

    Especially Drudge. He’s acted no different than the MSM does in its defense of liberalism with the way he’s tried to pass Romney spin and and pro-romney misinformation as news.

  • Scope

    you will see those black helicopters circling your house. Some might have Fox written on the side. Just stay inside and you will be safe.

  • garfieldjl

    I’m sorry, but the only one the media hasn’t done a hit job on aside from Ron Paul is Romney.

  • ennaneko

    He moved to Georgia as a high school teenager. He made a name for himself representing Georgia. He’s a southerner even if he wasn’t born there.

    Santorum, regardless of lacking roots in the South, did manage to win states some people thought would go for Gingrich.

    Given Santorum’s Italian Catholic roots some pundits would be lauding this achievement if they weren’t carrying water for other candidates.

    ACU lifetime rating for Santorum was 88.1
    ACU lifetime rating for Gingrich was 90

    Pretty close. On top of that, Santorum’s personal life does pass muster for a lot of social conservatives.

    Anyhow, both Santorum and Gingrich have superior conservative “streed cred” than Mitt Romney.

  • la2000

    Both Alito and Roberts were nominated during the 109th Congress in which Republicans held a majority in both Houses.

    Any democrat nominee would have had to run the conservative gauntlet. The best democrats could have hoped for was a centrist “swing vote” nominee.

    Furthermore, we might not have lost Congress at all in 2006 if Kerry had been President. We lost in 2006 because, post Katrina, the nation as a whole began to turn on Bush. It was the beginning of the “Hope and Change” movement. If Kerry had been President, we might well have seen our majority grow in response to his policies.

    And a republican majority in 2008 would have meant no TARP.

  • garfieldjl

    So don’t bother trying to blame me for getting Obama elected, cause I voted for McCain.

  • Tbone

    like Romney. Sure, Sanotrum is an idiot and Newt is an old fart and poor Mitt is barely able to beat them with a 10 year head start and bushels of cash.

    All supporting Romney tells me about you is that Moe Howard was your favorite Stooge because you compared him to Larry and Curly .

  • garfieldjl

    I really didn’t want my pc fried.

  • la2000

    is that I am advocating a third candidate, a Conservative, run in the general as a way of securing the full and undivided attention of the GOP establishment.

    Until they understand clearly that we are willing to walk, we will not improve the situation within the party. And they aren’t going to get that message unless we actually demonstrate that we are willing to pull the trigger.

    Sitting out doesn’t accomplish this with quite the same numerical clarity as showing up to vote for someone other than the GOP nominee.

    I want my vote counted, just not as a Mitt/GOP/Obama-lite vote. I want it in the Newt/Christie/Rubio/Santorum/Perry/Ryan column in the general. And yes, even if that means we lose 2012.

    The faster the GOP establishment gets this message, the faster we can get the party and nation back on track.

  • vastrightwingconspiracy

    …some kind of joke?

    Like I said, you guys crack me up.

  • Scope

    you wouldn’t know what to do with it. So again, carry on. Clues are a dime a dozen, but you seem to not even be able to catch enough for a half cup of coffee.

  • vastrightwingconspiracy

    …okay.

    “Conservatives are hunkered down to promote a cause and wage a long term fight to change and correct the country.”

    You want a king, yes?

    Un-freaking-believable.

  • vastrightwingconspiracy

    …it’s misdirection.

    It’s how he sees it. He hates Romney that much that he’d rather destroy the country than see him win.

    That’s healthy.

  • vastrightwingconspiracy

    …the more Rick finds out about Romney, the more he is going to support Obama.

    I think he said something about that recently, didn’t he?

  • 10ab

    I am a moderate R….And I am sure by your strict standard you would call me a RINO, but it was the Tea Party that gave us Christine O, Sharon A and Herman Cain! So forgive us just a tad if we moderates have settled for Romney after being horrified these people were even running for public office. We need to wake up to the fact Newt has absolutely no chance of winning and Santorum scares the pants off Independants. Is it the ultra conservatives desire to purge all moderates from the party and adhere to a purity test for future candidates? The gnashing of teeth and end of the world rhetoric over Romney is damaging to the party and needs to stop!

  • mikelindell2

    Didn’t see any so I think I’m safe for now.

    If you pinch yourself, you might come out of your ignorance-filled coma and awake slightly less oblivious.

