Alana Burke: Gingrich or Romney? Either way, it's an upgrade

Any of the current Republican Candidates for the 2012 presidential election represent a distinctly better choice to lead this country than President Obama. Conservatives and those with a Kool-Aid hangover know that a second term for Obama would result in the further decline of America. Thus they will rally behind whomever the GOP nominee turns out to be. Hopefully the Libertarians and independents will make "the right" choice as well.

After the Florida Republican primary, the roller coaster of poll standings shifted once again and put Mitt "Default" Romney back in his still warm, likely GOP nominee chair. As columnist Rich Lowry wrote, "The cyborg that is the Romney campaign locked Gingrich in its sights and marked him for destruction."

The odds are in Romney's favor and he's got the money and organization to keep it that way. However, even those on the Romney bandwagon, whether with enthusiasm or resignation, were likely disappointed that Romney trounced Gingrich in the Florida primary, thus deflating Gingrich's momentum.

Gingrich appeals to those of us who would really like to see Obama knocked off his pedestal with gusto. We don't want a candidate who is going to have a "I know you are but what am I?" persona in the debates. We want a candidate who can get in there and give Obama a long overdue spanking. Obviously there are other issues to consider but on that basis alone, that candidate is clearly Newt Gingrich.

Romney has a problem other than he is so moderate that liberal ATM George Soros said, "If it's between Obama and Romney, there isn't all that much difference except for the crowd that they bring with them." His other problem is that conservatives are beyond tired of Obama's slick arrogance. Romney's theme song could be "Smooth Operator" and the way he holds himself above the fray is Obama-esque and a turnoff.

On the other hand, Gingrich is often a bull in a china shop, setting the lamestream media back on its heels, cutting to the chase and scoffing at political correctness. Obama is the king of platitudes, so Gingrich's approach is refreshing and satisfying. Plus he has a wealth of experience and intellect to back up his words. The concern is whether he can he blend the nature of a bull into the required finesse of a presidency.

Romney's a little Mani-Pedi, but he also has more experience in leadership and business than candidate Obama had when he was shallow-vetted and won the 2008 election. Romney is currently espousing conservative values and even if as a moderate he holds to just 50 percent of them, his vision is better than Obama's entitlement-minded, "C" average fits all, "I am from the government and I'm here to help" vision for America.

Conservatives are faced with a dilemma. Which candidate will be the better president to lead the nation back to fiscal, ethical and even moral sanity and/or which candidate has the best chance of beating Obama in the general election? Both Romney and Gingrich have had wince-worthy moments during their campaigns and, while Gingrich has a full set of baggage and a few duffel bags thrown in, Romney is packing a few suitcases as well.

Style aside, it comes down to this. For Gingrich to be the nominee, conservatives will have to get over their concerns that his past infidelities (can women get past the "dirtbag" label he has earned?), semisoft illegal immigration policy and role as a controversial political insider will be deal breakers in the general election. They will have to give more weight to his intelligence, knowledge of history, decades of experience and his unabashed determination.

For Romney to win, conservatives will have to ignore his questionable conservative positions and settle for a moderate in the White House who may have an administration that is malleable by the left. On the plus side, and it's a big plus, Romney is more palatable to independents and moderate Democrats, which clearly gives him an edge over Obama, who cannot, for the love of God and country, be allowed a second term. This is why Romney has remained the default candidate.

Both candidates owe Rick Santorum and Ron Paul a word of gratitude as these two men raised the bar on the issues and made invaluable contributions to the endless debate cycle. Despite the fact that it takes 1,144 delegates to secure the nomination and there are 46 states left to woo before the GOP convention, it is unlikely that either of them will win the nomination. So who will it be — President Gingrich or President Romney? Despite their imperfections, either candidate will be a massive upgrade for the nation.