You go to war with the Mitt you have.
That’s the view of John Hawkins, co-founder of NotMittRomney.com, in a post at his blog Right Wing News:
At this late date, at a minimum, I’d still prefer Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, Tim Pawlenty, Rich Santorum, Jon Huntsman, and anybody who came out of brokered convention over Mitt Romney. That’s because Mitt’s not a conservative, he was a mediocre governor, I don’t really know where he stands on any issue, and I think he is below average in electability. There’s not much of a point to continuing to hammer that message home after today since Mitt has it all but locked up, but it’s worth noting there were a lot of more conservative, more electable candidates in the race who the GOP establishment helped to methodically beat down in order to clear a path for Romney.
Still, as Donald Rumsfeld might say, you go to war with the politician you have, not the politician you might wish to have — and I have always said, from day 1, that if it came down to Mitt and Barack Obama, I’d prefer to have Romney in the White House….
Whatever the case may be, Obama is throwing the country off of a cliff and when you’re plunging into a bottomless chasm, you can’t get too picky about which branch you grab on the way down.
My view?
Oh, you’ll have to sit by the computer constantly refreshing the screen so that you see it first directly, and don’t just hear about it in news reports.
You would not want to miss the opportunity to tell your children and grandchildren, “I remember exactly where I was when Legal Insurrection announced its position on going to war with the Mitt we have.”
In the meantime, be happy, don’t worry.
He’s having the time of his life, why shouldn’t you?
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Comments
Lead on!
The establishment got their guy.
I’ll vote for the SOB but I absolutely refuse to be a cheerleader for him.
And that should be the attitude of the entire conservative movement. Mitt can have the vote. No cheerleading. No defense for the gaffes. No money for campaign commercials. No passion.
Instead save all of that for getting conservatives into Congress. Especially into the Senate.
Work the phone lines. Give the money. Vote in the primary and support the most conservative candidates you can get to run.
Yes, Obama is a disaster. But he’s one guy. We handed Boehner the keys to the Speaker’s office and he has repaid our generosity by laying down and spreading his legs for everything the DNC wants. We need him gone and we need Harry Reid reduced to the minority.
The down-ballot is where I will direct my money and enthusiasm.
If Mittens is the Obamic opponent, he will need people to push him right.
Some of them will need to be elected. The rest will have to be you and I.
I agree with this. If people have problems with Romney they do not have to work for him as there are plenty of other valuable places where they can place their efforts. On the flip side though, if people have issues with Mitt, they do not have to work against him either.
We’ve had four years to find Obama’s replacement. Instead, we spent it looking for McCain’s.
I worry, not happy………..sigh 🙁
I am personally of the opinion, that an Obama Presidency with a Solidly Republican Congress is better than a Romney Presidency with a Republican Congress. I remember back in the 90’s with the same split between 2 parties that hated each other, and how that did more than anything to control spending and get DC down so paralyzed that it couldn’t further grow its tentacles. As soon as W got into town, the wheels started turning again, we got medicare part d and compassionate conservatism. (How running the country into a fiscal hole is compassionate or conservative let alone both, I have no idea)
Now with a man like Newt, Perry, (woman) Bachman, even Ron Paul – I could be won over to thinking that yes it would be great to have everything under our thumb — BUT seriously people, Romney was not a mediocre Governor, He was the Obama of Massachusetts! He was so hated, he didn’t even bother to run for a second term! MY FREAKING JEBUS! Wen was the last time you heard of something like that happening! All the worst policies Obama has implemented Romney did in MA! Obama modeled his horrendous Obamacare ON Romneycare! Seriously! Romney refuses to admit that was a mistake! He could have said “Hey I made a mistake, Look at the terrible things socialized medicine has done in MA. Its bad, we shouldn’t do this nationally”, but he still says it was a good idea! Unfathomable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Insanity!!!!! Romney will turn the Republican party into Democrat Party Part 2! we need to instead focus in on Defeating Romney and electing a conservative Congress and DESTROY our LEADERSHIP and replace them with REAL conservatives like we did in 94. Its clear our leadership has been thoroughly taken over by democrats big money machine. They seek to rule us just like the Dems and don’t deserve to oversee the Party of Lincoln, our Father, the great Emancipator; the Party of Reagan, Our National Savior who brought us back from the brink!
Its evident the leadership does not care about America. Not even in our darkest hours, has our Republic destroyed its finances so severely, taken on so much debt, just pissed away so much money so quickly, put so many on welfare and devalued our currency the LIFEBLOOD of our country that we use to FEED OURSELVES and HOUSE OUR FAMILIES! They are doing this to just cling on to power, just a little bit longer – even though they know the end is near. Maybe then when it does happen, they figure they will still have enough to control some enclave in the shattered countryside, or perhaps jet off to some small tropical country, and live out their final days in paradise, while we rebuild something new.
I’d feel better about what you propose if we didn’t have the prospect of three Justices being nominated for the SCOTUS by Zero if he gets re-elected; with some of the RINOS in the Senate, they’ll vote for his nominees because “he has the right to nominate who he wants to be on the Court”–something I seem to recall that Orrin Hatch has said and done in the past.
I’m not enthralled with McConnell and Boehner and that’s who your leadership would be on the Hill. They’re RINOS in conservative clothing, if you ask me.
But don’t hand me the Kool Aid; I’m not drinking!
It won’t matter, with 4 years of Romney, even if he appoints a conservative justice or 2, which is a big maybe, we will lose 2014 big time and the Dems will go in for the Kill and take over the country in 2016, and that will be it for us — run for the doors, don’t walk. That’s assuming Romney doesn’t run the country into the ground in the meantime. right now I am 100x more concerned about the budget than the court docket.
“I am personally of the opinion, that an Obama Presidency with a Solidly Republican Congress is better than a Romney Presidency with a Republican Congress.”
Have you so quickly forgotten Obama sending assurances back to Putin about how he will have more flexability to make decisions after November…..and his hatred and contempt for Bibi and Israel?
