Way back on February 3, on a thread responding to a Jonah Goldberg statement about Romney's inability to "speak the language" of conservatism, my post was as follows:
Sorry, Jonah, but this is not as simple as "not speaking the language (of conservatism) naturally." When a person is steeped in the ideas of Jefferson, Adams, Madison, and Washington, it just "naturally" slips through in the ideas they convey. Remember Reagan?
Do Republicans seriously want to conserve America's constitutional principles? Or, are they just objecting to Democrats? Do they have a passion for liberty? Is this just about changing the Party in power, or is it about preserving freedom?
If their concern is for convincing enough voters to reject the idea of "a government big enough to give you everyting you want" and turn to advocacy for "a government small enough to allow you freedom to keep most of what you earn," then they'd better get busy seeing that someone is nominated who has been "marinated" (to use a word coined by Ingraham recently on "The Factor") in the Founders' ideas (isn't that what conservatives purport to "conserve"?).
So far, Mitt Romney demonstrates no such immersion. He has been "successful" in benefiting from those ideas, and he recites familiar words and phrases from patriotic speeches and songs, but that is different from understanding and being able to call up and articulate the philosophy which made such success possible.
Ronald Reagan's life and letters reveal that he had "immersed" himself in those ideas for years before he agreed to run for President, and that is why he could set "issues" in light of constitutional "principle." and explain his advocacy or rejection of solutions by that light.
Of the remaining candidates, the man who has devoted much time to studying the founding ideas, researching their origins, and understanding how the ideas of Obama are in direct opposition to those ideas is Gingrich. He is the one whose mind is quick to spot the inconsistencies between Obama's words and his agenda and policies.
The following is excerpted from "Our Ageless Constitution," p. 181:
"It was John Adams who said: "The foundation of every government is some principle or passion in the minds of the people."
"The French historian, Guizot, once asked James Russell Lowell, "How long will the American republic endure?" Lowell replied: "As long as the IDEAS of the men who founded it continue dominant."
The next few months are critical in helping voters to rediscover the ideas that made America a place for individual opportunity and freedom. Otherwise, they may fall again for the appeal of something for nothing--which is a sure path to slavery to government for generations.
Nor any desire to even try. He's already letting O off the hook on gas prices, which in all honesty is probably somewhat accurate, but it sure doesn't line up with the way Zero handled it when it was his turn. You can't stand there busily consulting your Marquis de Queensbury rulebook while the Marxists are swinging for your kidneys with a lead pipe. That's the one admirable thing about leftists -- they come prepared to fight and they fight to win. Wrong-me would probably end up basically endorsing The One like Lettuce McStain did in 08.