What the hell are you doing?

Today I want to talk direct to conservative voters.

And I have to ask this question…What the hell do you think you are doing?

We are in the process of selecting a nominee who will become the Republican party’s candidate for President of the United States of America.

We are not searching for someone who can lead the High School Debating club. We are not searching for someone to be treasurer of the local charity, or for someone who will look good on the cover of GQ.

We are searching for the person who will best follow the constitution in his or her role as President. Someone who will fearlessly adhere to the moral values espoused by conservative America and will work diligently to reverse the culture of corruption that has been present in Washington for decades but has become fearless under the Obama administration, willing to walk openly for all to see and nobody to fear.

We are searching not for the perfect person, as there is no such thing, but for a person who holds the Rule of Law as paramount in his/her decisions….that respects the opinions and ideas of others, but seeks final guidance from the Constitution. A person who, regardless of their faults, will unite Congress by leading them in the direction this country must go, and by changing the way business is done in Washington.

We are searching for a person who excites the Tea Party folk, and who can capture the imaginations of the more moderate and independent folk.

And who do we have as the front runners in this battle?

Where has the excitement gone? Why are we backing off from our principals and thinking in terms of “who can beat Obama?” rather than in terms of “Who is RIGHT for this country?”…….

Why do we allow the media to determine who the front runners are? Why do we even care? The media is in bed with Obama…and they will select the candidate most likely to lose against Obama, while painting them as the most likely victor of the Primaries.

Where, oh where have true conservatives gone? Why have their voices become soft, barely above a whisper? What are they afraid of? When did the conservative movement become impotent as a force for change, simply accepting what the establishment wants rather than fighting tooth and nail for what is right?

Don’t get me wrong…I think that either Romney or Gingrich will make fine Presidents (if they actually beat Obama)…and both will wind back the progressive direction somewhat….but is that good enough? Or will it simply slow down the rate of decay of America?

If either of these guys get the Republican nod, I will throw my voice in support of them to assist the defeat of Obama….but I am not sure either is the best option. So who is left?

I have been critical of Ron Paul’s foreign policy positions in the past. I am starting to think my criticism was too harsh…or perhaps his message was unclear. However, this man is a true conservative who understands the problems. Listening closer to him, he is definitely a friend of Israel and would go to war with anyone who opposed them…IF…Congress declared war. He will follow the Constitution and defend the freedoms of the American people.

Rick Santorum is showing more than he did earlier but seems overshadowed by Gingrich and Romney. His schoolboy look and at times, almost petulant demeanor, does not curry favor with strong minded conservatives…and yet, his message is clear. He will undo what Obama has done, he will clean out Washington and he will usher in real change….if he can execute on his plans, and that is what he must now sell.

Michelle Bachman has her head in the right place, and her heart also, but unfortunately is turning into a lightweight, largely making up the numbers. Her strong conservative views are appealing but few believe she has the force of personality to execute on her ideas.

John Huntsman should just stay on vacation.

So, really….there are just 5 contenders….3 of whom are clearly conservative (one of which is libertarian) and two who are far more moderate and some would say “progressive light”.

And herein lies the problem….

The two progressive lights are the most accomplished. They have the force of personality to drive their ideas and plans through Congress, they have the skills as leaders to drive the country forward into their vision. But do they have the right vision?

On the other hand, we have three folk who have the right conservative vision but not necessarily the force of personality to be the leaders this country so desperately needs.

What are true conservatives to do in this situation?

There are two plays available:-

1.      Vote for the leader types and hope they can differentiate themselves from Obama enough to excite the moderates and the independents, or

2.      Vote for the conservatives and hope that the clear difference between them and Obama will excite the constituents and bring the independents over

Let’s see if we can find some clarification here, in what seems like an impossible choice to have to make….

If we nominate the leader types, and assuming they can win the Presidency, we will be embarking on a journey of death by a thousand cuts – assuming of course these guys do not become more conservative as time goes on. The benefit of course is that they will have stopped the pace at which this country was being destroyed, and in so doing, will have bought some time and would possibly allow for a more conservative run in 2016.

However, I have great reservations in my mind as to whether they can win against a brutal and clever Obama. The tactics the left will use will be truly dirty. They will use misdirection, and downright lies to color the Republican nominee as being little different than Obama. They will do everything they can to show that there really is no choice here….that regardless of the outcome, Obama policies will continue except that if the Republicans get in they will give the wealthy more money and make your grandma eat dog food. If everything else is the same, why would anyone vote Republican? Who wants grandma to eat dog food?

The Republican campaign may find it difficult to protect themselves from these attacks.

On the other hand, if we nominate the conservatives…and they win, we will see rapid change in Congress. I say this because if the conservative is the nominee, I expect to see the Republicans taking significant majorities in both the House and the Senate (which may not happen with Gingrich and Romney).

Of course, they would have to win the Presidency…and they will come under enormous tress and vicious attacks from the left. Until now we have not seen the attacks on these folks as they are largely considered irrelevant…but should they become more popular, the attacks will gain momentum. What is IN their favor is that they present as a totally different option. They will have to campaign on true American values…honesty, generosity, heard work, success, bravery etc…..they will be attacked on moral grounds, religious grounds and the claims that they will support the rich and fee dog food to grandma will be loud and strident. But nevertheless, they provide a real alternative to the voters.

So, I ask again…”What the hell are we doing?”

The Primaries are supposed to be used to find out who the Republicans want as their candidate…and yet poll after poll tells us there are only two real options. Of course, just a few weeks ago there were three but one fell by the wayside as a result of the left’s all out attacks.

If we, as conservatives, had any cajones at all, we would be supporting the true conservatives in this field. At least we would have one “leader” and one “conservative” in the top two. As the caucuses run their course, I hope we see this happening. The reason I feel this is important is that we can unite under a conservative banner and force the left to open their kimono and show their plans for the destruction of the ultimate contender. They will not wait until someone is nominated…they will attack early and hard….but while there are two “leader’ types there, they will wait out the game.

We must have at least one of the three truly conservative candidates doing well in all the caucuses. This is imperative. Over time we will see what the American people feel about the contrasting styles, contrasting positions…and it will become clearer as to not only who can beat Obama, but what Obama’s plan will be.

Then, we will know which candidate to select.

It is time to stop allowing the media to dictate who our nominee will be. It is time for the conservative movement to once more find its voice. It is time for the establishment to fully embrace the conservative option.

…it’s time.

…..devereaux