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)
Consternation - n. A state of paralyzing dismay.
Consideration - the act of considering; careful thought; meditation; deliberation
Perry needs to get out while his endorsement can still make a difference to either Santorum or Gingrich. If he waits for another 5th place finish in SC, his remaining support will melt away and his endorsement will be meaningless heading into FL. SC is the hill that the conservatives have to defend at all costs. If they don’t coalesce around a candidate then Romney will be unstoppable. A northeast liberal has no business winning in SC, but he could win by default if the conservatives remain fractured.
Not looking forward to the day I have to start considering Ron Paul as the only one to stop Oromney. Conservatives will rue the day they attacked Newt for not being a “perfect” conservative.
Not me.
If there were a candidate out there I could support with any enthusiasm, maybe.
There is not.
I’m sticking with Rick Perry till the last dog dies.
I disagree. I think Santorum would be another Dole.
“There is only three other guys ...”
Come on Tim...if you want decent respect for your thoughts, at least submit them using proper English grammar.
It's having all three conservatives still in the race that is killing us. I hope Huntsman will stay in, I think he might steal a few Romney votes along the way.
Why would you say that we need to support the most Christian of the candidates then have to gall to ask us to consider a serial adulterer?
Newt Gingrinch betrayed not one but two wives. Adultery is the worst betrayal a man can make and he’s done it twice. Who cares about his debating skills the guys a traitor to the people who should have mattered most in his life.
I too am leaving Perry and going to the only man who actually values freedom and individual liberty. Ron Paul. I do not agree with his foreign policy but he cares about my freedom. That’s good enough for me.
I agree. Ron Paul is leeching onto a Republican candidacy because it’s the only way to get notice.
He should have run as a libertarian or maybe as a weird libertarian.
If the voters reject Perry, I will sift among the ruins and try to find someone I can like a little bit.
I disagree. I think Santorum would be another Dole.
Agree with both points.
His record on paper as governor was pretty solid IMO, but I’m guessing that he may have entered the race too early before his back properly healed, and the pain and/or pain medication made him sluggish and not up to par in the debates. But first impressions do count.
Perry has recently attacked capitalism and has said he wants to send troops back into Iraq. Worst campaign ever or dumbest candidate ever? Or Both?
Yes. To be or not to be.
We have one excellent candidate with a proven record as a proven conservative, and who is attractive and charismatic and could easily beat Obama.
the only problem is: nobody is voting for him.
That is something of problem.
But Newt keeps shooting himself in the foot and every other body part he can reach, and Santorum is beyond lame and probably couldn’t even win his own state who kicked him out for a democrat.
So, at this point, I’m sticking with Perry and hoping for a miracle, like maybe a long pass in overtime.
Peee-Uuuuuuu!!!
Smells like a bunch of quitters around here...
I guess what we need to do now is go ahead and let the little states decide for the rest of us who is going to go up and lose to Obama at this rate...
Lets just drop the whole idea behind the primaries or whatever the hades you call what they did in Iowa stand...
Remember there are a WHOLE lot more races to be decided in November than just this one...
Those that wanna stay home will be doing the most damage because the republican party leadership elite and establishment will have bamboozled us once again this cycle...
Forget that we have a few Senators and Reps to put into play, or take out, considering the circumstances...
But if you wanna stay home and get all boo hoo’d because Mittens is the winner already, according to everyone but us at this point...Fine...
That next morning after the November election, I don’t wanna here any whining or crying because the end of the world is nigh because y’all didn’t git yer lazy arses up and go vote for what you could pull the lever for...
Geesh, sounds like 2008 all over again...
And if you have a problem with what I just wrote...
Prove me wrong...
Gov. James Richard Perry will still be on the ticket when the Primary’s get to Texas . . . Me and mine will be voting for Gov. Perry!!! . . . My mother did not raise any stupid children, we know a good thing when we “LIVE IT” . . . PRAISE BE TO GOD!!!
I will not stay home.
I will vote for the Republican candidate.
Zero respect for anyone who gets on a high horse and refuses to do that because it is a vote for Obama.
You are right, Perry should have deferred participating in the debates until his back was healed. Huge strategic blunder, he should now bow out of the race and chalk it up as a lesson learned. Try again in the a future election. It will be mostly forgotten by then.
And the last dog is hardly dead. There’s only been two pseudo primaries, lots of delegates left out there.
For once, before the light of liberty is extinguished, America's youth, and the the world need to hear the ideas of liberty of Jefferson and Madison debated and defended against the counterfeit ideas advocated by the current President.
That is a task for a scholar who has the founding ideas on instant recall and is able to expose, rebuke and repudiate the siren song of "redistribution" and "helping" that Obama's foundations and training in "other" ideas have provided him--made more dangerous by his Alinsky tactics.
In the Year 1776, with leaders like Washington and Adams available to them, it was young Thomas Jefferson's intellect and ability which caused him to be the one the geniuses of America's founding generation called upon to argue before the people on behalf of liberty against the offenses of King George III.
Now, America has another "ruler" who believes that political position and title entitle him and his fellow officials to plan, regulate, control, and "take" the earnings of the citizens, in order to carry out their ideology's goals for "society"--overlooking, if they wish, the "chains of the Constitution" (Jefferson).
Much has been made about the so-called "intellect" of Obama. A debate with a historian who has studied civilization's history of liberty versus tyranny, especially America's noble history, may be just the spark needed to relight the flame of passion for liberty in America's youth.
Surely, if exposed, they will not choose dependency, mediocrity, and certain slavery to coercive government power over the lives of themselves and their posterity.
Santorum, and others among the candidates deserve places in the Administration which replaces Obama. First, however, the citizenry need to explore carefully, and be led to understand why freedom works to inspire, create wealth and lift individuals up and is consistent with Creator-endowed rights. That was the Founding philosophy.
That is a far different philosophy than that of the more recent ideologies of Mao, Marx and Lenin--ideas which have led to tyranny and oppression everywhere they have been tried.
Gingrich can, if provided the opportunity, expose Obama's bankrupt ideas of government over people, by explaining the Founders' ideas of Creator-endowed, thus inalienable rights, protected and preserved by a "People's" written Constitution for a People-Over-Government arrangement.
While this will not hurt me the same as it would others, I will not vote for Santorum..... I think he’s stupid. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2829774/posts
I’ll take my chances with Newt.
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