Only One Choice: The Constitutional Conservative Candidate in 2012

What an action-packed three years it has been since the last presidential election! With the advent of the Tea Party movement in 2009, the ever-encroaching realm of big government collided with the constitutional principles espoused by patriotic Americans in an unprecedented fashion, and We The People found our voice. We assembled from coast-to-coast in peaceful, heartfelt protests against the major themes of the Obama administration, namely, government intrusion in many private areas of our lives, wasteful, unrestrained spending, and anti-capitalism.

In just under one year from now, voters will cast their ballots in what is believed to be the most pivotal election of our lifetime–if not the nation’s history: the 2012 presidential election. Conservatives, hear this: We cannot go to the polls, hold our nose, and vote for a RINO. That’s NOT what We The People have rallied and fought for these past three years! We cannot repeat the, “Oh, well” mindset we took with us to the polls in 2008 as we voted defensively against Barack Obama (many conservatives did not proactively vote for Senator John McCain). This time around, there is zero room for error, and we have to be sure to vet the best constitutional conservative among the contenders and elect that individual. We must ask ourselves, “Who is the candidate whose ideals, principles, and integrity mirror our constitutional conservatism? Who will regain for We The People the respect, honor, and leading economic position once associated with this great nation?” That’s the person to choose.

Some conservatives and Republicans have adopted an “A.B.O.” approach to the 2012 presidential election: “Anybody But Obama.” Certainly we want Obama to be ousted, but do we really just want anybody? This approach has some conservatives chasing every rising star, every surge-in-the-polls moment, while some are secretly hoping and praying that a Sarah Palin will get into the race. This type of mindset will leave us with someone whom we accept, rather than one we choose–based on core, conservative values. We have to choose the right man or woman for the job, whose interests are good for America and our posterity. We cannot support just “anybody” in a desperate attempt to gain the White House. It’s understandable that because we’re teetering on the brink of socialism, conservatives want to wrest control of the White House from Obama, but we must not become desperate and forfeit sound, core fundamentals in supporting a GOP candidate. Desperation alone is not the solution; vetting and supporting the right candidate is the path to the solution.

We’re determined to get this right, to apply a salve of Conservatism to the wounds that Liberalism has inflicted upon our great country. We know the grave consequences that face us all if we don’t regain the White House. Voters have to continue to watch the debates and polls and engage in meaningful dialog about the GOP field.

And it’s not the media’s place to choose our candidate; it’s ours alone.

For weeks, poll after poll and newscast after newscast listed Mitt Romney as practically the only man in the race. He is crowned, “The only one who can beat Obama.” Half of the other GOP candidates– Ron Paul & Rick Santorum basically fade into oblivion while Romney is hailed, “THE One.” The former Massachusetts governor who has been on both sides of issues central to conservatives (abortion, TARP, gun rights, immigration), was all of a sudden the quintessential conservative candidate.

Really?

Conservatives have shown a willingness to band together behind a variety of candidates who connect with individuals demanding big moves toward small government & commonsense reforms. These voters embrace an alternative to Romney, and they’ve never been interested on giving up based on the circumstances of a particular candidate.

As this race has developed, Newt Gingrich has built the support of many conservatives and Republicans with his superior debate skills, great depth of knowledge, and inclination to stay above the fray of non-fact-centered personal destruction. Republican and conservative voters are forgiving Newt of his “past sins,” both politically and personally, and recognizing the larger reality: that Newt Gingrich has an unparalleled resume of conservative accomplishment. We The People are vetting candidates, paying attention, and viewing presidential debates. We’re energized and ready to work for the right candidate. We know we must pick the candidate and not allow the media or the party establishment to dictate to us who that person is as they have successfully in the past.

We The People must enact the “Triple-C” approach in the upcoming election: choose the “Constitutional Conservative Candidate”, the person who best reflects the values and integrity of constitutional conservatism, not one who dances on peripheral issues without thoroughly committing himself. We must elect the person who is fighting for America NOW, is unafraid of taking our enemies–both foreign and domestic–to task, and flat out say, “No!” to more wasteful spending, and, “Yes!” to citizens’ rights of limited government within their homes as well as private business sector business. We must elect the reliable supporter of the Second Amendment and solid immigration reform. This is the right candidate for the conservative base. In fact, this is the right leader for all Americans.

There is one man in this race who can claim that mantle with gravitas, vision, and a record of large-scale accomplishment that achieves our goals. There is one man who knows the way Washington functions as well as anyone but who functions in a way that drives Washington insiders crazy. One man who has specific plans for a smaller, more dynamic government and who won’t be cowed by the traditional gatekeepers and power-brokers on the way to that vision.

That man is named Newt Gingrich and for all the complaints we might want to lodge against him, he represents a unique opportunity for conservatives and embodies a hope for leadership that’s both capable and resolute, with the priorities we share.

It’s time for principled conservatives who are serious about being effective to take sides, and the battle lines are clearly drawn. The establishment, the entrenched powers, the overly-cautious, and those simply willing to have America’s decline be well-managed are happy to back the safe choice of mitt Romney. But we at The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama stand with Herman Cain, Art Laffer, Thomas Sowell, Rick Perry, Mike Reagan and Fred Thompson, and we’ll heed the insights of Sarah Palin, Rush Limbagh. We choose the grassroots over the machine. We Choose Newt.

Selena Owens is a Christian conservative author, political activist, and speaker. She has spoken at over 200 Tea Party rallies–including one of the first national rallies on April 15, 2009, in Raleigh, NC. Her book, The Power Within a Conservative Woman — Engaging America for God, Family, and Country, encourages conservative women to rely on the strength of God as they engage in the political process within society. She is Managing Editor of Tea Party Review magazine and Co-Vice Chair of The Campaign to Defeat Barack Obama.

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