I am not concerned about Israel; Israel can defend itself. All we do in the mid east is convince dictators not to commit national suicide by attacking Israel. Push comes to shove, Israel has impressive long range attack platforms, From ICBM’s , Bomber Drones, a fleet of Dolphin class attack Submarines, state of the art fighter force as well the best point defense system against missiles — and perhaps the most fanatical and capable military comprised of everyone in the country who can hold a gun. Am I worried about Israel, no.
I suppose you’re also not worried about Obama’s selective support for the Arab Spring which continues to spread into other countries, or Iran making nuclear weapons, or the Muslim Brotherhood being welcomed in the White House, etc.
Also the little fact that though Israel indeed has a powerful military and their Iron Dome helps in defense of missile attacks, a barrage of nuclear bombs could easily destroy them….remember, Israel is only nine miles wide.
I think the Arab Spring has done as much damage as it can. I think Israel’s offensive and defenses capabilities are so effective and powerful, that any additional deterrence we bring to the table is ineffective as any country that would try to attack would be annihilated in return. So if they are so inclined, they are already suicidal Currently only Iran is possibly preparing an attack, but the effectiveness against Israel Defenses is not assured. They can’t even be sure they would hit Israel even if they launched as their designs are very poor. They would certainly be nuked in return for the attempt. So the cost calculus is pretty lopsided in Israel’s favor.
Big picture, I am more concerned about my children growing up in America, not some post collapse shattered America. If America goes, then Israel will forever be without an ally.
I find your naivete on the continuing spread of the Arab Spring and the consequences and dangers that threaten not just Israel and the entire Middle East and many European countries, but AMERICA, to be beyond comprehension.
Again, I don’t consider the mid east to be our pressing national security concern. The DEBT is the PRESSING NATIONAL SECURITY ISSUE. If our currency is worthless, we cannot help anyone let alone ourselves.
As for the Arab Spring, I do not see it pressing any further. There are only 2 candidates left, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, but they both have enough money to keep things quiet. Even if they did take over, its not like the new guys re going to turn away from all that money and start a war with us or israel.
I agree. I will not vote for him. I believe in the “rock bottom” theory of recovery — that is, that people and systems only come to renewal and recovery after hitting the final, hard depth. We haven’t. We need too, as a party and a nation. The retarded illusion of Romney confirms it.
Romney repersents a political problem which, while not of the same type as Obama, will produce a similar and likely a worse result. Even if Romney were to win, he would serve only as an interregnum to a raging return of the Left in 2016. Romney is a totally ineffectual antibiotic to a bacteria which would strengthen and adapt itself for resurgence. The Left would feast on him for four agonizing years.
Obama’s presidency has caused wide damage but it was, as I see it, inevitable given the infestations of the Left in our culture and politics, and certainly so given eight years of Bush’s cheek-turning political idiocy and, in turn, that we offered McCain as our impotent rebuttal to Obama. We were asking for defeat and deserved it. We are asking for it now and deserve it again. We need to learn not only how to fight the Left, but how to deracinate them. Nothing less will do. Romney is proof we have not learned. If we have to dissolve the establishment GOP as a condition of learning, so be it.
I started writing blog comments in 2007, mostly at Town Hall. I did not know Romney and was intrigued by him, noting his claims to competency on one hand and his sense of Reagan’s commanding sunniness on the other. What I shortly recognized was a weak fraud unable even to maintain eye contact with his opponents. On this count alone I decided he was laughably unfit to contend with the emerging terror of the Left. I predicted he would lose to McCain. I then predicted McCain would lose to Obama. I kept a diary of the election. Re-reading it the last few days, in our current context, as we prepare to set the SAME stage and offer even a WEAKER candidate certain to mimic EVERY disability and imbecilic incomprehension of the RINO, was hair-pullingly painful. Self respect forbids me from participating in the repetition.
Actually, you are part of the problem there little angry bird. Anyone can bitch and gripe about what’s wrong with the party and/or the nation. Anyone can snipe from the periphery and point out all of the perceived flaws and weaknesses with anything in the world. That’s easy. Any talentless hack can do that.
It takes a citizen to stand up and come up with solutions, to offer constructive and productive, rather than counter productive and destructive, alternatives. That takes work and it takes time though. Rather than take that time you would seem to want to sit back, feed your inner anarchist, and let it all “burn to the ground.” Your words.
What has my being or not being an “angry little bird” or a “talentless hack” have to do with these issues and their respresentations in the political marketplace? And how does one extrapolate from the opinion of a citizen on an opinion blog how civically active he is or isn’t?
The complete inadequacy of Romney is the issue. Give us an example of when Romney has driven a narrative and taken the fight to the Left and how he will make the fight on behalf of the conservative ideal of citizenship in 2012? You know, as he did with Romneycare.
But that’s the problem. You can’t. So all criticism of Romney must be deflected into the personal. Those of us who don’t find something constructive to say about Romney are defective citizens? Even as there is still time to dump him?
Conscience and basic political acuity make it impossible to either support Romney or to speculate positively as to his campaign. There is simply no precedent, no reason, to expect a different or suprising result from Mitt Romney. And his loss will do more to further energize and motivate conservative citizenry for a true revival in 2016 than his victory will do to rollback or even effectively refute Leftist dominion.
I already know you are entirely incapable of being objective, I just want to hear you say it. So, let me turn this back on you:
You are telling me in the entire political history of Mitt Romney that you cannot find a single example of him either A. “taking the fight to the Left” B. “driving a narrative” or C. “making a fight on behalf of the conservative ideal of citizenship in 2012” (<—whatever the hell that hot subjective mess is)?
Just so we are clear, Romney has never done anything conservative in either his life or his career?
Further, it's not that you can't find something constructive to say about Romney but, rather, that YOU (there is no “us” to this) can’t seem to find anything constructive to say about anything. Ever. Anywhere. Point me to one little ray of raven sunshine on here and I will give you a pro-Romney point (probably from either A. or B. above but only because C. is loaded…)
It takes a citizen to stand up to the corruption you support. No Romney, not now, not ever.
We don’t need Supreme Court justices like David Souter who will vote with the Democrats for the next 50 years.
Romney was a totally inept governor. His state was ranked 47th out of 50 during his tenure.
He created NO jobs.
