A Thank You Note to Mr. Santorum

Dear Mr. Santorum,

As a Mitt Romney supporter, I feel some obligation to thank you for your recent campaign tactics.  Over the past few days, your spontaneity and campaign blunders have undoubtedly shortened Romney's path to the nomination.

Here are a few reasons why my heart is full of gratitude:

First of all, thank you for rarely thinking before your speak.  It has given your rivals choice opportunities to use your own words against you.  When you said that Republicans would be "better off voting for Obama over Mitt Romney" and when you declared that you "didn't care about unemployment rates" or most recently when you told supporters that Mitt Romney is the "worst Republican to go up against Barack Obama."  In each of these instances, you have rallied rank and file Republicans around Mitt Romney.  It has been a pleasure to watch you attempt to clarify your own words...again.

Secondly, thank you for your gaffes--especially during times of visible frustration.  Your recent outburst with the New York Times reporter was perfectly timed.  I realize that today Sarah Palin also congratulated you for sticking it to the "Gotcha' Media," but my congrats is different.  By trying to claim that this reporter had somehow "distorted" your words and your use of that choice expletive, perfectly demonstrated that you are becoming unhinged.  Let's be honest, your chances of securing the nomination are diminishing and your frustration is visible.  It is taking its toll.   It isn't professional.  It isn't presidential.  Furthermore, it only seems to highlight the fact that Mitt Romney has never had one of "those" moments.

AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

Thank you for effectively letting the Etch A Sketch gaffe made by a Romney spokesman blow up in your face.  When you tried to say that the country would be "better off with Obama than an Etch A Sketch president," it was a terrible mistake.   Ironically, this gaffe has now lost its effectiveness and is now more associated with you than with Romney.

Also, congratulations on your Louisiana win.  It only seemed to highlight that your coalition of supporters struggles to reach beyond evangelical Christians.

Lastly, Mr. Santorum, I hope that you see the writing on the wall, especially before another possible loss in your home state of Pennsylvania.  I can't imagine that would help your political aspirations in the future.

All that said, thank you.  Your efforts, tactics, blunders and gaffes have made a difference.  Mitt Romney looks more more prepared, more organized, more mature and quite frankly, more presidential than ever. 

Romney supporters are anxiously awaiting your endorsement.  It goes without saying, the fat lady has entered the stage.


Best regards,

Alecia Williams
-A conservative who is more convinced than ever that Mitt Romney is the right candidate with the right experience who has emerged at the right time.

Crossing The Line

Let's be honest, watching a presidential primary race is exhausting.  It is tricky for candidates to differentiate themselves on shared ideology.  It is kind of like watching two comrades argue about who likes the color blue better than the other.  They both like blue, so each must carefully articulate their case over their rival.  They try to be persuasive.  They try to differentiate.  They try to be clever, but inevitably somone always goes too far and ends up actually covering themselves in blue paint.

It never works.  They look foolish and wind up appearing less and less like a viable candidate and more like a wanna-be contestant for the Blue Man Group.

Well, I think the GOP race has officially entered the "covered-in-blue-paint" phase.  Rick Santorum just may have crossed that fine line of desire and ridiculousness.  He is officially covered in "blue paint."

***

Last night, standing in front a crowd in Texas, Santorum suggested that voters would be better off sticking with Obama than supporting his rival Mitt Romney.  He argued that Mitt is no diffferent than Obama and therefore, "If you are going to be a little different, we might as well stay with what we have (President Obama) instead of taking a risk with what may be the Etch A Sketch candidate of the future."

It is exhausting to think about how damaging his statement really is. 

Photo from Bob Owen, San Antonio Express-News

Are you serious Mr. Santorum?  America would be better off with a President who has quadrupled the debt, driven the economy to near ruin, used any means necessary to pass his very controversial legislation "Obamacare," has radically changed the culture of our government and who continues to encourage a deeply ideologically divided America?

I cannot believe that Santorum has resorted to this.  I cannot believe that he said that.  It is foolish. It is offensive.  It is damaging.  And he is wrong.  Santorum should be ashamed of himself.  He is no longer fighting for the greatest good, he seems to be fighting for his political pursuits.

***

Our party is looking for the best, most prepared candidate to take on the difficult fight to defeat an incumbent president.  So much is on the line this election and voters know the importance of getting it right.  Voters have had months to get to know these candidates.  They have looked at the candidates, scrutinized their records and are beginning to coalesce around one. 

Millions of voters overwhelmingly agree that Mitt Romney is our best chance.  He has the best organization.  He has the most money, but above all of that, Mitt Romney has the best record.  His experiences and successes will swallow President Obama's.  But more importantly, his resume shows that he knows how to lead America out of the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression. 

Santorum has lost sight of the real goal which is to replace President Obama.  Unforutunately it appears that his desire to be that replacement has become his obsession and will stop at nothing to be the replacement.  It is not what is best for our party and it is not what is best for our nation.

Perhaps that is why Newt Gingrich came out today and said that Rick Santorum may have gone too far.   In reference to Santorum's remarks, Gingrich said, "I frankly was very surprised that he said it and that I hope he's taking it back."

 Gingrich went on to say, "I may have some very substantial disagreements with Governor Romney.  There is no doubt in my mind that if the choice was Governor Romney or Barack Obama, we would have no choice.  The danger of Obama is so great that I would hope that every candidate running--Ron Paul, Governor Romney, and Senator Santorum--that we would all agree that whoever becomes the Republican nonimee, we have one common goal and that is to defeat Barack Obama."