  • califgal

    the class card there, sfox, but it’s not what Republicans do.

    I’d like for all Americans to be born rich. Would love for all the peoples of the world to be born rich.

    Further, I don’t need a President who “feel my pain” because it won’t do me any good. I need a President who understands wealth creation and resource
    maximization. I rely on my family and friends to feel my pain and no Bill Clinton who could emote is any solution to that.

    BTW, Romney gave away his inheritance to his school, then went out and made money the old-fashioned way.

    Envy doesn’t become a Republican. Leave it to the libs.

  • garfieldjl

    Romney is extremely vulnerable concerning Bain Capital and Obama playing the class card in a way that Herman Cain would not have been vulnerable and Obama would run his campaign into the ground if he tried.

    Bain Capital has a reputation for running companies into the ground and making off with millions. Whether that reputation is deserved or not is up for debate, point is that Newt and Perry were right to point this out. Romney is going to be hit over the head on this till the point everyone is sick of hearing about it and all they can think of is Bain Capital whenever Romney’s name comes up.

    Herman Cain was a manager of a business, he made his money by getting his companies to succeed and was a small business owner.

    That is why the attack works on Romney but wouldn’t have worked on Herman Cain.

    Gingrich’s fortune comes from all the books he’s written, so Obama would run into problems attacking Gingrich there too.

    We’re not playing the class warfare routine when we are pointing out the obvious fact that Romney is in serious trouble in the general between “Etch-a-sketch” and Bain Capital, he is probably going to lose rather badly.

    The irony is the most destructive narrative about Romney came from his own communications director.

  • http://www.thestandardcandle.com Justin Spagnolo

    notexting

  • sccrenny

    government IS in all of those places, sfox! There never has and will never be a time when that is not true. I have seen the country when God was a presence in all of those places, and I have seen America when acknowledgement of Him is forbidden in any public arena besides a church.

    I personally prefer the world without Columbine, condom handouts, children taken from school for abortions without parental knowledge or consent, suppression of religious beliefs a la the Obamacare mandates, and only certain churches allowed to hold forth on governance without losing their tax-exempt status.

    The social realm abhors a vacuum, and one or the other sets of values will prevail and guide our governance. If that were not true I could agree with you, but we fell for that “whose morals will be taught” argument 50 years ago and have suffered for it since.

  • jamesm

    So taking your premise, perhaps, that independents can’t stand conservatives, why would they vote for Romney who claims to be a severe conservative? They woudn’t if they believed he was a conservative, They may if they didn’t believe him. What a conundrum. Maybe some independents will have a hard time voting for a liberal Obama or a so called conservative in Romney. If this is the case then we are back to square one..who does the voter dislike the least.

  • pieter

    Republicans need to vote their better judgement rather than the current sense of inevitability or expediency.

    Santorum- big government, big labor, team player at the expense of principle, hypocrite to fiscal responsibility. Undisciplined and unfaithful to his fellow republican candidates…actually stated Obama preferable to Romney.

    Romney- unrepentant godfather of obamacare, endorsed planned parenthood, renounced Reagan, signed over reaching gun-control bills, appointed liberal judges.
    Unreliable as a standard bearer of conservative principles…longtime communications director admits the core message will change come the general election (Etch a Sketch).

    Vote for the guy who challenged a sitting republican president over taxes. Vote for the guy who compelled the current president to answer for his failed energy policies. Vote for the guy who will clearly articulate the superiority of our conservative principles during the general election.

  • antisesquipedalion

    if you haven’t already done so, check out the video titled “Texas doctors throw Obamacare over the cliff”

  • antisesquipedalion

    Robama won’t be able to carpet bomb like he’s doing now. he is so similar to Obama, that he could easily run as his VP.

  • antisesquipedalion

    imagine what will happen in the rust belt states when Bain is portrayed as “I lost my job, you made millions”. and we’ll be hearing about Damon lLabs also. not going to be pretty

  • rightland1111

    This about sums it up for me:

    Billy Graham’s Prayer For Our Nation

    THIS MAN SURE HAS A GOOD VIEW OF WHAT’S HAPPENING TO OUR COUNTRY!

    ‘Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, ‘Woe to those who call evil good,’ but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable… We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from sin and Set us free. Amen!’

    With the Lord’s help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we once again can be called ‘One nation under God!’

