First it should be clear I am not anti anyone. Out of the top three GOP contenders I think all have assets, all have weakness, and all are good decent good men. It is not a easy thing to put yourself out in the public square in this day and age. That should be respected.
Second it's clear Mitt Romney is going to win this thing. I have no problem with that. I am not really anti Mitt.
He does not set my world on fire but that is me. I also have no problem with GOP hopefuls still running after Louisiana so too put their argument forth. That is important too. Still unless Romney drops dead it's clear to me he will win.
As the famous Edwin Edwards would put it - The only way Romney loses the GOP nomination is if he is caught in bed with a live boy or dead girl. It's hard to beat the math here.
But people have a right to make statements ,and people that take time out of their lives to support people need to be heard.
So I think there is a positive benefit for this to go on. Not everything here is about the eventual winner. There are issues in States that are ignored these primaries give a window on. So hurrah for the ongoing Civics lesson.
I was very tempted to vote for Rick Santorum.
Confession time- Before this race I never really liked Rick Santorum. It was more of a personality thing. However after following him I have opened up to him greatly. I also respect his wiliness to say what he believes. Even when this was not popular. Take the Porn Issue. Rick Santorum never really made Porn a issue in this race beyond some things he had on his web site. But once asked about it he did not back down.
I very much get the First Amendment issues here , and in some practical applications of proposed law would differ from some social conservatives.
Still in this age of "war on women" it is hard to imagine something worse than the porn industry.
An industry that seems not to be regulated under any practical work safe regulations , and where the dirty little secret is that the line between rape and consent to get the product out is a thin one. If you have to have your models DRUNK or high out their minds to tignore the mental and often physical pain well lets me say this is worse than what Catholic Hospitals are doing.
People did not want to hear it. People did not want to hear about the obvious social cost because well people like Porn. But Rick stood up there ,and took the arrows. I use that as just one small example.
Also it's hard for me not to vote for Rick Santorum because of the attacks on his Catholicism. I am not sure Democrats and liberals have realized the cost of that yet. It has been offensive to me ,and has probably swore me off voting for any Democrat for some time.
I asked yesterday this question. Why are the attacks on Rick Santorum , and his "13th Century" Catholicism, as the New York Times put it so persistent at this late stage. Surely the media and politicos must realize as I do the MATH is getting impossible for Santorum to win. So why the doubling down?
I have to think it is partly to make his Orthodox Catholicism a non player in the future. That is people like me and many Blue Dog Catholic Louisiana Democrats from just a decade ago are dangerous! We are the new Theocrats , and that is not acceptable.
Rick has other virtues and of course some weakness.
But I am not voting for Santorum. I am voting for Newt Gingrich.
Newt has his faults , and needless to say he has less of a chance with the math than Santorum. But in practical terms he is just as good on the social issues as Rick Santorum. Though I recognize his personal life presents some challenges.
He seems to get the Louisiana energy issues like Santorum does. Further he seems to get certain Louisiana issues such as having to battle the Corp of Engineers from issues to a to z . An issue as Louisiana prepares to implement his master plan to save our Coast that will be critical.
I also like he is a man of big IDEAS. American was based on a big idea , and it's expansion into a world power was based on big ideas. Now this can be a downfall. One can say Newt throws out too many big ideas. But I have to admit when was talking about the space program he got my attention. The fact that so many seemed so anti visionary in their absolute ridicule of his Space ideas also got my attention. What else does that lack of vision go into? Newt is an OPTIMIST! and that is what has made America great.
However here is the main reason I am voting for NEWT.
It seems he gets the Hispanic vote ,and it's future to the GOP. He understand listening, tone, and nuance are important.
Besides Rick Perry ,Newt has been the only one that has dealt with Latino concerns with some degree of sophistication. Even at this late stage in Louisiana when he needs every vote he can get. See
Newt 2012 Announces Hispanic Leadership in Louisiana.
I don't think Rick Santorum ,and Mitt Romney are anti Latino . But having empathy is important in presenting issues and considering solution. I have hope for Mitt Romney ( which I will discuss later) ,but so far Rick and Mitt have been like a bull in china shop as to this.
If we lose the Latino vote because of perception then you kiss all other issues that Mitt and Rick Santorum care about good bye. The Latino vote is not monolithic by any means. But I think many are a natural fit in the GOP. Especially here in the Deep South where they are becoming more of a influence. See Georgia, See North Carolina heck see the Louisiana city of Kenner.