I couldn't agree more.

Santorum has made a foolish and novice mistake.  He has forgotten that the fight is bigger than one man.  He has also forgotten that it if he drops out, he will be expected to endorse his rival--even if that rival is Mitt.

Santorum has also forgotten that his political future is bright.  He will need a political figure like Romney to help down the road.  He needs to be careful not to poison the waters. 

I hope that Santorum will remember the analogy of frogs in a bucket which I talked about here.  If a frog is placed in an empty bucket, within minutes it can climb and hop its way out, but when multiple frogs are placed in the same bucket, they continually pull each other down and none of them can escape.

If left long enough, all of the frogs will die.

Santorum needs to recognize that the strongest candidate has emerged and it is not him.  Santorum needs to stop pulling and start the role of pushing his rival ahead. 

Mitt Romney is the stronger candidate.  His record is remarkable.  Our party will benefit from his experience and America will prosper under his vision.  Millions of people have recognized it, it might be time for one particular candidate to realize it as well.

Sorry Mr. Satorum, your latest antics demonstrate that you no longer understand the fragile line between political pursuits and looking foolish.  I hate to say it, but I think you are now covered in "blue paint." It isn't working.

A Huge Win and Why This One is Different

Today is undoubtedly a good day for the Romney camp.  A pivotal corner was turned in Romney's landslide victory last night in Illinois.

Image from CBSnews.com

For days, critics were mounting pressure calling the Illinois race a "must-win" for the former governor.  The pressure was real.  The stakes were high.  The outcome was supposed to be a game-changer.

Illinois was supposed to be different.  The question is were they right?  Was it?

Because let's be honest, hasn't every race essentially been a "must-win" for the front runner?  Despite wins in other "must-win" contests, he continues to be labeled as a "weak front runner."

Was Illinois different?  Was it the game changer?

Getty Images

My answer is that they were absolutely right.  The game changed last night and whether or not the rivals want to see it, the writing is on the wall: Mitt Romney is the presumptive nominee.

***

I think one of the most interesting factors in the Illinois primary was that it was really the first time that Republicans were offered a true one-on-one contest.  Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul had all but conceded the state to their rivals.  Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum were entering the state with impressive wins from last week, but it was hard to tell who really had the wind at their back.

Illinois is also a very diverse state where neither Romney nor Santorum had a predominant base.   It is a blue collar, industrial and a suburban rich state--demographics where each candidate seems to have a stronghold.

Truly, Illinois was either man's for the taking.

Reuters Image

So what happened last night?  The answer, Mitt Romney pummeled his rivals in nearly every demographic.  He won handily among blue collar, industrial, suburban, conservative, Tea Party supporting, Catholics, moderates, men, women, nearly every age group and income bracket over $50,000.

It was a landslide victory. Mitt Romney is closing the gaps.  Conservatives are coalescing around him.

CNN reported that among those who identify themselves as "True Conservatives" Mitt Romney won 43% over 39% for Santorum.  Among Tea Party supporters, Romney won 43% to 37% for Santorum.  This is significant because Romney has struggled with these conservatives, but it appears that his message is beginning to resonate.

***

In his victory speech last night, Romney said, "Today, hundreds of thousands of people in Illinois have joined millions of people around the country to join our cause."  He congratulated his rivals for a hard-fought contest and then began confidently address President Obama--a fight Romney would argue he is best suited to fight in November.

In reference to Obama he said, "After the years of too many apologies and not enough jobs, historic drops in income and historic highs in gas prices from a president who doesn't hesitate to use all the means necessary to force Obamacare on the American public, but leads from behind in world affairs, it's time to say, "Enough."

One of the strongest messages of his speech was when he contrasted his experience to that of President Obama.  He said, "For 25 years, I lived and breathed jobs, business and the economy.  I had successes and failures, but each step of the way, I learned a little more about what it is that makes our American system so powerful.

"You can't learn that teaching Constitutional Law.  You can't learn that as a community organizer.  The simple truth is that this President just doesn't understand the genius of America's economy--or the secret of our successes."

Image from Washingtonpost.com

He warned that government regulations like Dodd-Frank have stifled the business culture in America.  He illustrated how much harder it currently is for the entrepreneurial spirit to thrive.  He confidently said, "When we replace a law professor with a businessman, that will end."

He invited others to join his cause,  "This election will be about principle.  Our economic freedom will be on the ballot.  I'm running for president because I have the experience and vision to get us out of this mess."

He ended by reminding us of his vision for America.  "I see an America where we know the prospects for our children will be better than our own...where the values we pass on to our children are greater than the debts we leave them, where poverty is defeated by opportunity, not enabled by a government check."

"I see an America that is humble, but never humbled, that leads but is never led.  Join us.  Together we will ensure that America's greatest days are still ahead."

It was a great speech.  It was inspiring.  It was presidential.

So, was Illinois different?  Absolutely.  Last night's victory was undoubtedly, a game changer.

***

Romney now has 563 delegates.  The Washington Post reported today that he has won 55 percent of the delegates and he only needs to win 46 percent of the remaining delegates to win the nomination.

