Sorry SCP, but the events of the past few days have converted me into a very grudgingly ABO voter. The President’s primary job is to deal with foreign policy and federative issues, and the differences between Obama and Romney have become very clear on these.
I understand where you all are coming from, however, and can understand why you still would not like Romney. I’m not going to join in the chorus of attacks on Goode voters that characterises many on here at FR.
But at this point, I just can justify not voting for Romney on the argument that “yeah, well, we *really* should elect a true conservative!!!” Yes, you’re right, we should.
But we won’t. I think the large bulk of conservatives in this country have shown that they’re not going to vote for a principled third party (yet, at least). As such, continuing to harangue them about it isn’t going to do much. It really IS between Romney and Obama, and as bad as Romney is, I at least want Obama out worse than I despise Romney. At least Romney wouldn’t be apologising to Islamists and allowing them to attack our embassies with impunity - something dealing with the President’s primary constitutional role.
My hope is that we get Obama out in 2012, and that by 2016 conservatives will have figured out that either the GOP needs to re RADICALLY restructured, or else it needs to disappear and be replaced. I think a Romney administration will be a great disappointment to most of these folks adamant for him on here and elsewhere, and maybe they will finally be willing to consider some alternative options.
Make no mistake, I’d love to see Romney be primaried and lose in 2016, or else have his party pulled out from under him by then. But for now - Obama has to GO. This isn’t just a matter of theoretics, it’s a matter of national life versus death at the present time.