For Republicans, the imperative is less urgent, given their overwhelming support among white male voters.
The two Republicans' shared imperative: to head into the New Hampshire primary eight days later as the best-positioned establishment alternative to businessman Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.
Republicans understand the imperative behind the narrative, not only because they are facing the first black president, whose support among Hispanics and blacks is overwhelming, but because minority voting blocs are threatening to swamp the white Republican base in the future.
To compete with the well-heeled Republicans it is imperative that the Democrats curry favor with wealthy donors.
There is one thing about which all Republicans agree: Our greatest imperative in 2012 is to elect a Republican President of the United States.
That makes it all the more imperative for Republican leaders in the House of Representatives to stop holding an extension of unemployment benefits hostage to a package of further reckless tax cuts.
The more visceral imperative for Republican officeholders was to provide tax breaks for their wealthy supporters, weaken regulation (be it financial, environmental or workplace) and, above all, hold on to their political power.
Despite the strategic imperative for Republicans to court the swelling Hispanic constituency, Mr. Romney earlier in the campaign attacked Gov. Rick Perry of Texas as being too weak on illegal immigration.
Mr. Christie, who will take over leadership of the Republican Governors Association this month, said in an interview that it was especially imperative that Republicans not be defined by their deeply unpopular congressional wing.
Old money had no choice but to join the Met, and differences were quickly forgotten as the two foes found common cause in keeping out the next generation of newcomers.The rich of New York had at one time looked with disdain on ostentatious displays of wealth, steeped as they were in America's "republican heritage and moral imperatives of frugality and thrift".