Santorum has vowed to fight, but sooner or later he will have to realize that his message is now muddied and is becoming less and less effective.  Saying, "Vote for me, I'll block Romney" doesn't feel inspiring.  It doesn't feel motivating.  It doesn't feel presidential.

History has shown that this approach is not how Presidential nominees are chosen.

AFP/Getty Images

Although this race is far from over and there are still many hard contests left, one thing is clear, the tide has shifted.  Romney's superior campaign, unparalleled organization, fundraising skills, lead in delegates, numbers of states won, and his growing number of supporters can give voters the confidence that he best suited to lead our conservative cause and restore conservative principles to the White House.

People are listening.  Perhaps that is why Mitt Romney won the coveted endorsement today of GOP favorite Jeb Bush. In his endorsement, Bush congratulated Romney on his impressive Illinois win and then said it was "time for Republicans to unite behind Governor Romney."

AP/Steve Senne/Wilfredo Lee)

As of today,  4 million people have voted for Mitt Romney--over 1 million more than those who have voted for Rick Santorum.  The surge is mounting.

It is about time.

Time to Send an "Executive" to the Lead the Executive Branch of Government

Mitt Romney had his most commanding victory yesterday in Puerto Rico.  He won 83% of the votes and was awarded all of the delegates.  His rival Rick Santorum was at a distant second with 8%.

Romney's total delegate count now stands at 521, Rick Santorum at 253, Gingrich at 136 and Ron Paul at 50.  Romney has nearly half of the 1144 delegates needed to secure the nomination.

Mr. Santorum is doing his best to spin the attention away from this mathematical reality.  He continues to slam Mitt Romney and insists on telling Americans that, "Romney cannot be trusted to tell the truth."

(Wow.  Nice job Mr. Santorum.  Have fun clearing that one up when you are forced to endorse him in a few weeks...)

Mr. Santorum's presidential bid is in real trouble.  It is becoming a mathematical reality that he cannot leapfrog Mitt Romney without a brokered convention in August.  A brokered convention is clearly his best chance to secure the nomination.

So what does he do from this point on?  Is his campaign message, "Vote for me so I can block Mitt Romney?"  Really?  I question how much longer that is going to resonate.

Abc News Photo

The bigger question?  What compelling argument will Santorum present at the convention which will motivate hundreds of delegates to switch their allegiance from Romney to Santorum?

Santorum will undoubtedly still be trailing Romney in delegates.  What case can he present to convince the Romney delegates to switch their allegiance?  What is he going to say?  "Please switch and give me your votes.  Mitt Romney might be only 50 votes shy, but I am only 600?"

Not compelling.  Not effective.  Not going to happen.  If his message isn't enough to wipe out Mitt Romney now, I can't imagine it will work in August either.

 ***

The bottom line is simple and Santorum is choosing to overlook this simple fact: People are voting for Mitt Romney because they like him.  These voters didn't accidentally vote for Romney.  They weren't tricked.  Voters have scrutinized Romney's record and more voters want him to be the Republican nominee.   Period.

So, although the races are close, Mitt Romney continues to win.  He has won more states, delegates, and votes than any other candidate.  More people are voting for Romney over Santorum, by choice.

AP Photo

The years that Mr. Santorum spent in Washington DC, voting for expensive programs, voting to raise the debt ceiling 5 times and securing $1 billion in earmarks for his home state, and defending it all now by saying that he voted against his principles to, "take one for the team" is not a record that appears to be convincing enough.

It is not convincing enough now.  I am willing to bet that it won't be convincing enough in August either.

***

Mr. Santorum wants Newt Gingrich to drop out of the race.  He believes it will give him the support needed to win more contests.   He argues that Gingrich supporters would overwhelmingly support him.  Too bad that his theory isn't exactly correct.  A Gallup Survey conducted last week shows that 40% of Gingrich supporters said they would pick Romney, while 39% said they would pick Santorum.

Evan Vucci/AP Photo

Tomorrow is another major contest in Illinois.  Santorum was quoted over the weekend saying, "If I win Illinois, I will be the nominee."  So how would Santorum define a loss in Illinois?  Because according to the most recent American Research Group poll, Romney has widened his lead in Illinois by 14 points.

CNN reported today that 44% of likely Illinois GOP voters support Romney compared to 30% who back Santorum.  This is significant because two weeks ago, Romney's lead was only 4 points. Mitt's message appears to be resonating--Santorum's message is not.  (Click here to read CNN article).

***

I firmly believe that sending an "Executive" with years of "Executive" experience to lead the "Executive Branch of Government" is the best thing we could do for our country.

Mitt Romney is a unique candidate with a remarkable resume.  It is time to rally.  America needs Mitt.

Damage Control...Again

One of the most memorable moments of the 2004 presidential campaign was when Senator Kerry infamously explained his mixed voting record on funding for the Iraq war.  He said, "I actually did vote for the $87 billion before I voted against it."

Image from lattimes.com

Disaster.   (It was as confusing then and as it is today).  Kerry tried to defend his remarks by claiming that it was one of those "inarticulate moments" for a politician.  But damage control couldn't help.  Many argue that his blunder was the final blow to his already faltering campaign.

***

Fast forward.

Rick Santorum is having an "inarticulate moment" of his own...again.  His campaign is in full damage control for another Santorum misstep.

