Not Excited About Romney?

CE.com ^ | april 25, 2012 | David J. Peterson

[Salvation]

Not Excited About Romney?

• Politics
• April 25th, 2012
• David J. Peterson

This year’s GOP primary has been an odyssey filled with sound and fury. But, like elephants who never forget, millions of Republicans are muttering “haven’t we seen this movie before?” Conservatives who were looking for a solid alternative to Democrat Barack Obama are angry and disappointed. The party rank and file was opposed to the nomination of Mitt Romney, seeing him as a weathervane – willing to adopt any position or cause to suit his ambitions.

The Republican establishment, which is dominated by big business and the Wall Street elite, heard the same chorus of protests when Senator John McCain was nominated in 2008. The party elites argue that, as a centrist, Governor Romney has the best chance of beating the incumbent president in the November US elections. They claim that since his term ended in Massachusetts, a left-leaning stronghold, Romney’s positions have “evolved” and he is now closer to mainstream conservatives. Yet, his detractors say fielding a candidate who is clearly unable to articulate any coherent moral outlook is a big blunder.

American voters have not warmed up to the nominee. Since early 2011, Romney support among Republican voters in statewide polls never rose above 20 to 30 percent. In an ABC survey in March – just 34 percent of all voters had a favorable opinion of him. His unfavorable score, nearly 50 percent, was exceeded only by one other Republican, former House speaker Newt Gingrich, and by only one top candidate in 28 years, Hillary Clinton in 2008.

It is a mystery how a candidate so unpopular among average voters could remain the “front runner”. In addition, the single issue where Barack Obama is most vulnerable is his controversial national health care mandate. Unbelievably, it turns out that the original model for the “Obamacare” health law was first enacted by Governor Romney in Massachusetts. Both laws require everyone with income to purchase health insurance. As with Obama, Romney’s plan provides free contraceptive coverage, which Catholic and other religious institutions must pay for!

The outcome of the GOP primary season poses the question: is democracy taking a long sabbatical in the country where it all began back in 1776? First, there is the obvious issue of disparity in money. Multi-millionaires like Romney have a tremendous advantage over opponents. At the same time, candidates who are not responsive to the wealthy elite will always be swimming upstream. With access to unlimited donations raised by “SuperPacs,” the GOP winner shelled out hundreds of millions in slick attack ads – helping to vilify his opponents in every state primary. The two expected nominees have already raised a combined total close to US$400 million. Overall spending by both presidential campaigns in 2008 was $1.7 billion, 10 times what it was in 1976, and perhaps this will double in 2012.

A second major concern is how Governor Romney was originally designated as the front runner. Who determined that the Republican nomination was his, unless a challenger could snatch it away? It is hard to escape the conclusion that a corrupt bargain was in place from the start involving the top US elites, the GOP establishment and the national media barons. In modern election contests, the big media carefully frame the race between two poles, the liberal Democrats against conservative Republicans. In the primary debates the media make it next to impossible for a dissenting candidate to get anywhere near the nomination.

From 1970 to 2000, America’s former Christian culture has been stripped away like bark from a tree. As with Sarah Palin – a leading Christian conservative who was nominated for vice president in 2008 – a candidate who openly talks of a serious commitment to Christian or Biblical moral virtues is considered a “cult follower” or extremist.

This year former Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, former Senator Rick Santorum and even Texas Governor Rick Perry were all bullied and ostracized by partisan TV journalists. When Perry or Santorum made foolish statements, the media labeled them hopeless bumpkins who were unfit for higher office.

Mitt Romney’s blunders were criticized but labelled as just bumps in the road. But the front runner made several mega-gaffes where he appeared to be getting coaching from Ebenezer Scrooge. During the worst economic crisis in almost a century, multi-millionaire Romney stated “I am not concerned about poor people”. Elsewhere he bragged about how he enjoys firing people. He described government loans which saved two-thirds of the auto industry and over 1 million American jobs as a terrible mistake. After first stonewalling on his taxes, he revealed that by using loopholes and off shore accounts he paid only 14 percent, a rate well below that of most middle-income Americans.