He is not a businessman. He is a politician who ran many failed campaigns and did not run for re-election because he would have lost.
He is no free market capitalist or even venture capitalist. He is a vulture capitalist. There is a huge difference.
He is also toxic to the down ticket.
You just re-elected Obama. Nice going, loser.
You seriously lost your logic button somewhere in that last post JRD. How about, and this is just a thought, “no Obama, not now, not ever?” I am just putting it out there…
We don’t need the Souters of the world but you are perfectly happy with the Sotomayors, Kagans and whomever else Barry O puts up? Got it. Bush is to Souter as Romney is to ________. Makes perfect sense.
Please. Who is the loser? My guy is kicking everyone else’s ass. I didn’t nominate Romney either, Republicans all across the nation did that for you and I. If you are unhappy with the current nominee you have no one but yourself to blame for not planning ahead and coming up with a viable alternative. You all have said it a million times, Romney has been campaigning for years. I am sorry that you (all) didn’t understand the rules to the game. There is always the next fight…
In the mean time, why don’t you join the team there Champ? Get on board for a win or get off the field while the rest of us go to work. You don’t have to support Romney but you don’t have to fight him either. There are a million other things you can focus on other than impotently venting here about how the world didn’t go the way you wanted it to. Find a new hobby. This last one didn’t work out too well for you. I am sure you will do better next time.
Best regards!
I think you really need to rethink your position. Even with a totally Republican congress, there is virtually no end to the damage Obama could do in a second term. Supreme Court judges are the most obvious opportunity, but what about judges in the lower courts? You should be able to see the damage he has done with regulations that don’t require (at least in his opinion) congressional approval. Once the Supreme Court decided that CO2 is a pollutant that EPA can regulate, Obama could completely ruin our economy by regulating this one thing, as he has already started doing. Unless Republicans had a veto-proof majority in Congress (not possible), there would be no way they could stop him.
Romney was not my first choice, but he would be far, far, better than Obama, even with a Republican congress. If for no other reason than he would be subject to influence from conservative forces in the Republican party. And, what makes you so sure he will cause a disaster in 2014? I think there is a good chance the opposite will occur.
Excuse me, but how is Romney better than Obama? For god’s sake, will someone please explain this to me??? I hear this and that, but no one can actually identify how he would be a better president based on something he has done in the past. Some fervent belief he has always held, something ANYTHING!!! He submitted a budget proposal that’s basically garbage. He seems pretty liberal to me, in the same way I see Arlen Spector. How is a failed MA governor that gave us Romneycare any better than the den who gave us the national version of that? How is the GUy who destroyed the GOP in MA, any bette than Obama who is making us stronger where it really counts? How is having a RINO at the head of the party using the levers of his office to co-opt the party into becoming democrat friendly better for us than Obama who unites us against liberalism? I don’t know, no one can explain this to me. No one will say how. Please come forward and say it. I am waiting.
Good Lord, how many times do you have to hear it? Three words….SUPREME COURT APPOINTEES.
There is little to no chance that Romney would EVER appoint another Kagan or a Sotomayor or a Clinton to the SC.
You are “notfine” if you can’t understand that. Maybe it’s too simple for your elevated intellect.
If thats all the Romney guys can say, you have basically conceded Obama should win. I am not trading Congress for MAYBE 2 or 3 supreme court justices.
NEWT NOW – 2012
I’m with Imfine. Global financial reset is a certainty over the next term. Theatre wide war in the ME is a certainty over the near term. Nine million homes in the US are in the foreclosure pipeline, construction will remain dead, GM will re-enter bankruptcy, refineries and coal-fired plants are shutting down in NE due to market forces as well as the EPA.
Romney would set conservatism back a generation and be a mediocre one-term President. Yes, Republican boilerplate is better foreign policy and he doesn’t hate our children.
But the Ryan plan is completely inadequate to forestall maintenance costs of the debt exceeding the Defense budget.
The wheels are coming off regardless. We need a hero not a mannequin.
To Gary and Imfine: good luck finding a hero.
Please recall that Ronald Reagan wasn’t the Ronald Reagan of our dreams until after he left office. While he was President he had any number of ‘true conservatives’ sniping at him.
I get that people aren’t excited about Mittens. He’s not an exciting guy. I personally don’t mind that, but then, I’d vote for Calvin Coolidge if only he were around today.
But the hand-wringing has to stop. My goodness, if I wrung my hands as much as Imfine, I’d need the large sized bottle of lotion.
We are NOT screwed. We are NOT going down the tubes. America IS an exceptional country, goddammit. I tell my daughter that the difference between us and the Europeans is that they get used to living with their problems, while we solve ours. It may be European to live with high unemployment and bossy governments filled with non-elected ‘elite’ knuckleheads who sell their countries’ destinies down the river, but that’s not us.
Mr. Romney is very likely no one’s favorite. My favorite is a former Alaska governor but she’s not on the ballot, is she? But the candidate does NOT have to be your favorite. It’s like being chased by a bear: you don’t have to run faster than the bear, you have to run faster than the other guy also being chased.
Mr. Romney is not your favorite? Fine. Is he better than Champ? That’s the question you get to answer on election day.
And if your response is that you can’t possibly vote for Romney so you’ll just sit on your hands instead, fine, that’s your right. But if enough Americans do just that, we’ll have demonstrated that alas, I am wrong — America no longer is exceptional, and we no longer believe in ourselves.
By all means, work down-ballot. That’s always an excellent idea. Our federal system empowers the down-ballot, and for too long we Americans have allowed squishes, morons, thugs and well-meaning cowards to run states, cities, counties and school boards. Time to start cleaning them out. Having a solidly Republican Congress will keep Mittens in line. Having more conservatives empowered at your county board will help keep the county in line. Tossing some politicians who’ve been too long at their current post is a good idea (hear that, Mr. Lugar?).
But if you can’t bear the thought of four more years of Champ bowing to thugs, of giving away our country to George Soros and Warren Buffett, of stiffing our allies and shutting down free enterprise, then vote for Mittens.
Do so with a smile. Campaign a little. Raise some cash. Put the yard sign out. You’re not doing it for Mittens, you’re doing it to turn the country in the direction you want it to go.
