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Santorum Has No Credible Path to the Nomination. But... (A grand "compromise")
The American Thinker ^ | March 6, 2012 | Adam Yoshida

Posted on 03/06/2012 2:09:32 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

....................................I think that the choice, ultimately, rests with both Senator Santorum and Governor Romney. At this point, Santorum has the staying power to drag this thing out. Perhaps, even, he feels justified in doing so. Giving up a hope, even a faint one, of securing the nomination of a major party for the presidency is no small thing to ask of a man. However, doing so in the service of ensuring that Barack Obama becomes a one-term president would be a supreme act of patriotism. Likewise, surrendering the freedom to choose whomever one wishes as a running mate in exchange for securing the nomination early would be a sacrifice on the part of Governor Romney. It would, however, be in the service of the greater good. In other words, I think that it's time for both campaigns to do the math and make a deal.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2012; delegates; gopprimary; moderates
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Below are the breadcrumbs, if followed, that lead to this writer's epiphany. I see it as his fear of Paul having power at the convention (mentioned in the piece) and his early advocacy for Romney (now shaken by months of campaigning) that has led to his vision of compromise and ticket "balancing."

Such a deal would be the joining of two moderates (who if by some miracle win in Nov) that will give us 16 more years of GOP-e rule that will see conservatism buried for good. Both Santorum and Romney have explained in agonizing detail how they had to govern as left of center because they governed over LIBERAL Blue states!!! THAT IS THEIR RECORD! Appeasement to the status quo.

UNLIKE Rick and Mitt, Newt Gingrich didn't sit on his laurels complaining about the liberal political landscape of his state. Newt CHANGED the political landscape in GA (as he did in Washington), brought Democrats into the party, rallied people to get involved in politics -- all by pushing conservatism.

________________________________________

"ATLANTA — It wasn't so long ago that the Republican Party in Georgia was just an afterthought, and Democrats were in firm control of all the levers of state government. Back then, Newt Gingrich and other die-hard GOP stalwarts ventured across the state with the far-fetched message that Republicans could reverse the tide.

Now with commanding majorities in the Statehouse and control of all statewide offices, Gingrich is hoping his vision for how the GOP could overcome decades of Democratic dominance in Georgia will pay dividends. He sorely needs a victory when his home state votes Tuesday, along with a big chunk of its 76 delegates, to prove his stumbling presidential bid has staying power.

Many Republican figures in Georgia still credit him with championing conservative policies, outlining a framework for what a GOP majority in the state could accomplish and broadcasting talking points to a generation of up-and-coming conservative leaders. He's also applauded for lobbying conservative Democrats, like then-Rep. Nathan Deal, to switch parties.

"Everyone else was trying to lose as slowly as possible, and to die with dignity at the Alamo. He was talking confidently that the Republican majority in Georgia, in the South and nationally was right around the corner," said Ralph Reed, a veteran Georgia GOP operative who founded the national Faith and Freedom Coalition. "On the one hand it was crazy, but on the other it was just the most exciting thing you've ever heard.".....................In Ga., Gingrich helped build conservative base

______Vote for Newt Gingrich and stand up for small government conservatism, energy independence and liberty_____

_______________________________________________

More from the author of the Romney-Santorum ticket essay:

June 18, 2011: Why History Says that Mitt Romney Will be the GOP Nominee “I'm far from 100% sold on Mitt Romney at this point in time. While the Governor is able to speak articulately and passionately on a number of issues that matter to me, such as taxes, spending, and national defense, his record as Governor of Massachusetts and as a candidate for the Senate in that state leaves lingering doubts that the man may be just a little bit wobbly at a time when iron is required.

Even with the allowances that must be made for a Republican running for office in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the desire for a candidate whose conservatism is absolutely unquestioned and undiluted is certainly understandable. Yet, at the same time, I would be reluctant to write the man off -- and I would certainly discourage any Republicans from doing so -- since a fair examination of historical trends suggests that Governor Romney will likely be sworn in at the 45th President of the United States at noon on January 20, 2013.

First, let's look at the practical case that Mitt Romney will be the Republican nominee for President. Looking at the current field, it's hard to deny that he's the front-runner for the nod. He leads in fundraising by a mile -- and he has the ability to self-fund if necessary. He leads in every national poll. In a divided and fractured field he has the clearest path to the nomination: skip Iowa, win New Hampshire, prove his conservative credentials by winning South Carolina, and then outlast the rest of the field.”….

Dec 21, 2011: The Madness of Ron Paul……………… “In other words, the American people have taken the counsel of Paul and his ilk before, and each time, it has had disastrous consequences for the world. Had the United States been actively engaged in world affairs throughout the whole span of the 20th century, both world wars might have been avoided -- or, at least, they might have seen both their magnitude and duration reduced. In either case, millions of lives would have been saved. It was only when the lessons of the first two world wars were fully absorbed by the American people that the United States made the decision to remain permanently engaged in world affairs -- and thus, admittedly at a cost of nearly 100,000 American lives, did we not see a Third World War during the 20th century.