Santorum has been in Puerto Rico ahead of Saturday's primary.  He gave an interview to a San Juan newspaper and responded to questions regarding the island's bid to become the 51state.

AP Photo/Politico.com

Santorum plunged himself into a controversial firestorm when he began to assert that in order for Puerto Rico to become a state, English would have to be the primary language.  He said, "Like in any other state, you have to comply with this and any federal law--and that is that English has to be the main language.  There are states with more than one language...but to be a state in the United States, English has to be the main language."

Hmmm.

Problem?  He is wrong.  There is no federal law requiring English to be the primary language.  In fact, language is never even mentioned in the Constitution.

Many Puerto Ricans were offended.  The New York Times reported here that one state delegate actually admitted withdrawing his support for Santorum.

The Santorum camp is now in full damage control.  They are claiming of course that the senator was "maliciously misquoted" and what he really meant to say was that it is "important for young people to learn English--the language of opportunity."

Really?

The only problem with that defense is that the interview was recorded.  He wasn't "misquoted."  He simply made a foolish statement and asserted himself in a way that was out-of-line, out-of-touch and extreme. Period.

***

A distinct pattern is emerging from the surging candidate:  Controversial statements.  Rescind.  Controversial statements.  Rescind.

A few recent examples of this pattern:

• Obama is a snob for wanting everyone to go to college.  Wait, no, my grandma, wife and daughter went to college.  College is a good idea...

• In reference to women working outside the home, "Too many women want too many things because radical feminists conned them."  Wait no, what he meant to say was....

• Military women should not be on the front lines of combat due to "certain emotions."  Wait, no, what he meant to say was....

• In reference to President Obama and his "Radical Islamic Policies, Phony Ideology, and Comparison to Hilter."  Wait, what he meant to say was...

Patterns.  Santorum continues to make controversial statements and is forced to rescind them every time.

Image from Rawstory.com

I think it is becoming increasingly clear.  Santorum might be in over his head.  Santorum is not learning from his mistakes.  Santorum might not ready for this level of political play.  Santorum's mistakes are a distraction from the real issues.

If he can somehow win the nomination, these continual misstatements will provide the perfect distraction for Obama's failed policies.  The focus won't be on jobs, the fragile economy, the broken housing market, astronomical debt and an inept Congress.  The focus will be on Santorum's "inarticulate moments" and the inevitable damage control that follows.

I hope conservatives are paying attention.  Because I have no doubt that the Obama campaign is watching it all like a hawk.  They can't wait to portray Santorum as extreme and out-of-touch.

The problem is they'll be right.

Costly Mistakes From a Would-Be President

Many people have been captivated by some of the folksy qualities of Rick Santorum.  He drives around in a pickup truck, he wears a sweater vest and just might use the word "folks" more than any candidate on record.   

A lot of people find it endearing.

But, outside of his down-to-earth campaign,  I can't help but ask, do his repeated costly mistakes also make him endearing?

Voters have seemed willing to brush off the fact that Mr. Santorum failed to qualify for nearly a quarter of the delegates in Ohio.  Mistakes which made him ineligible for those coveted delegates.

Did voters also find it endearing when Santorum's tiny campaign staff completely missed the mark in Virginia and they failed to even get his name on the ballot?  Virginia, his birth state and the state where he owns a second home.  Those were gimme delegates that were awarded to his rival.

Costly mistakes continue to follow him.

The next crucial contest is this Tuesday March 20th in Illinois.  The polls are tightening, but it really doesn't matter too much.  Santorum failed to gather enough signatures for 10 of Illinois' 18 congressional districts.  This means that he will not be eligible for 10 delegates of the 54 delegates.

Even bigger mistakes?

In the coming months, there will be four winner-take-all contests, Washington DC, Delaware, New Jersey and Utah.  Mr. Santorum failed to even get his name on the ballot in DC.

According to Abc News, candidates had two easy options to get their name on the DC ballot and they had until January 4th to meet the requirements.  One option, collect 296 signatures and pay $5,000 fee.  The other option was to completely forgo the 296 signatures and instead opt to pay a $10,000 fee.

Santorum failed completely.  He did not obtain 296 signatures.  He did not pay the fee.  In fact, according to DC Board of Elections, the Santorum camp never even made contact with them.

The result? Santorum's name is not on the ballot in a winner-take-all state.

It should be mentioned that Mitt Romney sent his son to personally deliver the fee along with 700 signatures three weeks before the January 4th deadline. (click here to read Abc News article).

Organization.  Priorities.  Quality.

***

The list of missteps continues to get worse--ballot problems, continually saying inappropriate things, continually rescinding those inappropriate comments and his campaign's organization problems.

Costly mistakes.  Novice missteps.  Completely unprofessional organization.

Still endearing?

Are these the qualities we want for a candidate who is going to face an extremely organized, disciplined and brilliant campaigner in the general election?  Furthermore, are these the qualities we want in the leader of the most powerful country in the world?

No wonder the left is salivating at the thought of facing Rick Santorum.

Carlson/AP Photo

It is important to ask, are these mistakes evidence of an individual who just might be in over his head?  In a race that is now all about delegates, these mistakes just might be catastrophic missteps.

I would argue that they should be.

***

In the meantime, Romney's name will be on every ballot.  He'll continue to advocate for more jobs, smaller government and less debt.  He'll continue to manage his world-class campaign, but above all, Mitt Romney will continue to rack up the endorsements from Santorum's colleagues.

