GOP Nominee
Former Candidates
Big news people, if you have claimed an ideology such as conservatism you can’t claim objectivity.
I have been blogging on Romney since May 2006. Since that time I have been questioned many times. I have been called a “cheerleader”, “shill”, “fool” and many other terms that probably would have Kavon pulling this if I posted them. Generally speaking, these comments are from people who think they are some how intellectually superior because they have waited to endorse a candidate. Often, those who feel I am compromised by supporting Romney this early, make subtle implications that I am not as smart or as thoughtful as them. Somehow my opinions and points are not as objective as there own.
If you claim to be conservative, it means you have principles, opinions and interpretations already formed. Chances are you have a weighted sense of ideology, in other words some issues are more important to you than others. Webster’s online dictionary defines objective as “expressing or dealing with facts or conditions as perceived without distortion by personal feelings, prejudices, or interpretations” Clearly, this can’t exist in a political ideology. Just as there is no objective historian, there is no objective political pundit.
I find it almost humorous when someone tells me on one hand they are waiting for a dark horse candidate, but on the other hand they are objective in their views. To say that you are waiting for a dark horse candidate means you have formed an opinion of Giuliani, McCain and Romney. It means you don’t like them and you don’t want them to win the primary. It means this fabled “dark horse candidate” is your candidate who you are currently supporting. It means you want the dark horse candidate to beat the top three. It means you are not objective and therefore can’t claim to offer objectivity when dissecting other candidates. I find it laughable when these same people try to discount the opinions of those who have chosen one of the top three and apply terms that that implicate that they are not objective.
For some people cynicism is their candidate. Rather than choose a candidate, they have instead chosen to find and deep six any potential candidate. When someone does this, I say fine. All the more power to them. Lets discuss things. But if you can’t handle that your cynicism hasn’t spread to myself, then be honest enough to admit you might be missing something yourself. Perhaps I have already thought about these points and have satisfied them through my own research.
My point? You don’t have to agree with me. You can hate Romney. You can hate everyone in the field and hope for something better. Wonderful. I don’t care. But please don’t try to put yourself on a pedestal of academic integrity that just doesn’t exist and make bones that I won’t hop on it myself.
If you don’t agree with this blog, then tell me why, open up a discussion. I might be wrong here.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Great blog Jason! I agree completely. Therefore we probably have nothing to discuss since we are both Romney supporters.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:11 pm
When I was in college, our team was often ranked in the top 25 in the nation. Being a big school with a student body numbering in the tens of thousands, we had quite a few students who were also fans of the teams from their hometown areas. It was often amusing to hear them complaining about our fans lack of objectivity. Well, what did they expect?
This is mainly a pro-Giuliani site. Whenever the news isn’t optimal for Romney we get posts talking about the bottom dropping out of his campaign. In a week where Giuliani gets hurt with the revelation of his liberal judicial appointments, and he loses a face-to-face with Romney, we now see posts calling for Romney fans to be more “objective”.
Giuliani fans, lighten up. We are in the midst of a long, slow slog of a football game. Giuliani happened to have a couple of less-than-stellar possessions. He got sacked for a loss over the judges. He did a four-downs-and-out at CPAC. Meanwhile Romney scored big on his possession of the ball. So let his fans celebrate. Giuliani is still ahead on points.
Relax, there is still plenty of game to be played. Don’t lose YOUR sense of objectivity.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Agreed Jason and Mark. To be honest, I have significant sympathy for those, like Republius, who insist that the selection of candidates is beginning too early. But this system functions a bit like mutually assured destruction. If one side is building nukes, we do ourselves little good by insisting that they’re being “unreasonable”. If I and others hadn’t decided to endorse Romney months ago, and defended him against all comers when the accusations were unsound, this site would have become an entirely pro-Giuliani site and (perhaps I flatter myself here) Romney’s campaign would be in worse shape than it is now. So while I admire those who wish to play their cards close to the vest, those of us who are wary of Giuliani and McCain (and I only put myself slightly in that category) might find ourselves deeply troubled if, aided by our indecision, they become the only two conceivable candidates come January. I’d also note that, whether we like it or not, the nomination will have been netted by February 5. Eleven months from now. And its hard to counter the type of momentum, with only 11 months til the final decision, while you’re retaining “objectivity”.
March 3rd, 2007 at 12:26 pm
I don’t even think we’re even playing ‘games’ so far. This is pre-season. This is scrimmaging. Let’s wait for the debates to start up before putting points up on the board. We ain’t seen nothing yet.
March 3rd, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I completely disagree with the assessment that this is a Rudy Giuliani site. Dave and I are the only writers here who currently support Hizzoner. There are 7 other writers here, most of whom support Mitt it seems, or are neutral (excepting LJ of course).
March 3rd, 2007 at 10:34 pm
I wasn’t referring specifically to the posters, but more generally to the troll-like Giuliani supporters constantly making comments like “Romney’s a flip-flopper” “Only Giuliani can win in this tough political climate” “Rudy’s leading in all the polls. Show me where Romney’s leading in all the polls?” Eleven months of that nonsense, while other people wait to show their colors, and either the site becomes a complete Rudy trollfest that no one wants to visit, or through sheer maddening repitition they actually convince some people with their inanity. Either way, those of us who don’t want to support Giuliani gain nothing by trying to maintain some type of objectivity as Republius suggests.