Thanks to conservative “issues,” Obama now holds all the cards
In short, it shouldn’t be this way, but, as of today, the only way Romney becomes president is for him to win a bloody primary war and then have the economy be perceived as being in complete collapse. Even then, the general election would probably still be very close.
A more likely scenario is that Santorum continues to zoom past Romney, Gingrich finally (in the ultimate act of revenge on Romney) drops out, and Romney, stripped of his cloak of inevitability and electability, is toast. As impossible as it may be to believe (and much to the chagrin of Tim Pawlenty, who easily could have been in this position) Rick Santorum, who has spent years being largely shunned by the conservative movement, will likely be the Republican nominee for president.
Santorum, of course barring a catastrophe for Obama, would not win in November. He would be easily portrayed as too green, too extreme on social issues, and too prone to saying “wacky” things, to defeat Obama unless the president was all but a mortally wounded.
There are many people/elements to blame for this tragedy of the chance to limit Obama to one term being allowed to slip through our fingers. Here is a preliminary and partial list.
Blowback
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Ziegler, like other moderates, thinks that only a socially liberal candidate can win but Reagan and Bush proved that wrong.
America is not a socially liberal country. More people are now pro-life than pro abortion and gay marriage has been defeated every time it has been put on a ballot.
FYI. Reagan was the first Presidential candidate to run as pro-life and everyone said he would not win because of that position. He won in two of the largest landslides in history.
fight like a girl on February 14, 2012 at 5:39 PM
Romneycare and supporting all the bailouts is fiscally conservative?
And Romney says he holds the exact same positions on social issues that Santorum does. You must not believe Mitt is telling the truth.
fight like a girl on February 14, 2012 at 5:44 PM
What would Mary Jo think. Oops we can never know. Teddy was slime in a league by himself.
Annar on February 14, 2012 at 5:47 PM
really better tell the guys that run Mt rushmmore to take his face off the mountain then
unseen on February 14, 2012 at 5:54 PM
Romney’s social position are phrased a hell of a lot better.
(I know it is Think Progress, but the media will still play it and the moderates will still hear it)
http://thinkprogress.org/lgbt/2012/01/04/397355/rick-santorums-top-10-most-outrageous-campaign-statements/?mobile=nc
Fiscal issues wise, Romney is far and away the best candidate. Please don’t point to irrelevant things like Romneycare and he obviously did not support the Auto Bailout. He did support other bailouts, but so did Paul Ryan.
Make no mistake, Santorum is for a protectionist economic policy involving large tariffs and subsidies for favored industries. Just look at his tax policy for manufactures, who exactly defines manufacturers? Romney’s Healthcare I do not agree with, but he is not implementing that nationally and has said so repeatedly. On the other hand, Santorum is still advocating these tariffs and subsidies. His followers are still defending these subsidies, that is what democrats do. Conservatives do not subsidize stuff. Maybe compassionate republicans, but not conservatives.
ArkyDore on February 14, 2012 at 6:04 PM
Probably the greatest GOP primary ’12 article I’ve read.
netster007x on February 16, 2012 at 8:18 PM
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