Thoughts on the 2012 Landscape

I need to make a few points regarding the political landscape facing us in 2012.  But first, a proviso: it is  a new year and we just finished its first week.  By this I mean that much can, and much will change.  But these are a few things that I have gathered from the past several months and believe apply at this point in the game, from my view on the sidelines:

First, the GOP nomination process is Mitt Romney’s to lose.  While he only has the support of about 25% of the GOP base, he has their strong support, and the other 75% do not strongly support anyone other than “Not Mitt Romney.”  If Mitt can continue to distract and benefit from having multiple other Republicans to run against, he will win the nomination hands-down.

Second, Newt is brilliant.  Granted, I know he has the most baggage of almost any GOP candidate in decades, but the man can think, and no less, he can do so on his feet.  This is unheard of in politics, and the last person to do it well was Bill Clinton.  I was reminded of this in the debate tonight, when Newt handily turned the conversation of the legality of gays and the definition of marriage on its head by questioning the motives of the current administration which has discriminated against Churches and groups who do not actively support gays.  He is right – you can’t ask one question without acknowledging the other.

Third, Obama is gaining momentum.  Like it or not, at this point in the game, he is bringing about a supposed “economic recovery,” in which the unemployment levels continue to drop.  This will be viewed unconditionally as his doing.  He has also supposedly “ended the war in Iraq” by bringing our troops home.  This is good for him politically, but will destroy Iraq.

Fourth, Rick Santorum is a likable guy and I agree with him on much of his social conservatism.  I think that it’s important that we rediscover the meaning of the family and that it’s the most basic building block of our society.  There is no way to escape that, and I respect him for coming out and saying that.  On the other hand, he’s an earmark king and do not believe he can hold his lead at the top of the “Not Mitt Romney” party.  I think his decline is imminent.

Fifth, Rick Perry is a great governor, has a very strong conservative record, and is the most qualified candidate for the “Not Mitt Romney” category.  However, his self-mutilation at the beginning of his campaign has petrified him at the bottom of the polls and he hasn’t seemed to regain his footing.  I’m glad he decided to remain in the race through South Carolina, as he might pick up some Bachmann votes as well as some in the Santorum Sink, but I question whether it will be enough to pass Newt.  South Carolina loved him at the start of his campaign, though, and there’s just a slight chance he can recover there.  The jury is still out on that.

Sixth, we haven’t seen the end of the Obama power-grab, and this week is proof of this.  There’s only one thing worse than a liberal, government-growing president … one who knows it and revels in it.  Obama is ideologically opposed to the principles of liberty and freedom, and believes that our country must be built on a great infrastructure that runs directly from you and me as the individual to the federal government in Washington D.C.  We must depend completely on it and she must monitor our every move.  Only then will Obama be satisfied and pleased.

Seventh, as a result of point six, this election really and truly is (imho) the most important election in the last fifty years.  We are standing at the edge of a precipice, and there is little time for turning back.  Either our next president cuts programs, agencies and spending, or we go over the edge.  This is not a time for merely standing on the sidelines.  This is not a time for merely watching and hoping.  This is a situation.  ”Houston, we have a problem.”  We must make drastic changes, and I firmly believe that any one of the GOP candidates will do a better job in Washington than Obama has done.  We do not have a choice.  We have a duty, and sometimes the duty of an American is a difficult one.  Sometimes there’s not a “good choice” for getting out of a pinch.  Sometimes we have to be willing to make tough decisions, and without a doubt, if it comes down to Obama and a not-so-conservative candidate, we must actually choose between the lesser of the two evils.  God will change this world, and each election year where He gives us an opportunity to prevent immediate self-destruction, we must take that opportunity as He is continuing to do a greater work in our culture.  And culture-building will make a difference.