Until…
Well, we do not need to go into reasons why a conservative may have a few misgivings about what Mitt Romney did after he won the election. Those are well documented. Still, the man seems to be much more faithful to his wife and family then he is to his ideals, which he should be commended. Though that is not the credentials I eye when choosing my candidate. I like them feisty and brutally honest. A little swagger in the step. To me that is what is needed now to confront the upcoming storm that is about to sweep us all out to a sea of liberal hell if we don’t find a leader to man the ship. And here is where the problem begins and this is how I see it.
The Republican Establishment wants to play it safe as always and nominate a Mr. Rodgers.
The Conservative base wants an all out assault on our problems and nominate R. Lee Emory.
The Republican Establishment wants Mr. Rodgers to sing a little song about unity as he puts on his sneakers, smiling.
The Conservative base wants R. Lee Emory to throw a box of tissue at Harry Reid and call him “Jack Wagon!”
The metaphors are endless, but the point is simple enough. Mitt Romney is not R. Lee Emory. But neither is Newt Gingrich. Not even in the same zip code really. Newt Gingrich on the other hand is not Mitt Romney, just as Sarah Palin and Herman Cain were not. And now we have reached the crux of it all.
This primary has much more to do with the factions behind the nominees then it is about the candidates themselves. How else would one explain Newt Gingrich’s sudden rise when Mitt Romney stays stagnant as primary voters are dumped into the voter sea again and again to be scooped up by other potential candidates? Romney has the money, the team, the entire Republican Establishment behind him yet when primary voters are looking for a life raft to save them when their nominees ship has sunk, they hardly ever climb aboard Romney’s boat. Its because too many of the Republican primary voters the life raft Romney is rowing belongs to the people who sunk their ship.
This primary, unlike any other, is about the Republican Establishment. Romney and Gingrich are just the pawns on the board. Ever since the day after the election in 2010, actually the night of the election, the Republican Establishment has been at war with a good portion of the conservative base. This war started as a little skirmish but has now erupted into a real shillelagh swinging donnybrook.
Many of the Conservative base are sick of the perceived go along to get along attitude of current Republican leadership with the democrats yet see them attacking other Republican nominees with names other then Romney mercilessly. Conservatives are asking why in the hell cant this wrath and energy be turned against the actual enemy, liberal democrats, and not at them and their candidates. As each day goes by, with every nameless Republican insider and supposedly conservative pundit attacking the Conservative base ,the Tea Party movement, and their nominee ,the resentment grows and multiplies. Its the reason Gingrich has held up under the last few weeks of relentless attacks. He was never the first choice of most of his current supporters, but he is as of right now the last one left. The Conservative base has said “Enough!”. It has broken out the entrenching tools and has dug in. The Republican Establishment is entrenched as well. Romney is their man, period. They heavily invested in him.
They also are used to the trappings of their positions. The current Republican Leadership is willing to risk it all rather then compromise with its base. Every Republican consultant, strategist, and pundit stands to lose some stature and access if the current Republican regime is forced to leave or take a step down. They have to climb the latter again. They rather die then have to give it up. The whistles are blowing, both sides ready to go over the top to an uncertain end. Let loose the dogs of war!
Let us suppose after the dust settles, the wounded are collected and votes are counted, we find the Republican Establishment has won. What will have been the price? By looking at their current actions one can only assume they believe that the Conservative base will just lick its wounds and hobble the streets and man the phone banks with arm in sling and happily work to get Romney elected. Do they intend to recruit the ever precious independent to swell the ranks again? Are they that clueless? Can they not see what is about to happen? Is this an election to them or a desperate last attempt suicide mission?
Or has this been one long game of political chicken? Will they pull away and veer towards sanity before we all crash and burn.
I hope so.
Merry Christmas!
He is just a fat guy in Maine.
R. Lee Ermey, not Emory.
This is the grave of Mike O’Day,
who died maintaining his right of way.
His mind was clear, his will was strong.
But he’s just as dead as if he’d been wrong.
The next President will determine which way the 5-4 votes go for the next 25 years.
Whom do you want to make those SCOTUS nominations?
