Staff Report
Let’s say, hypothetically, for just a moment here, that some of the pundits are right – that Romney’s landslide victory in Florida means he really might be inevitable.
I’ve heard more than a few of you Newt and Paul supporters out there; “If Romney wins, I’m staying home on election day”.
While I’m not especially passionate about Romney just yet, I’ll reiterate what an awful idea this is. Don’t go there, people.
I’ve got ten suggestions for much more-productive responses.
1.Keep things in perspective – Forget Gingrich’s Alinskiite rhetoric for a moment; Romney’s not a “liberal”. Remember William F. Buckley’s advice – “Vote for the most conservative person who can win?” Romney was the most conservative person who could win…in Massachusetts. He was the most conservative person who could make any headway against a Massachusetts legislature that made Ted Kennedy look like Michele Bachmann. Is he the most conservative candidate who could win in a nationwide general election? Perhaps, perhaps not. But if not? We’ll come back to that. The point being, he’s not just “not a liberal” – on economics, which is what really matters in this election, he’s conservative enough. And for the rest? Well, we’ll get back to that down the list a ways.
2.Relax. Take a deep breath. The world doesn’t begin or end with this nomination. Or even with this election. Even if Romney is as bad as some of you claim, this nation has survived worse. Hell, we’re surviving worse right now. Focus, people; getting Obama out of office is the key – and while some of you reject incrementalism (and I reject the idea that Romney is especially incremental, and even if he is – well, we’ll get back to that below), sometimes it’s all you got, and you gotta deal with it, and when you gotta deal with it, you want the increments to move in the right direction. Romney’s not perfect, but he’s the right direction – and, I suggest, not just a little.
3.Remember The Positive Influence You Do Have – The caucuses and primaries aren’t over. We’re seven months away from the convention – and three months away from the state conventions that will empanel the delegates. This isn’t a done deal yet. I can live with Romney – maybe even better – but I’m caucusing for…I dunno, probably Santorum on Tuesday. Not that I’m thrilled with Santorum, either, but I want Mitt and his supporters to know that to win me (and, I hope, millions like me) that he’s going to have to be more aggressively conservative than he has been acting.
4.Go Shooting. It’s great stress relief. It focuses the mind. And it shows Romney – and Obama – that you can’t whiz on the Second Amendment. It’s a threefer.
5.Remember The Alternative – You think four more years of Obama would be better than four to eight of Romney? There’s a caveat to this, of course – more below.
