Posted on 01/15/2012 1:59:24 PM PST by shield
At least it was cordial. But the 150 or so "movement conservatives" gathered at Paul Pressler's this weekend (1/13-14) were a fractured lot. Maybe 10% were for Perry. Almost all of them were against Romney. Well, sort of. Caveat below.
There was an official Romney guy there who explained that "You'll either work with us now or work with us later, but you'll all have to get on Mitt's train, because we have the money and the organization, so there's no stopping us."
This did not go over well. It just made everyone more determined than ever to do whatever it takes to stop Mittens. How to do so is what the group could not agree on.
I'm not going to name names, as I was asked not to. Just about every big name conservative you've heard of was there. A number of them didn't come out for any particular candidate. Others said they were all in for Perry at the start, and just couldn't overcome his blunders.
When the case was made that Perry was the only candidate who actually understood the Constitution and the power of the 10th Amendment, the only one who was not a big government guy, the most successful governor in the country who has a rock solid record of job creation and conservative judicial appointments - they just didn't care. I want that to sink in.
These conservative leaders really do not care about jobs, people hurting like the Great Depression, America's economy falling into an abyss. All they care about is "the family as the fabric of society," and other Rick Santorum social conservative platitudes. So a majority of them voted for Santorum. They could care less that Santorum would not do anything to reduce metastasizing government, much less castrate it (like Perry would), or has not the slightest trace of executive experience of any kind, government or private.
When asked one-on-one why they were going for Santorum when they knew he had no money, no organization, and stood not a ghost of a chance to win the nomination, the truth came out:
"If we unify behind Santorum, it will force Romney to pick him as his running mate - for he'll know that's the only way to get our support in the general (election in November)."
That's the slimy deal behind this. They'll go for Romney if he goes for Santorum on his ticket. Should we call them Judas Conservatives?
We suspected this all along: Santorum is a stalking horse for Romney. A vote for Santorum is a vote for Romney. Folks in South Carolina need to know this.
The cynical ploy, however, will not work - and not just because the Romney guy rolled his eyes when told about it (Romney has his heart set on Marco Rubio). It's because there was no unity at this meeting.
The Drudge headline "Social conservatives back Santorum," is a lie. A majority of the folks there chose Santorum - but there was no agreement that everyone would now get behind their choice. Some will continue backing Perry. A much larger number are now committed to Gingrich as the Not Romney. Others are going to focus on doing whatever they can to see no candidate gets a majority of delegates for a brokered convention.
A brokered convention, by the way, is how Sarah Palin could get the nomination. Or Rick Perry.
So there you have it. This was a meeting that won't change the world, that won't change anything, except to marginalize these "movement" conservative leaders who really don't care about the fate of America. They say Perry blew his chance. They have blown theirs.
IF you'd rather NOT be pinged FReepmail me.
IF you'd like to be added FReepmail me. Thanks.
*****************************************************************************************************************************************************
The Drudge headline "Social conservatives back Santorum," is a lie. A majority of the folks there chose Santorum - but there was no agreement that everyone would now get behind their choice.
Mitt Romneys campaign manager and Drudge are working together to elect Romney.
Nov 14, 2011: Special report: The golden age of opposition research Original source Reuters .....Overall, Romney is thought to have the best oppo team in this Republican primary, with Yost as chief of research and Matt Rhoades, another veteran of RNC opposition research, as campaign manager. No one in the Romney organization would comment.
*****************
....."Frustrated rivals think they know the secret: a low-profile, hard-driving Republican operative named Matt Rhoades, who is Romneys campaign manager. Rhoades met Drudge, as POLITICO Editor-in-Chief John F. Harris and co-author Mark Halperin reported in their book The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008, when he became research director of the Republican National Committee and was introduced by his predecessor on a special trip to Miami. Rhoades has since been seen as a pipeline to the reclusive Drudge, who now has two veteran Washington reporters working on the site as well.".... Source
_______________________________________________________
A much larger number are now committed to Gingrich as the Not Romney.
Gingrichs Record on Property Rights........."Gingrich personally prevented property-rights-protective reforms of the Endangered Species Act from passing the House and then gave one of the most liberal members of the Republican caucus and environmental activist groups a de facto veto over environmental legislation. These machinations were documented in an article in The Environmental Forum, a magazine published by the Environmental Law Institute an article Gingrich cited favorably in his own book on environmental policy.".......
Are they crazy. ROMNEY can’t beat Zero. Chitwn thugs are going to tear him a new one.
Have IQ’s dropped in the last year . GOOD GRIEF.
What’s wrong with FR Moderators they insult Jack Wheeler who wrote this I placed in editorial and moved it to chat. What an insult to one of the top true conservatives left in this country.
It’s vital information and it needs to be circulated.
Knock off the attacks on other candidates. We're all in this together.
Is FR a stalking horse for Mitt Romney? Hope not but do wonder why this opinion piece is ignored? I hope folks wake up ASAP.
NO ATTACKS ON ROMNEY, seems to be what you are telling me. OK FR will not tolerate attacking Romney.
“If we unify behind Santorum, it will force Romney to pick him as his running mate - for he’ll know that’s the only way to get our support in the general (election in November).”
Iowa jettisoned Perry because he wants ethanol subsidies ended. NH jettisoned Perry because their fortunes are also tied to entities Perry intends to eliminate.
SC just got an Obama-SIEU face-slap with Boeing.
If the several states and their citizens wish to be freed from FEDZILLA, they need to look to the man who has done it and is doing it.
If not, they can live shackled with Romney and his FED nexus.
Good luck, the rest of the 49!
“Whats wrong with FR Moderators they insult Jack Wheeler who wrote this I placed in editorial and moved it to chat. What an insult to one of the top true conservatives left in this country.”
I’m not surprised at Dr. Wheeler’s report. I’ve been feeling the earth trembling for weeks. Dr. Wheeler wants the world to know we were sold out? How do we go about that? How do you explain it? It’s depressing. Santorum, like Cain, has just sucked the air out of the room. Serious candidate? The media is discussing his sweater vests. The smugness with which Citizen Cain is speaking makes me think Romney did in fact offer a job he coveted. He has greased up his smear machine again. He’ll still be jobless because Romney can’t win the general. There is no media to speak of. Clear Channel so-called Conservative radio isn’t.
I appreciate Dr Wheeler and appreciate you for posting.
We’ll fight. God’s will be done.
That is not what I’m telling you. FR is not promoting Romney as you well know. Support Perry all you want but the attacks on other candidates are out of line.
Thank you.
Bump!
Cain was also a stalking horse for Romney but some folks ignored that as well. But now he has shown to all his true colors with his TV appearance last night.
I’d heard Cain’s nasty bit of work on Imus’s show. Did he go off again last night?
Am I supposed to *ping* the moderator every time someone posts an attack on Gov. Perry?
That would be constantly.
When the case was made that Perry was the only candidate who actually understood the Constitution and the power of the 10th Amendment, the only one who was not a big government guy, the most successful governor in the country who has a rock solid record of job creation and conservative judicial appointments - they just didn’t care
That sums up the socons in a nutshell. One-issue voters...hope they enjoy Mitt !!
Mods are not interested in attacks on Perry. Just “select” candidates.
FUMR!!
Did you see where MR was buying a $50 vote in SC on National TV and nobody said a damned thing about it?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.