Posted on 03/03/2012 11:29:51 AM PST by jacknhoo
As the presidential primary draws near in Tennessee, some hard decisions face us. Newt Gingrich to me is the top candidate. Smart, experienced and a great debater with the history of solid results to get it done.
In his time as speaker he stood up to the media, balanced budgets, cut unemployment to half what it is now and did a wealth of other great things like reforming our welfare system.
He would make an outstanding president.
Unfortunately, politics is a cruel mistress. Things shift and momentum turns. After South Carolina 2 mediocre debates and some missteps (such as pushing moon colonies) in Florida, he left the door open to Rick Santorum. Rick took his opportunities and made the most of them by winning 3 states in a row. Dropping Newt to a distant third in almost all polling.
I was hoping Newt could re surge with a strong debate before Michigan. While he showed well, it was not to be. In Michigan and Arizona he stayed down at the bottom With Santorum and Romney battling it out up top. After the Santorum second place in Michigan and Arizona I know Newt was hoping for a momentum shift but that has not really happened either.
Now the moderate wing is trying to close it down saying the divided primary is hurting the party and we all need to get behind Romney and just hang it up. Romney keeps "winning" without gaining plurality and is racking up the delegates.
Nothing would make moderates happier then a continued split field to keep Romney in front until everyone just coalesce behind him. I have seen it too many times in the past here in Tennessee. Multiple conservatives divide the field and the moderate wins without ever getting over 50%. Polling shows Obama is nearly unelectable because of his unpopularity in key swing states. The only question is, who will win the primary. While I could support a moderate (Romney) over a liberal (Obama), I would much prefer a conservative over a moderate and a clear difference in policy will keep that split wide.
Here is where it gets hard. After super Tuesday without a coalition of the conservatives, voter fatigue and the moderate screams of "Just give it to Romney. He is inevitable!" will be overpowering. With no slew of debates to propel Newt back up to the top and too many states and not enough money to buy the media needed for a drastic sea change before super Tuesday it will stay close to where it is now. Divided, with one monied moderate and several conservatives ripping each other to pieces for second place.
Something has to change.
Now.
While I would personally prefer Newt and think he would make a great president, it is clearly getting too late for him to come back. As much as it pains me to say it, the conservative with the momentum and ability to still make it happen is Rick Santorum. Not that Rick is bad. In fact he is great in many ways, pro life, strong conservative credentials, pro family and a lot of the same ideas Newt has. It just hurts because my wishes for Newt to do well are so strong.
Unfortunately, while I am twisted inside because of my loyalty to Newt, my loyalty must first lie with my country and getting a country with a conservative leader must take precedence to my own personal whims of fancy.
Therefore, As of now, I am stepping down as the statewide co chairman for Newt Gingrich and throwing all of my support behind Rick Santorum. Going with me are the top 3 second congressional district delegates for Newt (Dr. Lenard Brown, Dr. Aaron Margulise and Scott Smith). We all now throw our support behind Rick Santorum and hope for his success. We encourage other people who are supporting other candidates (not just in Tennessee but across the nation) to follow suit and throw your support behind Rick Santorum so we can coalesce and have a conservative to lead our party, and our country back to victory and prosperity.
R-Knoxville District 7 — Part of Knox County
Stacey can see the writing on the wall.
Newt would win in the fall. He’s the only one who would.
BTTT
Newt would win in the fall. He’s the only one who would.
Even if true, you gotta win the nomination. I would vote for him in the general too but unless people vote for you in the primary. Nobody will get that opportunity. He is running a terrible campaign. I know I will be bashed to Heaven on saying such a thing but it is true. He did well in South Carolina and won the state. He got a little battled in Florida but still came in second place. He should have wiped himself off and said, “Ok second place is not bad. I don’t get delegates but second place is not bad.” He should have gone to Nevada and the mid western states and campaigned there without all the complaining he did over the winner takes all nonsense from Florida. Right or wrong it was not the time to complain. He would have performed well in the mid west if he would have tried. Then he said well I will skip Maine too. Then he said, “Well Michigan and Arizona I will skip.” Now he is basically skipping Washington. He continued to campaign in the very state (Georgia) that he should not need to but he is doing so to excess. So after 23 states at the end of Super Tuesday, he will win 2 states! Two states with just about 1/2 the country voting. If I was Newt, I would fire the entire team and start over. If anyone convinced him to skip all those states they should be questioned to see if they were part of Romney’s team giving Newt bad advice.
There’s something despicable about this and spineless.
Despicable and spineless to recognize the unviability of a given candidate and switching to a candidate who is viable and on equal footing ideologically ?
Blow it out your ass Stacey.
Please post in advance what Ricky will be apologizing for next week.
One thing conflict does expose however are those who don't have the stomach for it.
Another 'sunshine patriot' exposed.
The American People are ready to get rid of Obama.
The issue is replacing him with the BEST conservative we can.
Ping
Calm down.
No, more like a rat jumping a sinking ship before it’s actually sinking. There’s a dishonesty about it. A lack of character. He goes with the flow. Yeah, I don’t like that.
You’d better pray he does win the nomination, or we’ll have two Democrats in the general election. Willard has been waiting years to get even with Conservatives.
Gingrich’s candidacy went nowhere in TN. We all need to get behind Santorum to deliver the death blow to Slick Willard. Stacey recognizes that.
Yes, I am praying that Newt wins the nomination and the GOP would be the Party to actually change something in D.C.
Rick Santorum on Rush Limbaugh re: the birth control slut: “He’s being absurd.”
I’ll stick with Newt, thanks.
No. I’m sticking with Newt.
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