Even as the Republican Presidential primary hits fever pitch in my home state of Michigan, the GOP establishment maneuvers for an orchestrated convention that “chooses” some “new face” as our standard bearer.

I abjectly reject such despicable machinations.

Having unsuccessfully competed against all of the candidates for our party’s nomination for President of the United States, I attest to the mettle of the remaining contenders; and aver that at the end of this brutal primary process – potentially including a convention fight – our GOP nominee must be Mitt, Rick, Newt or Ron.

Following the momentous reawakening of populist conservatism in 2009-10, an establishment controlled GOP convention that produces a handpicked “non-candidate” for our Presidential nominee would:

---

1. Betray the courage of our current contenders who entered the GOP primary process;
2. Reward an individual who lacked such courage and, instead, chose to sit on the sidelines during this transformational time of hope and peril in the life of our nation;
3. Belie our Republican party’s claim to trust the judgment of the sovereign American people, especially those who have worked and voted for the current candidates; and
4. Dispirit and divide our party at the very time it must unite to defeat President Obama and reaffirm American Exceptionalism in the 21st Century.

While for we rank and file Republicans this last goal is primary; for the perk and praise addled GOP establishment this last goal is secondary:  its obsessive concern is control of the party not the fate of the country.  The GOP establishment’s every escalating attempt to broker a convention and produce a puppet nominee prove the point; thus, it is the duty of every Republican to condemn and combat an establishment orchestrated convention. A GOP that distrusts its primary voters will be distrusted by general election voters – and rightly so.