The time has come for a libertarian voice to make itself heard on national affairs. Ron Paul, however, does not represent that cause. He is little more than a cranky old man

1 posted on 03/06/2012 2:09:42 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“Giving up a hope, even a faint one, of securing the nomination of a major party for the presidency is no small thing to ask of a man.”

There you go. Be a MAN and betray the entire country. Do these people have a lick of commen sense?


2 posted on 03/06/2012 2:19:38 AM PST by MestaMachine (obama kills)
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To: MestaMachine

They say Santorum has no chance but Gingrich does?

Santorum can win all the plains states (including Idaho and North Dakota, and Alaska).

Gingrich is a no-hoper in all of these, plus Ohio.

Santorum can with the South, as he is stronger than Romney. There you go. Path to the nomination. Midwest + South + PA + OH + IN + KY + WY + TX.


3 posted on 03/06/2012 2:24:39 AM PST by LeopoldvonRanke
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To: MestaMachine
..Do these people have a lick of commen sense?

Conservative is foreign to them.

4 posted on 03/06/2012 2:24:51 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

I am so sick of the election crap, I am tuning out as of today.
Since I am an Expat, I no longer have a dog in this hunt.
If my Social Security goes away, so be it.
The Rush fuss, alone, is enough to make me go bonkers.

All evidence of Obama being illegal keeps being brushed away
as kooky right-wing nonsense, when the evidence just gets more evident.
I really feel for you guys that are stuck in Obozoland.


5 posted on 03/06/2012 2:28:07 AM PST by AlexW
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To: LeopoldvonRanke

Santorum is going to continue his slide after today.

It is important to vote for Gingrich. Newt is well positioned to fill the anti-Mitt vacuum — give Romney a real opponent, one who will stand and speak for the base on every issue with credibility.

Let us see Romney and his media grinder try to take Newt out a 3rd time. It will turn the voters to Newt.


6 posted on 03/06/2012 2:30:07 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Watch this video, it and the transcript are more damning than almost anything that I have ever seen in politics.

http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/64281-1
Arlen Specter announces for the White House, with endorsee, Rick Santorum at his side.
At Senator Arlen Specter’s official presidential campaign announcement in March 1995, then-Senator Rick Santorum showed his public support and encouragement of Specter by sitting directly next to him as Specter denounced the GOP’s war on abortion. It was at this event that Specter proclaimed his total opposition to social conservatism and declared he is in fact running to make the GOP pro-choice.

Santorum is seen nodding and applauding at Specter’s side:

3:46 mark: “In 1996, I intend to win the other house — the White House — with ten commitments to America… Especially a woman’s right to choose…

13:22 mark: “Even though we have this historic opportunity for these achievements, there are those in our party who would lead us down a different path — and squander this unique moment in our nation’s history — by using our political capital — to pursue a radical social agenda — that would end a woman’s right to choose…

13:48 mark: “When Pat Robertson says there is no constitutional doctrine of separation between Church and State, I say he is wrong…

14:31 mark: “When Ralph Reed says a pro-choice Republican isn’t qualified to be our President, I say the Republican Party will not be intimidated or blackmailed by those kinds of threats.I, and millions of other pro-choice Republicans, will not be disenfranchised and made second class citizens.

15:33 mark: “… it is not Christian, or religious, or Judeo-Christian to bring God into politics; or to advocate intolerance and promote exclusion.

15:54 mark: “I want to take abortion out of politics. I want to keep the Republican Party focused on the vital economic and foreign policy issues — and leave moral issues such as abortion to the conscience of the individual. I believe abortion is an issue to be decided by women…

16:40 mark: “I pledge to lead the fight to strip the strident anti-choice language from the Republican National platform…”

17:05 mark: “neither this nation nor this party can afford a republican candidate so captive to the demands of the intolerant right...


7 posted on 03/06/2012 2:30:15 AM PST by ansel12 (Santorum-Catholic and "I was basically pro-choice all my life, until I ran for Congress" he said))
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Oh, fer the love of pete. I spelled common with an e? Time to sleep a few.


8 posted on 03/06/2012 2:31:20 AM PST by MestaMachine (obama kills)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Show me where Newt is going to win Ohio.

Here’s a fact - Romney wins Ohio, he’ll secure enough delegates to win the nomination outright.


9 posted on 03/06/2012 2:31:31 AM PST by LeopoldvonRanke
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To: AlexW
"I am so sick of the election crap, I am tuning out as of today."

Me Too! ! !

10 posted on 03/06/2012 2:39:56 AM PST by DeaconRed (Cold War Veteran. . . . US Army Security Agency 1964-1968)
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To: LeopoldvonRanke

Newt can win delegates in OH — especially in those districts where Rick Santorum failed to provide a complete slate of delegate names.

