[BuckeyeTexan]

Bump that. Amen.

[VanDeKoik]

I’m sure Santorum is a perfectly nice guy.

This just isnt a nice guy election.

Newt is the most fearless guy to run for the white house since Reagan. He knows how to fight and does not need time to train and get up to speed.

[Squidpup]

No delegates have been selected yet and Iowa has a bad record for selecting the eventual winner.

Rick Perry for executive experience (minus the 53 seconds of bad debate experience) with Rick Santorum as VP for Beltway experience.

Rick ‘n Rick 2012!

[Redleg Duke]

Well-said, Jim!

The "Principled Conservatives" are unwittingly the RATS' secret weapon. The RATS play them like a cheap banjo.

[AEMILIUS PAULUS]

Good post. While it looks like "Mitt" at this stage the actual elections are yet to come. "Mitt" will probably take New Hampshire but Newt is certainly a big force in South Carolina and Florida.

I take the view that Iowa was a defeat for "Mitt" as the anybody but Romney vote was the majority.

Hopefully we can keep the "Eleventh Commandment" for the remaining primaries.

[no-to-illegals]

Another AMEN from this corner, Jim, to all typed by yourself.

[Straight Vermonter]

There are people on this site who, if the were playing blackjack, would “hit” on 20 every time. Your odds of winning get pretty slim when you do that.

There are lots of flaws among these conservative candidates but a Romney vs. Obama race means America goes socialist forever. Whatever their flaws Santorum, Gingrich or Newt would reverse this.

[JimSEA]

I’m not certain just what can be done. Free and fair elections are clearly a thing of the past. The media is central to the problem. Fox is about as bad as the others now.

What is clear is that anyone even remotely viewed as conservative will be savaged as soon as they show signes of strength. The Republican elite has joined forces with the progressives. The country can not stand a second Obama term as he is now intent on ruling by himself. Romney is no alternative. Occupy will trash any direct appeal and the control of the Internet seems at hand.

[bossmechanic]

Jim,
I support your arguement but you do yourself a disservice characterizing Romney and Obama as equally distasteful.
Your anti-Romney passion is well known and respected.
However, no one and nothing compares to the evil disaster of Obama.
My favorites - Palin, Cain, and apparently Newt have fallen by the wayside. I wish Santorum didn’t always look like he has a wedgey but I can live with it.
And if Romney is the last man standing, I will vote for him.

[BfloGuy]

Can’t argue with that, Jim.

[GonzoGOP]

You'd think "unquestionably" pro-life, pro-family conservative Rick Santorum whose recent surge took him to a tie in Iowa and who's now surging in the national polls might be good enough to stand against Romney for the base, but looks like there are "true conservatives" now attacking HIM as not good enough.

I like what I have seen so far, although I admit I need to do a lot more research. So the choice is between voting for just Santorum or broken glass support. Either way certainly good enough.

I could live with Newt. OK he was on the couch with Nancy and gutted conservatives with Scozafava. But he will fight for the constitution. And he is a patriot. Not broken glass support, but he gets my vote.

Paul or Romney. No, not now, not ever. I wold rather lose than win with either of those two. Romney has no definitive or substantial differences from Obama, just matters of degree. Paul is solid on the Fed, but certifiably crazy everyplace else. The nation would be destroyed with Paul, Romney or Obama. And if the nation must burn, let the Democrats take the heat. At least it will finish them off when the time comes to rebuild.

[reaganaut]

Amen, boss!

I could live with Newt, Santorum (my first choice) or even Perry, but I will NEVER EVER vote for Romney or Paul.

[RitaOK]

We all surely agree with you on the either-or condition we’re all in. Shall we get the cash and straws together, since time is not our friend, and just draw? EITHER we coalesce, OR, we lose to Romney. Even if our gut trembles that Santorum won’t make it anywhere north of the Bible Belt, or that Newt has too many enemies, yada yada, they are both our human hope, placed before us for a reason. Even the Apostles drew lots and avoided dis-unity.

[stillonaroll]

Well said. I've narrowed it to Newt or Santorum. It will be fun to watch them team up against Romney. I will not vote for Romney in November under any circumstances.

This is a year where we have no perfect candidate (have we ever?), but we mustn't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Most of the Republican field would be a vast improvement over Obamitt.

Note my tagline since election night 2008.

[RetiredArmy]

Put me up against a wall and shoot me. I WILL NOT vote for Rumnie or Paul. Refuse to do it.

[gargoyle]

...PING

[Grunthor]

“Ideas anyone? Should we all continue attacking the conservatives we don’t like until we drive them all out?”

Idea? Santorum/Ryan 2012. How’s that for an idea?

[Berlin_Freeper]

Some people have poor up-bringing. I read a post calling Gingrich a “scumbag” and I asked - how conservative is that kind of language?

And the reply I got was totally clueless to what my point was.

Thanks Hollywood!

[Old Sarge]

Gingrich is "unacceptable to the 'true conservatives' among us"

Santorum: "looks like there are 'true conservatives' now attacking HIM as not good enough"

James, you have it right. According to the "true conservatives", Christ Himself is a RINO because He associated with tax collectors and whores, and "true conservatives" would never do that, so therefore He's not good enough.

Personally, I am supporting Newt at this time. We need someone who will fight the Texas Cage Match that this election cycle plainly is. I would very much like to see Santorum grow a set of fangs to match. The time for milquetoast replies to the Left is over. It's time for street-fighting.

[musicman]

“Why is Newt So Angry??”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CLweKX3BkNM&feature=youtu.be

A 15 minute video showing the VERY conflicting “styles” between Newt and Romney. IMHO, well worth watching!!