Fox News: “Romney hit a Home Run”
Fox News’ commentary said Mitt had “hit a home run.”
Fox’s Frank Luntz said “With just two days to go, Mitt Romney hit a home run tonight.” Other key quotes about responses from Luntz’s focus group: “Mitt Romney consistently got the best responses throughout the evening…incredibly favorable.” “When Mitt Romney talked about where he stood on immigration, the dials shot through the roof.”
The overwhelming response in blogs is positive. Mitt really helped himself tonight.
From the National Review:
Kathryn Jean Lopez says:
“The fighter is out in him tonight. No one is going to call him a wimp tonight, that’s for sure. He’s taken initiative, from minute one. And he’s turned the tone of his campaign around. He’s letting Romney be Romney — the confident, forward-looking candidate with a conservative temperament he is — it was those qualities that first made me pay attention to him when he was in the statehouse. I think he’s being himself tonight. We saw him be himself during the religion speech. And we’re seeing it tonight. This Mitt is the Mitt we have to see everyday from hereon out. It took a while for him to be unleashed but I don’t think it’s too late by any stretch. Let Mitt be Mitt and Mitt might win.”
From Rich Lowry:
“Politics is a game of adjustments, and Romney adjusted to the debate from last night, realizing that he’d be under constant attack tonight and he’d better gird himself and go on offense. He spoke forcefully and put the case for himself as the reformist businessman in the best possible light. I think he basically dominated the first hour, and fell off a tab after that, but otherwise was truly excellent. His best performance yet, in very high pressure circumstances. His answers on taxes, job creation, and immigration were top notch … [I]f he somehow wins NH, tonight will be a big reason why.”
McCan’ts “Experience” Question; I.e., Why Not McCain?
McCain wants us to believe with 20+ years in Washington, and over the age of 80 at the end of a 2d term, he’d change his stripes and try to improve the system he’s helped construct and has benefited from for 2 1/2 decades. Sorry, but if he was serious about fixing something before he would have done it by now. And because of his age he’s a lame duck president on day 1. A nearly 80 year old with a history of a temper with his finger on the button? Quack quack. Others also noticed the McCain slam on Bush (the remark about governors). This is why McCain is NOT a republican candidate. I’ve heard one Senator say that if a secret poll were taken on the Senate floor, they’d nearly unanimously support Mitt over McCain, which McCain seems to acknowledge in his comment he hasn’t won any congeniality contests in the Senate. And he’s supposed to suddenly “change” and work with these people to get things done? GOP: IT’S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. MCCAIN WILL CONTINUE TO DO WHAT HE’S DONE FOR THE PAST 24 YEARS.
Here’s another quote from Mark Levin tonight at the National Review in that regard:
“[C]ome on John McCain. You’re known in Washington as, well, very temperamental and holding grudges. Let’s not pretend you are Mr. Positive when, in fact, you are not.”
Expect mainstream republicans to reject this man, starting tomorrow in the AM radio shows when they call out his school-yard tactics with cohort Huckabee.
After Wyoming’s sweep by Mitt, McCain’s undignified attacks last night and Mitt’s performance tonight, expect Mitt’s poll numbers in NH to take a bounce upward. With the race being as tight as it is, Mitt’s performance tonight was big.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:13 am
Here is a video of John McCain endorsing Mitt Romney in 2002.
January 7th, 2008 at 2:14 am
Uggh — some day I will learn how to embed a video. Until then follow this link.http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=BLjCxojI0NM
January 7th, 2008 at 2:24 am
lol nice. That should be a Romney ad all day long in NH.
working link - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLjCxojI0NM
January 7th, 2008 at 2:45 am
Hey, folks, how pathetic that old fool McCain looked tonight. While denying he was a member of a cozy club in Washington, all he could, ever few minutes, was quote another endorsement from some old Washington crony……I was surprised that some of them were even still alive…….How many old washed up has-been Senators endorsed him? How could be but dumb enough to keep citing them, while claiming he would be a part of the answer and not part of the problem of a broken Washington???/
January 7th, 2008 at 2:54 am
Thanks. I agree that it should be running constantly!
January 7th, 2008 at 3:38 am
there’s a link on the YouTube site that says “embed” or “move to clipboard.” Clicking on those, then pasting into the post, should do the trick. Essentially it’s just a fancy link.
My take is that while the campaign would get some mileage from that clip, my 2 cents is that Mitt does best when on message, like tonight, and animated about the reasons he’s running. In my book he’s a naturally stronger candidate than McCan’t. He’s lost ground in the NH polls (before tonight!) only because of the flip-flop label, which has given McCan’t the ability to deflect the comparison ads without response to the underlying issue. But Mitt supporters will agree Mitt’s record is flawless and he represents real leadership and needed executive experience in a Washington that was created by Mr. McCan’t. Johnny’s been in Washington for 24 years and McCouldn’t. Did you see the love fest among senators on the stage at the end Saturday night? It was clear who were Washington insiders. I don’t see how a multi-term senator will be able to make changes now. I do think it’s important to remind people of McCain’s biggest weaknesses, but the manner of delivery in both debates was better than in the ads, in my book. The new ad with Mitt pounding home the message he represents the best chance to help america compete and to support our families is Mitt’s best yet (again I love the animation).
January 7th, 2008 at 3:38 pm
Paul Johnson, I have critical news for you. I live in Massachusetts and I am Mitt Romney’s #1 fan hands down. However, I watched the local Boston affiliated TV networks last night and this morning to see how they SPUN the debate coverage. Of course, they had no mention of Frank Luntz’s focus group, no mention of the commentary on FNC after the debate. They simply said “well, there was a debate last night.” and showed a few clips. One clip of each candidate, and not a good clip of Romney. It was the last time Mitt asked Huck about raising taxes $500M and then Huck’s court mandate answer. THEY DIDNT SHOW THE NUMEROUS TIMES MITT PRESSED HUCK WITH THE QUESTION AND THE INCESSANT DODGING. Although they did not say Mitt did bad or good, they certainly didn’t give credit where credit was due. This is a concern to me. I just hope enough New Hampshire voters saw the debate themselves. ugh…
January 9th, 2008 at 11:23 am
A central question put to Romney is whether his prolife values are his own, or part of his politcal strategy.
I am a Mormon. In the Mormon church a man or woman will never be selected for any general position of leadership if they sanction abortion (excepting the cases of rape, incest, or survival of the mother). Such a belief would directly conflict with the long held beliefs, practices, and policies of the church.
Romney was born a Mormon. He also served as a Mormon missionary and later in high-level positions (similar to that of a bishop or cardinal in the Catholic church). He has once already abondoned his pro-life beliefs for the his political career. Now he tells the story of his epiphany when he became pro-life after seeing embyos at a lab.
How can it now be an epiphany for him to admit that he was wrong to support pro-choice positions? How can he have served his church community alleging a pro-life conviction that he conveniently discarded for a popular political career in Massachusetts? Now he returns to a pro-life position because of a new political agenda- to become the president. We need a president with lasting values and not someone who changes their vital positions because of new political agendas.