(Today, Romney's campaign announced the support of Illinois House Republican Leader and the endorsement of seventeen State Representatives and one State Senator).

Organization matters.

Go Mitt!

Can Mitt Overcome his Evangelical Problem?

Last night's election results were obviously disappointing--

Well, actually, let me clarify--half the results of yesterday's contests were disappointing.  Mitt Romney lost two tight battles in Alabama and Mississippi, but he still won the American Samoa's and the state of Hawaii.

Ironically, despite the hype over Santorum's wins, Romney won 41 total delegates from Tuesday's contests, compared to 35 for Rick Santorum.  So, despite Santorum wins, Romney continues to come out ahead--with every race, he cushions his lead.

But I am not going to lie, a win in the deep south would have been a much needed boost for Romney. Oddly enough, exit polls showed that Romney was overwhelmingly seen as the best candidate to beat President Obama, yet, somehow his electability wasn't enough to win him a check mark on the ballot.

Why is that?

The answer is becoming increasingly clear.  Mitt Romney continues to face a deep resistance and prejudice to his Mormon faith.

The site politico.com ran an interesting article about it.  (Click here to read).  The article cited that 20 percent of Republican said they would not vote for a Mormon for president.  The bias is even deeper among Southern evangelicals--31 percent said they were unwilling to vote for a Mormon.

This is a huge problem.

Image from evangelicalsformitt.org

This bias is real.  The prejudice is deep.

The result? Voters are justifying support for a weaker general election candidate, Rick Santorum.  A candidate whose business and economic leadership pales in comparison to Mitt Romney.

The trick for Romney?  He cannot ignore this portion of the base.  He could of course, continue to secure the nomination, but without them, he cannot expect to win the general election.

***

Question for the day:  How can Mitt Romney help evangelicals overcome concerns about his faith and focus on his resume not his religion? 


Furthermore, why is the burden only on Mitt?  Do evangelicals have a role to play?

***

A few weeks ago, I stumbled on a fascinating website called, "Evangelicals for Mitt."  It is a collection of articles written by 4 individuals--all evangelicals--who although do not endorse Mormon theology--are supporting and strongly endorsing Mitt Romney.

These individuals are convinced that he is the best candidate.  They argue that he is driven by the right principles, values and has the resume that should silence all critics.

Yesterday, they dedicated a post to answer some reader mail.  A question was asked, "How do you think Mitt Romney can overcome his "Evangelical problem?"

Their answer was quite remarkable.

The writer replied:

"I'm not sure that Gov. Romney has an "evangelical problem" to overcome so much as evangelicals have a confusion problem to overcome.  That is, we get confused about the difference between pulpits and politics, between theology and values.  We need to overcome our ill-considered insistence that the people we elect as presidents meet the same criteria we'd use to elect our pastors.  We need to understand that while it is proper--indeed, to take theology very seriously, it is foolish to insist that our politicians share it.  Rather what matters when it comes to politicians is how their theology manifests itself in terms of their values and their policy priorities." (Click here to read entire post).

Wow.  Interesting take on a very real issue.

The site has an interesting section called, "Why We Support Mitt."  I highly recommend taking a minute to read their perspective and analysis of Mitt Romney.  They are brave individuals who despite the hate mail they receive, are tirelessly working to break down prejudices and help elect the best conservative candidate.

Image from Politico.com

I truly appreciate their efforts.  I agree with them and I hope their efforts will continue to break down barriers and eradicate deeply rooted resistance.

***

Intolerance in the political arena is not okay.  Martin Luther King Jr. imagined a day in our nation when all would be judged by nothing but the content of our character.

How different would America feel today if we truly let that wisdom dictate our actions?

I am hopeful that prejudices can erode and that bigotry will no longer have such a prominent place in America.

I am hopeful that when it comes to choosing our leaders, Americans will continue to place greater weight on an individual's values and the content of their character rather than how that individual chooses to address their Maker.

A Refreshing Perspective from...The Washington Post?

According to headlines and cable talk show programs, today marks another day of "must-win" primaries for Mitt Romney.

Really?

Mitt Romney has a significant lead in delegates, he is leading in all national polls and yet the focus today is that the primaries in Alabama and Mississippi are must-wins for Romney?  Is he the only candidate with something to prove today?  Of course not,  but you would never know it.

Getty Images

Last time I checked, Newt Gingrich has won only 2 contests out of 27.   I think it goes without saying that today should mark a lethal turning point for the future of the Gingrich campaign.   

Why isn't today a "must-win" for Rick Santorum? 

He is losing this race.  He trails Mitt Romney in delegate totals by more than double.  It should be mentioned that ironically, in every future primary where Santorum is set to win, not one of those states is a "winner take all" primary.  Meaning that even if Santorum wins, Romney will still get delegates.  In other words, Santorum wins will continue to cushion Mitt Romney's lead.

When is anyone it the media going to hold Santorum accountable for the future of his campaign?  Instead we just get incessant scrutiny of the front-runner Mitt Romney.

***

Even Fox news host Sean Hannity is contributing to the bias.

I have never heard him scrutinize Santorum's costly mistakes or the fact that Santorum connects only with the ultra conservatives.  He also never mentions Newt Gingrich's inability to win pivotal races.  Instead, Hannity leads discussions discrediting Romney's victories and continues to advocate a drawn out primary.  He even encourages the idea of a brokered Republican convention.