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach CA
Very well written article and with an excellent explanation of what has been and still is transpiring amongst conservatives, and the republican party. Many of us have come to your one conclusion, this is a last-ditch attempt on the part of the GOP, and their supporters, and everyone else you named to keep control of the conservative vote. It want and is not working. They refuse to accept that the dynamics have change, for worse and or better. They remind me of alcoholics and addicts who cannot understand why the people who kept them propped up for years, and believed their lies “I promise, I will change this time”, are not listening to them anymore. Because many of us have broken thru our denial as being nothing more than enablers to the GOP and company. One thing is certain, whatever the outcome of this election, win or lose. This battle is far from over with the GOP. Those of us who want more out of a candidate, and politician will continue to work towards that idea until it is a reality. The GOP just refuses to accept that this election is just about Obama, its about much much, more than that short term goal. Its also about ridding ourselves of the professional politican that has put us all in this leaking boat. And one election will not fix that issue. Its taken decades for many Americans like myself to become so disgusted with politicans that we actually banded together to fight them. The GOP underestimated us just like the democrats did. But it is and will continue to be interesting to watch, and be a part of.
Excellent article, Michael. When you wrote that “The Conservative base has said “Enough!”. It has broken out the entrenching tools and has dug in”, were you aware of the second meaning there? Many conservatives have given up on the political system altogether, moved up into the mountains, dug in, and are preparing for the inevitable.
Doesn’t anyone want to give Boehner some advice about what he ought to do regarding the payroll tax holiday extension? Should he listen to the Tea Party or should he listen to the Wall Street Journal?
The silence here, on the hottest political news story of the week, is deafening.
– Larry Weisenthal/Huntington Beach CA
Actually, have many of the pieces in place for a post, but just haven’t had the time, Larry. And I’m sure it will go over like a lead balloon here when I do. But hey… I have time. tick tock, lots more BS to fly thru the airwaves before expiration, yes?
My advise to Boehner is stop the dog and pony show on both sides, and let it expire. Then explain why. It’s nothing more than a cheap political shell game trick with money. Neither parties are “paying” for it because they don’t include the interest on the borrowed funds from the general to replace this “temporary” holiday. Then they don’t add the additional interest that will be compounded when they re-borrow it from the SS Trust fund and replace it with T-bills/IOUs.
IRS reform is not political nickel and dime glitter coating. And this tax holiday is like giving a swift kick to a Panzer tank, and expecting it to make a dent.
Hi Mata. Thanks for the reply. I promise the following is NOT a gotcha attempt, but I’d really like you to explain to me why financing a tax cut for the middle class with borrowed money is not responsible, while financing a tax cut for the wealthy with borrowed money is sound economics.
– Larry W/HB
Has to do with the specific tax cuts chosen, Larry. This is FICA taxes that are funding current SS and Medicare recipients…. you know, that collect from the payees today to dole it out to those who paid in yesterday bit.
I support IRS reform and tax cuts – not “holidays” – that are accompanied with actually spending cuts for the same. Holidays from taxes are not sufficient for business planning. And since this bogus “relief” involves an accounting shell game between general funds – SS Trust Fund – and back to the general funds, the clusterf*&k mentality of it’s benefits are compounded beyond all sanity.
I still like Perry.
Well, one the complaints on Romney is that he’s a flip-flopper. Frankly I don’t find anything wrong with a person who changes their mind set, if they think that there’s a better way. Yes, he has some opinions that I don’t whole heartedly agree with but for the most part, I think that he is jsut the right person who can straighten this Government out. I have supported him for six years and yes I have a yard sign expressing my views. I have never taken it down since 2008 (much to the dismay of some of my neighbors and the Society of Friends whose meeting house is right next door) I’m very happy that he is campaigning again and that he wants to try to save the country. He has the experience to do just that. As for the Conservatives who are heading to the mountains – don’t leave now we are going to need you.
And as for another Lee Ermy leading the campaign, let’s not forget what happened to Mr. Lee Ermy at the end of “Full Metal Jacket”. We don’t need that.
@Wm T Sherman:
Thanks. Spell Check.
Damned if I do and damned if I don’t. My apologies to the Gunny@MataHarley:
Bingo! When you look at the cuts being offered it becomes clear that Republican leadership either isn’t serious about actual cuts or they have dug themselves in such a deep hole they haven’t a clue as how to get themselves out. Add to this Rove waxing on about how “They’ve lost the optics on it.” as an example of what advice is being offered to Republican leadership and you can see that to these people its not about what should be done, but how it looks. @John Cooper:
Thanks John. The day after the election of 2010 after I saw a Republican strategist harrumph and say that the Tea Party candidates that had recently won “better remember who they caucus with” along with the Establishment actively working against Tea Party leaning Republican nominees prior to the election I changed officially left the Republican party by changing my party affiliation to Independent.
