Amazing Bain Capital Job Creation

Somehow Obama's disingenuous attacks on Mitt Romney for his work at Bain Capital back in the day manages to be simultaneously maddening, pathetic, and hilarious.  [By the way, Mr. Obama, we all know you are just trying to avoid talking about the painful economy under your watch - you're not fooling anyone.]

That said, these attacks do represent a nice opportunity for discussion about how free markets actually function, and the incredible benefits that can come from free markets and the drive of individuals and groups of personally motivated individuals to create success (not just monetary success, by the way, but many other kinds of success that these individuals are motivated to achieve).

Consider just a few thoughts on this:
(1) Consumers (whether individuals or organizations) look to purchase goods/services at the lowest price still consistent with adequate quality.  Businesses that provide adequate quality at a lower price tend to succeed.  Aiming for this can, in the short term, sometimes mean cutting jobs that do not contribute efficiently to the company's production of goods and services.  But in the long run, if sales go up then the company grows and hires more people.
(2) There is an even greater impact beyond an individual company on whole sectors of the economy and the economy as a whole.  Because of competition in a free market, if one company is succeeding, other companies watch and start to copy.  This puts downward pressure on prices and upward pressure on quality.  This frees up more money of consumers to look for other places to spend their money.  Many jobs are created and many people benefit from this process.

Read more about this and how it happened at Bain Capital under Mitt Romney's watch here.  It's well worth the read.

Doing Your Research...

It seems that deception and sleight-of-hand are too often a part of politics.  Unfortunately, the Obama administration seems to be practicing this "ancient art" heavily in this campaign.  In 2008, Obama was a relatively new and untested quantity, and could paint an uncrowded "hopeful" landscape uncluttered by reality.  Now, of course, he has four years of reality he has to deal with, and it is unflattering at best - horrifying at worst in some areas.  So, he and his campaign are trying constantly to deflect attention from his record by distracting and trying to point fingers at Romney for many small and old and even made-up issues.  Our job as educated voters, I think, is to learn enough not to get suckered by all this.

Below are a couple of sound bites and links to information that can give you a quick reminder or update in some of these areas.  A couple are from the RNC; they've done a nice job collecting and presenting this information.  Enjoy!

A timeline "History of Obamacare" as a reminder of the tortured way it was presented, passed, and defended by Obama and his team, and the fact that it has been unpopular before, during, and since the debate and remains unpopular with the American people.

And here is a banner-link to a resource that shows how many of the jobs from Obama's government-funded stimulus have gone oversees.  In an integrated world economy, you would expect some of this to happen, but this has some calling Obama our "Outsourcer-in-Chief" - and it highlights Obama's hypocrisy in trying to falsely accuse Romney's former company, Bain, of outsourcing jobs overseas:

Click here to see where all the money and jobs have gone under Obama.

The Obama campaign's false ads and statements about Romney and Bain Capital led Romney supporter, John Sununu, to this in an interview with Andrea Mitchell:

Sununu: “The outsourcing issue really causes two problems for President Obama. One: It underscores his dishonesty. The ad they were running – which all the independent fact-checking groups have said is dishonest – ends with President Obama saying “I’m President Obama and I approve this message.“ It should say, “I’m President Obama and I approve this dishonest message.” And the second problem he has with outsourcing is that there is a huge amount of outsourcing which was driven by Obama policy. The money – the $500 million they gave to FISKAR – created jobs in Finland. The solar energy grants they gave created jobs in Mexico. The wind turbine grants they gave created jobs in Denmark. So, the point that I think is really interesting is that the outsourcing issue underscores how few smarts there are in this White House and in this Obama campaign – that they expose themselves to the response criticism that I think – unlike what Mr. Cilliza said – is going to end up making this a winning issue for Mitt Romney."

 We need to keep our eye on the ball in this campaign and be able to see through the Obama team distractions.  We can do this...

Romney Speech to NAACP

What an excellent speech and so well handled in a challenging - and potentially hostile - environment as a Republican presidential candidate speaking to the NAACP.  Makes me very proud to support Romney in his campaign for the presidency.  I was also impressed by the audience.  They seemed genuinely and sincerely respectful based on the audio.  One of my favorite conservative writers, Kathryn Jean Lopez, had a nice review of the speech here.

What's Up with Obamacare? From a Doc...

First, let me dispense with one issue: there are a couple of probably-decent ideas embedded in the "Obamacare" legislation.  It's unrealistic to think that government won't have a hand in our healthcare business, but at least it should be limited and smart/helpful.  There are numerous problems with the healthcare insurance market (many of which are caused or made worse by government regulation), but the worst in some ways is the way "pre-existing" conditions can prevent people from obtaining insurance at all or at anything like an affordable rate.  Another is the fact that insurance is tied to an employer rather than chosen by and tied to an employee (individual/family).  And all of this is more complex because insurance companies operate within each state's laws rather than being able to function across state borders (thus unnecessarily limiting options for consumers/patients and decreasing competition that can lower costs to those consumers/patients).

These issues can (and probably should) be dealt with after Obamacare is killed.

Which brings us to this: why should Obamacare be killed?

There are many reasons, but let's focus on these four:
(1) It will increasingly reduce what personal freedoms we still retain over time.
(2) It will be a financial disaster for our nation.
(3) It will end up reducing the quality, level of service and convenience, and the innovation of our healthcare system.
(4) Government has a terrible track record of running any large enterprise well, and this would be larger than anything previously managed by the federal government.

REDUCTION OF PERSONAL FREEDOMS

If anything should get our blood boiling as Americans, it's further government intrusion on our freedom as individuals to live as we would live.  How will Obamacare restrict our personal freedom?  It comes down to two simple facts: if the government pays for something, it will increasingly attempt to control that thing simply in an attempt to control costs; also, if we give government bureaucrats the power to control aspects of our life that affect our health, they will increasingly wield that power.  And what decisions that you make on a daily basis do not impact on your health?  Suddenly, it gives government a powerful interest in controlling what you eat, what you drink, what physical activities you do or do not do, what hours you can work, what kind of work you can do, every aspect of your interaction with the environment, how much noise you can make and where...it can become quite exhaustive if you think about it.  And believe me, the government will think about it sooner or later.  Think Mayor Bloomberg of New York just randomly came up with his idea to pass a law restricting the amount of soda you can order at a restaurant in New York City?  No...it's because New York pays for much of the health care of its citizens and thus the expanding waistline of New Yorkers becomes a budget issue.  So, he wants to control that.  And what else will he want to control at the end of the day?

The second simple fact here is that incredible power over our lives will be placed in the hands of 15 bureaucrats in Washington if Obamacare fully comes into effect.  They are unelected and yet will have more power than Mayor Bloomberg to control what health care you can and cannot get, and every other aspect of our health as the federal government becomes increasingly in control of the whole system.

Is this what you want?  If not, you have one option at this point...and only one...help get Romney and the Republicans elected in November.  Otherwise, there is no obstacle to Obamacare taking this control of our lives.  Obama himself certainly won't overturn it if he is re-elected...he will just take it even further...that's one thing we can be sure of.

FINANCIAL DISASTER

When Obamacare was passed, we were told it would be at least close to "budget neutral" over the first ten years.  Of course, we knew even then that this could only be said because the Obama administration and Democrats in Congress pulled a series of Enronesque account tricks, "cooked the books" and forced the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to make certain assumptions that were laughable on their face.