Mittens doesn’t have to be your fearless leader. He just has to be useful.
“We are NOT screwed. We are NOT going down the tubes. America IS an exceptional country, goddammit.”
If you are not panicking, you are not paying attention. Its all coming down. Even exceptional things can die. Take a look at whats going on in the rest of the world. the only reason why greece, italy and the rest can even function is that there is someone to ball them out with a working currency. Once our system goes, who will bail us out? We are looking down the barrel of a Post American world.
To you I put, how much more debt can we take on? What will happen if when we reach that limit? This is simple finance, math and logic. We are at the very edges of what our system can take. Soon the bond holders will demand more and more interest, and the budget will consist entirely of interest payments. Since almost all of our bonds and debts are in short term inflation indexed debt, todays $250 Billion Payments will be tomorrows $1+ trillion payments! Cuts for Interest Payments! Can you imagine what the chaos that will follow when you are yanking people off of life support to pay bond holders even while you are tacking the crap out of everyone? Riots in the streets! Just think about it.
Yet you believe that, to use your words: “I am personally of the opinion, that an Obama Presidency with a Solidly Republican Congress is better than a Romney Presidency with a Republican Congress.”
Amazing
I get it, your with Israel. You think Romney, the guy who gave us the first taste of Obamacare is some sort of wonder president who will do something, you can’t explain to solve our problems yes put forward a budget proposal that did none of that. A guy who destroyed the GOP in MA. Voting for Romney is simply voting to kill party, and quite possibility America. I just don’t think voting for Romney is smart or patriotic. I think a split government at this point is the best we can hope for to get things moving again.
I think nothing of the sort.
Romney is a worthless RINO and I have no delusions about regarding him doing anything even remotely intelligent other than perhaps by being nudged in the right direction by true Conservatives in Congress, but your idea that another four years of Obama will “get things moving again” is beyond Amazing!
To paraphrase Patton. I would rather have a liberal in front of me than a RINO behind me.
But your apparent favored response is to favor Obama over Romney.
That just doesn’t make sense if you really think the country is going down the tubes.
Voting for Romney doesn’t destroy the GOP. The members of the GOP save or destroy the GOP. If you think one man is the GOP then you’re really just a mirror-image of the Democrats and their ‘light walker’ guy.
I’m with NEWT. To the bloody end in Tampa.
“We need a hero not a mannequin.”
This.
I think Newt would make a good President, and I think that once the American people find out how many lies they’ve been told about him, they’ll agree.
Why don’t the Establishment just get together and tell us who the nominee is going to be…and let’s just do away with any pretense that the base has any chance of being represented?
Oh and before you naive among you pipe in that there is no establishment…let me clue you. The establishment are the money boys, the RNC and the committeemen from each state and their mouthpieces in the national press…this is a joke.
They set up the early primaries in blue states that have open primaries ensuring the most liberal nominee in the Republicrat party is nominated. This is two freaking elections in a row where the statist moderate in the party was nominated before half the states voted…by winning states he will lose in the general.
This is a crap sandwich….period!
The establishment…and the money lined up behind Romney as soon as he dropped out and cleared the way for McCain. They’ve driven this and they always will…they front load our primaries with Blue states that hold open primaries so the Democrats get to help the liberal Republican build an insurmountable lead before any of the rest of us even get a chance to vote. Then they rig states like VA so only their chosen boy get’s on the ballot, and award delegates in FL as winner take all despite the clearly stated rules before the primary that they would be proportional.
Then for a firewall…they award delegates to US Freaking territories and let them vote ahead of the rest of us…and in case all the rigging that goes on before it isn’t enough…they give state committeemen absolute power to overrule the rest of us at the convention by giving all 100 committeemen at large status to pile on in favor of their boy.
This is a fraud and a sham…and each successive primary becomes more and more obviously so!
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/04/frightening-obama-says-we-tried-free-market-it-did-not-work/ Well when you have the President saying “We tried free market…it did not work” we just need a challenging candidate who can deftly take advantage and attack at such moments.
Mitt are you up to the task?
Everyone is now quite comfortable admitting that Romney did not ‘win’ so much as beat down every remotely conservative opponent in the primary race.
Yet now I’m supposed to be a ‘good soldier’ and fall into file?
Um, no.
I take small comfort in being a resident of TN, my refusal to cast a vote for Romney being all but inconsequential.
Those of you that are willing play along just wait though, he and his ilk will have you engaging in all manners of contortions and double speak in order to defend him while avoid the admission that he and your principles are wholly incompatible.
Win or lose ruling class Romney is going to wreak horrible damage on the tenets of conservatism and limited government.
I have to say I am not thrilled with the arguments for Romney that are based on using the Supreme Court or Israel as a Hostage to vote for that him. If you want me to vote for Romney, then you have to make the case that Romney is better than Obama on the whole. Don’t give me that Hostage crap, because if I don’t trust you with the budget, I won’t trust you with the court or Israel, so its a non-issue for me because if you can’t get past the budget, I won’t even consider anything else. Why? Because right now the budget is a life – death issue of the republic kind of issue. Its not that I don’t care about abortion or eminent domain, its that if there is no country, then the other issues are moot.
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2012/04/frightening-obama-says-we-tried-free-market-it-did-not-work/
Disliking Romney is one thing. I’m certainly there.
Being concertedly, suicidally unpatriotic enough to allow Obama more time to destroy America is another.
“Being concertedly, suicidally unpatriotic enough to allow Obama more time to destroy America is another.”
Well said!
The “unpatriotic” allegations don’t move me, either. Romney will be bad for conservatism, even moreso because we won’t be able to offer a full-throated rejection of his policies like we would for Obama.
It is now imperative that we take the Senate and House. But once we do, having Obama instead of Mitt is six of one and half-dozen of another. Obama will not be able to get anything passed. He will be buried in congressional investigations. He will not be able to get liberal judicial nominees through committee, much less through a confirmation vote. He will be as useful as Clinton and Bush in their second terms; that is to say, not very. The economy will continue to be dismal for the near future and I’m very comfortable blaming it all on the SCOAMF.
