The Last Ten Days? It Needs to Be.

Governor Mitt Romney: The Best Choice? The Only Choice!

No non-incumbent has ever pulled this off, Save Jerseyans. Ever. Hasn’t happened. So much for the “weak incumbent” argument that many talking heads stubbornly continue to peddle on the cable networks. It was always just a transparent attempt to create a competitive air and boost ratings.

Newt Gingrich: Wants a Win at Any Cost

Thus far Mitt’s primary challengers haven’t conceeded anything. They’re entitled to stay in, just like it’s their right to labor under the delusion that the Republican Party is still desperately searching for a “conservative alternative,” a term coined by the liberal media to undermine the likely GOP nominee but greedily co-opted by ambitious Republican rivals.

I respectfully disagree with their analysis. A sizable chunk of the party is still looking for a safe conservative, i.e. someone we can trust 110% to never sign a single bill that departs from orthodox conservative doctrine. They’re increasingly realizing that this mythical super-candidate doesn’t exist. Even Reagan wasn’t “super,” only better than anything else in modern times. Perry, Gingrich, and Santorum each have a few liberal or less-than-ideologically-pure skeletons in their respective closets… just like Romney.

Given the lack of genuine economic disagreement between the candidates, Gingrich and Perry have unburdened themselves of their principles and adopted a strange, anti-capitalism argument with which to try and winnow Romney’s growing delegate advantage. Two self-styled conservatives actually want us, the GOP base, to be angry at Mitt Romney for investing in failing companies… some of which failed anyway, but many more of which were saved as a direct result of his skilled intervention.

Did they actually think THIS would work??

I doubt it. They’re not dumb men; just a tad desperate? And all they’ve succeeded in doing is both offending and then driving conservatives like yours truly further into Governor Romney’s camp. We believe in the free market. Above all else, I don’t want a candidate determined to run against it! South Carolina’s U.S. Senator and conservative icon Jim DeMint agrees; he defended Romney today and stopped just short of endorsing him. He did, however, predict a Romney win in SC on January 21st.

All that’s left for Gingrich and Perry to accomplish is further embarrass themselves after otherwise laudable careers in public service. They might be able to aid Obama’s opposition research team by pre-producing their attack ads for them. But what decent Republican would consciously choose such a thing?

The only respectable course for the remainder of the field to adopt is a ten day campaign. Shelve these ridiculous anti-capitalism ads and hit the Governor on his true weak points: a late-life conversion to the pro-life cause, Romneycare, etc. Then we’ll see who South Carolina believes is the best man to take on Barack Obama in November.

Then, when SC has weighed in, it will become clear that a candidate with IA, NH and SC in his pocket isn’t a candidate at all; he’s a presumptive nominee. And that nominee will deserve our respect and support from that moment forward. Our republic’s future depends on it.