Why is it that the only choices offered to GOP primary voters are Establishment RINO types, ridiculous social conservatives, or ridiculous libertarians?
Commenting on Rick Santorum’s “victories” in three “primaries,” Bill Quick (via Stacy McCain) said this:
What you see here, though, isn’t a giant boom for what Santorum is pushing, especially the socon stuff, which is about as popular as a case of crabs amongst the general electorate. This is just the GOP electorate’s desperate thrashing from one pillar to the next post to find anybody to represent the GOP this fall other than Mittens Romneycare.
As an Anyone But Gingrich guy, I can certainly sympathize with the Anyone But Romney people. I have never endorsed Romney and I don’t like him or trust him.
However, at some point the goal ought to be beating Barack Obama. Hell I have even said repeatedly that I would vote for Gingrich over Obama, and the thought sickens me to no end, because Gingrich is a man who seriously believes in capital punishment for victimless crimes (in the name of the war on drugs). Romney is bad, but at least he is not on record as calling for anything as insane as that. Santorum believes that his version of morality trumps the Constitution, so I don’t trust him. I worry that Gingrich and Santorum may both be true believers, and true believers scare the crap out of me me, especially when I disagree with the things in which they truly believe. The logic may sound brutal, but I prefer crowd-pleasing demagogues who just say things I disagree with but don’t mean it over those who say things I disagree with but truly believe it and mean it.
However, I think that Santorum has benefited from backlash in much the same way that Proposition 8 did in California. (When angry gay activists hate anything or anyone too much they can unintentionally help what they hate.) That type of backlash will not elect a president, though. Most people dislike seeing sexual morality debated at all, much less at the presidential level.
The goal is beating Obama, right?
Just thought I’d ask.
Comments
5 responses to “Is Obama more popular than a case of the crabs?”
If the goal is beating Obama, why did Romney tell some interviewer that he supports the Komen Foundation divesting from Planned Parenthood? Those are private charities, he didn’t have to express an opinion at all. I was going to hold my nose and vote for Romney, but when I saw that item I was enraged. So he thinks pandering to the anti-Planned Parenthood people will get him votes? He lost mine.
If the goal is beating Obama people would pay more attention to head to head polls. A new poll from Virginia bears out the same trend: Romney does best (-4), followed by Paul (-7) and Santoum (-8) with Gingrich last (-14). No one talks about Paul being less unelectable than Rick or Newt.
But I’m not sure the goal is Obama. If the GOP take both chambers of Congress, I’d have rather have Obama take the hits for being big-governmenty than Romney if he’s going to do pretty much the same thing.
The premise is wrong. The “goal” should to be getting back to the Constitution.
I say this because the last presidential cycle replacing the Clinton side kick Al Gore was the goal. We got “Dubya” instead of “Bubba’s” sidekick but we ended up with a huge debt around 3.4 Trillion, more bureaucracy with DHS, a bigger and nastier Dept.of Education via NCLB, more Medicare bureaucracy via the Prescription Drug program, more locking up of oil reserves, more environmental legislation, etc.
In 2000 the goal was accomplished. We replaced a liberal administration with a conservative one and still we are here in 2012 pursuing the same goal: anybody but Obama.
The goal is not to beat Obama. The goal is to pull the country back from its increasing leftist tilt. This can’t be accomplished if the people keep settling on “Beat Clinton”, “Beat Gore”, “Beat Obama”.
The Republicans have given the people terrible alternatives to the Democrat candidates ever since the end of Reagan’s tenure. It’s been a group of increasingly leftist RINOs, and it’s costing them the support of the base as a result. Even those who still vote for the party are doing so with less enthusiasm every cycle.
Romney’s not a bridge too far: Bush was already a bridge too far. Romney’s just a joke.
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