It is ridiculous.

Image from Huffingtonpost.com

Truth of the matter is Mr. Hannity, I don't care that Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton battled it out until June.  They were not facing an incumbent president.  It is a much different fight for us.  A drawn out fight will undoubtedly devastate the conservative cause.

I realize that you are desperate for Newt Gingrich to pull this off, but he is done.  Sorry.  But the good news is that our party is rallying behind an amazing candidate who will be a remarkable president.   I know this candidate is not your first choice, but Romney will most likely be the nominee.  It might be time to rally the troops.

***

There is however, one steady voice of reason from someone in the elite media.  Someone that isn't blogging on a pro-Mitt Romney website.  (Not that there is anything wrong with that!) That voice of reason is Jennifer Rubin, an opinion writer for The Washington Post.

Image from washingtonpost.com

Rubin is closely observing the GOP race and she is doing an excellent job of saying it like it is.  Namely, that Mitt Romney has emerged as the more impressive candidate.  Day after day, she raises questions about Rick Santorum's costly mistakes.  She also highlights the damage he has done to the conservative cause with his inability to control his tongue.  She often mentions that these mistakes have simply demonstrated Santorum's distinct inability to lead.

(I think it should be mentioned that Rubin originally supported Rick Santorum).

She wrote a remarkable column yesterday called, "Santorum's Executive Deficit." (Click here to read the article).  I highly recommend taking a minute to read this short column.  Her perspective on the candidates is quite refreshing and extremely enlightening.

Thank you Ms. Rubin for telling it like it is.  Thank you for not downplaying Romney's wins or choosing to simply focus on his inability to connect with a portion of the base.

I completely agree with you, Mitt Romney is a remarkable candidate.

A Possible Southern Upset?

CNN reported today that the most recent American Research Group survey shows Romney leading in Mississippi.  Romney leads Gingrich 34% - 32% followed by Rick Santorum at 22%. (Click to read CNN article).

The biggest story here is not necessarily Romney's surprising momentum in the south, but rather that Santorum is in 3rd place.  Mississippi has an extremely strong ultra conservative base and it appears they are choosing Romney.

Doesn't this discredit Santorum's argument that Mitt can't connect with true conservatives?

Romney with Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant / AP Photo

The race in Alabama is also quite telling.  Polls indicate that Gingrich is only leading Romney by 3 percentage points.  Santorum is in 3rd place.

Big story.  Big momentum.  It's about time.

Go Mitt!

A Mathematical Reality

The big story of the weekend was that Rick Santorum won Kansas, but when all was said and done, Mitt Romney still managed to win more delegates.  Of the 5 weekend contests, Mitt won 4 of them and was again awarded more total delegates than any of his rivals.

Mitt Romney continues to expand his delegate lead.  That is a big deal.  That is the bigger story.

Andrea Saul, a Romney campaign spokesperson told abc news, "Mitt Romney won more delegates than any other candidates and continued his momentum and path to getting the delegates needed to secure the nomination."

She went on to say, "In what was hyped as a big opportunity for Rick Santorum, he again fell short of making a dent in Mitt Romney's already large delegate lead.  With delegates being proportionally allocated in almost all of the upcoming states, there is just not a chance for him to catch up." (Click to read full abcnews article).

Image from mittromney.com

Obviously there are still dozens of states waiting for their primaries and 2,286 delegates are still up for grabs, but the reality is that Mitt Romney is the most likely candidate to win the needed 1144.

Fox News reported today that Romney only needs to win 48 percent of the remaining vote in order to secure the nomination.  Compare that to his rivals.  Rick Santorum needs 63 percent of the total delegates to leapfrog Romney.  Gingrich has an even bigger hurdle to overcome--he needs 71 percent of all delegates from here on out to win the nomination.

Let's be honest, what are the chances of this becoming a reality? 

We are supposed to believe that Santorum can now consistently get 63 percent and Gingrich can somehow manage to convince 71 percent of the delegates to support his candidacy? I just don't see how that is realistic.

Neither candidate seems affected by this mathematical reality and continue to brazenly declare a march to a brokered convention in August.  Brokered conventions would devastate the conservative cause, yet it is the only way either of them could actually secure the nomination.

Someone should remind them that since 1960, there have been 4 brokered conventions--in every one of these brokered conventions, the emerging nominee lost the general election.

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Although a leapfrog is far from likely, what will Gingrich and Santorum effectively do?

The answer is not pretty.  They will effectively: 1) Continue to divide our party 2) Continue make offensive and derogatory attacks on our party's likely nominee (Over the weekend, Rick Santorum actually used the word "liar" to describe Mitt Romney)  3) Increase the devastating likelihood of a brokered convention in August  4) Allow precious fundraising dollars to be spent on a fight against rivals in our own party  5) Give the Obama campaign more time to cushion their $1 billion fund.

Not one of these effects is positive.  Not one of these effects will strengthen the conservative cause.  Furthermore, not one of these outcomes will ensure a general election win to defeat President Obama.

***

It is time to stop the madness and look reality in the face.

Mitt Romney has 54 percent of the delegates and has more wins, votes, delegates, money and by far the best organization.  To date, he has also won nearly every "must-win" state -- weren't they a "must-win" for everyone?  Yes and only Mitt Romney emerged the winner.

