Winning the Election vs. Beating the Democrats

There is a big difference in politicking, not politics, between wanting to win an election and beating your opponent. Currently too many conservatives and Republicans want to beat the liberals and Democrats, even at the expense of losing the election, and that’s a huge problem.

Winning the upcoming Presidential and Senate elections is what all Republicans should be focused on and not beating Obama and the Democrats. Winning an election requires an issues platform focused on what matters most to the voters. In 2012 that is not the social issues with which conservatives want to beat the liberals. Every major polling organization has produced very similar results after questioning voters of all parties about the issues they are most concerned about and social issues are at the bottom of the list.

The real issues in 2012 are the economy, job creation, reducing the size of the government, eliminating burdensome regulations and reversing the alarming rise in our national debt. These are where Obama and the Democrats are vulnerable, and where Republicans have to be focused.

Ideologies and social issues are legislative initiatives after you’ve won the election, and that’s politics. The correct platform and staying on message, fund-raising and organization are how you win the election, and that’s politicking. Conservatives need to learn the difference between the two and quickly.

Last night Mitt Romney thrashed Rick Santorum, in a virtual head-to-head contest, in every demographic group except four: very conservative voters, rural residents, Protestants who attend church weekly, and white evangelical born-again Christians. Most of Mitt’s margins were by double-digits and many were by more than 20%. Men and women, Catholics, voters who thought the economy was headed up or down, Tea Party supporters and every other demographic group handed Gov. Romney 42 delegates to only 10 for Sen. Santorum. In politicking this is a landslide victory!

Now one state does not make a primary but the message was very clear, religious and social issues are not what voters are focused on and the numbers bore that out in Illinois. What can be concluded by last night’s results and the last ten days on the campaign trail is also very clear as I’ll cite below.

Newt Gingrich needs to drop out immediately given his horrid performance in Illinois, lack of incoming contributions and rising campaign debt. He cannot win the nomination under any circumstance, period.

Ron Paul needs to assess what his mission is and will be moving forward. If it’s a farewell tour after many years of devoted service to the US House and his constituents and followers, then let him continue for the time being but if his mission is anything else he too needs to drop out.

Rick Santorum has to decide what is more important, personal religious and social ideologies or the success of the Republican Party. A lack of organization combined with a challenge in fund-raising makes it difficult at best, impossible at worst, to compete with the Romney campaign in many of the upcoming primaries and media markets.

Mathematically the former Senator cannot get enough delegates to win the nomination and he will not have the support of the RNC or party elders at the convention. If he chooses to continue on with his campaign he will only create greater dissention within the GOP and that is counterproductive to winning in November. For the betterment of the party and to increase to the highest possibility the chance for Republicans to gain the White House and a majority in the Senate, which is getting more difficult with each day, I submit to Senator Santorum it is time to concede defeat and withdraw.

Gov. Romney has the message, organization and fund-raising capacity plus he is a virtual lock to attain the 1,144 delegates to secure the nomination before the convention. Furthermore he’d have the support of the RNC and party leadership in Tampa if, by some miracle, the nomination was still undecided before the convention. In short, nobody can beat Mitt Romney in the GOP primary race.

Pretty harsh stuff for some folks to swallow but politicking is not for the faint of heart and there is simply too much at stake to continue down the path of trying to beat the liberals and Democrats. It is time to focus on winning the election, and every analysis says Gov. Mitt Romney is the best candidate for that job.