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Subscribe to RSSSouthern Baptist leader Dr. Richard Land said on MSNBC's "Andrea Mitchell Reports" today that social conservatives have been on the phone since Iowa talking about how to get Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry to drop out before it is too late to stop Mitt Romney.
These social conservatives will be meeting in Texas next weekend -- and he said they would be talking to Gingrich and Perry at some point about coming together behind Rick Santorum before it is too late.
He acknowledged, however, that it's unlikely they can persuade them to drop out before South Carolina, which means their effort to unite against Romney could come too late.
"If you took the vote that Santorum got, and you took the vote that Gingrich got and you took the vote that Perry got, and you took the vote that Michele Bachmann got, you would have out-voted Romney two to one in Iowa," Land said.
"But because of the division among the conservative candidates, there is real concern that Romney will win without having to face one concentrated effort of a conservative challenger. And what I've heard over and over again, [in] these discussions, is we don't want to make the same mistake this time that we made with Huckabee in 2008."
Land continued. "People didn't rally around Huckabee as the, you know, social conservative alternative, because they didn't think he could win until it was too late. And McCain had the nomination sewed up. Now it is a little more diverse this time, and we don't need to make the decision as early. What I hear conservatives saying is, 'We need to keep talking about this, and we need to let Gingrich and Santorum and Perry continue to make their case.' But at some point, earlier rather than later, we need to try to unite all of the conservative -- social conservative forces, around one candidate and have this great debate that so many people want to see between the Romney and the non-Romney."
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The social conservatives really, really, really do not like Mitt Romney. Wow! Really do not like him.
You are correct phancy. Social conservatives don't like Romney. I don't like Romney and I really don't want to see him go up against Obama. The establishment republicans LOVE Romney but will skewer his chances by not letting him go for the jugular on Obama. If Romney gets the nomination, I predict Obama will win.
BB
The GOP establishment loves Romney's money - and the money men he brings with him!
I want all of them to stay in as long as possible.
Blowspend all their RNC and Pac money on the race for the White House. The less $ they will have for the open seats in the House and Senate the better!Obama/Biden 2012
[The establishment republicans LOVE Romney but will skewer his chances by not letting him go for the jugular on Obama.]
Seems Romney is blowing nothing but hot air...he's playing defense because he has no offense to fall back on. If he's not attacking someone, he has no message.
As far as Romney "going for the jugular on Obama", this comment is laughable as it would be quite the monumental feat seeing that Mittens has nothing worth going up against Obama with. I mean really...what's he going to use...the "Obamacare" line?
Mitt is all thumbs.
He has no plan...he has no message...his only hope is to somehow undermine this countrys president...just like Newt.
Mitt is a paper tiger.
I can't believe that no one is talking about how outrageous Rick Santorum's policy statements are. I guess it would be a gift to the Democrats if Santorum wins the nomination because once people realize what Santorum wants to do, the only ones who will vote for him are the theocrats. Banning contraception? Annulling all gay marriages? Increase income inequality?
They are scared to death that Mitt, a moderate, would get the nomination. With extremists it their way or the highway and Mitt may not go along with their extreme agenda if elected.
I belive that Obama will win but the win will be narrower if Romney is his opponent than if one of the extremists are against him. That would mean a landslide for Obama.
What he sais makes sense from the "Fundamentalist Christians that don't want a Mormon President" point of view. Has nothing to do with who is conservative and who is moderate since all of them, including Romney, are way to the right already. But a nice try at masquerading your contempt for his religion.
I disagree Ana. From where I stand, they really aren't looking at his religion because Mitt doesn't wear it on his shirt sleeve. What they are looking at is his ties to big money. They feel those ties will be too much of an influence in his decisions. The Mormon thing is very minor... in my opinion. I personally feel that Mitt is a plastic man.
I've seen a couple of interviews and many comments on various forums where fundie Christians refuse to support Romney wholly on the fact that he is Mormon. These are people who will vote for someone who would run this country into the ground as long as they are Christian and are willing to push their extremist agenda.
GOP mad lol
Okay, I'll be the first to confess. I never thought I would read the words "they would be talking to Gingrich and Perry at some point about coming together behind Rick Santorum before it is too late" in my lifetime, let alone in this election cycle.
Take heart, Jon Huntsman - this year, anything's possible!
You knocked that one out of the park JoAnne. Great post.
You can't make this stuff up!
President Obama seems to lead a charmed electoral life.
Dangerfield,
Looks can be deceiving.
It was not fate or luck that Obama won the nomination and then the election in 2008.
Well, maybe alittle luck with the Palin pick by McCain.
"No drama" Obama will again put forth a well run campaign, work hard for the middle class, and take on the most dysfunctional Congress in history.
Meanwhile, the GOP/TP are in mess. Romney will win the nomination but only 25% of the GOP base want him.
Romney the biggest 1% as the standard bearer for the middle class? Voters are smarter than that.
northstar - take on a dysfunctional congress? Earlier in the week FR reported that obama was going to distance himself from cong ress.
MSNBC also reported earlier this week that at least half of congress is in the 1%. BTW - so is obama.
Criminal vote counting in Iowa, the GOP operatives can't hide it. But the media can. MSNBC = MEDIA WHORES
This took all of 5 seconds to find.
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/06/10001836-aint-over-yet-could-santorum-wind-up-the-winner-in-iowa
tc34567====People like you amaze me. If you hate MSNBC so much, why do you watch/read it? I admit I don't like FOX, but I don't watch FOX and have not watched FOX for over eleven years, except for the debates when that is the only network that carries it for that particular time.
I've wondered that too. If these people dislike MSNBC so much why do they continue to post here? If they think liberals are so stupid, why do they hang out where liberals are? Why don't they go where the people who think like them are? I don't like FoxNews and I never go to their website.
Gingrich, and Perry's egos are way to big to step out, and support Santorum. The funny part is, if they did, they would be supporting a person who couldn't beat President Obama.
Santorum's social views are waaaaayyyyyyy too extreme, even for most Catholics, and his economic policies are the same ones that caused the deepest recession, since the depression. That is not a winning combination in a general election where so many people were wiped out by those economic policies, and independents, who hold generally moderate social views, will be deciding who gets elected.
They keep proving from the get go, they are a bunch of clowns. the most important thing to them is their social conservative views. You hear nothing about their plan or plans on how to improve life for most of our citizens, not anything to do with their sex lives or their marital status, but how people are going to survive on poor wages and how that can be improved or provide a decent job or train people so they can find a decent job. These gop candidates are a twisted bunch. It is amazing to me, people 'buy their crap'.
Poor little republicans can't figure out what to do or who to support cause none of the candidates fit their idea of the perfect one. So what to do? It all boils down to the best of the worst. Good luck with that. Maybe you will get what you wish for.
President Romney. Your President for the next EIGHT years. WOW, what are you going to do?? Some of you may have to actually go get a job. LOL
Instead of looking for someone to "drop out" to help republicans make up their minds, the voters should demand someone who "stands out", someone who can win no matter how many goofball opponents he/she has. Trouble is, the republicans don't have any of these. Instead, their candidates "stand out" for their mediocrity and lack of qualifications for the presidency.