And Then, There were Four

Anyone remember John Edwards?

I know… not lately.

He’s not going to the White House, unless they need an elevator operator.  By my read, he’s playing for some sort of appointment to a post in a Democrat White House. Notice… he’s been playing very light of late with both Obama and Clinton?  You know why. He doesn’t want to step on any toes, against the idea that he may actually profit from the second losing presidential campaign in a row, to the tune of some appointment or other from whoever wins, assuming the winner is Obama or Clinton. And yes, I know… he’s supposedly hitting a surge in South Carolina. My current read is it won’t be nearly enough on a national basis, even assuming he takes South Carolina, of itself a large assumption.

I figure, pretty soon, they’re going to be asking the same question about Mike Huckabee.  Likely they should have started asking after South Carolina. The man simply is not going to make it into the White House, I’m pleased to say. When South Carolina, arguably the state he had the best chance in, given the population of those he was targeting… evangelicals… dropped him like a bad habit, it was pretty much over.

And Giullianni isn’t going to the White House, either.  He peaked too soon, and too narrowly, and barring a Super Tuesday Miracle, he’s not going to recover.  No big loss, actually. History’s strewn with people who made it large in local politics who didn’t make it beyond. And granted New York city is as large as local politics gets, but still, it is local. And the debate performance last night was abysmal, and basically did naught but put sealer on the nail heads he’s been busy driving into his political coffin of late.

So, now it’s down to two, in each party, before Super Tuesday even comes along; Romney and McCain, or Obama and Clinton.

And frankly, I’m still trying to decide if sitting this one out is less damaging for the country and for the party, than voting for the RINO. … which ever one that ends up being.  It’s as I said in the Ramble of the other night; at some point the price has to be paid for moving so far away from Republican principles. That time may or may not be now. Or more correctly, that time may or may not be November.

Here’s something else, that nags at me about that choice and it’s consequences; When we made the choice for President back in 2000, we (as voters) had no clue about terrorist attacks less than a year away.  That was a choice made purely on domestic issues.  Yet, look at what developed. The consequences of Al Gore being in the White House under those conditions, in retrospect is too gruesome to contemplate. Further, as I’ve stated before, (Indeed, I said so two days after the attacks) I am convinced that those attacks were the result of Clinton policies, over a period of eight years.

That’s the history By the same token then, in looking ahead, one must in all logic ask if, assuming a Democrat takes the White House, and a further attack comes, would the nation still be standing, given the stated propensities of both Democrats to cut and run from such confrontation?

Assuming we decide that situation would cause more damage to the Republic, and install the liberal Republican RINO, (In this case, McCain, or Romney both of whom at least have a basic understanding of the costs of cutting and running) how do we afterwards convince the Republican party to step up with an actual conservative for a presidential candidate? I mean, is there a time when those national security factors will not be in play?  Given that factor, what pressure would the RNC EVER be under then?

Addendum: (Bit) BBCT to Real Clear Politics for adding this post to their “Best of the Blogosphere” list today.