I don’t disagree, I think we all have evaluted “the Buckley rule” in our own way and made a determination as to whether or not Romney was the “most conservative candidate who could win”.
Obviously, being more conservative doesn’t do anything unless the candidate can get elected. Sarah Palin realized early-on that her belief were too conservative for her to win, and she wasn’t about to compromise her beliefs. Gingrich and Santorum could not win. So here we are.
The electorate has changed, in part because of the economic collapse that has left many who would prefer otherwise with no choice but the government.
Whether we are at a tipping point or whether we will see another four years much like the last is beyond human ability to predict. But it is incorrect to blame conservatism because conservatism was not running in this election.
Rick and Newt would have stood a much better chance against the Narcissist in Chief than Etch A Sketch ever did. We told you in the primaries that he wasn’t electable.
118 million people voted in 2012, but 130 million voted in 2008. About 12 million sat out. GOP need to find out who they are. I bet they are Ron Paul supporters, and Evangelical Christians. For the Dems it is Reagan Dems who will not support Obama but not willing to vote GOP either.
Bingo! Give the man a prize. The banks screwed virtually everyone while Nero (every President since Reagan and a compromising Congress) was playing the fiddle and chasing after phantoms. The economic collapse creating more welfare/foodstamp/unemployed young people where idealism concerning conservative principles has been starched out. Like Europe (with its endless wars), a large class of people have been created who are now looking to Government and the rhetoric of collectivism as their panacea.
Pile it higher and deeper! Romney ran on a conservative and traditional American values agenda. He lost. That's all there is to that.
Stop blaming the candidate, the blame lies with the voters. They bought Obama's campaign of fear, they believe our misery is still Bush's fault, they believe Obama just needs a little more time to get America back on track and he's the first black POTUS in history.
No candidate could overcome the wildcard of that last fact.
The character of the electorate is also changing and radical racist elements stubbornly refuse to learn the hard lessons of the CA GOP. We must learn from history or be doomed to repeat it. Immigration MUST be reformed but in a way that there is outreach and understanding.
It could already be too late but that's no reason not to try. We need to marginalize and resist the crazies.