Then come to find out that even with all those accounting tricks and political games, the cost of Obamacare is ALREADY being increased significantly in the estimates of the CBO.  Well, anyone paying any attention to this stuff can't be surprised by that.

Not being surprised by the massive and increasing costs involved in Obamacare, though, does not change the reality that just at a time of great national peril with a massive and increasing budget deficit - and with even bigger outlays ahead with "promised" benefits of social security, medicare, and other "entitlements" - Obama has inserted another program with tremendous costs going forward.

To me, this is fiscal mismanagement of horrifying degree.  I don't know how they feel they can get away with it.  Maybe they think we will somehow "grow our way" out of the problem with our economy galloping forward for years?  Anyone who really thinks our economy is going to grow fast enough to pay for all this - I just don't get it.

The worst part is...if you've noticed...Obama and the Democrats have NOT PUT FORWARD ANY SERIOUS PROPOSAL to handle this mounting crisis.  No proposal to cut back on anything significant.  No proposal for serious reform of any entitlement spending.  Nothing.

It's a simple question: do you trust Obama on these matters at this point?  Or Mitt Romney, with his track record in business, as head man over the Salt Lake Olympics, and as governor of Massachusetts?

REDUCING THE RESPONSIVENESS OF OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

There are some things the government can be effective at with health care.  When they want to, they can put an awful lot of pressure on people to get certain treatments deemed best for society.  This can often be a good thing for individuals as well in terms of health issues.  The classic example is immunizations.  The government can impact your schooling and employment options, travel, etc. in order to get people immunized.

I'm a proponent of our vaccines recommendations and think the CDC is responsible in its approach, but my point is that government has ways to get such things done when it is considered in the public interest to do so.

What the government has a long history of being terrible at is running complex service-oriented enterprises.  There are so many variables and complexities in such enterprises that it seems to stymie sclerotic bureaucracies.

When a problem can perhaps be handled with gentle use of a scalpel, government tends to bring a sledge hammer.  Or a drill.  And it takes them far to long to realize they've used perhaps the wrong tool.

A few simple examples:
- Through Obamacare, the estimates were that some 30+ million more people would get insurance through government and other programs and therefore be able to get more regular health care at doctors offices and other care centers.  Access to health care services is generally a helpful and good thing with potential benefits.  But in a practical sense, consider 30 million more people suddenly hitting the nation's existing medical clinics.  Are there suddenly more doctors to see them?  If there are more people trying to see the same number of providers, doesn't that start to equate to longer waiting times, less time with the doctor, or having to see a less trained provider?

Did you hear anything during the Obamacare debate about this issue?  I sure didn't and I was following I think very closely.  Why?  Maybe I'm jaded, but I suspect it's because government pays for a good part of the training of medical providers, so if they included expanded training programs for more providers, they would have had to include those costs in the estimates for Obamacare, which would have made the fiscal impact picture look much worse.  Wouldn't want to be honest about the real costs involved, now, would we?  Leave that to later when the costs can be buried in other programs in other budgets.  Apparently.

- Many services currently provided through medical clinics are organized and ordered by physicians but run through nurses and other health professionals.  They can include additional education and health coaching, etc.  As financial pressures mount under Obamacare, the pressure will be to reimburse providers less.  Do that and the funds that pay for these extra services dry up.  There are many similar ways in which the quality of service and the responsiveness of the medical system will be impaired under Obamacare as it rolls out.  Think you've had problems with "the system" as it is now?  Let's just say you'll come to expect much less eventually under Obamacare.  Don't mean to be a downer, but I think it's inevitable given the realities of how the system would be directed and financed.

- Read more about a New York doctor's concerns about how Obamacare will hurt patients and doctors and the quality of our system here.

GOVERNMENT MISMANAGEMENT

I always like to ask friends who consider themselves to be liberal or "progressive" to give me an example of a large, complex, sustained, public service oriented program that the government has run successfully.  It's an awfully difficult question to answer.

There are reasons for this, and it's not that government workers are bad or want to provide bad service or bloated, inefficient services.

But, the reality still exists and must be recognized.  My own opinion on this may be summed up in saying that anytime the people managing the system do not have much or any "skin in the game," they tend to overreach and try to do more than they can effectively do.  Any time these people are sitting ensconced on high in their towers in the District of Coumbia and are not "in the game themselves" on a daily basis, they tend not to understand the "little" daily realities that complicate the efficient delivery of goods and services.  And similar issues exist on the side of the "customer" or receiver of services.  A distant government bureaucrat is impersonal and so there is no sense of balance or negotiation but just of "milking the system" for whatever one can get.  The more local the organization and control, there more there is a natural interpersonal pressure to have conversation, back-and-forth negotiation and questions and answers.  In a practical sense I think these kinds of things are what lead to so much government waste and inefficiency.

The complexities of the health care system - with which I am very familiar, I think, as a practicing physician - are immense.  I think the odds of Obamacare government being able to handle these effectively and efficiently are...to put it kindly...remote.

SUMMARY

This has been long, but I hope a helpful perspective.  What I may not have been able to convey given the length of this post is this: I truly believe we get ONE AND ONLY ONE chance to reverse this process, and it comes on the first Tuesday of November on Election Day.  Mitt Romney said it best on Thursday. “If we want to get rid of Obamacare, we’re going to have to replace President Obama.”  More than that: If he [Romney] does not win - and, critically - if the Republicans do not retake the Senate and hold onto the House - then Obamacare and its attendant consequences will become a fixture in government so integrated that I don't think it could ever be fully extricated.

If you care about the issues above, you must help in this effort or we will all suffer the consequences if we fail.  It's that important, and our only chance is NOW.  The Supreme Court - and Justice Roberts in particular - has declined to protect us against this erosion of our freedom when that should be their main job.  But beyond that, it was not the Court's job to protect us from the other unwise, even dangerous, effects of this legislation.  Only the President and the Congress can do that.  Let's not let up until we get that President - and that Congress - who can help us avert this coming disaster.

Your Liberty...If You Can Keep It

I'm in the middle of an "absorbing and processing mode" with regard to the Supreme Court decision yesterday upholding the individual mandate/penalty of Obamacare.

In the meantime, this is a good place to start if you have a moment.  It's now very clear: the ONLY hope we now have to avoid the pervasive and terrible effects Obamacare will have on our personal liberty and our national solvency is for Romney and the Republicans to win in November.  Even then it will be a tremendous challenge.  But it is now our only hope.  Let's not forget that and let it motivate us to work harder than ever between now and election day.

Are You Kidding Me, NBC?

We better watch the media like a hawk - they have shown no trustworthiness in my opinion in terms of being fair.  Watch this...you'll be amazed at what NBC tried to get away with.  Every time I watch this it makes me feel more...what's the word?  Disgusted?  Angry?  Frustrated?  Wow.

What Do You Hear When He Speaks?

Funny video, but makes an important point about what we hear when we hear Obama speak:

 

All Hail, Wisconsin!

The ramifications of the loss by Democrats in their attempt to recall Governor Scott Walker for taking on unions and balancing the Wisconsin state budget are still being analyzed, but I believe it is an indicator of another tide going against Obama, and in favor of Romney.

Check this editorial by Karl Rove, for example.  Walker and the Republicans of Wisconsin were persuasive to and got the votes of many more voters than they had when Governor Walker was first elected.

