I think it’s very disappointing that so-called conservatives decided to pick their candidate based on answering trick questions posed by liberal “debate” moderators rather than actual performance.
Rick Santorum has virtually no infrastructure outside of Iowa. Even if he isn’t savaged by the media (and it will come) I don’t think he has enough money or national organization to win the primary, and I don’t think tonight’s win (or 2nd place?) will do enough for him to get everything together in time. Would love to be proven wrong though.
Romney = Obama wins. Enough said.
I happen to like Ron Paul’s domestic policies, and would be glad to support him if he won. But I think he has as much Republican opposition as Romney does, and agree that his foreign policy ideas are naive/impractical. I don’t think he will become the nominee.
That leaves 4th-place Newt as the best hope so far for an electable conservative. Which makes me sad as for everything that’s important, Perry is at least as good as Newt.
Not true. He has the second best ground game in NH. Romney is first obviously . FOX just had a discussion on how Santorum has been making visits there under the radar and has people in all the counties. As for the media anal exam, who cares. They will destroy whoever we put up. We will work around the media like we did in '10.
What "trick questions"? Counting to three?
“That leaves 4th-place Newt as the best hope so far for an electable conservative. Which makes me sad as for everything that’s important, Perry is at least as good as Newt.”
I hear ya. I think Perry was far and away the best qualified conservative with the least amount of baggage to take on Obama. Don’t know who to go with now-I just don’t know that Santorum has the resources and infrastructure, but I could be wrong. Between Newt & Santorum on the merit-I guess I’d go Santorum. But as to who can go the distance and knock out Romney-I’m thinking probably Newt.
One thing I’d say about Perry is at least he’s true to what he’s said on the campaign trail that “this campaign is not about me, but about the future of our country.” Unlike Romney stalking horse Bachmann, I believe Perry understands the imperative to make sure Romney is not the nominee, and if he believes that he’s doing nothing but fracturing the anti-Romney vote with no clear path himself to victory, then he’ll do what he thinks is right and drop out.
Sort of where I am.
I agree. This result helps Romney and is better for him than he could have hoped for.
Most conservatives find a core of Ron Paul’s ideas that really appeals to us, but when you look at the whole picture, he would be a disaster.
He didn't have it there either.