Posted on 10/26/2011 8:12:25 AM PDT by ken5050
More importantly, as one who loves FR, I felt that the discussions here should be available to supporters of all candidates, that we could openly and honestly debate their positions and merits. That's probably too innocent, too idealistic a viewpoint in today's world of blogs, social media, and the 24/7 news cycle..
But I never, never objected to JR's public dismissal of Romney as candidate, and his supporters, from FR. Again, as I have said many times, it is his site, and he is free to do as he wishes, including banning whichever Romney proponents he chooses. But privately I still occasionally hoped that he'd be more willing to allow Romney supporters to advocate for their candidate, and allow myself, and others, to contest those arguments.
And while I'm admitting to all my sins. I should probably own up that I still feel a little sadness at what happened with the great "Rudy" purge of 2008. Again I was no fan of Guiliani's, but I lost a lot of FRiends after that, some I'd known here since the Lewinski days. At the time, I wished it hadn't been necessary, that JR hadn't taken that course.
So, then, what prompts this confessional?
Well, this morning we learn that yesterday, while on a "semi-stealth" campaign stop in Ohio ( and very importantly, NOT with Gov Kasich) Romney DECLINED to support the efforts the efforts of Kasich, and the Ohio GOP to rein in government unions. I was gobsmacked. Hey Mitt, rememebr what happened in Wisconsin?This issue is the core, the heart, of what the Tea Party revolution, the resurgent energy in the GOP, and the election landslide of 2010 are about. And Romney has just told us to basically "shove it."
THIS IS INCREDIBLEY IMPORTANT!! I suspect that it will take a few days for the implications to percolate down through the GOP base, but if Mitt ever had ANY chance of getting the nomination, he can forget about it.
Using a mealy-mouthed, (and totally disingenuous) rationale about "states rights" Mitt demonstrated that he stands for absolutely nothing, not one single principal, except for getting himself elected.
But this thread is not about Mitt's failures (I'm sure they will be dissected elsewheres on FR) but rather about Jim Robinson's vision.
Simply put, he is 100% correct about Romney. He recognized the man for what he is, worthless and valueless. But far more importantly he IS 100% correct that we conservatives cannot any longer afford to compromise our values, our core beliefs. We can no longer be willing to hold our noses, look the other way, and go along just to get a win.
Until yesterday, as I said earlier, I felt that any Republican in the WH would be better than four more years of Obama. I worried, and still do, about the future damage Obama can do with Executive orders, SCOTUS appts..the whole panoply of powers available to the President.
But the country has been on a slippery path ever since Reagan left office..only now, the downward slope has accelerated to the near verticle. We have to stop this,and begin to reverse the path, and we will never be able to accomplish this until we have a true, principaled conservative in the Oval Office.
So, Jim Robinson IS correct. We battle Mitt hard, every step of the way, inch by inch, and hopefully we can knock him off early on, and nominate a real conservative. If however, the GOP establishment manages to pull this one out, then we ignore the WH race. We focus instead on the Senate and House races, seeking to elect principaled conservatives to the Congress. Where necessary, we primary RINOs. And we force Congessional leadership to adopt, and fight for, conservative policies, or we encourage the GOP caucuses to elect new leadership.
So, Mr. Robinson, here's a big, well earned, kudos!!!!..and a belated, though heartfelt apology. I ws wrong. You're 100% absolutely correct, and your vision for FR..what it is, what it stands for, and most importantly, what it needs to be..this year, and years into the future, is vital.
So, please, continue to profess, and advocate for, "these truths we hold to be self-evident."
And Godspeed.
FYI....and thanks
We will work AGAINST Romney.
FUMR bump!
Amen, brother. Amen.
JR owns this site and his opinions are a very important part of my interest in this site.
I guess that you missed that King Obama is ruling by executive fiat and rendering Congress useless?
Someone has a map of the blue states and counties in play... but I can’t remember who.
We can take out zero with Cain OR Perry.
RINOmney has the spine of a glass of water.
I’ll vote for ANY of the repub candidates - EXCEPT for him.
Period.
Voting for him is worse than voting for the Cretin-in-Chief. Why? RINOmney will simply do Obama’s slimy work more slowly and the results will be comparable to that old story of boiling a frog by placing him first in the cold water...then heating slowly.
Well said. Let me add that as a resident of MA when Romneycare first came out I bought into the “everyone must have insurance to pay their own cost” as a conservative idea. I even came here in 2006 and argued in support of it. It was Jim Robinson that planted the seeds of “dissent” in my mind and made a very logical and constitutional case against the individual mandate. That lead to much more research and thinking on my part and soon I was in steadfast opposition to the individual mandate and Romneycare and hence Romney. As the results of Romneycare have become evident in MA ...it is a total financial and service disaster...it becomes clear that Jim called this correctly and I credit him for planting the seeds of right thinking in my brain and no doubt many others.
And I stand in firm opposition to Romney as my past choice in the GOP primary.
Welcome to four more years of Obama.
He would have to be better than that idiot in the WH now!! To ignore the WH and only work for congressional candidates would be a huge mistake. The President has too much power to ignore.
I do however agree with most of JimR thoughts on Romney. I think Romney is nothing more than a George H.W. Bush liberal.
Excellent strategy, the beltway RINO boob pundits like Karl Rove need to be shut out and shut up.
These morons don’t get the fact that they are NOT real conservatives.
Speaking as one who has eaten his humble pie more than a few times on this forum I tip my hat to you and stand with you on this.
/Gunner sends
Slower is better, it gives us more time to defend.
The point isn’t Romney or BO, the point is to beat Romney in the primaries so its not even an option.
You have been here long enough to know better. Don’t let it happen again.
Well put.
BTTT
As with Romney, if the Republicans nominate Perry then there is no “We.”
Many of those of us who have followed Perry’s career here in texas, and spent the last decade bitterly opposing his liberal causes will go write in or third party.
Perry can not carry Texas just as Al Gore could not carry Tennessee, and the polls show it. And that is a very good thing. If the slide into socialism is going to continue at any pace, let it be under a democrat.
Ken’s always been a good guy. JR for President. Let’s work together to make sure Romney’s ass never sits in the Oval Office!
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