Posted on 01/11/2012 1:23:47 PM PST by Qbert
Following much thoughtful consternation, I have decided to pull my support and endorsement of Texas Governor Rick Perry for the GOP presidential nomination. I realize the redstate diary commenters, won’t be kind but this needs to be said. This decision wasn’t easy but a serious evaluation of the field should inform us that Rick Perry has no realistic path to victory in South Carolina, Florida and beyond.
I realize that redstate.com’s Erick Erickson continues to stick by him, that South Carolina is Perry’s state and that he has re-tooled his staff. But it is too little too late and at this point, Mitt Romney is all but certain to capture this nomination. I realize that he is one of the only smaller government conservatives in this race, but he has blown this race through his own actions and we can no longer help him.
I have been an ardent Perry supporter. On griffinelection.com, we have over 35 positive pro-Perry-for-President articles. But no matter how much we have tried to help Perry from the grassroots up, his campaign staff has been plagued with incompetency and Perry himself let us all down with his terrible debate performances.
The truth is that, this race was never about Rick Perry the person, we got behind him because he was the only candidate that had governed a state successfully and was also a strong advocate for smaller government. But his time is gone. Outside of the conservative blogosphere echo chamber, there is almost no support for Perry. As intelligent political thinkers we need to know when to fight and when to live to fight another day.
I chose Perry because I thought his bravado, record as a job creator and social conservative views would be the ultimate contrast to President Obama. Unfortunately, he has instead seemed aloof, asleep and shallow in debates. I above all people, hate to admit it, but neither Perry nor his team were ready for prime time. In fact, none of the campaigns, save Romney have been ready — but others have survived.
Perry was the ultimate Christian leader who held open prayer in Texas and held socially conservative views on almost every issue came in fifth place in Christian Iowa. In all honesty, he should have displayed the same responsibility that Ms. Bachmann displayed in bowing out then. Now, Perry goes limping into South Carolina even more injured.
He received 1% in New Hampshire last night.
But it isn’t simply his past failures that have brought me to this point. It Perry’s dismal chances of future success that has forced us to embrace someone new. Perry is polling at 5% support in South Carolina, his strongest state, his “last stand” state, the state where he announced he would run. I love Governor Perry. I wish he had never had the “oops” minute, but he is now polling at fifth place in South Carolina without any momentum at his back. With less than two weeks to go and a six person race, Perry simply has no chance to make a comeback this late in the game.
Even if Perry had a strong uptick in support, it wouldn’t be enough to slay Romney who is receiving over 30% of support in South Carolina. There is simply no alternative.
So, what candidate should voters support if they don’t support the candidate who is:
The father of universal healthcare and the individual mandate in America, the father of Gay Marriage in America, a candidate that supported abortion his entire career and still doesn’t think Roe v. Wade should be reversed. If you think gun rights are protected under the Second Amendment and that Ronald Reagan was the best modern day president, who do you go with? Certainly not Mitt Romney, he opposes your views.
There is only three other guys – Huntsman, Santorum and Gingrich.
Jon Huntsman had an above average night in New Hampshire last night, but losing to Ron Paul in his “must-win” state isn’t going to raise him above 3% support in South Carolina.
That leaves two. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich are the guys left standing going into South Carolina.
They both bested Perry in Iowa and New Hampshire. They are both getting the necessary press time. And in South Carolina, they are both receiving 20% support. Rick Perry is receiving 5%. If that 5% could go to either of these candidates, we would have someone who could compete with Romney’s 30%.
Let me reiterate, that this isn’t a normal race. If there is one clear alterative to Romney, that person can rise from the ashes and still win this thing. There has never been such a weak yet inevitable frontrunner in modern American politics. Because of this Romney will lose in November. The voters who stayed home in 2000 after learning of Bush’s DUI, aren’t going to vote for a pro-abort, individual mandate, Massachusetts Moderate. Romney will campaign without a passionate base. Sure, our leaders from elected officials to tv personalities will get in line, but many conservative voters still think for themselves and won’t. So anyone interested in winning should consider alternatives.
Overall, the base is just to unenthused about Romney to give him the nomination this early. His delegate count is still very low. We need to make this a fight. After South Carolina we have Florida, where Rick Perry is garnering 4.5% support from likely voters compared with 20% apiece with Santorum and Gingrich.
I ask that all Rick Perry supporters in South Carolina and Florida join me in leading. Please make the difficult decision to back a new candidate that can actually beat Mitt Romney.
Santorum and Gingrich are both infinitely better than Romney and a two-man race will make it easier for a victor to emerge. Over half of us are against Romney, imagine what we could do if we could unite under the umbrella of conservatism. There is still time.
(Emphasis added)
You know, when he had his gall bladder surgery years ago and it seemed kinda serious or at least urgent, and I remember seeing a big WaPo picture of him just two weekends later holding a slammer of a Denver omelet on a hot plate breakfasting up at his first speech since the surgery.
