I just finished typing the title to this blog, and I assure you, it was not easy. In the past week, one part of my brain was telling me that President Obama would win--the polls in the battleground states primarily. The other part of my brain--and maybe my heart--kept telling me that the margins of Democrat voters that were projected were just too darn high. Republicans were going to be energized! There was no way there would be the Dem turnout of 2008. The polls had to be wrong.
Well, they weren't. The national polls that had Romney ahead were right--at least at the writing of this blog entry, Romney is ahead in the popular vote. But that's not where we elect Presidents, and the swing states took a swing at Romney. I was certain Florida and Virginia were ours--but again, as I write this, they still are not settled.
No other Presidential election has meant as much to me personally. I do not believe that the President is leading the nation in the right direction, and I believe we have doubled down on decline with his victory. I suspected that we had made a great mistake in 2008, and I am certain of it tonight.
I am so incredibly proud to have had the opportunity to help on Mitt Romney's campaign. I started out supporting him because I thought he could beat the President, and I ended up hoping that he would be elected because I thought he would be a great President. I would do it all again without reservation. He is an elementally good man, and our nation is worse off for not electing him.
I am also eternally grateful to everyone who contributed to my CW for Romney fundraising drive. It felt so good to wake up each morning and see new donations that had come in over night, mostly from people I knew very well, but sometimes from folks I had never heard of.
I cannot bear to watch Mitt's concession speech or President Obama's victory speech. My heart is in my stomach, and I suspect it might stay there for a few days. I'm headed down the Shore to a resort spot for a few days to lick my wounds and be away from people I love--mostly because I think I might not be the most fun to be around while I reconcile all this.
The good news in all of this? The blog will continue. Had Mitt won, I likely would have had to put an end to it, if I had been asked to take a position in government. There's no chance of that for a few years, and so I'd be happy if you kept coming round to the site every now and then to see if we've posted anything worth reading.
Also, I'll have a little more time on my schedule....so I'm hoping to join Mudge in the not-too-distant future to sit in his tree stand and think about all the deer who pass by when I'm not sitting there.
Chin up, friends. This is a great country, and one man's eight years will not be enough to change that. We'll have to begin thinking about what this election means for the Republican Party, and hopefully we'll generate some answers here.
God Bless America.
I'd rather be lucky than good and Obama got lucky. A storm shows up, he puts in a one day appearance and by some accounts bribes Chris Christie with relief money (that so far hasn't shown up). He showed himself to be Presidential (at least appear so) and demonstrated he could play well with Republicans, so well he got a lovely bear-hug from the Gov. This episode so late hurt Romney badly.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Romney was out-coached. For example in the last debate why he didn't bring up Benghazi is incomprehensible. It would have at the very least thrown Obama off his game a week or so and forced the press to actually address the issue. Plus it was most likely a game-changer. Obama didn't have an answer. Well actually he had many answers but they were all lies.
Also demographics were a factor. Pat Buchanan said years ago that Republicans would do something about immigration or immigration would do something about Republicans. We've reached the tipping point.
This was a big watershed election. We are now firmly on the path of Europe and soft fascism. Before Obama leaves office in four years I expect retirement funds to be raided/taxed/confiscated and press liberties to be restricted along with a lot more nobody would have thought possible not so long ago.
OR, what I think is much more likely, the country will break up. American is too big, too diverse for a strong centralized government. Federalism isn't an option here, it's all that will work. It might take twenty, thirty years but I can see some sort of political split coming.
Bryan,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for keeping me informed and involved this election season. Your views are well balanced, respectful and insightful. I have humbly tried to be your disciple within my own circle of friends. You helped me make points with clarity, precision and restraint although I regret falling short of your eloquence and intellect. :-)
You are a wise man and recognize that one battle does not decide the outcome of great endeavors. You have shown great skill in multiple facets of politics - intelligence, argument. humor, fund raising, team building, fun, engagement, humility, loyalty, and many others. Again, thank you so much for believing in the right cause and the right candidate. With all due respect to my fellow citizens, I fear we have made dreadful mistake tonight. The most qualified man in recent history volunteered and devoted himself to becoming our nations's leader. America chose the other guy. Ugh!
Your devotion to Mitt's cause was honorable and impressive. You did yeoman's work in Iowa, wrote a blog that gained national attention, and did many other selfless acts that only you and i know about. You did well my friend.
Enjoy your vacation, reinvigorate your spirit and begin writing the next chapter of the Conservative Blue Devil, 'scuse me, WAHOO!!
Luv ya brother - keep in touch
Kevin