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)
Because the ones that shape the sheeples minds say so the media.If they say it over and over and over all day and night that it is Romney’s to Fla. or even now (as some have said) then it is what it is what they say.Historically the nominee is picked in SC but it may be Fla. who knows?Does anyone know if the GOP has bought the Gov. of Florida’s Romney endorsement?
I don't know about that. Get a look at his voting record here:
Oh? Post Gingrich's record, and let's compare.
You spout off crap like this better than a sleeper troll would.LOL no one attacked Sarah.Now I saw plenty of Perry,Bachmann attacks all in the name of Palin and those that did not swear allegence to Palin and Palin only were attacked.Palin didn’t run and people lost interest in her and moved on. Sadly some didn’t.
You saying people are not conservatives because they did not start 7 Palin threads a day whether she was running or not; or support only Gingrich presently is ridiculous.Especially since Gingrich was a Pelosi sofa RINO not too long ago.
????
I was going to support Palin, she didn’t run (largely the reason for the trouble we are in). I was going to support Cain, he had a closet full of sex scandals. I was going to support Perry, he was unable to handle a debate. I am now going with Santorum, and I am done switching my support until primary is over. Newt is good on most issues, but the sanctity of marriage is very close to my heart and a serial adulterer with two divorces cannot speak authoritatively on the matter.
So that is that.
You like Vulture Capitalism?
You’re judging the whole country based on Looneyville.
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.I love stage managers, because I like being stage-managed.
When Perry just did NOT gain traction, I thought I would reluctantly go to Santorum. But Santorum seemed whack! No way.
So I am back to Perry.
In the end. I vote for whoever the nominee is because literally ANYONE is better than Obama. Anyone!
NO!
You say that like you're talking to a bunch of n00bs who only showed here last week. Sarah's supporters have been defending her against attacks by the PDS afflicted on this website for nearly three years.
The obama loving media
The cult of the INDEPENDENT Ron Paul cultists, reminds me of 2008, look what that got us
The anti-Perry ....Bush/Rove gang
On second thought; it ain’t ova till MO sings.
Perry COULD place first or second in SC.If he doesn’t then he is done.
“Conservatives will rue the day they attacked Newt for not being a “perfect” conservative.”
Boy you said it. He can beat Romney and Dumbama. Santorum can’t, he did not take advantage of Iowa...and got ZERO Bounce.
He just isn’t strong enough to go toe to toe with cutthroat Romney. There is a reason that Romney didn’t attack Santorum, he knows he will bowl him over.
But, I still say the old South style conservative will go for the experienced conservative with accomplishments in Gingrich.
Romney is not “inevitable”. NH, if anything, was not good news for Mittens. 40% of the vote is hardly a mandate. Expecially considering that the rube Paul wasn’t far behind. Unless people like this writer begin to see the larger picture the Mittster and the RINO-led, demrat-controlled GOP will pull this sham off.
Romney is in for a run of primary losses. I don’t see any friendly territory for him outside New England. It’s time for Gingrich and Perry to do the country a favor and make way for the Conservative Santorum. If we rally around him early and in strength the GOP will have to decide if it wants to regain its opposition party (to the demrat party) status or openly become an arm of the demrat party.
“Unfortunately, he has instead seemed aloof, asleep and shallow in debates.”
It only took this CLOWN 6 months to figure out what people here in Texas have known for over a decade...and his words apply to a LOT MORE than a few debates.
LOL!
The time for traditional conservatives to coalesce around one candidate was about 4-6 months ago. At this point, the nomination is going to be run like a marathon and only two candidates have the resources to stay in it for the long haul: mittens and Ron Paul.
I doubt that any of the remaining candidates will pull out before Florida. They’ll just continue to split the anti-mittens vote 5 ways.
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.