I'm thinking, I might give that left turn in the gut another couple of weeks before I hit the hot butter-ham-n-eggs factory...
No worries. The Gall Bladder is a side street off the common bile duct.
Being without it will make the rest of his life miserable, but he won’t know why.
The Buchananites of 2000, led to their infamous demise by Arator, the mass-banning, and their subsequent ill-constructed hamster house (a forum that shall not bespeak its name).
Rush was for Romney last election and he favored Romney this election too. Can’t help but think, follow the money
That did look a little funny, didn’t it?
I was trying to make a play on Gung Ho.
Didn’t work, did it?
I’ll take my chances with Newt.
The problem with Newt is he says the dumbest things. He is always saying “sorry about this. Sorry about that.” Now he is getting together with Clayburn and can only imagine how this will end up. He is very compulsive which is dangerous. Santorum is the one with the steady hand. Santorum has guts. Social Security has to be dealt with NOW. Cut it 10 percent across the board. People should have their own retirement accounts anyway. Newt is way too risky.
Oh brother. Have a drink. Forgiving someone is way different then giving him the keys to the White House. Sheesh. I forgive the guy but that does not mean that I will vote for him in the Primary. Forget it. Santorum is the deserving person for President.
Poor Saint Santorum is tanking in South Carolina. Romney and Gingrich are statistically neck-and-neck.
You go have that drink, sweetie!
I have not seen a poll in South Carolina today. Yesterday everything changed again when Santorum beat Rush in NH. Anyway, when is Newt going to provide us a medical physical. He doesn’t even seem healthy. He needs to lose weight before starting the general election if he gets it. I can’t imagine the comparison of Dimwit outside exercising while Newt is eating a donut.
Newt is fit compared to Gov.Christie of New Jersey!!
Here’s an excerpt of what’s going on in South Carolina:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2831801/posts
The former Massachusetts governor’s lead is so small in the Palmetto State that he’s essentially tied with Newt Gingrich, according to a poll for the Savannah Morning News and the Augusta Chronicle conducted by InsiderAdvantage/Majority Opinion Research.
Romney’s 23 percent and Gingrich’s 21 fall within the 3.6 percent margin of error. Rick Santorum, who came in second in the Iowa caucus is in third place in South Carolina with 14 percent, while Ron Paul, the runner up in New Hampshire, is effectively tied with him at 13.
Jon Huntsman has 7, and Rick Perry has 5 while 17 percent are undecided or favor a candidate not offered as a choice in the survey [???? - Sarah Palin - ????].
Newt is fit compared to Gov.Christie of New Jersey!!
Oh my goodness you are comparing Newt to a guy who is 600 pounds. Newt is at least 400. I bet they both have big time cholesterol and other ailments. I just hope if Newt is chosen, he picks someone who is fit and young.
“I don’t see Newt playing to win. I don’t see the crowds embracing Santorum. I think I’ll stick with Perry.”
Yeah that’s where I see it right now too. The Newt train is heading off the rails and Santorum does not have the organization and cash to stick it out for the long haul. Plus, the new primary setup where the ‘winner take all’ states don’t vote till April give candidates a good opportunity for a comeback.
We have to keep in mind that these new rules combined with an election cycle where our country is in deep peril and we’re facing the most leftist POTUS in modern times means conventional wisdom from past elections does not apply. Just the rule change alone-had it happened in 2008-may have kept McCain from getting the nomination.
This time around-I sense that there are enough GOP primary voters who simply don’t want to accept having the establishment ram their nominee down our throats again. In a normal time of peace and prosperity, we might have been inclined to give it up and say “okay, we’ll run with Dole, McCain, or whomever”. But this time, the stakes are just way too high. We can’t afford to get this wrong, and we sure as heck can’t afford to put up another RINO loser that will guarantee another 4 years of Obama under the guise of being the most “electable” candidate.
All that to say-Perry may as well stick it out and see what happens with the other two guys. Who knows, if Newt fully implodes and Santorum fails to gain traction, conservatives may yet rally behind Perry as the anti-Romney.
Please, I didn’t say he should be condemned to hell. But he has lost his credibility and position as a leader of men.
Saved? For eternity.
Leader? Never again.
I’m sure glad God didn’t see fit to do that to another adulterer, King David.
But of course, you are less than divine.
Santorum on Rush:
“and you know that I was a leader on welfare reform. I was the guy that led the charge in the US Senate and actually wrote the bill when I was in the House. I was the guy that actually helped end the federal entitlement.”
Ah.... you know that thought occurred to me after I posted, but I thought I'd let you explain. I sorta kinda got the double entendre (though I thought you meant it as in, 'westward ho').
I am with Perry until he drops out. If that happens. I will support Santorum. If Rick S proceeds to drop out, I will be lost and have to re-examine every candidate.
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