I am tired of hearing Gingrich and Santorum complain about being outspent by the Romney campaign.  Why can't they get the money needed to adequately compete?  Last time I checked, elections are not based on socialist rules.  Elections are contests and only Mitt Romney is winning that race.

Image from nationalpost.com

Romney is a unique candidate with a remarkable skill set.  He will help our country in a way that no candidate possibly could and he has the resume to prove it.

Perhaps that is why some of the most recent Rasmussen Poll shows Romney beating Obama by 6 points.

America is getting the message...isn't time that Santorum and Gingrich start listening?

Overcoming a Unique Resistance

Mitt Romney is winning this race--by a lot.  Millions of people have voted for him.  He has won more states, delegates, votes, and endorsements and he continues to appeal to a broader demographic than any of his rivals.  Yet, the media focuses only on his tepid support from the ultra-conservatives--voters who are predominantly white evangelicals.

Are we really surprised that Mitt Romney is having difficulty sealing the deal with white evangelicals?  Individuals who are admittedly and openly skeptical about the Mormon church as a whole?

The media should not act surprised.  Yes, Mitt Romney might be struggling to seal the nomination, but it may have nothing to do with "Mitt the Candidate," but have more to do with "Mitt the Mormon."

Photo from Bloomberg.com

Mitt Romney has to overcome a unique hurdle that no other candidate is being asked to do--calm concerns about his faith.  A difficult obstacle.  It is taking more time.

The question is can he do it?

The answer, undoubtedly yes.  He already is.

***

He picked up two more key endorsements--two governors from two very southern states.  Both Governor Phil Bryant from Mississippi and former Alabama governor Bob Riley have endorsed Mitt Romney's candidacy.

To date, more representatives, senators, governors, business and political figures have endorsed Mitt Romney than any other candidate.  Why?  They recognize that his experience and leadership are remarkable and that he actually has the skills to know how to repair our fragile economy, unite our country and get America back to the path of prosperity.

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These leaders--including millions of voters--see beyond the rhetoric of a campaign speech, beyond any skepticism of his faith, beyond the way the media portrays him as a "stiff" personality, and instead have listened to his message, scrutinized his record, and realized that he is the right leader to face President Obama and the best leader to help our country.

***

The next few weeks offer key races in several evangelical states.  So how does Mitt continue to overcome this resistance?

He just needs to keep reminding voters of his strengths.  Remind voters of his abilities.  Accentuate that he is different than the others--not because of his faith--but because of his resume.

This short video clip is exactly how he will do it.  (Click here for link).

"We can't keep buying and spending and passing on debts to our kids.  It is a moral responsibility to believe in fiscal responsibility."

He is the only candidate, including the president, that can say this with the record to prove it.  This is what makes Romney different from all his rivals.  This is what makes him unique.  This is the message that will resonate.

As far as the religious resistance? I am confident that the more people are reminded of that message, the sentiment won't be, "How could we elect a Mormon?" but rather, "How could we not?"

Go Mitt!

Letter to Rick Santorum

Dear Mr. Santorum,

I would like to invite you to do what you admitted doing as DC politician, "take one for the team."    Please do what is best for your party--unite conservatives behind the one candidate who is getting more wins, states, votes, delegates, money, endorsements and is clearly appealing to a wider demographic than anyone else.

Mitt Romney continues to appeal to a broader range of people because he is not extreme. Isn't that ultimately what America deserves?  A President who does more than appeals solely to the extremes on either side of the aisle?   We have that in our President now and our country is more divided than ever.  It doesn't feel right.  It doesn't feel American.

For now... Mr. Santorum, please end your presidential bid.  Maybe learn from dare I say, Mitt Romney?  In 2008, he recognized that extending his political pursuits would hurt the party.  He decided to take time to learn from his mistakes and refine his skills.  He dropped out, endorsed his rival and then continued to fight for the conservative cause.

There is some wisdom there.  Please learn from your costly mistakes.  Please, learn to hold your tongue.  Please, learn to be better organized.  Please learn how to get your colleagues to rally around you.  (Their lack of endorsement for your presidency is baffling).  Also, please learn to be more tolerant of those who are different than you.  America needs a President who is leader of all the people...not just "some" of the people.

Maybe take Ann Coulter's advice?  Run for governor.  Your family-oriented focus just might be better served at the state level.   She wrote a fascinating perspective on your candidacy here.

Mr. Santorum, please know that you can continue to make a difference for the conservative cause...maybe just somewhere other than 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.


Sincerely,


Alecia--A concerned American and ardent believer that Mitt Romney is the right conservative leader with the right experience, who has emerged at the right time.  

The Spin of Super Tuesday

Last night, Mitt Romney won 6 of the 10 states. His delegate count is now 404--more than double the number of delegates Rick Santorum has at 161.  In fact, Romney has more delegates than the totals of Santorum, Gingrich and Paul combined.

EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

The biggest news of the night was that Mitt Romney won the crown jewel--he won Ohio.  (It is important to mention that no Republican candidate has ever won the White House without winning the primary in Ohio). It is a big deal.

Mitt Romney has turned a crucial corner.  Mitt Romney is beginning to surge.  Mitt Romney is on the path to win the nomination.

