First Principles

If the overarching theme of the Republican nominee for President in November is the economy, and the ways Barack Obama’s policies have helped a) keep the economy so turgid and b) are taxing the holy, incomprehensible bejesus out of out children and grandchildren via crushing debt, then that nominee stands a great chance of winning.

If the overarching theme is “My Christianity is better than his Christianity, and my agenda will be based on MY Christianity instead of HIS Christianity,” then that nominee will lose.  Unless your “Bible based” agenda is leaving me free to succeed or fail, or glorify God or not (you know, free will and all of that), I’m not interested.

Rick Santorum has overtly attacked the idea that individual liberty is the foundation of our laws and our society, which is not only historically wrong, but frankly just not conservative.  And politically speaking, that’s a HUGE hunk of the Republican base, especially the younger folks, and especially these days.

To win, the Republican nominee MUST stay disciplined and stay on message – an economic message.  So far, he’s shown a total inability to do that.

I was talking to an old friend of mine the other day, and he said something which has really stuck with me.  He said, “This country needs an intervention,” and he’s right.  Mitt Romney may or may not be the one to pull that off.  But Santorum is definitely not, even if by some political mystery he found himself in the White House.