It was discouraging - once again - to see how biased the initial media coverage (and the exit polling done) on this election result.  The early headlines at least reported that Walker was projected to win, but based on the exit polls (who designs and runs these, anyway?) they thought it would be close.  It wasn't.  Which means these polls were not trustworthy.  AND YET...the media continued to act as though they were valid on a separate point, which is that the voters polled were reported to favor Obama over Romney by several points in the November election.

Should it be that difficult for the media to suspect that if these polls were so wrong on the margin of victory for Gov. Walker, they are likely to have been wrong about the Obama v Romney question?

WSJ on Obama's Terrible Jobs Record

With Obama's team trying all the time to spin his terrible economic record, the Wall Street Journal gives us this excellent statement of the actual records of Obama vs. Romney:

Several weeks ago Mr. Obama focused his jobs argument on the company that Mr. Romney founded, Bain Capital. Employment growth is usually a byproduct of a firm's successful pursuit of profit. But it's become clear that even by the most conservative estimates, Bain has helped create more than 100,000 jobs by making companies grow.

This is especially embarrassing for the White House because, according to the seasonally adjusted jobs numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in its household survey, 100,000 is the total net increase in U.S. jobs since January 2009 when Mr. Obama took office.

To appreciate how anemic this figure is, remember that there are more than 313 million Americans, and the U.S. population grows by more than two million people every year. So according to one government measure of job growth, the entire U.S. economy during the Obama Administration has not matched the business founded by Mitt Romney even three years after the recession ended.

Many economists put more stock in the government's so-called establishment survey. But that shows not a small gain but a decline of more than 550,000 jobs during the Obama era.

Spread the word...it's going to take a lot of us sharing accurate information with friends and family to counter the Obama disinformation machine.  

Texas Does It BIG

Thank you, Texas!  With the vote from the Lone Star State, Mitt Romney is now estimated by CNN to have 1,163 votes, over the magic 1,144 needed to secure the Republican nomination for President of the United States.  Not official yet until convention, but this is a big moment...and nicely done by Texans!  [By the way, in the spirit of gratitude for all that's gotten us to this point, may I suggest sharing the joy over at Evangelicals for Mitt...those guys are awesome!]

Congrats to Romney and team...and to all of us fighting to get our country back to strong, sustainable economic growth and a sane and smart approach to governing our nation.

Now begins the real call to arms.  We need ALL HANDS ON DECK to go up against the Obama machine.

A Few of the 23 Million

Romney's Expertise

It's About...Family

So VP Biden steps out last week and throws out there how he's OK with gay marriage, but it's the president sets policy.  Which next led to Obama being the first American president to state he's in favor of gay marriage, and - of course - says it's simply an issue of equality.

This even though more than 80% of the states have some kind of statute or constitutional amendment that protects traditional marriage as between a man and a woman.  Whenever the people actually vote on this question, they have come out in support of traditional marriage.  The most recent was the vote in North Carolina last week in which the people voted for traditional marriage by a 22% margin - dominant, that is.

Now, let's be clear.  When it comes to basic issues of personal associations and relationships, equal treatment of all people is the expectation, and unless there is clearly damage to others (an easy example is abusive relationships, etc.), we generally want to support personal freedom and choice in these relationships.  But traditional marriage touches on many issues important to society as a whole.  Marriage is more than just a contractual relationship between two people, and there are many centuries of history where the unique relationship of man and woman in a marriage relationship has been the deep foundation of family life.

I think most Americans appreciate and love the ideal of equal treatment, and yet most Americans also clearly sense and know that marriage is a unique institution and more than just a social contract.  They clearly sense that traditional marriage is imperfect (because people are imperfect) but still the best foundation for strong and nurturing family life.

So, how will this affect the election?  It's always hard to predict these kinds of things, but I'll say it now...I believe it will push some people who would otherwise vote for Obama's re-election to vote for Mitt Romney.  I certainly hope that will be the case.

One thing we have seen already is that we have the first poll since Obama came out for gay marriage, and it has Romney at 50% over Obama at 43%.  Read more on it here.  The economy and other issues will still be dominant, but I think Americans will intuitively see in this a President who thinks he knows better than the rest of us, and we will know that he is not right on this.

Economic Argument in a Nutshell

We all know that since President Obama has a "weak or worse" performance record during his time in office, he will spend his time misrepresenting in this campaign - misrepresenting his own record as more positive than reality says it is, and misrepresenting his opponent and his positions.

On the economy, since Obama has such a poor record, I expect he will spend his time trying to tie Romney to the Bush era and disparage both together.

There's a rather simple response to this, and it was stated well in an editorial in the Wall Street Journal this morning:

"Coming from outside Washington and with his business background, Mr. Romney can make the case for an economic restoration that corrects the mistakes of both the Bush and Obama eras. He can join with the younger generation of GOP reformers—in the states and on Capitol Hill—to pursue an agenda that promises to fix our ailing public institutions, wean Wall Street from Washington, and create more opportunity for all Americans."

Romney's Moment

What a powerful day and moment for Mitt Romney!  A sweep of all five states voting today...a clear dominance now in the Republican ranks...and a stunningly clear and powerful address to the nation to set the stage for the battle next to come against Obama.

Here are his remarks as prepared...highlights are mine:

Thank you Pennsylvania, Delaware, Rhode Island, Connecticut and New York!  And tonight I can say thank you, America.  After 43 primaries and caucuses, many long days and more than a few long nights, I can say with confidence – and gratitude – that you have given me a great honor and solemn responsibility.  And, together, we will win on November 6th!

We launched this campaign not far from here on a beautiful June day. It has been an extraordinary journey. 

Americans have always been eternal optimists.  But over the last three and a half years, we have seen hopes and dreams diminished by false promises and weak leadership. Everywhere I go, Americans are tired of being tired, and many of those who are fortunate enough to have a job are working harder for less.

For every single mom who feels heartbroken when she has to explain to her kids that she needs to take a second job … for grandparents who can’t afford the gas to visit their grandchildren … for the mom and dad who never thought they’d be on food stamps … for the small business owner desperately cutting back just to keep the doors open one more month – to all of the thousands of good and decent Americans I’ve met who want nothing more than a better chance, a fighting chance, to all of you, I have a simple message: Hold on a little longer.  A better America begins tonight.

Tonight is the start of a new campaign to unite every American who knows in their heart that we can do better! The last few years have been the best that Barack Obama can do, but it’s not the best America can do!

Tonight is the beginning of the end of the disappointments of the Obama years and the start of a new and better chapter that we will write together.

This has already been a long campaign, but many Americans are just now beginning to focus on the choice before the country. In the days ahead, I look forward to spending time with many of you personally. I want to hear what’s on your mind, hear about your concerns, and learn about your families. I want to know what you think we can do to make this country better…and what you expect from your next President.

And I’ll tell you a little bit about myself. I’ll probably start out talking about my wonderful wife Ann – I usually do – and I’ll probably bore you with stories about our kids and grandkids. I’ll tell you about how much I love this country, where someone like my dad, who grew up poor and never graduated from college, could pursue his dreams and work his way up to running a great car company.  Only in America could a man like my dad become governor of the state in which he once sold paint from the trunk of his car.

