Posted on 05/04/2012 6:31:27 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
No, it isn’t. Not voting is not voting. Only voting for Obama is a vote for obama. Votes are what they are - nothing more.
That's a decent idea. You're correct in your assessment that the problem are the primaries.
I'm not sure a plurality, much less a commanding majority would be reached in that system however; I foresee many voting for themselves for the nomination, thus having the "winner" having at most maybe 1-5% of the total vote, which is not exactly a mandate of the GOP as a whole, thus weakening such a candidate considerably in the general election. After all, the Dems would love to hem and haw all day in the general how their GOP opponent only had 5% of the total GOP behind him, especially since their system of selection is so different.
Maybe I'm too cynical, but really, given the last two primaries, I think I have reason to be cynical as far as the GOP is concerned.
I suppose there could be a rule where one couldn't vote for oneself, but then to enforce that rule, open voting would have to be enforced, which would result in voter intimidation, based on back room deals of the "elite".
Really the central "problem" faced in the primaries, to be blunt, is the fact that the majority of the states that vote first, and thus set the tone or momentum of the eventual winner, are not filled with conservatives. See the table labeled "Early State Primaries" here (forgive the Wikipedia reference, but the timeline of primaries is not exactly controversial, at least as a now historical fact, so Wikipedia is a reliable source here).
Note that except for SC, the rest of the states are, at best, mixtures of "moderates to conservatives", with the "moderates" outnumbering the conservatives. I mean, we know that is a fact, I don't think I have to prove that here.
So therein lies the problem. In those states that set the tone, that give the early winner "momentum", there aren't enough conservatives to truly dictate who is actually conservative, to give that person momentum. This is why I said long ago, when all the Palin fans were giving her a pass for not having entered the race when, for example, Romney had, that if she intended to enter the race, she was being foolish, because this is when the real race is decided.
What I've stated is simply realistic, pragmatic fact. We can argue all day about how "the reason the momentum is set so early is because the media hypes it up", but it's pointless to, as the famous song says, "p*** into the wind". So, that is the problem that must be solved, not the media's hype, because we can't do anything about that, but the fact that the GOP has decided, for whatever reason (wink wink) that these states should go first.
So, what I would propose is a change in the way the state's order would be decided. We have the technology now to be able to make this happen. Every registered GOP voter should be given an opportunity to decide which STATE goes first in the primary, then which is second, and so on. It is my belief that there are enough true conservatives in the GOP that care enough about their country to vote appropriately. For example, I live in MD, but I have no fairyland dream that to vote for MD to go first would truly help a true conservative nominee.
That is the only way I can see to truly solve the issue of having moderates rammed down our throat every nomination cycle. That, and/or of course true conservatives (like Palin) actually getting in the race very early, to gain momentum through the old way. (The problem with the latter of course is that the establishment funds the moderate nominees enough that they can sustain early and long campaigns; to that end, we will have to become another "establishment", encouraging true conservatives to get in early, and funding them, if my idea above is unpalatable.)
These are the only two ways I can see of curtailing the establishment we have now, IMO.
For some strange reason, my link to Wikipedia didn’t work.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party_presidential_primaries,_2012
Congratulations and thank you for your service.
Thank you for the congrats!
The service - well 10 generations (12 including my son and oldest grandson) of army brats does tend to set your life goals!
Pressure will come from Republican voters who oppose RINO priorities like tax increases and amnesty.
Bush backed down on Harriet Miers because of conservative pressure and Bush was a thousand times more stubborn than old Etch-o-sketch will be.
I was going to give again anyhow, but any excuse is a good excuse when the wife is monitoring the bank account.
Gov Conan wasn’t the greatest or probably even a fairly good conservative.
However, he set records re the number of his vetoes which prevente the rape and sacking of Californicator land by our rat legislature:
I don’t think that Moonbeam has vetoed a single bill, including many of Arnold’s vetoed bills that were resurrected by the socialist California legislature after they and Moonbeam took over.
Elect Romney and as many republicans as we can in the $inate and House and hold their feet to the fires of public outrage when they act like democrats.
This country can’t stand 4 more years of Obozo and his thugs.
If he is re elected, Obozo will stack the Supreme Court and do an FDR with terms until he passes on due to old age.
Thanks, Jim for this stand.
I had considered taking a sabatical re posting and my monthly donations until the election is over. Now that is not necessary.
If you ever do go on sabbatical take me with you
I need a vacation
If you think that would have been the case in the Bush v Clinton malaise regardless of the winner's percentage, then in honestly, you MUST admit a striking possibility of the same in this Obama v Romney malaise. {^) Come on, FRiend!! [^) "If not for a spoiler, Clinton would likely have lost." Really? I think if not for the spoiler, it's entirely up in the air as to who would have lost, as I think it's entirely up in the air which would win now, O or R.
And had Clinton WON with a majority, you really expect me to believe that you believe Republicans would have had the same momentum? Really??? Or do you know that the Republican "establishment" would have had the upper ground to warn conservative Republicans that they were a miniority? Just as they would if, God forbid, Romney wins? UNDERSTAND, FRiend, that Romney's people will be snuffing out every conservative uprising they see with the same contempt they have consistently exhibited toward conservatives, and you had BETTER RECOGNIZE NOW that a vote for Romney means a vote for a guy in office whose power elite will constantly remind Republican conservatives that the only reason the party has the White House at all is because of "moderates" like Romney, so conservatives had better sit down and behave themselves like good children, instead of raising a fuss like bad children.