The problem is not to give false impression that make Latinos go tribal against the GOP. See above my discussion how Democrats / Liberals and their Catholic comments have made me go very tribal against them. It very well could be that my perception is wrong that Liberals view orthodox Catholicism as a threat to the Republic. As outdated and in fact bigoted. But that is my perception and in perception is important. Further I am voting on that perception.
So this weekend , I shall be voting for Newt .
However do not make the mistake many pundits will make that Louisiana Catholic voters ,and I that will vote for Romney and Newt are voting so to reject Santorum's "13th Century " Catholicism.
Louisiana Orthodox Catholic Rice and Soybean farmers might be voting for Mitt because they think he is best for the farmers. Catholic people of Faith might be voting for Newt because they like his talk about the bureaucracy of the Corp of Engineers. For me it was the reaching out to Latinos and the future of our party and nation in that regard
Second it's clear Mitt Romney is going to win this thing. I have no problem with that. I am not really anti Mitt.
He does not set my world on fire but that is me. I also have no problem with GOP hopefuls still running after Louisiana so too put their argument forth. That is important too. Still unless Romney drops dead it's clear to me he will win.
As the famous Edwin Edwards would put it - The only way Romney loses the GOP nomination is if he is caught in bed with a live boy or dead girl. It's hard to beat the math here.
But people have a right to make statements ,and people that take time out of their lives to support people need to be heard.
So I think there is a positive benefit for this to go on. Not everything here is about the eventual winner. There are issues in States that are ignored these primaries give a window on. So hurrah for the ongoing Civics lesson.
I was very tempted to vote for Rick Santorum.
Confession time- Before this race I never really liked Rick Santorum. It was more of a personality thing. However after following him I have opened up to him greatly. I also respect his wiliness to say what he believes. Even when this was not popular. Take the Porn Issue. Rick Santorum never really made Porn a issue in this race beyond some things he had on his web site. But once asked about it he did not back down.
I very much get the First Amendment issues here , and in some practical applications of proposed law would differ from some social conservatives.
Still in this age of "war on women" it is hard to imagine something worse than the porn industry.
An industry that seems not to be regulated under any practical work safe regulations , and where the dirty little secret is that the line between rape and consent to get the product out is a thin one. If you have to have your models DRUNK or high out their minds to tignore the mental and often physical pain well lets me say this is worse than what Catholic Hospitals are doing.
People did not want to hear it. People did not want to hear about the obvious social cost because well people like Porn. But Rick stood up there ,and took the arrows. I use that as just one small example.
Also it's hard for me not to vote for Rick Santorum because of the attacks on his Catholicism. I am not sure Democrats and liberals have realized the cost of that yet. It has been offensive to me ,and has probably swore me off voting for any Democrat for some time.
I asked yesterday this question. Why are the attacks on Rick Santorum , and his "13th Century" Catholicism, as the New York Times put it so persistent at this late stage. Surely the media and politicos must realize as I do the MATH is getting impossible for Santorum to win. So why the doubling down?
I have to think it is partly to make his Orthodox Catholicism a non player in the future. That is people like me and many Blue Dog Catholic Louisiana Democrats from just a decade ago are dangerous! We are the new Theocrats , and that is not acceptable.
Rick has other virtues and of course some weakness.
But I am not voting for Santorum. I am voting for Newt Gingrich.
Newt has his faults , and needless to say he has less of a chance with the math than Santorum. But in practical terms he is just as good on the social issues as Rick Santorum. Though I recognize his personal life presents some challenges.
He seems to get the Louisiana energy issues like Santorum does. Further he seems to get certain Louisiana issues such as having to battle the Corp of Engineers from issues to a to z . An issue as Louisiana prepares to implement his master plan to save our Coast that will be critical.
I also like he is a man of big IDEAS. American was based on a big idea , and it's expansion into a world power was based on big ideas. Now this can be a downfall. One can say Newt throws out too many big ideas. But I have to admit when was talking about the space program he got my attention. The fact that so many seemed so anti visionary in their absolute ridicule of his Space ideas also got my attention. What else does that lack of vision go into? Newt is an OPTIMIST! and that is what has made America great.
However here is the main reason I am voting for NEWT.
It seems he gets the Hispanic vote ,and it's future to the GOP. He understand listening, tone, and nuance are important.
Besides Rick Perry ,Newt has been the only one that has dealt with Latino concerns with some degree of sophistication. Even at this late stage in Louisiana when he needs every vote he can get. See
Newt 2012 Announces Hispanic Leadership in Louisiana.
I don't think Rick Santorum ,and Mitt Romney are anti Latino . But having empathy is important in presenting issues and considering solution. I have hope for Mitt Romney ( which I will discuss later) ,but so far Rick and Mitt have been like a bull in china shop as to this.