I’d say that you might have heard that I was successful in business.  And that rumor is true.  But you might not have heard that I became successful by helping start a business that grew from 10 people to hundreds of people.  You might not have heard that our business helped start other businesses, like Staples and Sports Authority and a new steel mill and a learning center called Bright Horizons. And I’d tell you that not every business made it and there were good days and bad days, but every day was a lesson.  And after 25 years, I know how to lead us out of this stagnant Obama economy and into a job-creating recovery!

Four years ago Barack Obama dazzled us in front of Greek columns with sweeping promises of hope and change.  But after we came down to earth, after the celebration and parades, what do we have to show for three and a half years of President Obama?

Is it easier to make ends meet? Is it easier to sell your home or buy a new one?  Have you saved what you needed for retirement? Are you making more in your job?  Do you have a better chance to get a better job?  Do you pay less at the pump?

If the answer were “yes” to those questions, then President Obama would be running for re-election based on his achievements…and rightly so.  But because he has failed, he will run a campaign of diversions, distractions, and distortions.  That kind of campaign may have worked at another place and in a different time.  But not here and not now.  It’s still about the economy …and we’re not stupid. 

People are hurting in America. And we know that something is wrong, terribly wrong with the direction of the country.

We know that this election is about the kind of America we will live in and the kind of America we will leave to future generations.  When it comes to the character of America, President Obama and I have very different visions.

Government is at the center of his vision. It dispenses the benefits, borrows what it cannot take, and consumes a greater and greater share of the economy. With Obamacare fully installed, government will come to control half the economy, and we will have effectively ceased to be a free enterprise society.

This President is putting us on a path where our lives will be ruled by bureaucrats and boards, commissions and czars.  He’s asking us to accept that Washington knows best – and can provide all. 

We’ve already seen where this path leads.  It erodes freedom.  It deadens the entrepreneurial spirit.  And it hurts the very people it’s supposed to help.  Those who promise to spread the wealth around only ever succeed in spreading poverty.  Other nations have chosen that path. It leads to chronic high unemployment, crushing debt, and stagnant wages.

I have a very different vision for America, and of our future. It is an America driven by freedom, where free people, pursuing happiness in their own unique ways, create free enterprises that employ more and more Americans. Because there are so many enterprises that are succeeding, the competition for hard-working, educated and skilled employees is intense, and so wages and salaries rise.

I see an America with a growing middle class, with rising standards of living. I see children even more successful than their parents – some successful even beyond their wildest dreams – and others congratulating them for their achievement, not attacking them for it.

This America is fundamentally fair. We will stop the unfairness of urban children being denied access to the good schools of their choice; we will stop the unfairness of politicians giving taxpayer money to their friends’ businesses; we will stop the unfairness of requiring union workers to contribute to politicians not of their choosing; we will stop the unfairness of government workers getting better pay and benefits than the taxpayers they serve; and we will stop the unfairness of one generation passing larger and larger debts on to the next.

In the America I see, character and choices matter.  And education, hard work, and living within our means are valued and rewarded.  And poverty will be defeated, not with a government check, but with respect and achievement that is taught by parents, learned in school, and practiced in the workplace.

This is the America that was won for us by the nation’s Founders, and earned for us by the Greatest Generation.  It is the America that has produced the most innovative, most productive, and the most powerful economy in the world.

As I look around at the millions of Americans without work, the graduates who can’t get a job, the soldiers who return home to an unemployment line, it breaks my heart. This does not have to be. It is the result of failed leadership and of a faulty vision. We will restore the promise of America only if we restore the principles of freedom and opportunity that made America the greatest nation on earth.

Today, the hill before us is a little steep but we have always been a nation of big steppers.  Many Americans have given up on this President but they haven’t ever thought about giving up. Not on themselves. Not on each other. And not on America.

In the days ahead, join me in the next step toward that destination of November 6th, when across America we can give a sigh of relief and know that the Promise of America has been kept. The dreamers can dream a little bigger, the help wanted signs can be dusted off, and we can start again.

And this time we’ll get it right. We’ll stop the days of apologizing for success at home and never again apologize for America abroad.

There was a time – not so long ago – when each of us could walk a little taller and stand a little straighter because we had a gift that no one else in the world shared. We were Americans. That meant something different to each of us but it meant something special to all of us. We knew it without question. And so did the world.

Those days are coming back. That’s our destiny.

We believe in America. We believe in ourselves. Our greatest days are still ahead. We are, after all, Americans!

God bless you, and God bless the United States of America.

Tipping Point for Disaster?

While we have a temporary bit of a lightening in the heavy day-to-day of national politics, let's take a few moments to frame the upcoming political debates.  The elephant in the room this election year is the economy, jobs, and our crushing national debt.  Obama, given that he may - by the end of this year - have added more to our national debt as the entire previous history of the United States COMBINED, will try to distract us, mostly by playing the blame game and encouraging us to ignore the raw facts of what has happened on his watch.

So, take a few minutes if you can to consider the magnitude of the financial mess we have created for ourselves, and ask yourself what we should do next, and whose policies are most likely to get us there.

Dogs: Vacation, Not Dinner

Heard about the Romney comeback to the Obama team's bringing up of old dog stories?  This had me laughing to tears...

Hard Working Mother, Ann

If you haven't watched this, you should.  If you have, you should watch it again.

Now, to Oust Obama...

Rick Santorum finally came to the conclusion that it was time to exit the race and announced this yesterday. Bless him, for it was past time.  Personally I wish him and his family well.  We will need his support and everyone else we can get if we are to succeed in getting Obama out.

It's going to be a rough ride...but let the national campaign of Romney against Obama begin...

Triple Play

Awesome wins in Wisconsin, Maryland, and DC tonight for Mitt!  Brings him up to 648 delegates per CNN estimate, well on the way to 1,144.

More later, but I think it's time for Gingrich and Santorum to back out and support Romney in the effort to get Obama out.

Dictator Obama

Why does it seem so often that Obama talks like a dictator - as though his will and view should just carry the day regardless of public opinion, regardless even of the U.S. Constitution and its separation of powers?

Why did he have to dis (veiled threat?) the U.S. Supreme Court today as they deliberate on the constitutionality of Obamacare?  And in the presence of the president of Mexico and the prime minister of Canada no less?

You'll want to read this in which a U.S. Court of Appeals calls the Obama DOJ to the carpet on the President's remarks.  Good...for...them.

Obama is just so oblivious to what the American people care about.  November can't come soon enough to kick this guy out of the White House.

Obama: "Nothing Is Ever My Fault"

I happened across this blog post and it struck me that this nails the perfect re-election theme for Obama:

"Remember, Nothing Is Ever His Fault"
                 OBAMA 2012

Yeah, well...

So then we hear that Obama was talking to the Russian president today - and unfortunately for them both there was an open mike that overheard this:

President Obama: On all these issues, but particularly missile defense, this, this can be solved but it’s important for him (apparently referring to Vladimir Putin) to give me space.
President Medvedev: Yeah, I understand. I understand your message about space. Space for you…
President Obama: This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility.
President Medvedev: I understand. I will transmit this information to Vladimir.

And that, my friends, continues to strike the deepest fear into me: what Obama will be willing to do if he won in November and was no longer restrained by having to run for re-election again.

Gingrich said it well today: “So, I think the question for the President ought to be what is it you plan to give the Russians after the election,” he added. “Tell us now so the American people can decide whether or not that’s a future, a gamble that they want to take with their safety.”

