Posted on 04/10/2012 11:48:25 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
As he approaches the task of uniting the Republican party ahead of his all but official general election campaign, Mitt Romney will benefit from the same reality that's worked to his favor the entire race -- the composition of the Republican field. Specifically, Romney is fortunate that he had to beat out Rick Santorum to claim the nomination rather than Sarah Palin.
When Romney decided to seek the presidency for the second time, his moderate to liberal record in Massachusetts was bound to trigger a challenge from the right and set up a showdown, framed in shorthand, as the establishment of the party versus the conservative base. Had Palin been in the race as the conservative alternative, it would have been very difficult for Romney to attack her given the passionate following she has among many conservatives, because he wouldn't want to risk alienating them. Even if he had ultimately triumphed after a brutal primary fight, a lot of her loyal supporters would have found it difficult to bury the hatchet for the general election.
By contrast, Santorum came into the race with a very small following and was polling in the low single digits early on. Only when a number of other hopefuls fizzled did he emerge as the conservative alternative to Romney. Don't get me wrong, as I wrote earlier, I think Santorum raised his profile over the course of the race and proved to be a tenacious campaigner. But the point is that Santorum's support was as much about him being a vehicle for those who wanted to stop Romney than it was about a groundswell of support for him personally. His defeat is a disappointment to his supporters, no doubt, but less likely to sting as badly for as many people as a Palin defeat would have. Now that the primary is over, it will be a lot easier for Santorum voters to get behind Romney in the general election than it would have been for Palin given her built in fan base.
GO NEWT!
“Now that the primary is over, it will be a lot easier for Santorum voters to get behind Romney in the general election than it would have been for Palin given her built in fan base.”
How is that possible? It is a MORTAL SIN on your soul to
vote for a pro-abortion candidate.
Very true.
Really? I disagree totally. Rick did a solid job challenging Milt, but you know what? We will never know who's right. Only one of these two stood up and took Romney on.
Watch out for people who signed up recently to argue the pro abort thingy
He will be on Mitt's team to clear up his campaign debt
and to have his clients from KStreet. He couldn’t even fight in PA. Wake up people, he helped Mitt. He may endorse him so be prepared.
The RNME was behind the attacks and THEY LOVE ROMNEY FOR IT.
FLASHBACK:
The McCain/Palin ticket was up ++4 to 10 pts
in some polls, days prior to Election 2008.
So rather than helping the GOP, Romney and
TeamROMNEY and the RNME (Republican National Media Establishment)
decided
to attack Gov. Palin to throw Election2008.
Romney, and the Van der Sloot RNME RINOs for Obama in 2008
The Palmetto Scoop reported: "One of the first stories to hit the national airwaves was
the claim of a major internal strife between close McCain aides and the folks handling his running mate Sarah Palin."
"Im told by very good sources that this was indeed the case and that a rift had developed, but it was between Palins people and the staffers brought on from the failed presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney, not McCain aides."
"The sources said nearly 80 percent of Romneys former staff was absorbed by McCain and these individuals were responsible for what amounts to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."
aides loyal to Romney inside the McCain campaign, said The Scoop, reportedly saw
that Palin would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016, which made her a threat to another presidential quest by Romney.
"These staffers are now out trying to finish her off .hoping it would ingratiate themselves with Mitt Romney."
"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"
"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"
"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"
"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"
"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"
I disagree.
I reluctantly voted for McCain/Palin in 2008.
Soon after, Palin resigned as Governor.
Then she put on a three year political tease - “Maybe I'll run, maybe I won't.”
I saw almost no improvement in Palin’s national leadership skills during that period.
I think Santorum is clearly a better candidate than Palin.
He gave Romney a much tougher fight than Palin would have.
Fax me some of that stuff you’re smokin’, will ya?
Palin is STILL my candidate.
I’ll be taking a pen with me to vote.
Go back and look at Thatcher's early career.
Her clothing was ridiculous, her hair was ridiculous, her speaking voice was ridiculous, and her debating skills were ridiculous.
Over a period of years she utterly transformed herself.
Thatcher had a level of self-discipline and Conservative passion that Palin can only dream about.
No.
Palin doesn't need to change a thing...anyone who doesn't know that might as well be a democrat.
My disappointment in Gov. Palin is blatantly obvious.
Anyway, all this armchair quarterbacking does no good because Palin did not enter the race. So I am going to take the dog for a walk and listen to my iPod before I go to work.
Really?
In that case why did she not run for president?
Is it a character issue?
Conservative Americans have never faced a more perilous point in history.
Yet, your candidate, who doesn't need to change a thing, can't be bothered to run for office?
Four more years of Obama? Thats what you get even if Mitt Romney is elected president.
They way I see it, its better to have Obama, and at least you have the real national socialist, liberal fascist target. Romney is just a foil for the liberal fascist movement of Obama.
The GOP had the opportunity to invite a real adversary to Obama's nationalist socialism. Instead the RINO GOPers stuck their heads in the sand, and decided to promote the myth that Obama is not UnAmerica, and NOT unqualified pursuant to Article II of the consitution , and NOT a liberal fascist. Doom on them.
The GOP is now sounding its own death nell as a party.Many conservatives will vote for Obama just out of spite, and the GOP deserves it for what they have done.Welcome to the Nationalist Socialist Republic of the United States of America as it morphs into a dictatorship.
Thank you Rick Santorum, and thank you Newt Gingrich for trying.Watch the migration of the wealthy and their capital off shore.Watch our nation turn into something like Zimbabwe, under the tender mercies of the US version of Robert Mugabe.
Rhodesia/Zimbabwe and South Africa were and are majority black nations. The United States is majority white, with 12% being black. Without the Army firmly in his corner, how does Mr. Obama become our dictator?
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