For independent minded voters, including social conservatives and Christians, there is a temptation to simply avoid the race or to stay away from the polls this fall. The damage done by Obama in the next four years may not be as bad as one or two terms under a slightly less liberal alternative. Before he suspended his surprising campaign, Rick Santorum said the difference between Romney and his Democratic rival is negligible. Arguments about the lesser of two evils, which surface like a swarm of cicadas every four years, are sounding hollow.

As Plato noted in the Republic – in an oligarchy “there is not one state but two, one of the very wealthy, and one of everyone else. “If history is a guide, then Ben Franklin’s remarks at the 1787 Constitutional Convention should be noted. When asked – ‘what have we got?’ – he replied, ‘A republic if you can keep it’.” As in earlier eras, 21st century Americans will have to provide their own answer to his timeless warning.

 

David J. Peterson is an author and a high school teacher with a degree in economics. He lives in Chicago. 

This article was originally published on MercatorNet under a Creative Commons License.

[gghd]

This is a reply to all >3 of your comments. I am a Roman Catholic.

My Priest said, ‘Obama gave our Bishops the finger.’

I plan to vote for >anyone but Obama. I do not plan to waste by vote. I do NOT want Obama to be elected President again. I will vote for the Republican candidate.

As to the comment about ‘Try your very best, you will struggle, but I am for you because I love you.’

God gives >everyone the grace to get into Heaven. God gives >everyone the grace to become a —living saint—.

Matthew5:48, ‘So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.’ In my Catholic Bible, the study note says, ‘Perfect’ in the gospels this word occurs only in Matthew, here and in 19, 21. The Lucan parallel (6, 36) >demands that the disciples be merciful.’

Matthew19: 21, To the Rich Young Man, “Jesus said to him, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Luke6: 36, “Be merciful, just as (also) your Father is merciful.”

Thank you for being a Christian.

Please notice in the Catholic Bible, the ‘Teaching Authority of the Church’ uses the word >demands!!! We Catholics be >obligated to become living saints.

“Lord have Mercy!” “Lord give me strength!”

[gghd]

This has been discussed before. Please, see all my comments.

I will not >waste my vote.

As I have said, ‘My Priest said, Obama gave our Bishops the finger.’

[gghd]

Repent your sins. Kneel before Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness.

I have explained my position.

My Priest said, ‘Obama gave our Bishops the finger!’

[Biggirl]

I am both a Christian and a Catholic. Thank-you for making my day.

[Bigg Red]

All good points.

I am not at all happy about the prospect of a President Romney, but it scares me much less than another term for Obamao.

Romney is a globalist, but, at least, he does not hate this country like the Dear Leader and the people who put him in power.

[steve86]

Repent your sins. Kneel before Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness.

For someone who claims to be "Roman" Catholic, you sure have mastered the art of speaking Protestant.

[Bigg Red]

If Romney does win, I think we all must work very hard to found a new third party or bolster an existing third party in time for the next presidential election.

If Dear Leader wins again, don’t bother, as there will not be any more elections.

[gghd]

Praise God & for His blessings to be able to speak a different language than my own.

steve86 if you are a Catholic, you need to talk to a Priest about your comment on ‘suicide.’

Everyone in the world is given life itself from God. Our very lives >belong to God & not ourselves.

Everyone in the world needs to kneel before Jesus Christ and ask for forgiveness. >Perfect contrition works for >everyone.

