a blog of little consequence

Fred Thompson finally dropped out of the GOP race for the presidential nomination late this afternoon.  It will be interesting to see where his voters go.

So, here we are on January 22, with no clear front-runner in the GOP race for the presidential nomination. It is no secret; I believe that Mike Huckabee is the best candidate for the GOP nomination. I believe in not only his strength as a conservative but in his ability to act as a man who can unite opposing groups in many ways. But, what happens if John McCain gets the nomination. Well, I don’t agree with John McCain on several things, but I believe him to be a relatively honorable man, so I could vote for him. What about Giuliani (as unlikely as that seems right now)? Well, we all know Rudy is a social conservative, but he has pledged to appoint strict constructionist judges, so I might be able to vote for him. Besides, he is a fellow New Yorker, and we New Yorkers have some sense of loyalty (Go Giants!) However, if Mitt Romney gets the nomination, forget it. There is no foreseeable way that I can vote for him. He has been caught in outright lies far too many times during this campaign for me to vote for with a clear conscience. I have been a Republican since 1979 (I was 7) when Ronald Reagan ran for president. I think this is where the party bosses have really missed the boat (and I think they have grown out of touch with the base). They expect that if they manipulate the nomination for Romney, we lifelong conservatives, like lemmings will march right off of that moral cliff. We won’t. I know I am not the only one who will not support Mitt Romney. Many true conservatives feel the same way about Romney.

Take Action

Please email Republican chairman Mike Duncan (chaiman@gop.com) to let him know how you feel about Mitt Romney and your potential to not support him in the general election. You might highlight:

1. Your lack of trust in Mitt Romney’s character caught in deception on numerous occasions throughout the campaign,
2. His unstable stance on abortion,
3. His questionable stances on defining marriage,
4. His raising of government fees as governor

Even if you have never contacted a politician before, don’t hesitate. The party needs to know that the base in not with them.

Sample Letter

Dear Mr. Duncan,

I am writing to express my deep concern over the possibility of GOP candidate winning the GOP nomination.

I, and many others I have spoken with, will not support Mitt Romney if he wins the GOP nomination. I am a lifelong Republican, with strong conservative values. However, I believe that Mr. Romney lacks the credentials of an authentic conservative, but more gravely, he is deceitful. Mr. Romney has been caught regularly in “half-truths” or outright lies throughout this election season. At no time should conservative values trump integrity, and that is what you are asking Republican voters to do if you expect us to support Mitt Romney. In addition to his pattern of untruthfulness, your base calls into question Mr. Romney’s on:

1. His unstable stance on abortion,
2. His questionable stances on defining marriage, and
3. His raising of government fees as governor.

Mr. Duncan, you are in grave danger of losing your base if Mitt Romney wins the nomination, please carefully consider the GOP’s direction in this process. Even the most naïve voter is aware that deals are made within the party to make or break candidates. I urge you to reconsider the party’s current trend of positioning Mr. Romney to be a top contender for the nomination.

Sincerely,

Fred Thompson is choosing to be the de facto drop out; just he was a de facto candidate long before he ran. Thompson has neither announced any press releases or campaign itineraries since his “must win South Carolina defeat Saturday. By remaining Thompson and party bosses hope he will play the role of the spoiler and take votes away from Mike Huckabee.

Truth be told, Thompson’s candidacy was a waste and really represents the mistrust people have grown to have towards party bosses. He has taken and spent people’s donations and has nothing to show for it because he put forth very little effort in his campaign for the White House. His supporters should have fired him a long time ago.

Let’s hope that Thompson’s supporters don’t throw their votes away in Florida and have the common sense to vote for Mike Huckabee – the last true Conservative left in the race.