Conservatives know everything about
Mitt Romney. We know all of his press
releases and talking points. We know of
his resume highlights about Bain Capital and “saving the Olympics”. We know Mitt Romney well from the last time
he ran back in 2008 when he actually had most of our support over John McCain. We’re told to look at Mitt Romney as a
business man from the private sector. We’re
told that he has the best “executive experience” because he was governor of Massachusetts. We’re told he’s a nice guy with a great
family. We’re told that Mitt Romney is a
Conservative and Romney proves it by spending millions of dollars from
fundraising and his Super PACs on negative attack ads focusing on his Republican rivals. Especially if those candidates are considered
conservative or tea party or anything like that.
On paper, Mitt Romney looks
like he has everything and the media plays up his looks like a president, has
lots of money, great organization and name recognition from 2008 run but what
Mitt Romney is lacking is Conservative principles. Mitt Romney is not winning over his
Conservative base that he desperately needs to beat Obama in the general
election to become President. Just as
McCain had Amnesty through immigration reform that he never admitted to, Romney
has forced an individual mandate of health insurance on his citizens as
governor of Massachusetts that he still refuses to admit was wrong or a
mistake.
Here’s
my problem with Mitt Romney. Mitt Romney
is not a Conservative. When Conservatives
have looked into Romney’s “executive experience” as governor of Massachusetts,
Conservatives find Romneycare. The Obamacarebefore Obamacare. As Conservatives, We
must Naturally reject and object to Romneycare and the individual mandate that
Romney supported, fought for and signed into law with a big smile and clapping
standing right next to Senator Ted Kennedy.
Here is actual video from that bill signing with Liberal Senator Ted Kennedy. Romneycare is not a State’s Right Issue or a 10th Amendment
Issue. An individual mandate is an
individual mandate. For Romney to stillnot admit that Romneycare was a mistake or wrong just makes Conservatives even
angrier. Romney upsets Conservatives
further by defending it and trying to make it out to be something we know it is not. Romneycare is a disaster. Romneycare is as big government as big
government gets. The National
Conservative Tea Party Movement was created, in large part, to Obama fighting
as long and as hard as he did to get Obamacare finally passed against the
wishes of the American people and with no support from Republicans. Romneycare takes over 1/6th of
Massachusetts’ economy forcing every citizen to purchase health care insurance
or pay a fine whether they want to or not.
Whether they can afford health care insurance or not. Romneycare is a nightmare destroying health
care in Massachusetts. The whole premise
of why Mitt Romney felt that he needed to enforce Romneycare on the people of
Massachusetts is ridiculous. Romney says
he needed to pass Romneycare to cut down on the “free riders” that were taking
advantage of the existing system.
Mitt Romney actually suggested three times in 2009 that Obama imitate Romneycare. Mitt Romney's urging Obama to embrace the individual mandate is well documented by Erick Erickson of Redstate and well known among Conservatives. Mitt Romney actually advocated for Obamacare and then lied about it as reported by Jon Chait of New York Magazine and posted on RealClearPolitics. Virginia Attorney General, Kenneth T. Cuccinelli fears Romney nomination would neutralize health law as issue. I know I am not alone in this insecurity about Romney vs Obama on health law issue.
Conservatives know there is a solution to this problem already. It is called Medicaid and a portion of our
hard earned tax dollars goes to funding it every paycheck. Every state has Medicaid and it’s designated
purpose is to insure the poor and needy. Every governor in every state in America
faces these same kind of financial hardships in health care in their respective
states. Mitt Romney is the only governor
to force an individual mandate in health care on the people he was elected to
represent. If You ever listen to or get a chance to actually hear Mitt Romney talk about what he did as governor in respect to Romneycare, you'd hear with your own ears and see with your own eyes exactly how proud and excited he gets when the subject does come up. IF Mitt Romney is so proud
and so confident about his role in passing Romneycare, Where are all of his
campaign ads where he is describing how good and positive Romneycare is for
Massachusetts and America? They don’t
exist. They are not coming either.