BTW I have an entrenching tool in my basement.
@John Cooper: Yes, I bought about sixty acres with my wife and have been making preparations for disaster (mountains actually optional, you know). But that’s not because disaster is ‘inevitable’ – I still think it’s unlikely – just because it’s become a real possibility. Anyway, what I really wanted to say is that it isn’t necessary to withdraw from politics just because you’re preparing for complete system failure. You can put effort into both.
@Nick Bolanis: Perry still has a chance – not a great one, but if he can get enough traction with his ads in Iowa, he might get a strong enough finish there to be alive going into South Carolina and other southern states, where he has more natural support. Problem is that he really needs Gingrich to implode hard – they share a certain large chunk of the base and an even split of that part won’t be enough for him.
@rcbrooks1: If you look at the post that Curt put up recently, the issue for those who watch Romney closely is not that he’s changed his mind over time. It’s that he changes what he says depending on who he’s talking to, what they want to hear, and what the latest polls say. I actually think that what Curt posted qualifies more as ‘waffling’ than ‘flip-flopping’ – you can’t quite say Romney was blathering, but he sure used a whole lot of words without taking much of a stand. You actually need to take a stand before you can flip-flop. Regardless, though, it’s ludicrous to claim that Romney’s changed stances have anything to do with an actual evolution of his thoughts.
The establishment party bosses decided that “it’s Romney’s turn.” Gingrich is also an establishment Republican, (as is Perry,) but he’s a bit more of a loose cannon type. Frankly, I’m not happy with any of the candidate choices, but I will hold my nose and vote for the primary winner because this nation can not stand another term of Obama’s narcissistic, divisive, far-left ideologue programs, nor his class-warfare pograms.
Some would say a successful career politician is one who says nothing through a flood of words and platitudes…that is apparently ok for Democratic POTUS nominees given who is in office now, but it is not a strategy that delivers any clue of leadership ability.
Is Romney a leader? I can honestly say I have no clue if he can lead or not…but to date we’ve not seen him do much more than have a savvy campaign, being smart enough to (mostly) avoid trouble and let his opponents less experienced campaigns collapse. He’s always around the edges as some kind of “heir apparent” to the nomination…something he’s been prepping for since 2008.
The country knows it needs leadership, and it will gravitate to the candidate who projects that most successfully through the media.
If there is one thing that events of and since the 2008 election have proven, it is that the current man in office will morph into whoever he needs to be for the election and the media will assist in any way they can.
To counter-balance this the opposition candidate will need to have a strong basis of perceived leadership implanted in the national mind before the long knives come out and Romney’s actions to date have not been to do this, which may win the nomination…not the election.
Latest news is that Bachmann, Huntsman and Santorum have failed to qualify for the Virginia ballot: http://www.politico.com/blogs/burns-haberman/2011/12/bachmann-huntsman-santorum-dont-make-va-ballot-108528.html. It’s one of the most difficult to get on (10K+ signatures required) and by itself of course doesn’t mean they can’t win, but it suggests they’re hard up for resources.
mainstream Republican tv, radio, and blog personalities are making way more money with Obummer in the WH. much like the gun dealers. If you can make money even if your horse loses the race, would you care?
@openid.aol.com/runnswim:
Gladly, thanks for asking. Boehner ought to ask Obama to “not be the one percent” this Christmas with a 4 million dollar Christmas Vacation paid for with tax payer money and instead, put the 4 million into the social security fund he will be robbing (again) to pay for the ‘tax cut’ holiday. What better way to not only show leadership, but also teach his family that while the Obamas can luxurate in 4 million dollar vacations, much of the country can’t even scrape up an extra 40 dollar a pay to make ends meet.
Lastly, Boehner should ask Santa for a backbone!
And yet more hurdles that Bachmann/Santorum/Huntsman didn’t clear: Tennessee delegate slates. Candidates ideally want to field a full slate of delegates (3 per district, that’s 27, plus 14 at-large). Romney has extras, 32+16. Paul managed to field 24+11, Gingrich 24+10, Perry 17+10, Huntsman 1+2. Others nada.
If Romney were running for quartermaster or any other organizationally demanding job, I’d vote for him in a heartbeat. Too bad the presidency isn’t much like that.