http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post

Mitt Romney

Calvin Freiburger 2008, conservatism, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post
The only conservative left standing has dropped out of the presidential race. Tempting though it may be to hope for a miracle, the electoral numbers are clear: there’s no way Mitt Romney could overcome John McCain.
–
So what went wrong? How could a man with a full-spectrum conservative platform, renowned executive experience, and unmatched personal integrity not rise to the top of the Party of Reagan?
–
Certainly, Romney made mistakes. But the main answer, it seems, is that the Republican Party isn’t the Party of Reagan anymore. As I said of Fred Thompson’s failure, conservatism has been on the back burner in the judgment of primary voters. The divide between conservatives and, frankly, the refuse from the “open tent” philosophy has been a battle within the GOP for years.
–
It is, however, a winnable battle. So why didn’t we win it this time? The Right has been burned in the past, especially in the wake of George W. Bush’s presidency, and many were no doubt wary of Romney’s past stances. So, despite Romney’s best efforts, many conservatives either kept him at arm’s length or dismissed him entirely. The presence of opponents with claims to different legs of the conservative stool—Rudy Giuliani on defense, Mike Huckabee on life & marriage, and Fred Thompson on limited government—served to further divide and conquer a normally-unified coalition.
–
I must admit, this hasn’t been easy for me to watch today. Obviously, the implications for conservatism are ugly. But in the year since I threw my support behind Mitt Romney, paying attention to him and the overall campaign, I also came to develop a very real respect and admiration for the governor. He is a true family man and patriot. He deserves the nation’s gratitude.
–
It’s fitting that Mitt Romney bowed out at the 2008 Conservative Political Action Conference—one year after electrifying the very same audience. In his speech, the governor pledged: “I will continue to stand for conservative principles. I will fight alongside you for all the things we believe in.” The word is that he intends to run again in 2012. As one of the last men out in a crowded field, Romney has proven himself a formidable campaigner. Just imagine him after four more years of immersion in the conservative cause.
–
Mitt Romney is down. Conservatism is down. But neither is out: count on it.

Coulter for Clinton?

Calvin Freiburger 2008, Clinton, conservatism, Coulter, Democrats, GOP, Hillary, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, liberalism, McCain, RINOs, romney
Ann Coulter has been under fire for insisting that she’d rather see Hillary Clinton in the White House than John McCain. But her point ought to be well taken: as we know, McCain would be a disaster domestically, and as Andrew McCarthy argues, his defense credentials are “a mirage.” So the benefits of a McCain presidency would be marginal, at best. But the kicker lies in Ann’s argument:
–
At least under President Hillary, Republicans in Congress would know that they’re supposed to fight back. When President McCain proposes the same ideas—tax hikes, liberal judges and Social Security for illegals—Republicans in Congress will support “our” president—just as they supported, if only briefly, Bush’s great ideas on amnesty and Harriet Miers. You need little flags like that for Republicans since, as we know from the recent unpleasantness in Florida, Republicans are unalterably stupid.
–
She’s right: most Capitol Hill Republicans don’t have the independence or backbone to stand against one of their own in the Oval Office. So, if McCain wins the nomination, our choice would be A) largely-disastrous policies with at least nominal Congressional opposition, or B) largely-disastrous policies with support from both sides of the aisle. What a choice!
–
Here’s hoping we can avert this nightmare scenario: vote Mitt Romney.

A New Addition to Team Mitt

Calvin Freiburger 2008, Andy McCarthy, conservatism, Constitution, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, judges
Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney announced that Andrew C. McCarthy will be joining his Advisory Committee on the Constitution and the Courts, which is co-chaired by Professor Douglas W. Kmiec, former constitutional legal counsel to President Ronald Reagan, and former Congressman David McIntosh who co-founded the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.
–
The fact that Andy McCarthy will be helping advise Mitt Romney and shape his policies ought to be yet another sign of hope for conservatives wary of Romney’s potential.

Answering the Call

Calvin Freiburger 2008, conservatism, Fred Thompson, GOP, Hannity, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Ingraham, McCain, media, RINOs, Santorum
Senator Rick Santorum, Laura Ingraham, and Sean Hannity have all answered the call to rally around Mitt Romney. Less-responsible conservatives are still in fantasy land.
–
Don’t take my word for it that Mitt’s the clear conservative choice. Take Santorum’s:
–
In a few short days, Republicans from across this country will decide more than their party’s nominee. They will decide the very future of our party and the conservative coalition that Ronald Reagan built. Conservatives can no longer afford to stand on the sidelines in this election, and Governor Romney is the candidate who will stand up for the conservative principles that we hold dear. Governor Romney has a deep understanding of the important issues confronting our country today, and he is the clear conservative candidate that can go into the general election with a united Republican party.