@imfine: I have to say I am not thrilled with the arguments for Romney that are based on using the Supreme Court or Israel as a Hostage to vote for that him.
I only made the Supreme Court argument to share a reservation I have with your otherwise fine argument.
I’m not ready to drink Romney’s Kool Aid and don’t think I ever will.
“How running the country into a fiscal hole is compassionate or conservative let alone both, I have no idea.”
Neither does Romney. He’s been preaching the gospel of fiscal sanity and responsibility his whole political career.
That’s a load of nonsense. He started his career running to the left of Kennedy in 94, and proceeded to govern MA like a Kennedy when he got there. Just because his budgets on the surface balanced (Only by crappy Government Standards they would never let anyone else use) , does not mean that they were in fact balanced or even if you conceded the point balanced, mean he did a good job. Taking over the Healthcare industry, giving the government the power over everyday people whether they live or die, get treatment or not, was horrifyingly messed up and fiscally insane.
What sane person could ever think that given the efficiency and effectiveness of the DMV and the Post Office would anyone think a takeover of any part of the healthcare industry would not result in huge increases in inefficiencies and loss of services for the politically unconnected is beyond me. Don’t give me that Romney garbage, open your eyes.
Was, or was not, Massive-Two-Spits going to have state-run health care, regardless of what Romney did?
Just as the U.S. was going to get a Medicare-related drug benefit, regardless of what BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooosh did?
If you answer “no”, better support it.
He was supposed to fight them, tooth and nail to the very end. That’s what we do. Republicans understand economics and math, we didn’t take art history. we know what happens when you do this crap. So what if they’ll pass it anyways, you fight it. For him to roll over like that and then not admit it was a mistake even in the face of a ll of evidence of the horrors its visiting on MA, is a level of stupidity and dishonesty I cannot fathom except to reason he does believe in government takeover over our lives.
“That’s what we do.”
That might well be what you and I do.
When we hold elective office. (Which we both know will never happen.)
So, be honest here. The answer to my questions was just “yes”, without all the other BS.
BS? Funny. You asked 2 questions. I don’t know the answers to either. Its a pure hypothetical based on if bush wasn’t the guy he was and if romney wasn’t the guy he was.
You are running from an honest answer. The questions are not hypothetical at all. Another thing that Conservatives do is deal honestly with FACTS and HISTORY.
Facts tell us that NEITHER Bush or Romney had the votes to turn aside a drive toward Med-D or RomneyCare, respectively, and the Deemocrat plans were MUCH worse.
If you doubt that, do the research.
How is not a hypothetical? Your question is the definition of hypothetical. You are supposing something that can’t be known. Reagan shouldn’t gave been able to pass his first budget, but he did. Raegan shouldn’t have been able to defeat the USSR, but he did. I do know that Bush pushed for medicare part d, and without him there were not enough votes to pass it, let alone override a veto. I am not sure about Romney’s situation in MA, but I know he helped design the law and got it passed.
All that’s beside the point, he’s a liberal. I don’t care about the rest. You want to vote for a liberal fine. You’ll have one on the (D) Line and another on the (R) line. Good luck with that.
And he wasn’t supposed to go around touting his “achievement” as a model for the other 49 states.
A prime example of Romney – preaching one thing, but in practice doing just the opposite. The cost of Romneycare breaking the budget in MA being but a single example where words and deeds are at odds.
Never mind the totalitarian principles at it’s core.
http://www.cato.org/pubs/policy_report/v30n1/cpr30n1-1.html
Romney ran for governor of Massachussets on a platform of reduced government spending without raising taxes. The legislature was not particularly cooperative, some 85% Democrat, and overrode hundreds of vetoes on spending items.
He supported healthcare reform in Massachussets largely because the Federal government threatened to cut $385 million in Medicaid payments because of uninsured recipients of services. I don’t blame him for being proud of a creative solution that didn’t involve either a state takover of health care, a tax increase, no matter what the legislature did to it over his vetoes or after he left office, or what the Democrats in Congress did using that as a starting point when they couldn’t resurrect Hillarycare.
I still could not vote for Romney or Obama or any more Bushes at gunpoint.
Mr. Obama thanks you.
I wasnt a Santorum supporter, yet his leaving the campaign left me with an odd sense of dread or uneasiness. And I take Prof J’s thought…fight the war with the army you have. But I dont have to roll to the Romney camp overnight.
All this has been a vetting process really..thanks to Gingrich and Santorum and even Paul to a lesser extent.
There is no denying that Romney (and Im not being sarcastic) has become a better candidate having been called on a pile of issues by Santo and Newt.
So here we are with what for alot of us are discovering to be an uncomfortable reality. Romney will be doing battle with Obama come the fall. And for me? Thats OK. My personal “win” will be knowing..somehow some way our friend Newt will indeed still be around and most likely installed in some capacity should Romney be elected. Should Obama be defeated? Newts expertise will be needed. Ive yet to see anyone explain conservative positions better than old Newt.
So thats my attitude. Ill support Romney in time knowing
Newt aint gonna fall of the cliff.
“There is no denying that Romney (and Im not being sarcastic) has become a better candidate having been called on a pile of issues by Santo and Newt.”
I see no evidence he’s become a “better” candidate. If so, in what sense? Nor do I see how either Gingrich and/or Santorum (indiviually or jointly) “piled on” or executed aggressive, incisive and effective campaigns. Each always seemed to pull back at crucial moments, and missed opportunities to drop the dead oak tree that is Romney which even McCain didn’t miss. It’s been a sad and retarded campaign. When viewed against 2008 and all that’s transpired since under Obama, stunningly so. Just incredible that this is our response to Obama.
I saw it summarized perfectly in a column by John Podhoretz the other day singing Romney’s praises for brilliantly coining a brilliant phrase which brilliantly avoided naming the lesion that is the Obama presidency. Because, you know, you can’t commit such a gaucherie of clarity. What would the media say!?
^^^ raven.Better vetted candidate = better candidate. Thats what I was getting at. I may not like Romney any more than before but the process..particularly in a hotly contested primary battle certainly prepares a candidate for running against Obama. Better prepared = better candidate.
