[spetznaz]

I look at it in a different way. It was an expensive lesson for Conservatives, and I hope they got the lesson. If they got it, the next election cycle will see Conservatives coalesce around ONE person pretty early. That way they can be able to bestow on that person the needed financial and optics momentum required to garner the GOP seat. This cycle saw a lot of Conservatives acting in granular fashion, where they would clump by 'tribe' around several people. Not only that, but if you supported person A you likely ended up undermining person B.

I hope the expensive lesson was worth it, otherwise next cycle you will see some Conservative with the right fiscal ideas and mechanisms of achieving them, a proper social conservative focus, a keen understanding of the Constitution, and well honed energy and foreign policy experience; get thrown under the Conservative bus because he/she believes in evolution or some other reason that makes 'tribe' A, C, G, and X think he/she is anathema.

[Smokin' Joe]

the next election cycle will see Conservatives coalesce around ONE person pretty early. That way they can be able to bestow on that person the needed financial and optics momentum required to garner the GOP seat.

In North Dakota, Santorum got roughly 40% of the caucus vote, Ron Paul roughly 25%, but the GOP muckety mucks put up a slate with 16 of 25 delegates avowed Romney supporters. They even shut off microphones to quell dissent.

When the GOP pulls crap like that, they can pucker up and kiss my hindparts. If I wanted to be railroaded, I'd take Amtrack.

[DH]

Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.
Go to post #2.

And...finally you just might get the message.

[Darren McCarty]

I agree, also problems with the presidency cycle were this.

1. The perfect is the enemy of the good, or at least acceptable.

2. A large number of people tore down other candidates to support someone who wasn't even running. When she didn't run, it was a massive shift of the non-Romney until the flaws were shown. Santorum lasted the longest.

3. Pawlenty exited early after Iowa straw poll. Three months is a lifetime in politics. People looked for a serious candidate as an alternative to Romney and he could have been it. He's not perfect, but could have gotten enough conservatives and establishment together to be acceptable instead of that guy we're stuck with now.