This is really quite sad.

But all those disturbed by allegations of sexual impropriety against Herman Cain should now rally around Newt Gingrich, the Family Values Candidate.

“I am suspending my presidential campaign because of the continued distraction, the continued hurt caused on me and my family. Not because we are not fighters.”
I was sad to hear this, but of course the opposite is actually the case. The reason I'm neither conservative or GOP is that though Dem's are clearly the party of evil they're the party of spineless incompetence; I'd hoped Cain was different, but I was sadly clearly wrong. It's a sign of the evil times that for today's vile, evil Dems and their media who res, today's campaigns are no longer civilized but brutal and inhuman, and Americans seem likewise too spineless to call them to account to a significant degree. As has always been the case, only God can save us now, the God on Whom we've turned our backs and collective yawns, and as the Founders promised that choice will most certainly ultimately be fatal, both temporally and eternally.

Do do anything but insult conservatives on here?

You are so god dang pretentious. So f---- sober and wise.

Go # sand, old man.

Oh yeah, you will play the victim card now. I know you roll.

I love cutting arrogant people down to size. That's you, brother.

I think you are far more liberal than consevative and I'm tired of seeing you mock conservatives on here. If you don't like conservatives, go vote for another party.

I guarantee you have none one impressive thing in your life. If you were able to get a job at Taco Bell, I'd be surprised.

You really add quality to the conversation, kid. Cordially, Bill

I couldn't care less if Cain was unfaithful to his wife. He needed to drop out because he was horribly underqualified for the job he wanted. I'm glad he's gone. Time for Michele Bachmann to follow suit, and Rick Perry.

Perhaps some people don't like Bachmann, Perry or Santorum because they wear their social conservative hearts on their sleeves. But, there are plenty of people who don't want to see them get the nomination for reasons having nothing to do with social conservatism.

Moreover, there are plenty of orthodox social conservatives that didn't get into the race, but if they had, they likely would have done very, very well. My governor, Bob McDonnell - who is as socially conservative as anyone - comes to mind immediately. McDonnell beat his opponent by almost 19-points only 12-months after Obama carried VA by more than 6-points. That's roughly a 25-point swing in just under 12-months.

How did McDonnell do it? He talked about one thing and one thing only: The Economy. Oh, and he also knew what the hell he was talking about. He's very bright, very informed and very articulate. Everyday for the last three weeks of the campaign, WaPo savaged the guy, and they tried relentlessly to make the guy seem like a social conservative neanderthal who was going to imprison gays and send women back to suffrage. It didn't work, not even a little.

Most general election voters don't have a problem voting for social conservatives, so long as that social conservative seems like an informed, earnest and rational person. McDonnell was just that. And, most Republicans would prefer to vote for a social conservative, but they aren't going to vote for the social conservative to the exclusion of all other criteria.

If Perry, or Bachmann or even Santorum could have ran the campaign that McDonnell ran - and been just as effective as McDonnell was in running it - it's likely that any one of them would be at the top today. Instead, they were either unprepared, off-message or just plain horrible candidates. That's why they're languishing at the bottom.

"You live in on a different planet, brother."

Yes, I live on the planet where Santorum, Bachmann and Perry can't even combine for a double-digit poll result. Think about that: On my planet, a guy as unpopular as Mitt Romney still bests those three together.

You, OTOH, live on the planet where Perry Bachmann and Santorum enjoy robust support and adulation. Maybe you can visit my planet someday - but only if you promise to take your meds.

I hate prefacing every third post with "as an extreme religious minority," but I am, and Hardcastle is right. Even when a conservative Christian doesn't highlight social issues, social liberals will dig up everything they've ever said in order to ferret out their "obvious" Theocratic aspirations. Thing is, we're talking about a very small group of people. Yes, McConnell could have won Va by 20 points without a single social liberal vote.

The important thing to remember about Bachmann is that her bubble popped, not with the needle business, but when Perry got into the race the day after the Iowa straw poll. Social conservatives assumed he was as conservative as she is, but "heavier." They were wrong on both counts, but the damage was done. The next "bubble" was Perry's. Then it was Cain's turn - I went for him, too, but got off the train early, when he fumbled on abortion - both appearing to be conservative, and turning out not to be. I believe Gingrich has subtly past his peak, and will be declining from now on. Too much baggage; and Iowans don't like comments of the "the nomination is mine" sort.

Personally, I think Romney is not the lurking turncoat many of us fear, and would be a very conservative President. We might consider whether our distaste for him is the opposite side of the irrationality of the Perry, Cain, and now Gingrich swoons. It's very hard to get past his not having changed since '08, when his flip-flopping was fresher. I think we err in looking for more than a President actually needs to be.

It was unfair to dump Bachmann for Perry, who simply "looks like" a conservative, and then to hold that needle business against her. Aside from that, she's been consistent, and quite solid in debates. She would crush Obama in debate more certainly than Gingrich - because she gets to the point quickly, stays focused on salient topics rather than bloviating, and has more of a mean streak. Obama's inexperience before assuming the Presidency immunizes her from the "inexperience" charge.

She has an integrity that would immunize her from the rising anger against the financial system - and a Ron Paul 3rd Party run that I'm betting is a 60-40 chance. For instance, she's already said she would at least hack deeply into the Fed's powers. She voted against TARP. That integrity would freeze many on the left wing, already sour on Obama and intoxicated by OWS, into sitting out the election - because, unlike Romney or Gingrich, she could call them out as hypocrites if they vote for Obama.

Here's my prediction. If Santorum continues to gain no traction, he'll bow out a week before Christmas and throw his support behind Bachmann. Together, that's 14% in the Iowa poll that was taken, mind you, before Cain dropped out. Meanwhile, Gingrich will be dropping. I say she takes Iowa.