And Romney: "Romney said he was “very concerned” about the president’s remarks, especially because they were made to a Russian leader. Russia is not a friendly character on the world stage and for this president to be looking for greater flexibility where he doesn’t have to answer to the American people in his relations with Russia is very, very troubling, very alarming,” he said. “I am very, very concerned."

Please take a few moments also to listen to this short radio interview of Romney talking to Hugh Hewitt about this.  Romney nails it.  The more I think about it, the more upset I am about what this reveals about Obama.  And the way the media tries to minimize it!  Good heavens, they spent a full day or more talking about interpreting an offhand comment by an AIDE to Governor Romney...and yet here is the President of the United States talking to the President of Russia with significant - and to me horrifying - content and the media is barely paying attention!  Are you kidding me?

UPDATE: read Mitt's written article, "Bowing to the Kremlin" and ask yourself who you want in charge of American foreign policy: Obama or Romney?  Not a hard question to answer for me.

Rick and Newt: Bomb Throwers

Consider for a moment what in the world is going on in the minds of Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. I know, I know...but just humor me.

First let's dispatch with Newt.  Gingrich would have to win 90% of the delegates remaining to win the nomination.  He has only won two states and is unlikely to win another, meaning he likely will not even have the support of the few delegates he's gained to this point at the convention.  Moreover, the man is going to zoos and checking out the cherry blossoms in Washington, D.C. rather than doing serious campaigning at this point.  I can fathom only two possible reasons he has not dropped out of the race, and both reflect horribly on him.  First, he's on an extended book/PR tour at the expense of his campaign donors and, worse, at the expense of the Republican cause to oust Obama.  Second, he has a personal vendetta against Romney and is willing to sacrifice the cause against Obama to get back at Mitt Romney somehow, which is worse and more small minded than the first possibility.

Second, consider Santorum.  The bottom line is that even if there was some remote chance of him gaining more delegates and momentum than Romney as of a couple of weeks ago, that chance is over now. Therefore, by continuing to stay in the race - knowing that he only has an outside chance of keeping Romney from the 1,144 delegates to win the nomination outright, and NO CHANCE of getting to 1,144 himself - he can ONLY be aiming for a contested convention.  The rules of the convention in such a case are such that there is NO CHANCE of Santorum becoming the nominee even in that case, and little to no chance of anyone but Romney getting the nomination at that point.  Imagine if Romney had, say, 1,100 delegates.  And was the only person with an organized campaign organization nationwide just 7 weeks before election day.  Can you imagine the outcry if anyone but Mitt got the nod there?  And the abject failure it would be for Republicans even if someone else were somehow handed the nomination?  What an absolute disaster that would be!

So if there is no reasonable, rational alternative to Mitt Romney to give Republicans a chance to oust Obama, then what in the name of Sam do Santorum and Gingrich really think they are doing?  It's hard to avoid the thought that they are simply prepared to be the equivalent of suicide bomber walking into the Republican tent - no thought of helping us succeed but only hoping to take us down, hoping to look - presumably - forward to 2016.  As if we would trust them by then under this scenario.  Does this sound harsh?  Well, it is.  It's that ridiculous to me what these two are doing.  It's time for them to get out.

To supporters of these two...I imagine you are just trying to choose someone you think is motivated to lead as a conservative leader and who you think has a chance this November.  You may have other reasons as well.  That's laudable.  But take a good hard look at the situation and ask yourself what your guy is really doing or trying to do.  Because here's another brutal fact: an Obama victory this November would not just be disappointing: it would be a DISASTER for our nation.  As Romney has said "can you imagine Barrack Obama in the White Hours with no one to answer to?"  Can you imagine what permanent harm he would do to our country if he had 4 more years in the White House with no re-election ahead to reign him in?  The harm done would take decades to try to reverse, and perhaps never would be.

It is time for all of us to unite behind Mitt Romney and support our effort to get Obama out of the White House.  Conservative South Carolina Senator DeMint just announced that he fully agrees.

Now...is...the...time!

Etch-A-Sketch

Really? If you ever want a Class A demonstration about why politics so often appears to be (is?) a circus - and perhaps a key reason why many good, intelligent people would never dream of public service in politics - look no further than yesterday/today's brouhaha about a Romney aide using the term "Etch-A-Sketch" to describe transitioning from the party primaries to a general election mode.

It's great, I'm sure, for the sellers of actual etch-a-sketch toys, but unhelpful at best for the political process and for Republicans.

Consider this: what if every word you utter was dissected and criticized? Taken out of context? Twisted? Blown out of proportion? Now what if you were also judged by every word uttered by your friends? And those words taken out of context, twisted, and blown out of proportion? Yeah.

Keep this in mind: absolutely nothing has changed about Mitt Romney since yesterday. Every candidate - EVERY CANDIDATE - in this race has changed their position on one topic or another in their lives. Let's get over it. Romney is ultra reliable and steadfast and very effective at achieving what he sets out to do. THAT'S the reality. Not some toy or the twisted words of an admittedly stupid advisor.

By the way, follow this link and vote...yes, Mitt would be a conservative as president.

UPDATE: Thank heavens for Ann Romney and her sense of humor!  Here's her take on this nutty distraction:

Jeb Bush for Romney

Good for Jeb:

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush endorsed GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney Wednesday. Bush released the following statement:

“Congratulations to Governor Mitt Romney on his win last night and to all the candidates for a hard fought, thoughtful debate and primary season. Primary elections have been held in thirty-four states, and now is the time for Republicans to unite behind Governor Romney and take our message of fiscal conservatism and job creation to all voters this fall. I am endorsing Mitt Romney for our Party¹s nomination. We face huge challenges, and we need a leader who understands the economy, recognizes more government regulation is not the answer, believes in entrepreneurial capitalism and works to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to succeed.”

Illinois for Romney

Illinois is being called as a win for Romney - it appears a big one, though votes are still being counted.  If it continues this way, this is going to give tremendous boost to Romney moving forward.  Congrats to Team Romney and voters in Illinois!  Illinois, we will need your help to beat Obama in November.

What an awesome speech Romney gave tonight!  Here is one of my favorite segments:

"What is it about America’s culture that made us the greatest economic power in the history of the earth? Many features come to mind: our work ethic, our appreciation for education, our willingness to take risk, our commitment to honor and oath, our family orientation, our devotion to a purpose greater than ourselves, our patriotism.

But one feature of our culture that propels the American economy stands out: freedom.

The American economy is fueled by freedom."

Gas Prices Matter

Do American presidents fully "control" the price of oil/gas?  No.  Can they influence factors that improve the market and pressure the price lower?  Yes.  As usual with Obama, you listen to the words he says, but they matter little.  It's what he DOES that matters.  And he could hardly have done a worse job during his administration on his energy policy, if lower oil/gas prices matter to you.  Almost all of the additional domestic oil production increase in the U.S. was due to the Bush administration's actions to open up additional leases and the work of private landowners to increase production.  Obama has done nothing there, absolutely NOTHING.  But just so you know, he does believe in the potential for future energy production from algae!  Sheesh.  A recent Romney ad puts a point on Obama's words vs. his deeds in terms of energy and the prices of oil and gas.  You decide.  How much does it matter to you?  I know it matters to me.

The Real Conservative

Want to see what politics has done to Rick Santorum?  Check this out from the 2008 race.  Nice...



