Posted on 01/02/2012 7:19:06 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Tomorrow less than 20 percent of registered Republicans in Iowa are going to tell us who they believe should take on President Obama. Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman, who has bypassed the caucuses, said last week that Iowa picks corn, not presidents. Is he correct?
Well, if you ask Mike Huckabee, he would say yes. But on the other hand, Obama did win the state.
Iowa’s importance will be in whittling down the field of contenders. It is most likely going to claim several conservatives, which means that their voters could flock to another right-wing candidate — not necessarily the frontrunner.
If Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich gets an Iowa bump, as Huckabee did, you can expect establishment Republicans to once again pound the message that voters have to nominate a moderate to win the presidency.
This theory makes sense for the commonwealth, because we are the People’s Republic of Massachusetts. That’s why U.S. Sen. Scott Brown does not vote as conservatively as we all want.
However, the rest of the nation is not Massachusetts, so GOP voters can hold out for a Ronald Reagan conservative.
For years the Democrats believed they could not nominate an ultra-left-winger and win the presidency. That was one of the major reasons given in 2004 to end Vermont’s former Gov. Howard Dean’s candidacy. Obama trashed that hypothesis.
Compared to Barack, Hillary Clinton looks like Margaret Thatcher.
In 2008, Republicans dutifully nominated U.S. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
Despite publicly criticizing then-President George W. Bush on federal spending, McCain was otherwise an establishment moderate because of his record of being part of the Senate Gang of 14 and a supporter of amnesty for illegal immigrants.
When Republicans select a moderate, the nominee cannot run to the middle to win over voters. Actually, the candidate has to do the opposite to make sure there is no base abandonment.
Moderation can impel Republicans to stay home rather than vote, as we saw in the disastrous 2006 and 2008 elections. GOP voters were angry at our elected officials for increasing spending, growing entitlements, etc. They repaid them by refusing to vote.
Being a shrewd politician, McCain tried to motivate the base by picking Alaska’s Gov. Sarah Palin.
It wasn’t enough to retain conservative voters when he stumbled over the market meltdown, and in the end, even moderates such as Colin Powell ditched McCain.
We have been there and done this moderate candidacy against Obama. Are we going to repeat this unsuccessful model?
Anyone who uses the pejorative “right wing,” an epithet used to smear conservatives, automatically loses me.
The Republican Establishment tore Huck apart after he won Iowa and they will do the same to Santorum starting Wednesday.
Willard the Abortioner is their guy.
Ping!!
Moderation doesn’t mean stagnation anymore. It just means slightly slower acceleration in the same wrong direction.
At that point I will support the nominee.
Reagan was correct.
Conservatives make up a plurality of voters in this Country, perhaps even a majority. If Republicans run a Conservative, Conservative voter turnout is extremely difficult to overcome for any opponent. Yet, here we are again, with most of the pundits telling us we must cater to a small minority of voters, potentially sacrificing a much larger voting block...us!
I have a very strong belief that many of the people who claim to be on our side (the Faux Conservative crowd) would actually be just fine with four more years of Obama, hence they are pushing McCain Romney.
That is not true. Obama did not run as he governed. No history and hidden past, Obama ran as a moderate but governs as a marxist. That is why his support has dropped off, people are wondering why they did not see it before and why they ever bothered to vote for him in the first place.
Though he is right about moderates and RINOs also known as liberal republicans. They lose every time.
Obama’s picking his nose.
Holly Robichaud is certifiably stupid. She is the best MA GOP can do!
This state is a joke.
Correction, Holly is a she.
Agree completely. Moderates will slowly saw our collective heads off whereas liberals will chop our heads off.
We need to destroy the GOP establishment first, and then deconstruct the federal government to it’s Constitutional roots.
That candidate is not yet running. Paul comes the closest, I’m sad to say, but lacks the spiritual vision of where we are vis-a-vis with the end of this age.
“A choice, not an echo.”- Barry Goldwater
In this day and age when the Democrats are nothing more than communists and so-called ‘moderate’ Republicans might as well be Democrats, I want a true Republican. I want a socially conservative, fiscally conservative President who runs a tough, aggressive foreign policy that other nations will have to step aside for or get blown to bits. I want a President, who, when a gun control bill lands on his desk, vetoes it saying “this is some dumb ***t”. I want a President who actually believes in capitalism. I also would like a President who was immoderate in defense of those things, shouting down the leftists and telling them to their face they are wrong. I want the choice to be laid to the voters to decide, not between communism and socialism, but communism and capitalism. I want clear opposition to the policies of the left, not cooperation, not a weaker version of it.
“Moderation in war is imbecility”- Admiral Sir John Fisher
“War is politics carried on by other means.”- Karl von Clausewitz
Based on the two above maxims, moderation in politics is imbecility.
Is King Obama back from his Royal vacation yet?
All rested up is he?
I think, he is in for a rude awakening.
Like Dole or McCain?
If the only reason to vote was who believes that the Constitution was the law, the choice would be easy.
But is this really 1803? Did we abuse this document so much we cannot go back?
I think so.
RNC, roll us out a real candidate.
Thank you.
Compared to Obama, Hillary Rotten looks like Thatcher? How stupid. When has Hitlery disagreed with the Punk during these past 3 years? Never. They are cut from the same hammer and sickle flag. Bob
No offense, but you seem to pick up on the MSM’s BS right away and promote it.
After NH we will see some coalescence, and I expect Obama to see some grief.
Ron Paul is running as the other Obama, and we have not seen that scenario before.
Paul could destroy the true conservatives in the 3rd tier, but he could also cause disgruntled Obama voters to split.
I think the later is more likely.
I expect Perry and Gingrich to come after Paul and him hard.
Huckabee had some real issues with his (so called) Conservative credentials. Santorum does not.
I don't agree that the establishment Republicans tore Huckabee apart. If anyone was guilty of criticizing him, it was me and my fellow Conservatives.
Don't worry though, they will try and attack Santorum and Conservatism. While I admit Santorum wasn't my first choice in this election cycle, the fact that he is a “Right Wing” Conservative makes him appealing to me. I've always believed that if you have a Presidential candidate who is a true Conservative and can articulate the ideology, in most cases you have a winner. Newt articulates the ideology, yet his believability is questionable. Perry is Conservative on some issues, questionable on others, and doesn't have a track record of articulating anything well (this election). With Santorum (compared to the rest of the field), we have a Conservative who is intelligent, experienced, and can articulate. No guarantees, but he seems to be the logical choice.
You must be kidding!
Obama and the Clinton’s HATE each other!
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