The
pure and simple truth is that Romneycare is a huge government intrusion into
the Massachusetts health care system.
That is neither Conservative or fiscally responsible. Did Mitt Romney know and understand exactly
what he was doing when he signed Romneycare into law as governor of
Massachusetts? Was Romney forced into it
or bullied into signing Romneycare by the over 85% Democrat legislature he
faced in Massachusetts? The answers to
these questions are hard for Republicans and especially Conservatives to
stomach. Mitt Romney is in his 60’s now
while running for President. He was in
his 50’s, married with grown children and over 25 years of private sector
experience when he passed Romneycare into law.
I’m 34 going on 35. I’m also
married with two great kids and over twenty years of experience in the private
sector. If I know at 35 it would not be
Conservative or in line with the Republican Party Principles to sign a massive
individual mandate on health insurance as governor representing your party as
head of your party of your state, Romney was older, wiser and further set in
his ways when he fought for, championed and passed Romneycare. Conservatives are supposed to ignore that fact and act
like that is not significant or a monumental decision that ultimately defines
what kind of governor he actually is.
Not what he says or pretends to be on the campaign trail. Politicians twist themselves into pretzels
trying to be all things to all people.
They do this in hopes for gaining as many votes possible for them to win
the office they are running for. Mitt
Romney is this kind of politician. Not all
politicians are like this but Mitt Romney certainly does fall just perfectly
into this category of politicians running for office. Many analysts have called campaign 'plastic and dishonest'. Conservatives have a great quality for
spotting these kinds of fakes or phonies.
Conservatives are not fooled because they know the issues and stand by
their principles. They study and
evaluate every candidate on the issues and principles. I know Conservatives do this research of the
candidates because I am such a Conservative.
I vet all of the candidates running because I want to know which one is
best and most qualified to be in office representing me and my Conservative
Principles. I’m a Conservative that is
not necessarily loyal to a particular candidate or party running for
office. I look for the best overall
candidate who best represents my Conservative Principles that I can trust to
follow through once elected into office.
The snag for many voters is they think certain candidates are best
because of the way they look or talk or carry themselves in public. While those are important, that is all style
over substance. Conservatives don’t
believe the hype or settle for anything less than candidates championing their
Conservative Principles. Nothing less
will do for us. The other snag for some
people are those who think a candidate who is well known and well liked by the
Republican Party Establishment should be the candidate that all Republicans
should line up behind and get on board with.
Again, Conservatives don’t necessarily go with the flow or follow the
pack. They tend to be Independent Free
Thinkers who know and understand exactly what they want and expect out of their
candidates in every election no matter what election it is. We don’t base our opinions off what others do
or think. We make up our own minds based
on our principles. That’s it.
Romneycare
is not the only problem that Conservatives have seen in Mitt Romney’s extensive
resume in public office. Romney is also
on record of supporting Manmade Global Warming even after climategate, Ethanol Subsidies, classwarfare rhetoric and mandatory minimum wage increases. Romney also has no problem ruthlessly
attacking his Conservative rivals calling Newt Gingrich “mentally unstable” and Rick Santorum an “Economic Lightweight”. Then Mitt Romney is very careful when he marks his words when speaking about
Obama. This only helps remind Conservatives
how Senator John McCain choose to run his Presidential campaign back in
2008. In 2008, McCain never batted an
eye when he criticized his GOP competitors in the primary leading up to his
nomination but would chastise and dismiss any level of negative attacks on
Barack Obama. McCain rejected those
kinds of comments even calling Obama “a good man who would make a good
president”. His words. They still suck and are dead wrong. So here is Mitt Romney who apparently learned
right out of John McCain’s playbook to have no mercy on fellow Republicans but
keep the gloves on to Obama. Great
strategy except it didn’t work out too well for John McCain in 2008 and it won’t
work out well for Mitt Romney either. You
would think that the same Republicans that voted to nominate Senator John
McCain in 2008 would have learned their lesson by now four years later after an
Obama Presidency that has increased our National Debt, total size of government
and no end in sight for an out of control government hell bent on spending the
next generation’s future on today’s whims.
