Many are saying “you betcha”, starting with Chris Cillizza at the Washington Post
That sound you hear? It’s the fat lady singing.
For the umpteenth time in the Republican presidential primary race, Mitt Romney defeated Rick Santorum in a major Midwestern swing state — a win that effectively forecloses any chance that the former Massachusetts governor might not be the GOP nominee in the fall.
Romney also took D.C. and Maryland. Santorum has vowed to stay in till at least the Pennsylvania primary. Newt is…well, no one really knows, because he has no embedded press coverage. Ron Paul is simply trying to hose the system. Romney has also started focusing primarily on Obama, not Santorum.
Then there is squishy Republican Jennifer Rubin
Romney is the undisputed choice of the Republican electorate. Exit polls in Maryland showed Romney winning among virtually all segments of the electorate, whether income, religious affiliation, geography, ideology or marital status. It was much the same in Wisconsin. For example, he won among Republicans by a 51 to 37 percent margin. He won among strong supporters of the Tea Party. In sum, he has established himself as the certain nominee.
The Politico’s Maggie Haberman
It’s now really almost over.
The hat trick of primaries in Wisconsin, Maryland and Washington, D.C., capped yet another no-drama evening in Mitt Romney’s march toward the GOP presidential nomination. Romney is now more than halfway toward the delegates he needs to win his party’s nod, and Rick Santorum lost his last shot at a big, momentum-changing Midwestern win.
It begs the question “are they right?” It also begs the question “can the Republican base get behind Romney?”
Obviously, many Conservatives are concerned about Romney. But, let’s consider, Conservatives weren’t too pleased with George Bush’s big spending and big government ways in 2004, either. But, it was a choice between a far left candidate who wanted to actively lose the Iraq war or Bush. Heck, John Kerry didn’t particularly excite the Democrat base: for them it was “anybody but Bush.” The election this year is even more important.
If the simple thought of defeating Obama is not enough to get behind Romney, if he does get the GOP nod, or at least pushing you to “anybody but Obama”, here are a few specific reasons
- Obamacare: the GOP will need to regain the Senate and keep the House to repeal and replace, but, at least with a GOP president, Romney would not sign bills funding it. Furthermore, he would get to pick the head of HHS, and Obamacare gives the head massive powers, which could be used to roll back many portions
- Courts: not only would this mean Obama would not be picking for lower court vacancies, there will probably be at least one, if not two, Supreme Court justices retiring in the next 4 years. One will probably be Ginsburg. As left as she is, do you want an Obama lefty?
- Debt and deficit
- Fixing the economy: Romney may be somewhat squishy as a Republican, but, he would do an excellent job, since he understands how jobs are created.
- Stopping the class warfare
- Stopping the Obama “green” economy, and moving America to a real energy plan.
Stop Obama Now provides a few more reasons. Romney may not be perfect, but, he’s what we have. Do we want four more years of Obama moving the country to the far left, despite the citizens being against it?
I’ll tell you this much- if the Republicans/conservatives/Tea Parties do NOT get behind the candidate- they are scum of the earth.
Did I like Santorum? Of course- he is an honorable and very smart, very conservative man. In a perfect world- he was my guy. In this imperfect one, not entirely.
Was I worried if he got the nomination that the Democrat machine would crucify him, beat him to death with his own Christianity, his morality and his honor, you betcha!
Now, I have already said I would vote for a shoe against NMP. I would vote for a pig, a hamster, or even pink slime- before NMP. And I would hope so would all sane conservatives.
But I also think that Mitt Romney isn’t as bad as all that; I believe he has heard the people- and will continue to hear them-throughout the election on many issues, including Healthcare- he gets it that we want it gone. I believe he will fix parts of our government spending that the morons in office, and especially the Senate have yet to address. God willing, Mitt will also have a Republican senate in place!
I guess I am just anxious to find out how self defeating our brethren conservatives will become. Will they secretly vote for the guy they think is a Rino- or will they spitefully allow our nation to endure the last four years of NMP, where he is no longer fettered by that pesky re-election worry. Imagine what havoc he will wreak on our nation then? I shudder to think of another four years with NMP in place.
Santorum used to be my guy. But his constant attacks on Romney has soured me. It was the kind of attacks that he led.
Now, knowing and seeing how Romney is moving along and has become the de-facto nominee, I will get behind him.
Like Trish, it is anybody but Chancellor Obama.
And you are right, if the American Right do not get behind ROmney just in order to get rid of Obama and the increased move toward Socialism and Statism, then they have no idea what they are fighting for and are no better than Democrats who only fight for their image.
We now have a person as president who has threatened the US Supreme Courts twice now. He has lambasted our police forces. He has refused to smooth out race relations and in fact has inflamed them from time to time. And, to top it all off, he has done everything to increase debt, taxes, energy and living prices, while just throwing money overseas and to his cronies like it was mardi gras beads.
When I start looking at Romney’s record, I find that he is morw conservative than GWB. Not a lot, but, he knows business. And, virtually anyone is better than Obama.
Agreed!