Jim Robinson: Taking stock of our dwindling conservative inventory

Jan 5, 2011 | Jim Robinson

[Jim Robinson]

Tea party favorite and pro-life conservative Sarah Palin and her family were viciously attacked to the point she chose not to run.

Congressional Tea Party Caucus leader and constitutional pro-life conservative Michele Bachmann had early promise, but I guess came across as too "shrill" and consequently her numbers driven down to the point she exited.

Successful pro-life conservative Texas Governor Perry hit the race at the top but due to missteps and less than stellar debate performances soon fizzled and is now all but gone.

Pro-life conservative businessman Cain and his famous 9-9-9 plan had promise, but was driven out due to indefensible allegations.

Pro-life Reagan Revolution conservative Newt Gingrich reinvigorated his campaign and soared to the top of the national polls, but was unacceptable to the establishment and apparently also unacceptable to the "true conservatives" among us and his numbers are now plummeting

You'd think "unquestionably" pro-life, pro-family conservative Rick Santorum whose recent surge took him to a tie in Iowa and who's now surging in the national polls might be good enough to stand against Romney for the base, but looks like there are "true conservatives" now attacking HIM as not good enough.

Well, drive them all out and who's left?

Huntsman? Who? Moonbat Paul?

Ideas anyone? Should we all continue attacking the conservatives we don't like until we drive them all out?

Personally, I could easily have lived with Palin, Bachmann, Cain, Perry, Newt or Santorum and would be proud to enthusiastically support any of them, warts and all. Any one of them is infinitely better than Obama or Romney.

But if we don't land on one soon and raise him up over Romney, guess who we're going to be stuck with? And it ain't going to be pretty. And if abortionist/statist/progressive Romney (or moonbat Paul) is the one, might as well get used to four more years of Obama. I won't vote for or support either one of those two.

I'd suggest that we all stop trying to tear down the other conservative candidates in the race and instead concentrate on trying to build up our own personal favorites. Who knows? May even discover an acceptable conservative (if not a great conservative) in the bunch. We've never had a perfect conservative yet. Not even the magnificent Ronald Reagan. We and they all have warts.

But we do want to have a candidate with at least an actual CONSERVATIVE record and not an out and out liberal progressive RINO. So let's compare their records and their actual conservative accomplishments but not try to destroy them personally.

God bless and may the best CONSERVATIVE be our nominee.

[twigs]

Santorum IS a nice guy, but don’t underestimate him. He’s a bull dog and engages in any fight with the spunk and intelligence to do it justice. He was my senator for 12 years and I’ve wanted to call him president for much of that time. For my money, he’s the best candidate running.

[humblegunner]

I just spent 9 days fighting for Rick Perry in Iowa

Weren't you supposed to provide us some reports about that, missy?

Surely my "blogger" criticism did not dissuade you.

[muddler]

Gov.Rick Perry

Pro life, pro 2nd, real family values, limited gov. And can draw hispanic votes.

[AlanGreenSpam]

So if it’s Romney Rino vs Obama, you seem to be content to let President Obeyme and his pack of Greedy Liberals destroy the country for another 4 years?

Unacceptable under any conditions. Period. The country & economy can’t survive another 4 years of this crap.

Do you really think marginalizing the conservative movement for 4 years to some degree under a RINO would be worse than outright destruction of the American Economy?

If it comes to that after the primaries (RINO vs. Obama), we have to be pragmatic.

Not voting against Obama is a vote FOR Obama.

[fwdude]

Jim,
Romney/Obamacare remains the ONLY candidate (except maybe Huntsman, as if he has any chance) who I will NOT vote for as the nominee. If this is the nightmare I am faced with, I will concentrate all my available resources and energy into electing a solidly conservative Congress.

BUT I WILL NEVER VOTE FOR THIS UBER-LIBERAL IN RINO CLOTHING.

[chimera]

Of those you name, I'd say Gingrich. He has ideas, is smart, tough enough to defend himself, knows who the enemies are and where they are, and would destroy Obama in the debates. Not perfect, I understand, but if our goal is to first, defeat Obama, and then have a reasonably conservative replacement, I guess this is how we'll have to look at things (imperfect, but good enough to do the job).

[EGPWS]

He’s no conservative. Not even close. He’s a lying liberal progressive/statist.

And it looks like Gingrich is the one to take him out once and for all.

