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John Cronin
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February 7th, 2008 | | Posted in Charlie Crist, Coalition, Conservatism, Conservative, Fundraising, Huckabee, John McCain, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Reagan
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I don’t ever recall seeing the comments section of this blog so active. Thanks to all for your interest in ALL THINGS ROMNEY and for your energy.
I wanted to touch on some of the points and comments that I see as being, in my mind, most prominent in the discussions.
One of the points that I see actively talked about is the new “write-in” strategy. I am not willing to concede anything to McCain or to Huckabee, but if it becomes necessary to adopt this strategy, several good things will happen.
1. None of us will get into the regrettable habit of voting for Democrats. You are familiar with the old saying: “Friends don’t let friends vote for Democrats.”
2. We will punish the Republican hierarchy for pushing a fairly liberal Democrat, er, I mean Republican as the party’s nominee. I don’t want to punish the party’s rank and file, just RINO”S like Crist, Schwarzzenneger and Mel Martinez. Psychologists tell us that rewarding bad behavior encourages more bad behavior. How embarrassing would it be for the RINO leadership to have pushed McCain’s candidacy so brazenly, only to have real Republicans write-in Romney’s name en masse?
3. Unlike voting for, you’ll pardon the expression, a Democrat, (any Democrat) a write-in will show up distinctly in the voting tallies, rather than being buried, to a certain extent, in the general election vote totals. I know, exit polling would measure it pretty well, but a write-in strategy would paint a clearer picture.
4. It will send a message to the party establishment that they can’t win without us, no matter how they may hold us in distain.
5. It will settle the religious bias controversy for everyone except the “invincibly ignorant” that if they insist on using this as a strategy, we will use our 35% voting bloc to over ride their 25% voting bloc.
6. It is light years more effective than “sitting the election out.” I am firmly convinced that the Democrats would like nothing better than for us pesky Reagan coalition voters to stay home and forfeit the game. Politically speaking, the general election is the SUPER BOWL. Nobody forfeits that contest. It’s what you work for all season long.
We have also talked a lot about the need to rebuild the Republican party. The current leadership needs to go. I love that old saying: “Politicians are a lot like a baby’s diaper. They need to be changed often and for the same reason.” One of our commenters talked about getting involved in a local election, I believe in a judge’s election. That’s what I’m talking about! She will get to be known within her local party’s membership and over time, access equals influence. Rather than hope the Old Guard will support Mitt in 2012 if it comes to that, why don’t we replace some of them now with Romney supporters? That way we will control the party apparatus.
Reagan built his coalition by working the grassroots for four years. Using the platform of his radio broadcast, traveling all over the country giving speeches that reinforced conservative principles, meeting and convincing voters from all walks of life that conservatism is in the best interests of the country. That is something Mitt Romney has not had a chance to do. You can build up a boatload of political IOU’s that way.
We may yet end up in a brokered convention, but that’s not for sure. Something completely unforeseen could cause us to sweep the remaining states. Never underestimate a hot head like McCain. Who knows what he might say if he explodes. The stories coming out of the U.S. Senate about his profanity-laced tirades suggest that he could change the dynamics of this race at any moment.
And finally, keep in mind that we now have identified the strongest conservative in American politics, Gov. Mitt Romney. His name recognition is now off the charts, his grassroots organization is now battle hardened and experienced. His national campaign staff is the envy of the rest of the campaigns. His fund raising strategy can now develop over a four year period and he will have the necessary time to develop a national network of political support. If, and I do mean if, it turns out that 2008 is not our time, we are in great position to take over the party, barn storm the country and finalize the work of “BUILDING THE REAGAN COALTION, PHASE II.”
~~John Cronin~~
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