WAKE UP AND THINK IT THROUGH.
Obama is hugely loathed, regretted, and even hated, including by a lot of folks who voted for him last time. If he wins again, then, another conservative Republican revolution may be "a matter of course" EXACTLY the same as you think it "may have been" with Clinton.
The TRUTH is that political support, being able to call a certain percentage of voters your "mandate," matters. An Obama elected by a splintered plurality would be put in a weakened and defensive position. I really hope there's a viable third party, and that's not its usual oymoron. "Viable" need only be good enough to make the winner enter office with a majority of the popular vote against him -- 66% would be nice, as in the "winner" takes office with 34% "confidence" of the people becaue the remaining 66% rejected that candidate.
Jim,
We have got to figure out a way to take the presidency.
Twenty years ago, I would have agreed that our true battlefields were local and state elections.
However, the problem is that the executive branch of government has been allowed to grab too much power. In my opinion this all started with Nixon.
Personally, I think it is time for a conservative third party.
Here is a bit of reality about politicians....all politicians.
Their job is to get elected ...once elected they are running scared and they respond to pressure.
to get elected they will morph into whatever appeals to the constituency.
Had Romney been Gov of Texas and not Mass he would have morphed into a conservative.
At least Romney will respond to pressure from the right (unlike Obama)
The job of the right is to get him elected and start building bonfires under his feet....and keep them burning.
this would apply to Newt, Caine, or anyone who tried to get the nomination
That's the worst-case scenario, it attributes God-like powers to Obama, and wholesale cowardice to every other corner of government.
WOSG, you are a wonderful conservative with many great observations and ideas. However, back in 07-08, you preferred Romney over the other nominees. I've done a bit of in-forum reviewing, which is how I've come to admit and admire much of your thinking. But here's the truth: Romney was as bad then as he is now, and he LOST then, was REJECTED then, as he SHOULD be now. Don't you Party Standard people ever learn? I used to be a Party Standard person (hey, I dutifully voted for Schwarzenegger), and I learned! I know that I'm no smarter or better than you are. When are you going to smell the coffee???????
Frankly, I think we have a much better chance of successfully fighting off socialized medicine and higher taxes with Obama in office by a plurality fluke and a clear, documented majority opposed, than we have of fighting the same (which we would ABSOLUTELY ASSUREDLY GET) with a Republican in office pushing for his own legacy with all the key issues in alignment with Obama's, including socialized medicine and global warming ecotyranny.
Remember, WOSG, you more than most know in your heart that what I am saying is correct: Romney in office means a Republican power elite telling conservative Republicans: "Look, the only reason the GOP even has the White House is because of us 'moderates,' so sit down and shut up."
There comes a point -- and we have reached that point -- where voting "pragmatically" is voting against our own moral and finiancial self-interest.
Does anyone know how many primaries are left and which states? How many votes does each have?
United we stand, divided we fall.
A third party would split the anti-Obama vote.
Thank you so much for expressing what has been on my heart for some time. When those who proclaim themselves Christians can support the most godless ideas and behaviors because they want to “win,” because they fear some man — any man, it is obvious they no longer fear God nor do they trust Him.
God cleans His own house first. Unless we turn back to Him quickly, I’m afraid something terrible is coming.
Romney has been tarred by other Republicans.
The media will tar anyone the Republicans nominate.
Gingrich would be tarred with exceptional venom by the media, but he has the advantage of having had every possible misstep and fault already exposed ad nauseam and of having learned to game the system with expertise.
"But, if Romney is the candidate, and loses, the Republican party will likely go the way of the Whigs. But it might not matter, since a long dark age will likely descend on the Republic.. and the world."
Whether or not Romney be the candidate is beside the point. It makes no difference who the Republican candidate is, the dark scenario you describe still holds.
When I spoke of a long dark age, I was fully aware of its terrible meaning. Intentionally I left the words long and dark unmodified.
Hmmmmmmmmmmm, let’s try this comparison:
The goons show up on your doorstep one day and demand to thoroughly search your premises for firearms and ammo.
SCENARIO #1:
They find your stash and summarily (a) confiscate ALL your firearms and ammo and (b) execute you with one well placed shot to the head. They leave the rest of your possessions and memebers of your family intact.
SCENARIO #2:
They find your stash and (a)force you to watch while they proceed to leisurely rape and kill all the female members of your family and torture, (b) dismember and kill all the male members of your family, (c) confiscate ALL of your worldly possessions and then (d) maybe or maybe not kill you slowly as well.
I think it’s safe to say that both are evil acts.
I think most folks would also agree that #1 is the lesser of the two evils.
I’m talking about the RNC, who are absolutely terrified of Sarah because she’d generate enough public pressure to get the Republicans holding public office to get off their asses and do something. They’d rather sit in lame-duck status with nothing to do but fly around the country, golf, and stay in hotel suites at govt. expense. “Sorry, can’t draft any legislation with a Demo as president, he’ll just veto it.” The current status quo is the perfect excuse to sit and do nothing, which they are happily doing.
She chose not to run because the fix was in for Romney ever since he stepped aside for McCain in ‘08. Running as an independent is a victory for Obama.
Thanks Jim. I knew that ultimately you would head off the “meltdown” predicted by the trolls, and regather the troops for the next battle.
F U B O !
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