Come on Illinois today! What a huge difference you can make for Romney and at the same time in the effort to replace Obama.  From an article this morning describing the final pitches of the candidates in Illinois, I liked this:

Speaking at Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois tonight (the alma mater of Rep. Aaron Schock,  who introduced Romney), Romney took aim at Santorum’s statement earlier that day  that he didn’t “care what the unemployment rate is going to be.”

“One of the people who’s running also for the Republican nomination today said that he doesn’t care about the unemployment rate, that doesn’t bother him,” Romney told the hundreds assembled out on a lawn. “I do care about the unemployment rate, it does bother me. I want to get people back to work, I’m concerned about those that are out of work.”

“One of the reasons I’m running is to get my expertise in place so we can put people back to work and get America strong again with a strong economy,” he added.

The crowd gathered, many of them college students casually dressed in shorts and t-shirts, was a mixture of supporters and antagonists; when Romney came out, students near me shouted “Obama 2012.” (Paul supporters were also present.) When Romney announced he was taking questions, the first  question was about birth control  “So you’re all for like, yay, freedom, and all this stuff,” said the first questioner, a woman. “And yay, like pursuit of happiness. You know what would make me happy? Free birth control.”

“If you’re looking for free stuff you don’t have to pay for, vote for the other guy,” Romney responded. “That’s what he’s all about.”

Land of Lincoln & Other Thoughts

First, I'm encouraged by polls showing strong support for Romney in Illinois.  Illinois is close to my heart, as I lived there for several years, my son, Sam, was born there, and it nearly became our permanent family home.  They are saying that the urban and suburban areas having the strongest support for Romney, which is a pattern we've seen.  But I'm very hopefully that rural Illinois will turn out for Mitt as well.

A strong win by Romney would go a long way toward being able to get the momentum needed to earn the delegates needed to win the nomination.

One other interesting note: people (media, Santorum campaign, etc.) have  been suggesting that if Newt Gingrich dropped out of the race that his support would go to Santorum and create a more even match against Romney.  Well, apparently not.  In this poll, when Gingrich supporters were asked who they would vote for if Gingrich dropped out, Romney edged out Santorum among these voters.

Over 500...

Thank you, Puerto Rico!  22 of the territory's 23 delegates go to Mitt, which the way this contest has gone is a big deal.  That puts Romney - according to CNN's estimates, up to 518.  552 is the halfway mark to win the nomination, so we're getting close.  Illinois looms large on Tuesday.

Missouri and Puerto Rico...

Two contests coming up this weekend.  They are all important at this point.  Missouri holds county caucus meetings on Saturday.  In theory, Santorum holds advantages there with Midwest evangelicals being reluctant still to support Romney, but I know many good Missourians and the Romney campaign itself have been working very hard to change that.

What I hope voters in the Midwest and the South will understand is how important it would be for Republican efforts to defeat Obama and overturn Obamacare and pull us back from the brink of financial disaster, for them to give Romney victories.  There's no question Romney has been the best and most successful candidate to this point...but what would really allow Republicans to come together and united against Obama is a real show of support for Romney in these important regions of the country.

As important as Missouri is, Puerto Rico also has great significance for a couple of reasons.  First, of course, is delegates.  At the end of the day, Romney is the one who is in a position to get enough delegates to win the nomination; the question is: how soon can he get there?  Delegates are so critical, and they will come from the votes of individual voters in Puerto Rico and elsewhere.  The other reason is that Romney needs to build on his support among Latino voters, like he did in Florida.  Support from Latinos will help tremendously in November against Obama.

Romney has been forthright in his understanding and support of issues important to Puerto Rico, and Governor Fortuño has endorsed Mitt strongly.

Darkness Before the Light Comes

So imagine me sitting at home tonight, trying (with limited success) to get some work done, while keeping my eye on my alma mater BYU's first game of March Madness as well as the Mississippi and Alabama primary results.  Imagine my mood as BYU went down early by 25 points to Iona with the Gaels looking like world beaters and my Cougars looking...well, sort of ridiculous.  At the same time, I see the returns from the South become increasingly clear that Santorum was going to win both states, and Romney likely to come in a close third in both.  Despair?  Not quite, but not all that far off either.

Fast forward an hour.  BYU stops turning the ball over, settles down on defense, starts getting the ball where they like to get it and the shots started falling.  The comeback was not an instant rush and there were some reverses.  But the Cougs had time on the clock, and they kept at it and did the job, winning an amazing comeback win by 6 points and moving on in the tournament - the biggest comeback in NCAA Tournament history.

About the same time, I start looking closer at the actual delegate estimates from the night.  In Mississippi, CNN lists 13 delegates for Santorum, and 12 each for Romney.  In Alabama, Santorum has 19 delegates, with Romney and Gingrich 9 each.  Doesn't look quite so bad.  That's 10 more delegates for Santorum than for Romney in the two states.  But that's before Hawai'i and American Samoa complete their voting in the Pacific, which has proven to be a great stronghold for Romney so far.  Hawai'i will add 20 delegates, and Samoa 9 more.  I think there is an excellent chance that Romney will come out of today with the most delegates on the night.  And THAT would be a miraculous comeback.

All the more amazing when you consider the real story in terms of who will win the nomination: we are about half way through the path to the nomination, which means there become fewer and fewer states for Santorum to try to get anywhere close to the number needed to win the nomination.  Which means the path for Romney only looks better and stronger.  Romney should end the night somewhere close to 500 delegates, which is closing in on half the delegates needed to be the nominee.  And of the states remaining to vote, there are only a few winner-takes-all states left...those become the big prizes.  And every one of them looks solid/likely for Romney.  The rest of the states seem to still have an edge for Romney as well.  Total all that up, and I still don't know how Santorum really justifies his path and thinks he can win an above-board nomination.

So, take heart...the Cougars came back and won.  I believe things are going to be looking better for Mitt as well.

UPDATE: American Samoa's 9 votes go to Romney, CNN reports.  That puts Romney back within 1 delegate of Santorum on the night.  Early results from Hawaii looking favorable.  

UPDATE2: Romney wins Hawaii 45% to 25% for Santorum.  Haven't seen final breakdown of delegates updated yet, but this is huge.  Again, it means Romney will have earned more delegates on the night than Santorum, despite S'rum's wins in the South.  

UPDATE3: By my totals, this means Romney has won more states than all his rivals combined (15 states + 4 territories for Romney, 12 states + 0 territories for the others), more delegates than the others combined (if we give the Hawaii delegates to Romney we should be at about 506 for Romney and about 439 for the others combined), and Romney has about 40% of the total votes cast, more than 50% ahead of his nearest competitor, Santorum.  But the media, of course, is going to talk up Santorum (so is the Obama administration, by the way).  

Sweet Home Alabama

An excerpt here from a nice article where Randy Owen - leader of the band Alabama - voices his sincere support for Romney:

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, whose appeal to conservative, evangelical Deep South voters has been wanting, came to Birmingham on Friday and brought with him somebody who speaks and sings southern.

Randy Owen, leader of the legendary group Alabama, put his southern country roots stamp of approval on the Michigan-born former Massachusetts governor.

"I hope this state is listening to me," Owen said Friday to a packed crowd at Thompson Tractor as he introduced Romney. "I travel all across America playing country music for guys like me, working-class people who grew up poor. . And what I want you to know is that I love this man. I love his family. I love what he stands for."

And from another article describing a rally and support from Southern comedian, Jeff Foxworthy:

Romney, accompanied Monday by comedian Jeff Foxworthy, told a rain-soaked audience in Mobile that he offered the party its best shot at defeating President Barack Obama.