Crunch Time for the Future of Conservatism

Calvin Freiburger 2008, Bork, conservatism, Coulter, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, McCain, National Review, national security, pro-life, Reagan, RINOs, romney, Tancredo, War on Terror
John McCain, conservative standard-bearer? Ronald Reagan would have a thing or two to say about that.
–
Today President Reagan’s son Michael writes about McCain’s utter contempt for conservatives, and here’s Hugh Hewitt making the case for rallying around Mitt Romney, just as such serious, responsible, and distinguished conservatives as Mark Levin, Judge Robert Bork, Dr. John Willke, Ann Coulter, Tom Tancredo, National Review, and Walid Phares have done.
–
And for those Fredheads still unwilling to let go, here’s one of your own making the case for doing the right thing. I understand many of you dislike Romney. He’s not a perfect candidate. But for God’s sake, the difference between him and McCain is night and day.

Hey Conservatives!

Calvin Freiburger 2008, conservatism, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Mark Levin, McCain, RINOs
Mark “the Great One” Levin agrees with me that conservatives have a duty to rally around Mitt Romney:
–
Why recite this record? Well, if conservatives don’t act now to stop McCain, he will become the Republican nominee and he will lose the general election. He is simply flawed on too many levels. He is a Republican Hillary Clinton in many ways…Let’s face it, none of the candidates are perfect. They never are. But McCain is the least perfect of the viable candidates. The only one left standing who can honestly be said to share most of our conservative principles is Mitt Romney. I say this as someone who has not been an active Romney supporter. If conservatives don’t unite behind Romney at this stage, and become vocal in their support for him, then they will get McCain as their Republican nominee and probably a Democrat president. And in either case, we will have a deeply flawed president.

Conservatism: A Time for Choosing

Calvin Freiburger 2008, conservatism, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, McCain, RINOs
Senator John McCain is the New York Times’ candidate of choice for obvious reasons: His “overall record is tainted by a marked antipathy towards the free market and individual freedom,” Senator Rick Santorum accuses him of repeatedly obstructing Senate battles over social issues (which, by his own admission, he doesn’t “care about”), he still supports embryo-destructive research, despite continuing advancements in adult stem cells; he has a problematic record on guns, he is an amnesty fundamentalist whose campaign employs such odious figures as Juan Hernandez and Jerry Perenchio, he cannot be trusted to appoint originalist judges (after all, he voted to confirm Ruth Bader Ginsburg), and he adopts the Left’s conventional wisdom on environmental issues. Despite his heroic military service and his commitment to Iraq, his leadership on most other aspects of the War on Terror would be disastrous. He is also a pathological liar who took advantage of a demagogic smear against then-governor George W. Bush in 2000 and has told bald-faced-lies about Governor Mitt Romney this time around.
–
And he’s the Republican Party’s new frontrunner.
–
With victory in Florida, major momentum going into Connecticut, and leads in both national polls and the delegate count, the Maverick is much stronger than he once appeared, and now stands a very real chance of winning the presidential nomination.
–
This is not the time for fence-sitting, desperate fantasies, or bitter detachment from the process. The only conservative left in the race, Mitt Romney (who, in case you missed it, just won the support of major anti-jihadist Walid Phares), may be damaged, but he’s by no means doomed. He can win the nomination if conservatives—this time, all conservatives—unite behind him.

McCain, Romney, and Victory in Iraq

Calvin Freiburger 2008, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, Iraq, lying, McCain, War on Terror
By now you’ve probably heard that John McCain has falsely accused Mitt Romney of advocating withdrawal from Iraq, using criteria that could just as easily apply to McCain himself. I can’t respond to the Maverick any better than Mark Levin, who calls this “pretty disgraceful stuff,” already has:
–
As I think about McCain’s effort to now use the battle of Iraq this way – to inaccurately characterize Romney’s statement re Iraq, to refuse to correct himself despite the evidence showing his characterization is false, and now to say —in response to Romney demanding an apology — ”I think the apology is owed to the young men and women serving this nation in uniform, that we will not let them down in hard times or good. That is who the apology is owed to” — is to use Iraq and the soldiers as the Left does. Jim Woolsey has already been sucked into this. I hope others won’t be.
–
(Hat tip: EFM)

Which Republican Is the New York Times’ Favorite?

Calvin Freiburger 2008, conservatism, GOP, http://schemas.google.com/blogger/2008/kind#post, liberalism, McCain, media, New York Times, RINOs
Go on. Guess.
–
…
–
Yup, it’s McCain. The Maverick, showing less-than brilliant political acumen, is proudly boasting the endorsement on his official site. Because everybody knows the Republican base holds the Times in the highest esteem.
–
A note to disaffected Fredheads: your choice is this or Mitt (unless Rudy & Huck bounce back…and we know how great they’d be!). Is there really any question anymore?