Letters to the editor: Romney GOP's best chance

Letter to the Editor

Romney GOP's best chance

"I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me God." These are the words we Americans will be forced to endure on Jan. 20, 2013, if the Republican Party makes Newt Gingrich its presidential nominee.

As a conservative Republican, I absolutely abhor the notion of this flawed candidate as the man to face Obama. Gingrich did many solid things while speaker of the House in the 1990s, but let's not forget he was essentially thrown out of office due to ethical, as well as moral, problems. Since leaving the House, he and his wife, Callista, have made millions of dollars as Washington insiders for hire.

The only hope the Republican Party has of defeating Obama is to nominate former Gov. Mitt Romney. He may also lack some conservative positions, but he is our best shot — an experienced, successful businessman and a faithful family man with both the temperament and proven ability to mend fences and get along with the opposition. These are characteristics we will need in the next four years. Also, Romney carries no baggage into the race, while Gingrich carries cargo.

Florida Republicans, the decision is simple: Do we want a dicey candidate who may bring about a daily October surprise, or do we want to defeat Obama? The William F. Buckley rule is simple, yet firm: Nominate the most conservative candidate who can win. Romney is that person.

James B. Scully

Tampa

Voting for values

I can only hope my fellow Republicans will think before voting. All the candidates are wealthy by most standards, but only one stands out for the wrong reasons: Newt Gingrich. He is a womanizer, but that is between family. His record is what is important. He was disciplined by the House, fined $300,000 and finally asked to resign. He went back to the Hill to work as a "lobbyist" for banking. He favored the individual mandate for health care, and supports an open market for Wall Street.

Wake up — this is serious business. Vote for a candidate who reflects your values and that of this country. When you vote for the lowest values, you get what you paid for.

Judith Finger

Largo

Paul defended

Tribune columnist Steve Otto has disparaged Congressman Ron Paul's "baggage" as though Dr. Paul were from another "planet" where "a grip on reality is not a requirement for survival" ("Fear is a factor in GOP primary," Metro, Jan. 23). I agree that his lack of charisma hurts his candidacy, but he would make an excellent president.

Interestingly, Paul's views are in strict agreement with the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Due to the ignorance and apathy of the masses, the controllers of our country have been able to totally distort the purpose of our federal government, and, unfortunately, our nanny state is a miserable failure in every respect.

We are constantly at war, the results of education and health care are poor compared to other countries, the number of food-stamp recipients are high, our dollar is fiat, the debt is un-payable, our manufacturing base has been exported, we import energy from enemies instead of tapping our known reserves and, thanks to our media, politicians who could possibly help the country are ridiculed. If Otto would put the same effort into learning/communicating the correct role of our federal government according to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution as he does in attempting to generate sympathy for school teachers, your readers would be better served.

Bill Madden

Tampa

Gingrich's rules

A man lives his life taking vows with women who clearly mean nothing to him. He takes a vow as speaker of the House that clearly meant nothing. Wife number two states he told her he would like an "open marriage." Then, the coup de gras: The press calls him out on it in a debate, and he has the audacity to blame the media. That's really rich. This is clearly a man who feels he is above it all.

One set of rules for Newt Gingrich to live by and another for the rest of us. I hope the people of Florida do not reward this man, and I use that term loosely, like the voters of South Carolina. Please tell me we're better than that.

Vicky Ferraro

Tampa

Tired of Romney, Gingrich

Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich should bow out of the race because they make too much money. We need Ron Paul, with his financial and economic background, to run this country and get us back on our feet. Ron earned his money the all-American way. I for one am tired of the bickering between Romney and Newt. Let's start asking the other guys some questions.

Crystal Brewer

Thonotosassa

Disheartening cheer

I watched Mitt Romney speak in Tampa, and I am once again astounded at the blatant lies about President Obama's record. The stimulus did not work? Tell that to General Motors. Obama had a Congress for two years that could pass whatever he wanted? How many times did the Republicans stop debate and votes with filibusters? The list goes on. But the most disheartening aspect of Romney's speech is that the audience cheered. They are probably the same voters who gave us Rick Scott.

Diane Brown

Laguna Beach

Correction

Ted Kennedy's opponent when he first ran for the U.S. Senate was Edward McCormack Jr. A Friday Op-Ed article had the wrong name.