"This president has done almost everything wrong," he said from the restaurants front porch. "This guy is out of ideas, and he's out of excuses, and in 2012, were going to make sure he's out of office."...Foxworthy, a Georgia native, said Romney has the experience needed to get the U.S. economy back on track.

"I avoided politics for 53 years," he said. I don't like politics, I don't like big government. But I do love this country...Mitt Romney is the guy with the best chance to beat Obama and take this country back."

Santorum/Gingrich Desperation

I think accusations of "lying" in politics are generally thrown around way too easily, but let me just say a couple of things about what Santorum and Gingrich have been saying the past day or two.

First Gingrich: he's been saying that - to paraphrase - Romney has not been winning the conservative vote and that this shows what a weak candidate he is for Republicans.  I'm sorry, but I've been following exit polls really closely throughout this process, and that is simply not true.  Romney has been getting more support from conservatives than any other candidate.  The only exception is if you carve out a subset of conservatives - specifically RURAL, EVANGELICAL, "VERY CONSERVATIVE" voters.  But that subset, while not insignificant, is hardly any kind of majority, and looking forward to the general election in November, they will be an even smaller slice of the electorate.  So, come on, Newt...get it straight.

Then Santorum.  The best I can describe what he's been saying is either 'name calling' towards Mitt, or 'magical thinking' in which he tries to obfuscate the delegate math and numbers and try to claim he has as good a chance or better than Mitt to get the nomination.  That would only be true if literally EVERYTHING goes his way and NOTHING goes Mitt's way, AND the Republican Party powers connive to make him the nominee.  Such a path is not only extremely unlikely, but would be the worst possible way I could imagine choosing a nominee to go against Barack Obama.  Seriously...consider a scenario in which Romney has more delegates than anyone else, but some back room deal consolidates everything else on behalf of Santorum.  You think that would go over well?  It's a dangerous fantasy dream by Santorum, in my opinion.

Oh, and when you hear either of these two talk about Romney as a "weak frontrunner," remind yourself how much weaker they are as candidates compared with Romney by any measure and ask yourself what they are saying about themselves.  Just sayin'.

Let's keep our eye on the ball.  Tomorrow represents a chance for Romney to get critical support in the South and nothing could be better for increasing our chances to oust Obama from the White House.

Look at the evidence below of Mitt's strength in the newest polls:

KS v. Wyo & Territories

Kansas ran caucuses rather than a primary vote, which given Kansas demographics was a perfect setup to give Santorum an advantage and he did win most of the KS delegates.  And yet...we again see Romney's genius for organization and wise use of resources.  By winning additional delegates in Wyoming, plus wins in all the U.S. territories, Romney ended up winning more delegates than Santorum won in Kansas - I believe it's 35 for Santorum and 39 for Romney.

That's very well done by Romney.  Now he needs some help from Alabamians and Mississippians here in a couple of days.  I'm telling you, if our Southern boys and gals can pull this off for Mitt, it will carry forward and make a huge difference.

And the Marianas

I'm beginning to feel all tropical inside...and very happy to be seeing this support from American territories in the Pacific.  The Northern Marianas 9 delegates have been awarded to Romney by voters there as well...here is Mitt's press release on this win:

“The Northern Mariana Islands may be far away from the mainland, but one of the great things about our democracy is that every voice has a chance to be heard in selecting a presidential candidate. Now the voters of the Northern Mariana Islands—nearly 8,000 miles from Washington, D.C.—have spoken.  And what they’ve said today is that they want to bring change to their beautiful islands by bringing change to our nation’s capital.  My son Matt told me about his visit to Saipan and the warm reception he received, and I am honored and delighted to have the support of all nine of the CNMI’s delegates.”

Governor Benigno Fitial is the Republican party head in the Marianas and is quoted as saying:

“I encourage the hundreds of thousands of Pacific Islanders living in the Continental U.S. to follow our lead and please support Governor Mitt Romney in the coming months.” 

Guam

Romney has won all nine delegates from Guam...very nice and in a race where every delegate makes a difference...

Here is Mitt's statement about the win:

“I am grateful to have won all nine delegates in Guam, and I am pleased that my son Matt was able to visit the island on my behalf and be there for the caucuses. The people of Guam have always stood bravely for America and the values we hold dear. Today we stand together in our efforts to secure the future that this nation deserves. I am honored to have won the Guam caucuses, an important milestone in my quest to restore America to the principles and practices that made us great.”

Grits, Yes, But No Sugar Please

Southerners are taking a look at Mitt right now and they are having a mutual get-to-know-you.  It seems that Mitt is gaining some traction in Mississippi and Alabama, though he's still the underdog.  This is a fun blog entry about the former governor of Mississippi's recommendation of Romney - the current governor has also endorsed Mitt.  Let's work hard these next few days...

Encouragement

I am seeing some reasons for encouragement as we move into this critical stage of the Republican primaries.

First, check out this note on Hawaii.  Romney has organization and support there which the other candidates do not appear to have.

Second, Romney's superior organization appears to be helping him in terms of encouraging early voting for him, which is a wise approach...again showing how intelligent Mitt is in terms of organization (a key reason to anticipate him being an excellent and effective president).

Third, the last two national polls show Mitt up 12-14 points over Santorum, and near the 40% level.  And that's before what I expect to be some kind of a bump up for Romney based on Super Tuesday results.  This is right at the highest numbers of any Republican candidate throughout this process.

And finally, Real Clear Politics shows polls in the past two days revealing: Mitt with a 15 point lead in New York, a 9 point lead in Alabama (yeah!) - though another poll in Bama showed Santorum up 4, it was done a week ago whereas the 9 point lead was polled from 3/1 to 3/6 - so still a good sign for Romney - and a 6 point lead in California.  I'm surprised we haven't seen a poll in Kansas yet, but maybe that's coming.

The signs of strength in Alabama I consider particularly important.  Here's to hoping my adopted second state will come through for Mitt next week!

Republican Reality Check

I have to admit I'm getting a little fed up with the post-super-tuesday blather of the media.  It came to a point for me this morning listening to Joe Scarborough talk about how unsettled everything is, how Romney "can't close the deal" - all the usual stuff we've been hearing for months, but then he feels to add that he thinks that rather than encourage candidate(s) still in the race to consider dropping out at this point, the Republican Party should try to get some new candidate to jump in to the race still at this point!  Wow.

