If Ron Paul Wins Iowa Caucus, We Will Lose First-in-the-Nation Status? (ContributorNetwork)

COMMENTARY | I wish I was kidding. I really do. But, honestly, if Ron Paul pulls in a win for the Iowa Caucus, we can kiss our first-in-the nation status goodbye. As a political nerd and Iowa lover, I cherish our first-in-the-nation status. If Iowans GOP voters pick Paul, the party may penalize the state.

The good news is the weather looks fair. Not only is that good news overall, but fair weather means non-Ron Paul supporters will go out. If it was snowy/icy/super cold, some supporters of other candidates might opt to stay home. But the Paul supporters? They're rabid. They'd hitch up their dogs to a sled if they had to, just to make it to the caucus location. Again, I wish I was kidding. But I'm not.

Here's the deal, Iowans. The rest of the nation thinks we're all a bunch of goobers. And we're not. We're quite a variety of people, religions, ethnicity, etc. We're smart, educated, common-sense people. And we have to get this right (no pun intended).

Ron Paul would not beat Barack Obama in the general election. It's as simple as that. If Paul ends up being the nominee (it won't happen but, hey, stranger things have happened), I can see a third-party candidate thus ensuring a win for Obama in 2012. Republicans, have we forgot what happened to Bush H.W. Bush in 1992? Ross Perot ran as a third candidate and Bill Clinton ended up winning. We cannot have four more years of Obama.

Paul has been a congressman from Texas since 1976... before I was even born... before my parents even met. And yet, he claims that "Washington is the problem?" He is Washington and has been my entire life! Also, he ran as a libertarian in the 1988 presidential election. Not a Republican, but a libertarian. And now he's back to claiming to be a Republican. Again, he cannot defeat Obama. It's just not possible.

I understand the Paul supporters are passionate. I understand that they believe in the Ron Paul "Revolution." I also understand they drank the Kool-aid, ate the brownies (no, really Ron Paul's campaign served brownies at the Iowa Straw Poll).

We must keep in mind, if we value our freedom, our nation, our military and our first-in-the-nation status, we need to vote for someone other than Ron Paul.

I'm voting for Rick Santorum in the caucus. You can vote for him or Rick Perry or Michele Bachmann or Newt Gingrich or Mitt Romney or even Jon Huntsman... but please. Be serious. Don't vote for Ron Paul.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ac/20111227/pl_ac/10737321_if_ron_paul_wins_iowa_caucus_we_will_lose_firstinthenation_status

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