The GOP's Southern Problem

By Nathan Rothwell

Republican presidential candidate Rick Buttfroth picked up Mississippi and Alabama in Tuesday's primary contests. Although fellow candidate Mitt Romney has failed to pick up any southern states in this primary season (Virginia and Florida don't really count, in my eyes), Tuesday's results all but assured that Romney will eventually be named the nominee.

As many have already predicted would happen, the social conservative wing of the Republican Party, once their greatest asset, has now become marginalized within their own party. While they still exist in large enough numbers to propel Santorum and Newt Gingrich to victories in the southern states, they are practically voices shouting in the wind everywhere else. According to CNN exit polls on Tuesday, even in Mississippi Romney is still the preferred choice among Republican women, those making at least $50,000 a year, and anyone who identifies as something other than "very conservative."

Why Santorum is Good?: "Rick McDumbF*** just gave everyone the enigma machine!"

The Daily Show breaks down Conservative rhetoric.

Hard to believe this is the last in the 20 episode running series called the Republican Primary Debates. And still, they get weirder yet, especially with Sen. Rick Santorum (PA) as one of the more frightening front runners. It's also pretty amusing to see Conservative media react to Santorum going full blown FOX pundit (even when he's not in a primary debate). No! Santorum, you're only supposed to imply these things. I personally think it's a great service to voters to have the social conservative GOP agenda spelled out loud and clear. Whether we all like it or not, that's where this election season is going.

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Indecision 2012 - Rick Santorum's Conservative Rhetoric
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**apologies to those trying to watch this outside of America. You can still view this episode at Channel 4OD 
for UK, and various sites that I will not name that mirror the episodes for those of you outside of US and UK.

Religious Beliefs Should Remain Private

Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts and current Republican candidate for President in 2012 is a charlatan and a swindler. 

He was a supporter of women’s rights when he was running for governor of one of America’s more liberal states, then ever-so-conveniently changed his mind years later in order to boost his social conservative credentials. He’s worth more than $260 million dollars, yet tells unemployed voters he sympathizes with their plight because he’s also “unemployed” (while running for President is hardly a money-earning endeavor, he’s still doing so by choice). Romney also once infamously asserted that his sons’ service to his failed presidential campaign in 2008 was a more important task than the service of those in the U.S. military.

However, rather than focus on these and other examples of his chicanery, prominent media figures have instead elected to unfairly attack his religious beliefs. So as much as it pains me to do it, I believe Romney deserves some defense here.

Romney is a Mormon, one of the newer and fastest-growing sects of Christianity. Even though Mormonism dates back nearly 200 years and has always professed itself as part of the umbrella of Christianity, some (such as Baptist minister and Rick Perry supporter Robert Jeffress) have obnoxiously proclaimed that Romney should not be considered a candidate for President because he’s not a “real” Christian.