OK...a little reality check here, folks.  First, let's consider the basic options for Republicans at this point:

(1) We continue this split, pitched battle, everyone trying to tear down "the other guy" and in particular everyone but Mitt trying to tear down Mitt to try to gain an advantage.  This path still seems likely, and has a good chance of taking this primary battle all the way to May or June or even to the nominating convention in Florida.  And yet at the end, Romney is still very likely to win, albeit in a weakened state due to the constant digs and attacks at him by fellow Republicans.
(2) One or more current candidates drop out of the race at this point.  Start with Ron Paul...I think he should consider getting out as he has won no state after 20+ state votes.  That said, he has his own agenda and I think there's very little chance of him dropping out.  Then Gingrich...I think there is the strongest case for him to drop out, since he has won only his home state and one neighboring state in 20+ contests.  I don't know why he wouldn't drop out, other than his massive ego.  But, never, never underestimate the ego of Newt Gingrich.  Then there's Santorum.  On the one hand, he has the strongest case to make in terms of not dropping out, however...it's already been shown that he has little to no chance of accumulating the number of delegates needed to win the nomination.  He has shown a strong but limited "base" of voters which he has been unable to expand from, and which would lead him to be extremely vulnerable against Obama even if he were the nominee.  And, he has shown himself and his campaign to be amazingly inept in terms of basic organization, including not even getting on the ballot in some states and districts within states, etc.  If Gingrich dropped out, then Santorum at least could claim a chance to start increasing his delegate take (though Romney would as well) and continue for now.
(3) We continue the contest, but with conservative activists, media, and voters generally starting to give stronger support and rationale and defense to Romney, allowing him a better chance to make his arguments and his connection to voters, strengthening him along the way to the nomination.
(4) Some 'new guy' enters the race, as Scarborough suggested.  This would be utter disaster.  For one thing, just as only Romney still has the mathematical possibility of achieving the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination, a 'new guy' would not have a chance to go back to the 20+ states who have already voted to get delegates.  They also could not legally get on most state ballots going forward.  Thus, they would have no chance to get enough delegates to win.  So, their only chance would be for party leaders to secretly work things behind closed doors to twist or change the rules, etc. to try to force the way for the 'new guy.'  Talk about chaos.  You really think Republicans and voters generally would not react negatively to those kind of tactics?  Ridiculous.  This is the stupidest idea I've heard.  And I used to think Scarborough was reasonably intelligent.  Whoops.

Also keep in mind one other key fact: Republican party people, not Romney or the other candidates, are more to blame for the current situation.  They are the ones who decided to push the state Republican parties to make their choice of delegates proportional to the vote, rather than "winner-takes-all."  I'm not saying there's not some appeal to doing it this way, but recognize the impact of it for what it is.  If these rules had applied in 2008, I am certain that John McCain would have had the same kind of fight on his hands against Romney and Huckabee going all the way to the convention.  The different rules this year are what's making it harder for Mitt.  Not to say he can't do better connecting to...specifically...'very conservative, rural, Evangelical voters' and also to some degree to lower income 'blue collar' workers.  But that is a challenge that can be met.  The rules of the primary process are something Romney can't control or change...but it has to be handled the best way possible, and the difficult challenge created by the party rules this years compared with previous elections should be recognized, I would think, by pundits and media and bloggers.

Still, as they say 'it is what it is' and Romney and Republicans generally should have a clear idea of what they are facing and the path forward.  To me there's no question that for conservatives/Republicans, this is the time to work out our strongest support of Mitt Romney.  Leave the other candidates to determine their own fates.  If Romney starts to get more and more support, the other candidates will see the writing on the wall.  That, in turn, will allow Romney to finally get over the top in terms of delegates and support.  Then we can unite and turn our energized attention to beating Barack Obama.  And that goal is worth our every effort.

Delegate Math

Given that most state primaries to come give out delegates proportional to vote totals, and that the few winner-take-all contests left are in areas of Romney strength, it becomes nearly impossible for him not to win the nomination at this point.  Begs the question of what, exactly, Santorum and Gingrich think they are accomplishing by staying in the race.

All we know is...we need to keep our shoulder to the wheel and push for more momentum.  Let's go Kansas on Saturday!

By the way...what in the world is CNN doing using this particular photo of Romney?  Sheesh.  Come on, CNN...a little professionalism, please.  Just sayin'...

SUPER Tuesday for Romney

Super Tuesday could have turned out a little better for Mitt, but not by much.  It was a very good day for Governor Romney.  Consider:

- Romney wins Ohio, Virginia, Massachusetts, Vermont, Idaho, and Alaska.
- Of his opponents, Gingrich wins ONLY Georgia, and Santorum, who had the second best night, wins Tennessee, Oklahoma, and North Dakota.
- But critically, Romney was second place in every state he did not win, with the exception of North Dakota, where he was a close third behind Ron Paul.  Those second place finishes matter for a couple of reasons: (1) it leads to more delegates for him, and (2) it means that even if some voters are still trying to decide on their support for Mitt, he is at the upper end of their consideration.
- There is concern about how Romney can do in the South.  Given he did not win in Georgia and Tennessee, that is still a valid concern.  However, the fact that Gingrich and Santorum split these two states and that Romney was second place in both states, means that neither Gingrich nor Santorum is likely to consolidate strength in the South.  More importantly to me, it means that many in the South are warming to Romney.  As I consider the South a second home due to having lived in Alabama for several years, that means a lot to me and I hope to see that trend continue (I hope quickly!).
- At this point, the delegate counts matter a lot, and Mitt Romney got significantly more than half the delegates available this day, and more than twice as many as any of his opponents.  Romney is getting close to a third of the way to the number of delegates needed to win the nomination, and is significantly more than double the delegates that Santorum has - in fact, Mitt has more delegates now than all of his opponents combined!
- No matter how the media tries to spin it, the fact is that just a week ago, Santorum was up in the neighborhood of 15-20 points in Ohio, and just that fast Romney stormed the state and won.

The campaign for the nomination is not over, but it becomes increasingly bleak for Romney's opponents, and increasingly confident for Romney in the race to the nomination.  Kansas is up next and is a significant test for Team Romney.  Haven't seen polls there but I assume the terrain is more like Oklahoma, which Santorum won by about 5 points.  Encourage your friends in Kansas to vote Romney this Saturday!

Happy Warriors

I love this photo of Mitt and Ann Romney on the campaign trail today in Youngstown, Ohio.  There has to be loads of pressure and fatigue at this point with all the campaigning done so far and Super Tuesday primaries tomorrow, but you can tell these are happy warriors in the campaign battle.  I appreciate that and think it says a lot about the character and personalities of both of them.  Everyone in these Super Tuesday states: get out there are support Mitt tomorrow!  Could be a big day...sure hope it is.  

Washington...

Romney wins Washington tonight by double digits...a great and important win.  Could it be that Washington just gave Romney the wind in the sails to send him on his way to the nomination and then even, well, to Washington (DC)?  Time will tell but this was a big deal.  Let's see what we can accomplish on Super Tuesday, which is coming up here in 3 days.  Great job, Mitt!  Hats off to the Republican voters in Washington state tonight.

Celebrate and hear Ann Romney talk about her husband in this great video:

Get Acquainted with Ann Romney

You should watch this...

Gallup and Rasmussen

The most recent Gallup and Rasmussen national polls on the Republican race have Governor Romney up by 11 and 16 points, respectively.  It's a good sign of momentum.  Also saw a just-done poll in Washington state...close, but it did have Romney with a 5 point lead.  Hopefully Romney supporters in that state will get out in force to caucus tomorrow.  It you have friends there, encourage them to vote tomorrow.  It's all about actual votes on election days, folks.

Idaho Enthusiasm

I love this article about the intense enthusiasm Romney is generating in Idaho as he campaigns there ahead of Super Tuesday.  Heard Romney was also in North Dakota today talking energy production at a rally.  Not sure if he was in Ohio today...I know he was yesterday.  Maybe Washington tomorrow ahead of their caucus vote on Saturday?

Wyo for Mitt

With all the complicated differences between the various primary and caucus rules in each state, it's hard to keep track, but the Wyoming caucuses held county by county just concluded, and Romney won, with Santorum second.  Read the results here.  Good news!  Washington state holds caucuses next on Saturday.  Let's keep it rollin'...