And again..back to Prof J’s initial thought about fighting the war with the army we have.
Make no mistake..I dont think Romney is the ideal candidate.
This is the ideal candidate if I were choosing: And should apply to Romney as well.
http://blog.american.com/2012/04/here-are-some-real-reagan-rules-for-obama/
I still don’t understand how he’s been “vetted.” Nothing Santorum or Gingrich has said or done comes close to what the Left will say and do. And Romney has only ignored these two pests or, rather, buried them in negative advertising. Efforts to honestly “vet” Romney (Gingrich’s Bain critiques, etc.) were met with holy outrage by the GOP. Gingrich never really recovered. But “vetting” would be useless anyway, I think. Romney is the same candidate he was in 2008; he’s learned nothing about the Left because he is not capable of learning it.
Think of it this way: the Republicans are poised to nominate a man who twice in the past six months defended the media against attacks by conservatives. Goodnight, Irene.
The primary is for these discussions. Since it’s not over I can appreciate some of your negatives on Romney (I am for Newt.)
BUT, when this is over we better all get together and be 100% behind our candidate.
2008 should be the reminder. We got Obama because “we” didn’t like McCain, but we held our nose and votes. That isn’t enough. Crooks and Thieves don’t play by the rules and that is what Obama and his ilk are. Don’t be fooled by the MSM trying to paint Romney as Obama-lite. Heck, even Clinton was better than Obama (relatively speaking!) The Obama Admin wants us divided and we will divide ourselves if we aren’t careful.
It is truly do or die in November – ABO!!
2008 should be the reminder. We got Obama because “we” didn’t like McCain
I agree.
2008 should be a reminder. We got McCain because “we” didn’t like Romney.
Dog, remember the McAnus/Hucksterby combine. Personally, I think that’s how we got McAnus.
Keep in mind:
IF Romney defeats Obama, we’ll be asked to do this again 4 years from now.
No one knows how he, or anyone, will govern once elected, but we do have some idea with Romney.
So, if it comes to pass that Romney tries to govern as a centrist, finding “common ground” with the marxists determined to destroy this country from within-(he still calls them democrats)
…are you ready for 8 years of Romney?
We know far better how Obama has governed in the last four years than we know how Mitt might govern in the next four. If, as you say, Romney defeats Obama you will have the chance to primary him at the end of his term.
I guess that’s my point.
Who’s going to step up and be called a traitor?
Trying to divide the party?
Nobody. Well be stuck holding our nose for 8 freaking years.
No, I see your point and sincerely believe it has merit. There is the added difficulty of trying to throw out an incumbent, from within no less, as well.
Most of us agree that Romney could not possibly be as bad as Obama but if he turns out to be everything many of you expect he will be, I for one will stand up and count myself as first traitor to throw him out.
In the meantime, first things first. Most pressing threats first. Throw Obama out, lock up the lower tickets, try to get some room to maneuver and breathe and then focus on the next round.
I can’t vote for him. He’s clueless, incompetent, and already swinging to the “center”. I wonder how long it is going to take the rank and file GOP to start denouncing him. Will it be before or after his coronation in Tampa?
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
Hucksterby is supporting Dewhurst here in Texas.
Which is a damn shame, but not out of character. What a loser….
Let’s get real here. The R’s just about always nominate the “establishment” and moderate candidate.
Let’s look at the historical record (at least during my lifetime):1952, Eisenhower (moderate) over Robert Taft (the conservative); 1956, Eisenhower was essentially unopposed in the primaries; 1960, Nixon (moderate) was a shoo-in; 1968 and 1972, Nixon again; 1976, Ford (moderate) over Reagan (conservative); 1988 and 1992, Bush I (moderate) over a few conservative candidates; 1996 Bob Dole (moderate) over a few conservative candidates; 2000 and 2004, Bush II (moderate); 2008 McCain (moderate).
The only outliers –when the R’s actually nominated the conservative– being Goldwater in 1964 and Reagan in 1980 (and 1984 for reelection).
The point is, Romney fits with the R’s track record. I’d prefer a bona fide conservative too, but one has to admit that neither Gingrich or Santorum have the gravitas or personal credibility of Goldwater or Reagan. We are stuck at a point in time where we have no truly conservative statespersons. Luckily, the bench is deep, Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, Allen West, Marco Rubio, Nikki Haley, to name a few, but these are future candidates not ready for prime time IMHO.
The democrats are making the case why social conservatives should be heartened by Mitt Romney’s stances, having this political ad be one of the first ones out of the opening gate, following the narrowing of the R field.
GAH! It’s no wonder nothing changes. Listen to you guys. You just give up. With Santorum out, there are now 350 delegates up for grabs, the Not-Romney vote is as much, if not more, than the Romney votes in terms of delegate count. There are still 19 states left to vote and what are you doing? Throwing in the towel. No danged wonder the Establishment GOP was so freakin’ certain they would be able to shut us up and make us go away. You give up before the game is over. Oh, sure, pundits SAY it’s over but they’ve been saying that before the game began. We knew it would be a tough battle and we all agreed to fight til the bitter end. The end isn’t here unless you want it to be.
Thank you.
Heh, I don’t even know who you’re thanking but it’s polite so I ‘liked’ it.
The game is over, whether you like it or not.
The stadium lights have been turned off.
There are even rumors Santorum will be campaigning with Romney.
People are coalescing around efforts to defeat Obama, not re-ignite a 1990’s political warrior who evokes so much disdain from the majority of voters out there. If this were not the case then Gingrich would have been able to do better than just winning SC and Georgia, coming in behind Ron Paul in some of the latest primaries, being millions of dollars in debt, having his foundation go into bankruptcy, bouncing a $500 check (something he did 22 times during a political campaign in the 90’s) while his wife has an account with Tiffany’s, and somehow still calling himself a fiscal conservative?????
The game is only over if you want it to be. You guys keep looking forward to the championship and we’re only in the play-offs. Fine, I will look forward to the “Big Game”, too, when it’s time. It isn’t time yet. We still have 19 plays and we are tied if not ahead. I don’t care what you guys do in the GE, but the primaries are where we are supposed to fight for what WE believe in and what do we do? We give in. We even BROADCAST our willingness to accept defeat. Seriously.