Santorum is automatically unable to take 18 delegates (Mitt was campaigning specifically in those areas yesterday).


11 posted on 03/06/2012 2:41:11 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Romney cannot and will not defeat Obama. So, when he secures the nomination, and however long it is “dragged out”, is of no importance.


12 posted on 03/06/2012 2:43:03 AM PST by Jim Noble ("The Germans: At your feet, or at your throat" - Winston Churchill)
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To: ansel12
It's the same profile as Santorum's answers in the Mesa debate: "I was a team player."

Romney played him like a fiddle.

Newt had to make all the conservative points!

Transcript of Feb 22, 2012 CNN Republican Debate in Arizona

13 posted on 03/06/2012 2:44:14 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“Newt can win delegates in OH — especially in those districts where Rick Santorum failed to provide a complete slate of delegate names.”

Unlikely. Romney will win those delegates long before Newt does.

Again, Santorum is the only one with any hope of defeating Romney outside of the south, and it’s much later than you think.

Remember Romney’s unopposed in VA too - those are all states that have delegates that nobody is going to touch Romney.

Newt has to overcome not only Romney, but also Santorum’s delegate lead, that’s a delegate lead of close to 250 delegates. Ergo - the South just doesn’t have the numbers needed for him to make all that up.

Romney is very close to getting a delegate count to win the nomination outright, thanks to Newt votesplitting in WA and in MI - costing Santorum significant delegates.

This is why he has to be stopped in OH. You seem to think it’s early in the process. No - it’s very late.


14 posted on 03/06/2012 2:45:01 AM PST by LeopoldvonRanke
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
What?

It was way beyond that. He chose the candidate that he wanted to be President, a man with no chance at all, and this was his Platform.

“I pledge to lead the fight to strip the strident anti-choice language from the Republican National platform…”

15 posted on 03/06/2012 2:50:27 AM PST by ansel12 (Santorum-Catholic and "I was basically pro-choice all my life, until I ran for Congress" he said))
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To: LeopoldvonRanke
..... You seem to think it’s early in the process. No - it’s very late.

I believe a conservative anti-Romney is vital. The GOP-e doesn't want Newt getting the bit between his teeth. A good or "unexpectedly" good showing for Newt in today's contests would give the base hope, the establishment fits and the MSM re-assessing Newt and their penchant to black him out.

BTW -- let's try to keep this about the candidates and the election and not get personal.

16 posted on 03/06/2012 3:08:15 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: ansel12

I wasn’t disagreeing.

Obama will love to highlight Mitt/Santorum political positions, then and now.


17 posted on 03/06/2012 3:10:44 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Where have I gotten personal?

The delegate math just doesn’t add up for Newt. Santorum does just as well as he does in the South, with the advantage of winning states in the midwest and in the rust belt. Santorum can beat Romney in the South - Newt cannot beat Romney in the Midwest and Rust belt. That is why Santorum is the better candidate vs Romney than Gingrich.

Newt’s last chance for the nomination was Florida. Had he won there, it was conceivable that he could have won it all. Instead he got blown out by Romney.

See, the dynamics of the race change when you take people away. Take Gingrich out, and Santorum dominates in the head to head against Romney. Take Santorum out, and Romney dominates.

I know the dream is a brokered convention, but that’s playing for the tie. The base doesn’t want a brokered convention, they want an out and out nominee. What happens if that 5-10 percent shifts to Romney? Romney wins the nomination and that’s the end of the race.

Gingrich just hasn’t got it done and has staked all his hopes on super tuesday. His strategy is flawed. While he’s been concentrating on securing his home state - Romney is picking up state after state, delegate after delegate, adding onto his lead bit by bit.

He doesn’t care if he loses GA, or MS or AL or whatever. He cares about Ohio. He cares about 50 percent plus one. Gingrich can deliver states, but the states he delivers are the states that weren’t going to ever go for Romney.


18 posted on 03/06/2012 3:22:58 AM PST by LeopoldvonRanke
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

“A good or “unexpectedly” good showing for Newt in today’s contests would give the base hope”

Why are Newt supporters part of the base but Santorum supporters are not?


19 posted on 03/06/2012 3:24:53 AM PST by LeopoldvonRanke
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To: LeopoldvonRanke
Gingrich just hasn’t got it done and has staked all his hopes on super tuesday. His strategy is flawed. While he’s been concentrating on securing his home state - Romney is picking up state after state, delegate after delegate, adding onto his lead bit by bit.

He doesn’t care if he loses GA, or MS or AL or whatever. He cares about Ohio. He cares about 50 percent plus one. Gingrich can deliver states, but the states he delivers are the states that weren’t going to ever go for Romney.

Yesterday Mitt and his handlers are pressing the point that it isn't about winning states but rather getting delegates -- seems a bit of a pull back to me. It will be an interesting 24 hours.

20 posted on 03/06/2012 3:27:57 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
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