[faithhopecharity]

Not sure I fully comprehend Texas (or any other) politics, but from what I have seen.. there are a few honest, decent, capable, reasonable candidates from a fairly wide range of the political spectrum actually, I don’t have to agree with everything they stand for to respect them....... (but these people often get weeded out), and then there are the rest of them - including especially the “corruptoids” (who should get weeded out, but usually win instead). My Father always said that we (as a society) get the kind of politicians we deserve (that is, the pols reflect the morals of the masses), but that is such a depressing thought! One thing I’ve learned is that honest, decent people are quite vunerable if only because they don’t expect, and are less prepared to employ, the type of “mean” or dishonest tactics that seem to win most of the time? There is definitely something in our culture that needs more attention than we are giving it....?

[going hot]

Call me anything you like ... I would understand, too ...

But my gut feeling is that Mitt Romney WILL NOT be the GOP 2012 Presidential Nomonee ...

It's gonna be Newt and Sarah Palin ...

I guess it's just intuition ... who knows ...

Just for S and G, how they going to get Romney to step aside?

[faithhopecharity]

Not sure I fully comprehend Texas (or any other) politics, but from what I have seen.. there are a few honest, decent, capable, reasonable candidates from a fairly wide range of the political spectrum actually, I don’t have to agree with everything they stand for to respect them....... (but these people often get weeded out), and then there are the rest of them - including especially the “corruptoids” (who should get weeded out, but usually win instead). My Father always said that we (as a society) get the kind of politicians we deserve (that is, the pols reflect the morals of the masses), but that is such a depressing thought! One thing I’ve learned is that honest, decent people are quite vunerable... if only because they don’t expect, and are less prepared to employ, the type of “mean” or dishonest tactics that seem to win most of the time? There is definitely something in our culture that needs more attention than we are giving it....?

[Gandalf_The_Gray]

For starters, we need to figure out exactly how so many other capable candidates were left behind or defeated in the Republican primary/caucus selection process.

I think the posted article gave a pretty good hint. The selection process is already over before the primaries begin. We vote and caucus like good party members, shoveling money into the candidates campaigns (and even more into the parties war chest). Meanwhile the media pundits publish polls designed to winnow the ranks of the candidates. The party pressures candidates w/ "low" numbers to withdraw and presto we have a presumptive winner w/o the required number of electors to win which is not a problem because all the rejected candidates (except Newt) are being "good sports" and are falling all over themselves saying "here take mine".

I would feel much better about the process if all candidates campaigned w/ a set budget, funded from the treasury, with no personal funds allowed. Such campaigning to end at a set date followed by a single night of primaries with every state participating in a statewide vote (caucus is what you do to a leaky boat). I'd feel even better if all states ran their elections with photo ID.

If DOJ thinks requiring photo ID disenfranchises voters what about me voting in the Wisconsin primary when the final decision has already been made? There is no point in a Wisconsin primary so the entire state has been "disenfranchised"!

The system is inherently corrupt and is open to manipulation by the party elite (and you better bet they like it that way). Money is the lifeblood of politics and as long as we leave funding campaigns a private affair millionaires will buy Senate seats and billionaires will buy the Presidency. So it was, so it shall ever be...
Unless we the people...
Change...
The...
Rules!!!

Regards,
GtG

[TheOldLady]

Boop the Bank Robber’s Nose!

Don’t Let Him Get Away With It!

Donate monthly to help abolish FReepathons
Sponsors will bark up $10 for each new monthly sign-up
Another sponsor will contribute $25 for each new Dollar-a-Day donor

[Patton@Bastogne]

.


Romney won't be asked to step aside at the Tampa GOP Convention ...

O-Romney will be thrown over-board (with extreme prejudice) by the Conservative Delegates ....

Why ?

First, O-Romney (Etch-A-Sketch) will listen to his "genius" GOP Elite-Insider Consultants ...

and start veering to the Left ... where O-Romney lives anyway ...

Day by day, week by week ... O-Romney will show himself to be a "mormon clone" of Juan O-McCain ...

then the O-Romney Gaffes will keep coming ... like Beatles hits during the Sixties ... week after week ...

by August ... "genuine" Conservatives will have "severe" doubts about O-Romney ...



