Let me start by saying that this diary is directed, for the most part, toward those who have already voted in their primaries. For those of you who haven’t, I urge you to vote your conscience, but keep reading anyway. Once you’ve voted, come back and read this again. Further, I’m writing under the assumption that Governor Mitt Romney will become the GOP nominee, although he was not even on my short list this time around. I don’t need to hear about how Newt could still surge, or we could have a brokered convention, or how Ron Paul is the only true conservative that has ever been, or what might have been. This is about accepting reality.

Driving into work this morning (thankful I still have a job), I listened to Laura Ingraham’s interview with Mayor Giuliani. Laura posts audio of her interviews, although this one isn’t up yet. If and when it’s posted, I’ll update the link. She asked Rudy about his recent endorsement of Romney and how he could reconcile it with some of his earlier comments that were less than favorable toward the Governor. Rudy basically said in politics you have to get over the personal anger and the hurt feelings that happen in a campaign and move on toward what is good for the country. He said he understands how Gingrich and Santorum are feeling, but he’s confident they will rally behind Romney just as he is doing. What struck me most was his statement that he didn’t want to look back at the campaign and know that he didn’t do everything he could to defeat Obama.

It’s no secret I supported Cain, Gingrich, and a host of others ahead of Romney. I was disappointed, unenthused, and angry that others didn’t see Romney wasn’t the best choice. I committed to voting for him in the general, but good luck getting me to donate, work for his campaign or display a yard sign or bumper sticker. I was going to focus only on house and senate races. Rudy has changed my mind. I don’t want to look back on the summer of 2012 and realize that I didn’t do everything in my power to elect Mitt Romney and defeat Barack Obama.

For those of you who aren’t quite there yet, let’s assume you sit on your hands with your integrity and your principles, whining about how the GOP has lost its way and how you’ll vote for Romney in the general, but you won’t lift a finger to do anything else. After all, you’ve got integrity and principles (so have I). And Obama wins. We’ve already seen what he can do when the GOP controls only one-third of one-half of the government. Imagine Obama unfettered in his agenda to radically change this country through whatever means he can with the media on his side and the meme that he has a mandate to move forward. Under that scenario, I have a few questions for you.

When you can’t find a job or operate your small business because Obama continues to strangle capitalism with over-regulation and job killing policies, will your integrity and principles feed your family and keep you from losing your home?

When government run healthcare takes over, will they sooth your aching body when you’re sick or heal your kid’s broken arm*? Will they make you feel better as you wait a few months for a bureaucrat to okay your chemotherapy for the cancer that’s eating away your health? When that same bureaucrat decides your aging parent is too old for that heart transplant, will your integrity and principles take the place of Granny’s homemade cookies or Grandad’s hunting trip?

When gas prices continue to rise and you can’t take that vacation or the anniversary trip you planned (25 years in December), are you going to enjoy reminiscing over the photos of your integrity and principles?

When Obama raises your taxes and raids private pensions to redistribute your life’s earnings to those who need it more (in his opinion), will your integrity and principles provide for you during those retirement years**?

When Obama asks the UN permission to defend this country after another terrorist attack and is denied, will your integrity and principles make you feel safe the next time you travel, go to work (if you have a job), attend an event that draws a crowd?

When you are no longer permitted to home school your children or send them to a private religious school of your choice or question what’s being taught in public schools, and your integrity and principles are allowed to be taught only in your own home, if that, will that be enough to instill the values you hold so dear in your children? Will they be strong enough to carry on in a country that ridicules your old-fashioned, traditional beliefs and even threatens prosecution (hate crimes legislation)?

When Obama, the partial birth abortion supporter (Obama’sExtremism), signs the FOCA and increases funding to abortion mills like Planned Parenthood, will your integrity and principles block out the silent cries of the aborted babies?

When freedom of religion is watered down to freedom of worship (ReligiousFreedom), will they assure you that you can continue to follow the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20 GreatCommission) or will you teach in secret for fear of persecution?

When Obama appoints the most radical Supreme Court Justice in the history of the country, and then another, and maybe even another, and the court, led by Chief Justice Sotomayor or Kagan, destroys any semblance of interpreting the law and upholds every piece of liberal legislation that comes their way, will your integrity and principles comfort you as you tell your children and grandchildren about that wonderful country called America where we once lived?

So for the youngsters who may stumble across this and think I sound harsh (perhaps I am) and to those of you who vow to sit this one out because Mitt isn’t conservative enough for your tastes (mine, either), a cautionary piece of advice. Don’t. I’m not trying to destroy your idealism or question your integrity and principles. However, I wore the same rose-colored glasses once upon a time and voted for Jimmy Carter because I thought he was a good man. Like Mama says, if you can’t say something good, don’t say anything at all, so I’ll keep silent on that matter, but there is no doubt that his policies were very, very bad. Nobody told me the reality of the situation, or perhaps I just wasn’t paying attention. I am now.

Any one of the scenarios above will hurt our country, and in turn, our lives. A couple of them seeing the light of day could take years to recover from. More than that – I really don’t want to think about. Despite the gloom and doom, I’m generally an optimistic, glass half-full kind of gal myself due to looking beyond this world, but like Rudy, I don’t want to look back at 2012 and realize I didn’t do everything within my power to protect this country from those whose policies will destroy her. So I’ve made my first donation to the Romney campaign (RomneyDonations), and God willing, I’ll be knocking on doors and getting a Romney yard sign and a bumper sticker or two in addition to helping with those house and senate races. Will you? It’s a simple yes or no question.

*I can just hear mommies and daddies telling little Johnnie or Susie not to worry. “You’ll get to see a doctor just as soon as Mr. Big Government says you can (of course, not the one they know and are comfortable with). In the meantime, we’ll just sit here with our integrity and principles.” Yep, that’ll make ‘em stop crying.

**Assuming you have a job from which you can retire. And assuming you are able to retire at all.