    While I would admit that Santorum has spent too much time on social issues…please read the above. This did not just come about with one administration. For your information, G. H. W. Bush in on the commission along with Condi Rice and others “held in high esteem”. If you think this election is about the country…you had better take a better look at Romney.

    Anyone that votes, which I will and for Romney, is voting AGAINST OBAMA…NOT FOR A LEADER.

  • Flagstaff

    I disagree that Fox is pushing Romney. None of the remaining four have gotten unfairly favorable or unfavorable mention on Fox News Channel (I don’t get Fox Business). By “unfairly,” I mean “unwarranted by the merits of whatever issue is being discussed.”

    The negative commentary has resulted from the candidates’ own behavior and statements. Newt did apparently act erratically early in his campaign. Maybe he had reasons for his actions, but to describe them as erratic isn’t being unfair. I’m talking about taking off on vacation early in the campaign. Missing filing deadlines (Santorum did that too). Plenty of us could describe Newt as “unstable,” not meaning his mental state but his campaign and civilian life stability.

    Santo was described as “whiney” early in the debates (I assume the word was used on Fox News; it was used here and in other forums) and it was a fair description of how he came across. He still does, at times. He needs to get over it. Instead of whining about his coverage, he should do something to make the coverage better. Romney also whined a bit after his interview with Bret Baier, and it was reported that way. As for the SantoSurge, it was reported that way on other media, too. He had one. It resulted from the Obama proclamation of religious intolerance, and he rode it as far as it would take him; it got him noticed.

    When any of them did well in debates, they were praised. Did poorly, that was noted as well. There have been plenty of unflattering descriptions of Romney on Fox, some of which could be construed as unfair by his supporters, but I’d say more like “unnecessary.” Because of his position in the big picture, he may have even been held to a higher standard than the others.

    MHO: Santorum needs to beat Romney by 20 to 30 points in Louisiana today to be considered a real factor from here on out. Less than that and it’s just normal variation.

  • Flagstaff

    in favor of Newt.

  • garfieldjl

    They weren’t trying to attack capitalism they were trying to point out the reason why Romney would get clobbered by Obama and cost us the Senate and even lose the House.

  • benson1

    Santorum didn’t just support Spector in his run for Sentate.
    He also supported Spectors run for president whose platform was pro-choice or as honest people like to call it pro-abortion.

    Rick is a moderate to liberal fiscally, you might say a Bush II minus a savvy VP like Cheney.

    Santorum and other Republicans under he leadership spent, spent, spent. There’s more to being president than talking, encouraging and wanting social programs.

    I don’t feel he is in any way prepared to be president of the United States of America. We don’t need a fiscally liberal novice and for those of us who actually think in futures having a novice VP who would probably run in 4 or 8 years.

    Newt/2012

  • benson1

    Actually the press (liberal press) tried to make two thing Newt said seem like it was foot in mouth. To bad for them both statements were proven to be absolutely true. One was Palistinians are a made up people . He was proven correct and there were many article written to prove his statement.

    2.50 a gal gas. The president is still out trying to explain why he can’t do this and the internet and even Fox have proved drilling, oil reserves and lower gas prices are all doable as is U.S. energy independence.

    Only the liberal press thinks Newt has put his foot in his mouth but Newt just keeps on proving them wrong.

    I like it.

    Newt/2012

  • garfieldjl

    Romney and the establishment has caused the anti-Romney pushback all on their own.

  • benson1

    When your ahead just keep your mouth shut if you can’t come up with something that’s going to help.

    Santorum against Obama.
    Americans, “Geesh! we are so screwed”.

    Romney against Obama.
    Romney, ” Obamacare, good job”. Obama, ” Romneycare, good job”.

    Gingrich against Obama.
    Press to Obama, ” steamroller 12:00 high, oh that had to hurt”. Obama to press, ” ditto”.

  • benson1

    Entire leg.

    Finally something to give me a laugh. Good one.

  • benson1

    That’s where Romney’s surrogates pulled out all the stop. Even Limbaugh and Levin had to weigh in and say the Ads were full of lies. The Ads plus early voting were what gave it to Romney. Newt’s crowds were huge. Romney…not so much.

    Romney bought Florida. I hope the delegates have a change of heart come convention time.

    Newt/2012

  • benson1

    and since he was such a big supporter of Romney in the past maybe Romney could give him a job in whatever new endeavor he gets involved in. Non-political of course.