Meanwhile ... behind the scenes ... Newt, Santorum, Sarah, Rick Perry will have banded-together ...

to stop another GOP Juna Mcain Fiasco for the 2012 cycle ...

this alliance will suddenly emerge at the GOP Convention ...

and torpedo O-Romney ...



Meanwhile, "back at the ranch" ... the Liberal MSM ...

thinking that O-Romney is the "target" will STUPIDLY start carpet-bombing Mittens ...

every day, every week ...

just like Joe Biden's (today's) attack on Romney's foreign policy ....

and the already emerging attacks against Mormonism ... as per the remark (yesterday) on the "Morning Joe" show ...



Obama and Axelrod, in their desperation to win (they KNOW how BAD Obama's poll numbers REALLY are) ...

will PREMATURELY start carpet-bombing Mittens ... Bain Capital, Firing People, Secret Federal Tax Returns, Luxury Cars and Homes ...



Unfortunately ... by August 2012 ... O-Romey will appear to both a "public remark imbecile" ... Quisling Leftist ... and "completely unelectable) ... 2012 version of Juan McCain ...

especially to the GOP Convention delegates ...



Romney has made a STRATEGIC MISTAKE ... he wants to win so badly, that's he's "forced" that win (although it's Fox News propaganda) ... way too early ...

and those "hard-core Christian" GOP Convention delegates from Texas, California (et al) ...

that O-Romney effective "stiffed" ...

will happily send O-Romney to the Planet Kolob at the Tampa Convention ...



A brokered convention IT WILL BE ...

with Newt Gingrich the Presidential Nominee ... with Sarah Pain as VP ...



.

[Patton@Bastogne]

apologies for misspellings ...

[going hot]

I could get behind that!

Especially with SP on the top of the ticket.

[ItsForTheChildren]

Well let's look at the other guy:

Backstabber. Check
Liar. Check
Panderer. Check
Dog abuser eater.
Ineligible. Check
Romney ObamaCARE. Check
Constitution destroyer. Check
TARP helper PLUS!. Check
Sharia supporter (goes without saying)
911 Mosque Supporter. (duh)
Follows New York Times Agendae to the “t” (duh)
Etch-a-sketch No integrity. Check
Loser ("I won.")
Judicial Nominations for ... DNC from hell
Sent Legions to destroy Conservatives Check
Despised in Massachusetts throughout the world
Failed as Governor in everything
Cheats (eg. Iowa) as a way of life.

Your choice.

Or do you guarantee that we'll take the Senate, keep the House and have no-compromise gridlock for the next four years to hopefully slow the decline?

[Sirius Lee]

I will not >waste my vote.

Of course not. You'll vote FOR Goode. Only someone evil would vote FOR one of the pro-homo pro-baby-killing candidates.

‘My Priest said, Obama gave our Bishops the finger.’

And I say, a vote for either Ayatollah Obama or Bishop Romney is like giving the finger to God.

On which side do you want to be? The one that actively works evil, or the side that fights for Goode?

[going hot]

Small problem, the man's got a rather well oiled machine, on the ground, in all fifty states. That goes a long way, and is a must for national office contention.

His competition in the primaries had/have very little prep on the same ground, as shown by the results so far.

The republican party is not about conservatism, or liberalism, or anything in between as the primary drive. It is about winning the most votes in novemebr, for the most amount of candidates.

Conservatives pull it to the right, as much as they can. They need to be on the rope to keep pulling, or the left segments pull it the other way. There is no rest.

Taking a break from pulling allows the rope to go further left.

Romney is a politician first, and a party member second. He heads in a direction that he and his advisors think will get the most votes.

Maybe the advisors and he are way off base, but he is getting the votes.

So, I just don't see sufficient ground swell forming in august to dump him for someone else.

[caww]

It’s very clear why you are voting for Romney. I will disagree with your reasoning just the same. Enough said.