I remain puzzled by the lack of attention paid to GEORGE Romney’s Alinsky ties. I don’t believe the apple falls far from the tree. Romney may prove to be a stealth follower of Alinsky, in which case, what will we have gained? All the signs are there, if viewed through the Alinsky prism.
Too bad Cheney is in such poor health.
[…] Josh Marshall, Talking Points Memo“You go to war with the Mitt you have.” – William Jacobson, Legal InsurrectionMy ambition to abandon the drudgery of journalism for an exciting new career in diplomacy as the […]
Fer Heaven’s sake, Romney may or may not be a horrible candidate compared to other Repubs, but if he is it, he’s it. GET THAT TRAITOROUS TOTALITARIAN piece-of-dreck Muslim Marxist Manchurian Candidate OUT OF THE PRESIDENCY.
Having a Repub legislature is vitally important but will not be enough, because we will still be stuck with the criminal terrorist-lover Holder, the shit-for-brains Sibelius, Muslim Brotherhood leaders coming to the White House, gas-bag Commie Trumka coming to steal more money for the Union Mob Leaders, and yes, Supreme Court nominees that will make Kagan look like Scalia, people who would fit better in a People’s Court in Mao’s Cultural Revolution China. Chu, the lying sack-of-crap that supported higher gas prices and then lied about it because people were pissed…go figure. And last but not least, a POTUS that simply HATES all of the rest of us, hates whites, Hates Israel, hates the West, hates Christianity…all the things Jeremiah Wright hates. A proven liar, the worst racial divider since Andrew Johnson, a man with terrorist ties and so many unproven and unopened documentation about him…we still don’t know who he is, to say the least..
So yes, bring on Mitt. He may end up sucking, or he may surprise. I read good and bad and he was not my choice either, but I never got any sense that he HATED AMERICA like I do from the Worst Admin in US History.
Yes, push him if we can to the Right. Elect proper and decent legislators. But we’re boned beyond redemption if O retains the White House. He will complete the destruction of a once proud and free country and finish the transformation he and the Mooch promised us.
So, if Romney is it, you dumb fucks that will tear him down so Obama can win? Bite me. Do something constructive and push his team to do the right stuff. But stay home or vote for someone else, or not support Mitt? You hand the country to the We Love Mao and Che Club.
Why don’t we wait until the primary is actually over before voting for Romney in the general? Then you can blast us, call us “dumb fucks” in that wonderfully persuasive way you have.
delicountessa – totally, totally agree. thank you.
Just got out of the tub and didn’t need to use a towel to dry off. I just stood in front of the comments section and not only dried off but sunburned. Let’s admit it. A dead bird would be better then Obama. And I love birds. It’s not just the Surpremes, it his ability to go around Congress. His penchant for appointing czars, spending money, inciting hatred, redistributing other peoples money, disarming us, bringing Marxism into the classroom, plus all the things I’ve forgotten, that is the number one through one hundred reasons he can not be reelected. To say Romney will be no better is to miss the point. I’m a Newt person, I think he’s the best for the job, but Romney no matter what else you think of him, does love the country and would not deliberately do anything to drag us over the cliff. After all, he has a lot of money infested in a lot of companies in the U.S. and if for no other reason, he’ll try to right the ship of state.
The Romney folks don’t like the Newts because well, they just don’t like him. It’s a mystery to me. If it wasn’t for him, do you think Conservatism would even exist today? Do you remember what Congress was like before he took it over and brought in all the young Conservatives. I do. We’d be lucky to even get a vote to end the session. George Michell was satistisfied if he was able to have a round of golf with Tip O’Neill. No matter his bad points, Gingrich changed all that. But regardless, some of you folks are never going to get a warm and fuzzy feeling about him.
As for the Newt folks, well, they don’t like Romney because of his idea’s about planned parenthood, about RomneyCare, about his scorched earth policy when it came to destroying anyone who stood in his way, and last but not least his families relationship with Saul Alinsky, and for some his Mormonism. So we aren’t going to get a warm and fuzzy feeling about Mitt.
What we all do have in common is our absolute disgust with the current occupant of the White House. Wonder if it will be that color if he gets a second term? But I digress
All this talk about not voting if our guy doesn’t make it is sheer nonsense and every sane person who loves America knows it. I for one will vote for the winner because i can’t think of where I’d like to live more than I like living here. That means one of us has to go and I’m putting what little money I have left on big ears as the one who goes.
What we have to concentrate on is trying to find out what those 40 some percent of the population has been drinking to make them think skinny chin should have a second term. Yes I know he gives them things, but I still say it’s in the water, which could just be the same water the Germans were drinking before they voted Hitler into office.
Just something to think about. Now I have to get dressed.
Bittersweet, your discussion is for the general election, right?
Newt will defeat Obama. Big time. With a Team in House and Senate and and a clear, written agenda of how we’re going to improve the economy and restore our freedoms.
So if want to win this fall, the only sensible thing to do is to get Newt to be the nominee.
The GOPE has us TEA Party-type conservatives in a trap in which the GOPE pretend to be conservative until they get the nomination or win an election. Then they move to the Left or go along with it, JUST LIKE THE DEMOCRATS.
THAT’S WHAT THE ETCH-A-SKETCH COMMENT MEANS. THEY ARE DOING IT ON PURPOSE. THEY FIGURE THE RIGHT HAS NO PLACE TO GO. WE’RE BEING PLAYED. AGAIN.
So any analysis that fails to account for this egregious trickery by the GOPE also fails to address the reason people are saying they won’t vote for Romney. It’s a scam. People are FED UP.
To support a GOPE moderate/left “say anything” candidate when you know only CONSERVATIVE solutions will restore what we’ve lost, is to play the fool. That’s what people are reacting to.
People who LIKE the scam are urging us to state that we are willing to vote for Romney.
It’s a scam that’s been going on AT LEAST since G. H. W. Bush. Remember “read my lips, no new taxes”? He didn’t mean it, didn’t even UNDERSTAND what breaking his word would mean to us, the American People.
