Maybe it is time for Senator Santorum and Speaker Gingrich to
“take one for the team,” to use the former’s phraseology. I know
that is easy for me to say, a Romney supporter since before the
Iowa caucus.
Santorum recently came very close to
saying that we might as well have President Obama in the White
House than Governor Romney. I am willing to give the Pennsylvanian
the benefit of the doubt that he was (fill in the blank) tired from
non-stop campaigning, using hyperbole as a legitimate rhetorical
device, misspoke or all of the above. He has, in fact,
clarified this remark, saying he would never, personally, vote
for Obama. Still, it is this kind of carping which is undermining
chances of beating the President in November.
Watching this primary race at this moment in time, an
objective observer would have to ask, “What exactly is the point?”
Create a stockpile of sound bites that Obama can use against
Romney? Provide some emotional or personal validation that the
non-Romney candidates are not quitters? They are neither that small
nor in danger of being perceived as lacking perseverance or stamina
or political will. They have already proven themselves on all
counts.
The GOP candidates contending against Mitt Romney should
retire their colors with honor, forsake political blood-letting and
join Governor Mitt Romney in accomplishing regime change in the
White House. Take a cue from Robert E. Lee. It is time for
reconciliation and unity.
As a social conservative and a Catholic, I understand the
appeal Rick Santorum has for traditionally minded voters. I am one.
He is right on the issues that matter and has an exemplary personal
life and family. Yet, the former Senator from Pennsylvania is
hardly a happy warrior in the Reagan tradition, presenting himself
as the joyful incarnation of hope and renewal. His authentic social
message is often caricatured — “Kennedy, college and
contraception,” noted Charles Krauthammer, drolly, on Fox News —
and overwhelms his economic and defense priorities, the former
being the most crucial for the general election battle. He lacks
what James Carville famously called “message
discipline.”
Romney, like all human beings, does misspeak now and then,
but he recovers quickly and has a history of learning and adapting.
He has locked into solidly conservative social position over and
above the many he has held for years. His victory speeches in
Florida, Michigan, and Illinois were models of laser-like focus on
President Obama’s infirmities.
It is unfair to Governor Romney to call him a convert to
conservatism, but if that is what some conservatives want to call
him, shouldn’t they welcome him to the cause?
Liberals seem to be more accepting. What do Ted Kennedy,
Dick Gephardt, Jesse Jackson, and Al Gore all have in common? They
were once pro-life and opposed abortion on demand to one degree or
another. All of them flip-flopped on the issue and became or
remained leaders in the Democratic Party, one of them a
presidential nominee.
Conservatives need to emulate this ecumenism. Mitt Romney
was the governor of an ultra-blue state. It is so much easier to
wax eloquent on conservative issues deep in the heart of Dixie, or
in the West, than in New England. Rick Santorum understands this
given his summary dismissal by the voters of liberal Pennsylvania.
Neither he nor Romney should be criticized for taking on such
difficult political challenges. The Republican Party needs more
candidates willing to make sorties into blue territory and
survive.
What can I say about Newt Gingrich? He seems to have more
than nine political lives. I have consistently underestimated his
staying power. He is always interesting if sometimes over the top.
But his whole campaign is basically the triumph of his immense
personality and will power over political realities which are,
ultimately, inescapable. His negative poll numbers are in the
stratosphere. Honestly, is this the making of a national campaign
to take back the White House? The question answers
itself.
I have no doubt that Santorum and Gingrich, given their
admirable tenacity and determination, can sustain an ongoing war of
attrition, a veritable battle of Verdun, and
continue bleeding Mitt Romney white. Super Tuesday concluded most
of the southern phase of the GOP primary, and the kaleidoscope
keeps turning in other regions encompassing states like Wisconsin,
California, New Jersey, and New York. It may be a painful question
for them to answer, but what chances do they have in those more
diverse societies?
Do conservatives really doubt Romney when he says he would
repeal Obamacare, cut spending and taxes, protect religious
liberty, and appoint conservative judges? Do they really believe he
will double-cross House Budget Chair Paul Ryan to whom he has
pledged support of the former’s plan? If the answer to that
question is “yes,” then, by all means, battle on to inevitable GOP
defeat in the fall. If the answer is “no,” it is time to bury the
hatchet, close ranks and join Governor Romney’s march on
Washington.
