Is Mitt Romney Really Our Only Hope?

I commented to a Mitt Romney supporter that he should be careful to be honest. He immediately wrote back that I was calling him a liar. No, I was just cautioning him. With the latest Ann Coulter column from TownHall.com, however, I believe a line was crossed. http://townhall.com/columnists/anncoulter/2011/12/28/only_one_candidate_is_right_on_the_two_most_important_issues/page/full/

There are two parts to this article. She opens by saying “In the upcoming presidential election, two issues are more important than any others: repealing Obamacare and halting illegal immigration. If we fail at either one, the country will be changed permanently.” That is an opinion; and a very good one, I might add.

She makes several well-thought-out arguments to prove her point, bolstered by enough facts to convince most reasonable people. So her major premise is honest, factual and well thought out. She might not convince everyone but there is no question that she is very honest in her major premise.

She then moves to her minor premise, that only Mitt Romney can defeat Barack Obama. Ann opens with several solid points. “Michele Bachmann, Ron Paul and Newt Gingrich have never had to win votes beyond small, majority-Republican congressional districts.

“Jon Huntsman, Rick Perry, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have won statewide elections, but Huntsman and Perry ran in extremely red states that don’t resemble the American electorate. Only Romney and Santorum have won a statewide election in a blue state, making them our surest-bets in a general election.

“But if Santorum wins, we lose on the second most important issue — illegal immigration — and he’ll be the last Republican ever to win a general election in America.”

This last sentence seems to be absolute nonsense on the face of it, but a well-respected commentator like Ann Coulter gets the opportunity to make her case. She then shifts to explain the horrors of illegal immigration finishing with “Any candidate who opposes E-Verify is not serious about illegal immigration.” Once again, her opinion, but one I go along with.

She then says: “Kowtowing to business (while pretending to kowtow to Hispanics), Paul, Perry and Santorum oppose E-Verify. As a senator, Rick Santorum voted against even the voluntary use of E-Verify.” Though Ronald Reagan’s 11th commandment “Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican,” should keep Ann from saying this even if it were true, this is a lie.

The truth is that Rick Santorum voted for the “Basic Pilot Program” HR 3610 (E-Verify) on 7/18/1996. He voted for E-Verify again on 11/12/2003 under the name “Basic Pilot Program Extension and Expansion Act of 2003.” Rick Santorum voted against the McCain/Kennedy amnesty for illegals bill which was deliberately mislabeled with the propaganda term “E-Verify.” Ann Coulter is very confused on this point. Mitt Romney actually worked with Rick Santorum to help defeat this bill. In fact, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum have worked on the same conferences, committees, etc. to help stop illegal immigration. So where is the difference?

The same day (Wednesday, Dec 28, 2011) Ann Coulter’s piece choosing Mitt Romney as the only right candidate for defending us from Obamacare, Mitt Romney says that the foundation of Obamacare, the individual mandate, is “a conservative fundamental.” Ann Coulter admits that every single Republican candidate, without exception, has pledged to repeal Obamacare. Again, this is a matter of honesty, telling the truth. Every other candidate will actually repeal Obamacare. Mitt Romney, however, plays with words. He actually believes that socialized medicine is a fundamental right. Mitt Romney actually believes that the only problem with Obamacare is in the details, the way that it is worded. Mitt Romney actually believes that the solution is Massachusetts style healthcare. http://www.redstate.com/erick/2011/12/28/today-december-28-2011-mitt-romney-calls-obamacare-conservative/

So for the repeal of Obamacare, one of Ann Coulter’s two foundational issues, Mitt Romney is the only Republican candidate who is completely UNQUALIFIED. Using Ann Coulter’s own standards of illegal immigration and Obamacare, the only logical conclusion is anybody but Mitt Romney. There is no other honest, logical conclusion.