Newt is saying we must all support whoever is the nominee. OK. I see why Newt says that.
But Newt is working, with everything he has, to bring CONSERVATIVE, PRACTICAL SOLUTIONS to the American People.
We’ll restore our economy, build wealth again, pay off the national debt, get oil from our own resources. The possibilities are so exciting. So I can respect Newt saying that.
I do not respect that some are snookered into voting for Romney because they have bought the lies, or are apparently part of the scam.
HERE IS THE BIG SECRET KEY: the GOPE is as bad as the Left. Yes, the slide into penury may go a little slower, but it still goes!!
The Democrat Left could never get away with trying to turn our country into a socialist state if the GOPE weren’t complicit. This has to be addressed. This has to be addressed. This has to be addressed.
The dishonesty of the GOPE HAS GOT to be addressed.
Otherwise, our being caught between two weasely weasel forces (unfair to actual weasels) just continues, and our country’s, and OUR, fortunes deteriorate with it.
The TWO bodies are complicit in the distortion the Constitution: BOTH the GOPE and the Democrat-Left. Electing Romney stops the Democrats. But it DOESN’T STOP THE GOPE. SO THE SOCIALIST DETERIORATION CONTINUES. EVERYONE SEES THIS, RIGHT?
The Democrat-Left keeps pushing LEFT whether it has the White house or not. The GOPE is complicit whether it has the White House or not.
A win for Romney is a LOSS for the American People and our Constitutional Republic. We won’t stop the decline. HE doesn’t even understand the issues. He’s more or less on the side of the Left.
THE GOPE HAS BETRAYED AMERICAN TRADITIONS JUST AS MUCH AS THE LEFT AND THE DEMOCRATS. Romney is less “conservative” than G. H. W. Bush. Think about that. And less competent than G.W. Bush. What lunatics would want Romney for our president?
So to follow up on other people’s sports analogies, the contest that’s up right now is between the TEAM with conservative solutions for American, with Newt & TEA Party energy. And the other team is the Left-leaning, spineless, complicit GOPE.
In the FALL, and NOT UNTIL THE FALL, the contest is against the Democrat-Left.
There are TWO ACTORS CREATING SOCIALIST DECLINE IN THE USA: THE GOPE AND THE DEMOCRAT-LEFT.
Romney as the nominee means we will not solve either problem.
Newt as the nominee solves BOTH problems.
So looking at the the general election and talking NOW about Romney, misses the point of the primary. Romney as the nominee means we have failed. Newt as the nominee means we will win. We have to win NOW if we want to win this fall.
Actually, re-reading what I wrote, I think the truth is that my whole point is that electing Romney DOESN’T stop the Democrat-Left. It takes them out of the White House for a while BUT IT DOESN’T STOP THEM.
That is why I am opposed to Romney.
But the Democrat-Left are ideologically dirven. They want to teach Americans a lesson. They think America is wealthy because others are poor. They DO NOT UNDERSTAND VALUES FULFILLMENT OR HOW WEALTH IS CREATED OUT OF THIN AIR BY INNOVATION AND WORK.
The Democrat-Left won’t stop. We have to stop them. You can’t send some forty or even eighty guys in to Washington!!!!!!!!!! No matter how wonderful they are, they are overwhelmed. We have to send organized, dedicated Constitutionalists as a Team.
That’s why Newt’s Team Campaign plan is genius and the only thing that will save our Constitutional form of government.
Once we have enough people with a focused agenda, elected all at once, who are CLEAR that we are NOT GOING TO TOLERATE THIS IMPOSITION OF A SOCIALIST GOVERNMENT ON US, HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, we will restore our Constitutional Republic.
And then things might begin to be fun again.
*APPLAUSE!* Thank you!
hi delicountessa, the lineup on the page leads me to believe you’re responding to what I wrote. If so, thanks! It means a lot.
Yep, Hope Change, I was applauding you.
Hey Bittersweet, love your website. http://mohawkvalleypatriots.org/aboutus.html
Love your “What we Believe” statements.
Hi Hope and Change, thanks for checking out the web sight. We’re working hard here in Central NY to bring a little common sense to the land of Democratic nonsense. I will be voting my conscience in the primary and hope it carries over to the general. I’m with Newt and have been since I use to sit up till one in the morning to hear his special orders on C-span. I really do believe he’s the only one with any hope of making a real difference, but if I have to vote Mitt. I’ll bit the bullet and do it. I just hope I figure out which way the bullets pointing before I apply pressure.
Thanks again and since I’m new here it means a lot. If your every in the Utica area, drop in and say Hi.
Hi Bittersweet, hi ScorpyonSting — so nice to hear from you directly.
What I wish the hipsters among us could see is how transformational, how radically new Newt’s solutions are. What a departure from the 130 + year old, moribund civil service-bureaucracy of the past.
To bring back our economy is simple. WE apply Reagan’s methods. Common-sense regulations, lower tax rates, optional flat tax, encourage business with 100% expensing, encourage corporations and tax paying with 12.5% corporate tax rate, support innovation and people starting new enterprises — and this economy will take off on rocket fuel.
But the Lean Six Sigma application to federal agencies is a transformational modernization.
Enforcing the 10th Amendment and sending power back to People, local communities and states, is a radical return to Constitutional principles. The result will be freedom again.
You guys, we’re in this together. There’s no telling what will happen. Newt could very well end up the nominee. When I imagine NEwt being sworn in, my whole outlook changes. WE’ll restore our Constitutional government. With freedom, prosperity follows.
It all depends on us, the American People. I’m with you 100% as we move to solve these problems for the restoration of our Constitutional government and the betterment of our country.
Thank you for covering all the points that needed to be addressed about the GOPE. I, for one, am tired of rubber-stamping their candidate, no matter how distasteful. I am tired of the disdain the GOPE evidences toward the core constituents of the country. I am tired of the lies, the smears, the Alinsky tactics, the manipulations, etc. I am tired of being emotionally blackmailed by those who don’t get it and who maybe don’t want to get it. I will no longer support the Establishment candidate. If it comes down to these two choice, the country will get what it deserves, and long overdue at that, unless God intervenes.