Mitt Romney is the presumptive GOP candidate who will face President Obama in November. I’m not happy about it, but it is what it is. I have to deal with it. Ron Paul supporters are hoping against hope that somehow he’s going to get the nomination. The best they can hope for is a brokered convention based on delegate counts. The popular vote doesn’t seem to be there.

We are left with Romney. So now what do we do? Many people won’t vote. If their candidate didn’t make it, they’re going to stay home and show their disdain for the GOP. While I can sympathize, it’s a big mistake. The presidency is not our government. We’re not a monarchy. If we had enough constitutionalists in the House and Senate, we could make any president a lame duck. He would be nothing more than a figurehead.

If you are not going to vote for Romney, then you need to double your efforts to get constitutionalists in office who will (1) support Romney when he’s right on an issue and (2) oppose him when he’s wrong. If Romney loses, the tactic is still applicable. Stopping Obama is priority number 1.

When we have a Republican President, Republican congressmen too often support any program he proposes. They want to be in good graces with the Republican establishment, be appointed to committees, and get reelected. It’s how we got No Child Left Behind, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (also called the Medicare Modernization Act or MMA), and the Iraq War.

Congressmen and Senators take an oath to uphold the Constitution, not the Republican Party. All candidates running for office should make it clear where their loyalties lie.

There’s a battle going on in Indiana with long-time Senator Richard Lugar and Indiana State Treasurer Richard Mourdock. Lugar has been a disappointment to constitutional principles and causes, and the people of Indiana have taken notice. A new poll shows that Mourdock has taken a slight lead over Lugar in the state’s Republican Senate primary. If Mourdock beats Lugar, Mourdock is going to need the help of Republican voters in November when he goes up against his Democrat opponent. Sulking over the candidacy of Romney will not win elections in the House and Senate.

A similar contest is going on in Utah with 36-year incumbent Orrin Hatch and Dan Liljenquist. If Hatch loses, his GOP opponent will need support in November. If anything, Liljenquist is pushing Hatch to be more conservative as he preps for his primary race. But Hatch’s close ties with Romney could be a problem as he cajoled his fellow Republican Senators to support any and all of Romney’s programs as president because he’s “our guy.”

There’s a lot at stake this year. Let’s not blow it because our guy didn’t win the race.