If we lose the Latino vote because of perception then you kiss all other issues that Mitt and Rick Santorum care about good bye. The Latino vote is not monolithic by any means. But I think many are a natural fit in the GOP. Especially here in the Deep South where they are becoming more of a influence. See Georgia, See North Carolina heck see the Louisiana city of Kenner.
The problem is not to give false impression that make Latinos go tribal against the GOP. See above my discussion how Democrats / Liberals and their Catholic comments have made me go very tribal against them. It very well could be that my perception is wrong that Liberals view orthodox Catholicism as a threat to the Republic. As outdated and in fact bigoted. But that is my perception and in perception is important. Further I am voting on that perception.
So this weekend , I shall be voting for Newt .
However do not make the mistake many pundits will make that Louisiana Catholic voters ,and I that will vote for Romney and Newt are voting so to reject Santorum's "13th Century " Catholicism.
Louisiana Orthodox Catholic Rice and Soybean farmers might be voting for Mitt because they think he is best for the farmers. Catholic people of Faith might be voting for Newt because they like his talk about the bureaucracy of the Corp of Engineers. For me it was the reaching out to Latinos and the future of our party and nation in that regard
While it is an almost foregone conclusion that Romney will be the presidential nominee, the nomination for VP is still wide open and the nomination in 2016 is also up for grabs. The Republicans have a long history of going for warmed over losers just as they are doing this time, so Santorum and Gingrich has good reason to keep on running. While Romney would not willingly take one of them as VP, if he goes to the convention without a majority of the delegates, he might have no other choice. Of course the only Republican that I would ever vote for is Ron Paul, and only because a real Libertarian never has a chance. I will bother to go to the polls and vote for the Libertarian so it will be known that we exist, but the automatic voting Republaclones have made Louisiana irrelevant to the national elections. Why should Romney even care what anyone in Louisiana thinks about anything? He can just take it or granted that he will get the electoral vote of Louisiana regardless.
ReplyDeleteI had absolutely no doubt you would vote for Newt! Excellent post.
ReplyDeleteSJR
The Pink Flamingo
APOV
ReplyDeleteI think with the Math a brokered Convention is getting unlikely.We are about to enter I think some very good Romney states. California could kill and who knows abt TX. By that time people might just say lets vote for the winner
SJ Reidhead
ReplyDeleteLOL I thought yo would be surprised. being going back and forth all week.
Very calmly and rationally argued. Newt is a big thinker, but I've always felt he has been way too divisive and too much of a talker, to be president.
ReplyDeleteSantorum also does not know when to keep quiet and "be presidential." His slap at Puerto Ricans is a case in point: he just *had* to say *something*. Courting controversy does not win the White House. Stability, fine words, and making friends does.
We recall the current president said as little as possible. That is a good part of the reason he was elected. Voters did not really know where he stood; but he conveyed that somehow he *stood* with them.
I do believe that once it is Romney v. Obama, we are going to see a decent contest. The gloss of 2008 has worn off. And Romney is a far more experienced politician than the President, and a more youthful and telegenic man than was John McCain.
My biggest gripe with the current administration commenced that January 20, 2012. I'm still waiting to see if that gets rolled back.
But I'm sensing this administration will not do any such thing. It honestly believes it can tax me, but also then "mandate" the use of what I put in the weekly church collection. Worst of all, it sees nothing wrong with that infringement on the 1st Amendment - a power grab no president ever before dreamed of trying.
That "women's health" is vital, is not an excuse for trampling on the "free exercise" clause; there are other ways forward. The administration might as well also back a DoD "mandate" that church properties we also help upkeep through our Mass contributions, must house nuclear weapons. After all, national defense is vital too, right?
Robert I totally agree withy you that as to the weakness you point out. Also I don't think Romney will be that weak of a politico running
ReplyDeleteI am surprised and disappointed. You have claimed many times in the past that you are a social conservative. I took that to mean that abortion is the number 1 issue for you which is for me. If that is true then Rick Santorum is clearly the best choice. If you see this comment before you vote, I ask that your re-consider your decision.
ReplyDeleteClaudio
ReplyDeleteI mean looking at the top three is there really any practical difference on how they will deal with the abortion question
James
ReplyDeleteIt is a question of trust. I definitely don't trust Romney to fight the good fight especially under pressure if it is a close call like a Supreme Court nomination. Newt is more trustworthy on this issue but Rick is the most trustworthy because he actually has a record for fighting the pro-life cause in the Senate. Anyway, I am glad to see your neighbors did not take your advice. :)