If
you are a Mitt Romney supporter reading this, please understand that we know the good, the bad and the ugly about
Mitt Romney. We reject him and
everything he stands for. Romney does
not stand on our Conservative principles.
We’re not dumb or ignorant when it comes to who and what Mitt Romney
really is. We know. Maybe you need to re-evaluate the Mitt Romney
you think you know and trust. We don’t
trust Romney because we know his history and reject his “executive experience”
as governor of Massachusetts. Romney’s
over twenty five years in the private sector experience at Bain Capital and his saving the Olympics didn’t help or serve
his well as governor. Why should
Conservatives think Mitt Romney has finally learned how to be a Principled
Conservative now if elected president?
Does that sound logical at this point in Romney’s career? Not to mention that he has every
Establishment Republican “Insider” endorsing him. What do they like and see about Mitt Romney? Could it be
Romney’s weakness to cave in and give in to big government?
Still
think Romney will repeal Obamacare if elected president? Think again.
Please consider this. Mitt Romney
stands by Romneycare. Romney defends
Romneycare just as McCain still refuses to call immigration reform “Amnesty”. Romney Advisor Norm Coleman predicts GOP
President won’t repeal Obamacare. When
pressed and pinned down by anyone about his exact plans to repeal Obamacare, No
further details are given beyond check out what is posted on his webpage. Mitt Romney offers no exact plan to repeal Obamacare
on his webpage. Mitt Romney
talks a big game about repealing Obamacare on the campaign trail these days.
But in the wake of the law's passage, he had a more modest goal: "repealthe bad and keep the good." Then
you have to cringe and shutter when Conservative Tea Party Republicans like BobMcDonnell, Niki Haley, Pam Bondi and Ann Coulter not only defending Romneycare
as conservative but actually defending it as a good free market solution. That goes too far and is unacceptable. Mitt Romney may have a few Conservative Tea
Party Republican candidates endorsing him and defending his individual mandate
but that is to their peril. Not
ours. Again, Conservatives are
individual free thinkers who judge candidates based on their principles. Not loyal to any candidate or party. These four people I listed above are the exception. Not the rule.
They may be ok with shelving their Conservative principles for whatever
personal reasons they have in their life.
That does not make them right or the standard we should follow.
Bottomline. I will vote for Mitt
Romney in the general election if he wins the GOP’s nomination. I did vote for Senator John McCain back in
2008. That doesn’t mean that other
like-minded Conservatives will do the same.
Many may decided to stay home or write-in a candidate they really like
just to spite Mitt Romney and the Republican Party. I don’t agree with those two options but
everyone is different and not everyone agrees with what is best for this country. I hope and pray that Conservatives will unite
and vote for whoever the Republican Nominee is at the end of this primary. Even if that nominee is Mitt Romney. I’ll be open and honest by saying I will not
vote for Ron Paul under any circumstance.
I don’t care what he says or does.
We all have our standards and lines we won’t cross. I won’t support or vote for Ron Paul. I have many valid quality reasons for
that. Ron Paul is my only
exception. Other Conservatives may have
that similar feelings about Mitt Romney. I
do not agree but not all Conservatives agree on everything all of the
time. As I stated earlier, Conservatives
are independent free thinkers who don’t go with the flow or follow the
pack. I know and understand that. Will Mitt Romney ever get that? Will his supporters ever understand it? I doubt it.
That is their problem.
I actually still like Mitt Romney and would
absolutely vote for him if he is the Republican nominee. That being said, I
don’t think America will choose Mitt Romney in 2012 just like they didn’t
choose him in 2008. Mitt Romney lost to John McCain in 2008 and I predict he
will lose again to Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich. Nothing against Mitt but
America Needs a Solid, Articulate, Passionate and Battle-Hardened Champion to
Lead and Represent them as President going forward. As Good as Mitt Romney may
have been or still is, Romney’s Best still falls short again in 2012. Sorry
Mitt.
Sincerely, Conservative Voters across America