    To those who try to downplay Santorum’s support for Romney in the past remember this he knew Romney was no supporter of Reagan and was running left of a Kennedy and had supported a Democrat running for office. Just like his support for Spector in his presidential bid Santorum does what is expedient not what is principled.

  • benson1

    There are so many people who would make a great VP to be on the ticket with Gingrich. Santorum ain’t one of em.

    Newt/2012

  • benson1

    I’ll tell you right now Demint can do no wrong in my eyes and it must be true because I forgive him for saying this.

    Demint was the driving force with his website Senate Conservative Fund in getting true conservative Senators elected last time. He lists true conservative candidates as soon as they start running. I was able to contribute to Rubio before anyone thought he had a snow balls chance in hell to win against Crist. He raised millions for each of the candidates he supported and when I last looked 5 out of the 8 he helped won. I’d have to double check if it was only 8 he totally backed.

    What I’m sure of is no matter who is our nominee he will do everything he can to forward the conservative agenda.

    I really hate it when people I really respect do this but like I said he’s a real leader in the Senate and if we get more conservative Senators in there we can be sure he won’t back down like McConnell and some of the others.

  • demsaresatanic

    having a hard time keeping the lies straight, I’m merely ava’s sockpuppet, remember?
    http://www.redstate.com/erick/2012/03/16/against-partial-repeal/#comment-177276
    Btw, clever of you to parrot my lines, even my throwaway lines read better than the drivel you come up with on your own. Changing your name hasn’t done much to improve your IQ.

  • antisesquipedalion

    “money can’t buy me love”— could be Robama’s song

  • antisesquipedalion

    How are you sure of these things

  • garfieldjl

    Gingrich is easily electable against someone whom is worse than Jimmy Carter.

  • antisesquipedalion

    i think that’s how “W” used to say that bword

  • antisesquipedalion

    scrap Joe, and put Willard on the ticket. marriage made in heaven

  • antisesquipedalion

    he is Obama “wite”

  • antisesquipedalion

    BINGO

  • demsaresatanic

    that was really a disaster. Why can’t we just go back to the good old days when democrats owned the house and senate and we could all forget about trying to win and simply relax. After all, every now and then a Dewey or Eisenhower would actually win. All this conservative complaining just gets in the way of good cocktail parties.

  • briteness

    Mitt is having a very difficult time making Republican primary voters care about him. If they don’t care about him, he’s never going to get enough support among the general public to win an election. If Romney is the candidate, Obama wins. Nobody trusts Romney, nor should they. I would not vote for the guy if the alternative were Mickey Mouse. Come to think of it, maybe an animated president is what we need at this point, since no actual human worthy of the job seems able to win.

  • demsaresatanic

    thanks.

  • Kyle-MI

    the voting indicates that they care even less about Santorum, Gingrich, or the crazy uncle locked in the basement.

  • Flagstaff

    That can’t be called just random.

  • Flagstaff

    about Romney printed here and elsewhere will help raise his likability ratings? Very little at all, I think.

    If you think one of the others can win the NOMINATION, by all means vote for that person and promote his campaign. Even if you just want to support a certain position or idea, do the same.

    But if Romney is going to be the nominee, there isn’t much point in repeating all the negative stories such as “he can’t argue against Obamacare (or, as pointed out above, the government health care takeover) because he promoted Romneycare.” Those stories are helping the real opposition, little by little, and they are pessimistic opinion, at best.

    “Romney is winning in areas where Obama will crush him in the general, period.”

    And one might say that Santorum is winning in areas where a conservative of any kind will crush Obama.

  • laodalisque

    In my next life, I’m gonna marry you!

    Your point about a center-right nation whose ‘conservative’ candidates keep appealing to the left at the expense of their core constituents is precisely why, after 35+ years, I’ve had enough.

    I’m voting for Newt (mainly because theBeltway despises him–anyone thus hated by his own party MUST be doing something right).

    Beyond that, I’m voting for Obummer. I either want to fix this mess, or else bring the whole thing down around the GOP’s head. We don’t seem to be making any impact on these morons, so they’ve got to go the way of the old Federalists, Whigs, and National Rublicans.

    They never learn.

  • Filibuster Keaton

    I still think the GOP should offer Hillary the nomination, just to see how many Republicans go along. The official reason can be electability!