Don't let the media tell you this election is over...

"Always vote for principle, though you may vote alone, and you may cherish the sweetest reflection that your vote is never lost"

John Quincy Adams

This Saturday voters in South Carolina will cast their ballots in the Palmetto State's Republican presidential primary.  If you listen to the incessant voices from the news media you would believe that this election is almost over and Mitt Romney has been chosen as the Republican standard bearer to face Barack Obama in the November election.  THIS IS A NARRATIVE AND A MYTH!  DON'T FALL FOR IT!

I'm not going to encourage you to vote for a specific candidate.  Heck, I'm not even sure I'll vote for this Saturday (although I'm leaning towards Rick Perry).  But I do want you to vote for a candidate you believe in.  Consider the qualities you desire in a president (see my thoughts on this), study the candidates (here's an interesting site to help you choose, selectsmart.com). ponder, pray and then vote.  BUT PLEASE DON'T VOTE FOR MITT ROMNEY JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE ELSE SAYS HE'S THE INEVITABLE WINNER!

Look, I don't care if you vote for Mitt Romney!  I urge you to vote for him if you think he's best for America!  I may vote for him but I'll only do it if his principles and beliefs align with mine!  I beg of you don't vote for him only because you think he's going to win or because you think he's got the best chance of beating Barack Obama.  We can't predict who's going to win the general election!  Everybody, and I do mean everybody, thought Ronald Reagan would lose to Jimmy Carter. We all know how that turned out?

Consider the following:

1)  If you select a "compromise" candidate and he eventually wins the nomination and beats Obama then we'll be stuck with a "compromise" president for four years!  Do you really want that?  Why not select your preferred candidate and let the chips fall as they may.  Win or lose your principles are intact!  (I will qualify this statement, however, by saying straight up that I will not vote for Barack Obama in the general election.  I will vote for any of the Republican candidates over Obama because I fear for the damage that will be done to the country if he's our president for four more years!  If that's a hypocritical stance so be it!)

2)  The Senate and House elections are more important than the presidential race.  A Republican House and a Republican Senate can minimize the potential damage another Obama term will wreak on America.  If Republicans can win a big enough margin in both houses they can overcome even a presidential veto.

3)  To win the Republican nomination a candidate needs 1,144 out of a possible 2,249 delegates.  Go to this chart at the Tea Party Cheer blog and look at the distribution of delegates.  Even if Mitt Romney wins all twenty-five of South Carolina's delegates HE WOULD STILL ONLY HAVE 38 OF THE 1,144 VOTES NEEDED TO WIN!!!  How can that make him the inevitable winner?  That's a bunch of nonsense being pushed by the political pundits.  DON'T DRINK THE KOOL-AID OF THE INEVITABLE CANDIDATE!!

No matter what happens Saturday this race isn't over.  This will be a long primary season.  We may not have a nominee until the convention is over.  It has happened before!  Whether you live in South Carolina or another primary state, please, don't take your responsibility to vote lightly.  Study, consider, pray and vote your principles this primary season!  It's the American way and we have to count on each other to courageously vote in this pivotal election!

Our Founding Fathers