Starting Off The Year With A Criticis Of A Fellow Alumni And Belaboring A Point

http://m.roanoke.com/mapp/story.aspx?arcID=302972

This article was not written for the intent for which I am going to use it, but I (as usual) would like to capitalize on the opportunity.  At the close of this article I do something I rarely do (critic a fellow Emory & Henry grad) but first I would like to talk about the two points that jump out at me from the article.The first: Mitt Romney will get the Republican nod for President.  How can I deduce that? Because you have the less than subtlety left leaning Roanoke Times doing pieces on him when no other Republican candidate has very little coverage.  My point being, if liberals know and understand that Romney is going to get it, you can rest assured Republicans know.  In reality, I think Democrats want Romney.  He is after all Republican Light.  Which in a Republican party that pour more like Guinness, is a problem. 

The second is that it STILL does not matter.  Romney is going to walk away with the nomination, but short of Jesus Christ getting on the ticket President Obama is in office for four more years.  Why is it so obvious?

McBride's advocacy helped win a Romney endorsement in 2008 from then-Virginia House Majority Leader Morgan Griffith. When Griffith ran for Congress in 2010, Romney's Free and Strong America political action committee contributed $2,500 to his campaign. Griffith credits that contribution largely to McBride's influence.
"Dane had the bat-phone and called in for me," Griffith said.
Griffith hasn't endorsed a candidate for president this year, saying that he's in a different place than in 2008 and has to take "a more neutral position overall."

That is why it is so obvious.  When you have someone, like Griffith who rode the Tea Party wave into office over a House veteran like Rick Boucher, afraid to return an endorsement you have trouble brewing in your party.  Republicans are simply too disjointed to mount an formidable campaign against an incumbent.  With Donald Trump and now Ron Paul looming as potential candidates of a third and maybe fourth party, the Republicans had best be trying to muster Senate (a majority in both houses would stalemate President Obama) seats or trying to demystify a Paul/ Trump ticket (hmm that sounds like a good prediction.)

Allow me if you will to switch topics ever so slightly and return to the heart of the aforementioned quote to provide gris for my criticism.  It would seem to me that my fellow Emory & Henry alumni is in fact not playing by the rules and simply practicing bad politics.  To quote the old saying "You make the bed you lay in" and Representative Griffith is doing no such thing.  Should I be apart of the Republican leadership I would have Mr. Griffith removed come 2012 when he is up for re-election.

Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your view) the Democrats do not have anyone who can really challenge him.  You simply cannot have people crossing each other within the party.  Yes, it happens, and yes it is politics, but simple put: it's bad for the party.  Griffith, without a doubt, gladly took Romney's endorsement in 2008 and 2010, why now is he afraid to return? Because he is just that "afraid" of not being reelected.  The book of politics that I read says "You don't bite the hand that feeds you. If you do, you had best find a new hand to get reelected."

That being said the Republican in me has just kicked in.  Perhaps Griffith has it right in not endorsing Romney with idea that in some freakish turn Perry or Bachman gets the nod, Griffith can gain stature within the Tea Party with his endorsement.  It would be one heck of a political bluff, but waiting until the river to hit a straight takes nerves.  In politics and particularly Republican politics, nerves are not always good.  Besides waiting that long to make the right endorsement might just lead to you looking for a job.