It is interesting however, to watch the media spin it.  If I didn't know better, I would think that Mitt Romney's campaign took a catastrophic hit last night and that he is now on the verge of conceding the race.   It is ridiculous.

Rather than focus on the fact that Mitt won more Super Tuesday races than anyone else and has won more states than any of his rivals, or that he somehow managed to come from behind and win the most pivotal race in Ohio, the media is choosing to focus on Romney's narrow margin of victory, his minimal support of the ultra conservatives and also that Romney outspent Santorum in Ohio 5-1.

Eric Gay/Associated Press

It is absurd that the focus isn't: 1) Santorum blew a double-digit lead in just 7 days. 2) Santorum hasn't raised enough money to be able to adequately compete in a must-win state. 3) Santorum still doesn't have endorsements from his colleagues. 4) His campaign staff continues to make sloppy, novice mistakes that have cost him crucial delegates and a loss in his home state of Virginia.

Instead, Romney is being vilified for running a successful campaign. Wow.

***

Super Tuesday historically marks a significant change in direction for the candidates.  It should.  This year is different however, because we have two candidates that are brazenly vowing to stay in the race until the convention at the end of August.  Vowing to fight even though the likelihood of accumulating enough delegates is virtually impossible.  Vowing to fight even though countless polls show that this nomination process is hurting the conservative cause, damaging the image of the GOP and is actually helping President Obama's approval ratings.

Santorum and Gingrich are vowing to fight, but I would ask them, at what cost?  Mitt Romney is winning...by a lot.  More people are voting for Mitt Romney than any other candidate.  These two candidates are not getting enough wins.

I would invite Gingrich and Santorum to ask themselves, at what point does the drive for political pursuits overshadow the "will of the people?"

I hope they will remember that much more is at stake than simply winning the race for the White House.  If this drawn-out infighting truly damages the conservative brand, then gaining seats in the House and Senate will undoubtedly be compromised.  Losses which affect the future of Obamacare, Supreme Court nominations and out-of-control spending.

Much more is at stake than simply who will be the GOP nominee.

Opinion writer George Will wrote an interesting column about this here.

***

I would invite Santorum and Gingrich to realize that their political pursuits are hurting the party.  Please continue to play a role in the fight for the conservative cause, but maybe just play a different role.  As I mentioned here, not everyone can be the quarterback...

McNamee/Getty Images

It is time to rally behind the one candidate who has demonstrated that he can win, has the right organization, has enough money, the expertise and the resume to take on the Obama campaign machine.

This candidate is undoubtedly Mitt Romney.

Artificial Expectations for Only One?

"Can Mitt Romney survive Super Tuesday?" These conversations have dominated the cable and network news shows.

These are biased discussions which fuel an artificial fire.  I firmly believe the media is artificially inflating expectations for only one candidate--Mitt Romney.

Momentum is on Mitt Romney's side.  He has consecutively won the last 5 contests--five contests in five very crucial states.  His lead is more than double that of his rivals in the delegate count--Romney 203, Santorum 92, Gingrich 33, Paul 25.  (Click New York Times article for full break down of delegate count).

The last contest Santorum won was on February 7th, the night of his surprising 3-state sweep in Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota.  The irony?  Those contests were non-binding.  The delegates from those "crucial wins" have yet to be allocated.

Santorum continues to finish in 2nd or 3rd place.  He hasn't been able to benefit from his surge and his lead in the polls has evaporated.  He hasn't attracted anyone but the ultra conservative voters and has even the lost support of his fellow Catholics.

Eric Gay/AP Photo

In just a matter of days, Santorum has retracted countless statements including calling Obama a "snob" for wanting Americans to go to college, apologizing for voting against his principles by "taking one for the team," as well as his controversial statement about "wanting to throw" up over JFK's famous speech about the separation of church and state.

In the past 30 days, Rick Santorum has demonstrated that he is an extremely polarizing politician.  He has been ineffective in demonstrating an ability to show controlled restraint of his opinions and has therefore, been forced to clean up countless sloppy comments--comments that I believe have hurt the conservative cause.

All of this and yet, the burden continues to be on Mitt Romney and whether he can survive a win in Ohio?  Please.

***

The media is fueling an artificial fire.

This past week we were incessantly reminded of the importance of Mitt Romney winning his birth state of Michigan.  Critics were sure a loss would mark the end of his candidacy.  Apparently, it was "do-or-die" for him to win the support of people in a state where he lived 40 years ago.

Does this same burden apply to Rick Santorum?  Believe it or not, he also has a "home state."  He was born in Virginia.  He owns a 2nd home in Great Falls, Virginia and yet, he is not going to win the Virginia primary today--Mitt Romney is going to win Virginia.  (Oops, Santorum's campaign wasn't organized enough to even get his name on the ballot).

So, is winning a home state really the "do-or-die" test for a candidate? Of course not, but the media has artificially inflated the importance of it for only Mitt Romney.

Unfair.  Biased.  Inexcusable.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Today marks a crucial day in the election cycle.  Another crucial day in the step towards choosing whom will face President Obama.  A crucial day in the step towards choosing who will be granted the responsibility and duty to lead this country out of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.

I am confident that the voters will see beyond the rhetoric and beyond the artificially inflated expectations placed on only one individual.  I am hopeful that again the voters will recognize that Mitt Romney is the one candidate with the right experience who has emerged at just the right time.

Go Mitt!