Gingrich is pi$$ed at Romney for good reason and I don't think he is going to be the one to sit by and take his lies passively.

Gingrich is showing fire and Romney can take some of the credit for it.

This election is the last chance for the GOP. If they are to survive they MUST support conservatism and they are not doing a very good job of showing support so far.

[aruanan]

Grant’s main flaw was drink.

How do you know that?

There is no reliable evidence of drunkenness by Grant during the Civil War.

[BooBoo1000]

Thomas Sowell said it best the other day.” The only one that can bring the country together, that has experience, in energizing people, that can organize and run the country is Newt. So let's get on with it, get behind Newt, and watch the Cat fight.

[BooBoo1000]

Thomas Sowell said it best the other day.” The only one that can bring the country together, that has experience, in energizing people, that can organize and run the country is Newt. So let's get on with it, get behind Newt, and watch the Cat fight.

[NoPrisoners]

I’m sticking with Gingrich to the end.

Me too. I'm tired of changing dance partners.

[Engraved-on-His-hands]

When the dust settles a bit, I think that we will realize that there are a lot of us in the same bunker with a common enemy. I support Santorum, but I think we need to realize that those people are our allies who have supported Bachmann, Perry, Palin, Cain, and Gingrich. (There are probably even some allies in the Paul and Romney camps, but you have to look harder to find them.) Not alienating our allies will be important.

Early last year among the people I considering most highly were Mike Pence, Tom Coburn, Jim DeMint, Sarah Palin, Bobby Jindal, and Rick Santorum. I was hoping that Bobby Jindal or Mike Pence would enter the race, because I thought that they were among the most electable of the bunch. One by one they began opting out. When Mike Pence finally decided not to run, I decided that I needed to go ahead and start supporting someone, and I decided to support Rick Santorum.

Of those who announced, my first tier was Rick Santorum, Herman Cain, and Michele Bachmann.

After a gap, my next tier was Rick Perry.

After another gap, my next choice was Newt Gingrich.

After another gap, my next choice was matching socks.

After another gap, my next choice was Ron Paul.

The next tier was this guy:



Then this guy:



Then, finally, this guy:



I think that, if we can consolidate the Santorum, Gingrich, Perry, Palin, and Cain forces, and then not freak out too much during the general election as the candidate, of necessity, makes obligatory noises to the squishy middle to attract more votes, then we can win this thing. I hope so.

[DeusExMachina05]

Anyone who would not vote against Obama is a damned fool. Romney isn’t the greatest but shoot, he’d be far better than Obama.

[EGPWS]

So if it’s Romney Rino vs Obama, you seem to be content to let President Obeyme and his pack of Greedy Liberals destroy the country for another 4 years?

If it's Romney the net result will be the same because Romney and 0bama ARE the same. The only difference is Romney will take down conservatives too via his GOP affiliation and THAT makes him worse than 0bama.

Romney will not get MY vote either!

[Praxeologue]

Great post!

The Eleventh Commandment should be honored, but it does NOT cover Romney.

[pollywog]

AMEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’ll take Santorum/Gingrich or Santorum/RUBIO if he will change his mind.
I agree with you 100%.
I would have stayed with Bachmann but as you said....the attacks were just too strenuous.

[DeusExMachina05]

He is for a corporate tax cut.

He is for keeping military spending at current levels.

He is for school choice and vouchers.

There.

[STARWISE]

**click to donate**

[jacknhoo]

I'll gladly take Gingrich or Santorum...no thanks to Perry, but I'd take him over Huntsman. I'll never vote for Romney or Huntsman. I preferred Bachmann and Santorum from the beginning. I'll even take Paul over Romney, sad to say it has come to that, but it has. I lived in MA all during Romney and I know Paul has to be better than that.

[LuvFreeRepublic]

Well said Jim and we need to rally around one person soon. I have used three criteria to assess the candidates:

1) Who has the ‘best’ vision/policies that will help to restore our republic.

2) Who has a track record of accomplishments that are similar to what will need to be done to implement his vision/policies.

3) Can this person win the general election.

When I assess all three criteria, I reach one conclusion, NEWT, and IMO, he beats all other candidate in all three criteria.

Our focus needs to be on saving America. Focusing on baggage is selfish posturing, IMO, because they all have baggage. We either have a fighting chance or NOTHING ELSE WILL MATTER. To have a fighting chance, we need to elect someone who is capable and understands the end goal, restoring America.