Mitt Romney as BEST Commander in Chief
I realize Stephanie may have linked to this already, but if you have not heard this interview of Senator Santorum today, you have to listen to this all the way to the end. INCREDIBLE!
SENATOR RICK SANTORUM and LAURA INGRAHAM, February 1, 2008
Listen to what is said at the end about marriage and national security! I just cannot believe any person who has one thread of conservative fiber would even think of voting for McCain!
~ Vic
Governor Romney Gets Laura Ingraham’s Vote
Ingraham: Gov. Romney Will Keep The Country Safe
Gov. Romney Discusses Sanctuary Cities With Laura Ingraham
Gov. Romney On Laura Ingraham Show
David Keene On His Endorsement Of Governor Mitt Romney
David Keene On Maintaining The Conservative Coalition
Gov. Romney On Enforcing Immigration Laws
Gov. Romney On Hillary Clinton & Drivers Licenses
February 1st, 2008 at 4:21 pm
Riehl at the Riehlworld blog has also endorsed Romney. Here are some very well thought out points.
http://www.riehlworldview.com/carnivorous_conservative/2008/01/why-i-am-endors.html
Posted by Reweimaron 01 Feb 2008 at 3:38 pm 9
To lisarc: Great piece about Riehl’s explanation about why he’s endorsing President Romney. Please get this out of the “comments” and headline it front and center on the blog. CANADIAN FOR MITT 2008!!!
What about it Vic? Can we get this on the front?
February 1st, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Over at Huckabee’s website, they are pushing for Dr Dobson to endorse Huckabee. They’re saying they’re getting very positive feedback from Dr Dobson’s people. Make your own voice known - I did:
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/ and click “Contact Us” if you prefer to email. Their phone #s are (800) A-FAMILY (232-6459) or (719) 531-5181
February 1st, 2008 at 5:06 pm
Awesome article by Jed Babbin:
http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=24771
February 1st, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hey guys,
I’m really deciding McCain and Romney. So, convince that Romney is the right choice. My biggest issues in this election are social conservative issues (abortion, gay marriage, etc.); general electability; and principle and consistency. So, convince me on those three issues:
1.) There is numerous records of Romney’s support for abortion and same-sex marriage. It seems a little bit opportunistic to suddenly have a change of heart before running as a Republican presidential nominee. Convince me that I should not be worried about his stance on conservative issues, despite his extensive history of being on the other side of the issue.
2.) There are numerous polls out showing that McCain fairs far better in a general election than Romney does. http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/national.html
It makes sense why. Conservative republicans are going to vote against Hillary or Barack (especially Hillary) no matter who the nominee is. Independents will be much more likely to go to McCain than to Romney. A few democrats will shift to McCain and almost none to Romney. And, even some conservative evangelicals will likely stay home because of Romney’s mormonism (I think it is a really dumb reason to stay home; yet, that is likely the truth). Convince me that Romney is at least as electable as McCain.
3.) I have an issue with Romney’s consistency and honesty (as a lot of people do). First of all, there have been countless instances of flip-flopping for apparent political gain that I’ve already mentioned. But, even in the debate in CA, he was just plain dishonest. When I first watched the debate, Romney came off better than McCain did. After looking into the facts, however, McCain actually seemed to be more truthful than Romney.
On the issue of troop withdrawal, it that neither candidate was being completely honest. It is clear that Romney was not supporting a public timetable for withdrawal (as he explicitly denied it in a couple of places). However, it seems pretty clear that he was supporting a private timetable for with-drawl. He was asked specifically about a timetable for withdrawal, so the phrase “timetable” should be understood in that context. Also, he said we should make it private so that insurgents would not be waiting in the weeds. The only way that sentence would make sense would be if he was talking about timetables for retreat. There would be no reason to talk about waiting in the weeds otherwise. So, on that issue, it seems that it’s a tie, McCain and Romney both lose.
However, on nearly every issue that debate, McCain was being honest and Romney was not (either that, or Romney just didn’t know his facts). On the issue of fees, the economy, healthcare costs, etc. Romney’s position was wrong and McCain’s was right. I found this out from non-partisan factcheck.org. Here is the link:
http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/simi_valley_showdown.html
Convince me that Romney’s consistency and character if such that I should vote for him. Refute the information on factcheck.org and defend his alleged “flip-flopping.”
Thanks for your response. We need to select the right republican this fall!
Thanks.
Mark
February 1st, 2008 at 5:27 pm
America needs to realize that Mitt Romney is not the usual candidate. People like Romney do not usually run for office. He is doing this because he feels that he is the right person for the job at this time in Americas history. I think when the topic of the economy comes up in the White House our President should be the smartest person in the room. That person is Mitt Romney. He is not a polished politician or comedian. He is a serious man for a serious time for America. I am tired of Washington insiders running this country. I am ready for new ideas outside of Washington. Republicans should wake up and vote for Mitt Romney.
February 1st, 2008 at 5:42 pm
Mark, issues aside, the one character trait important to me is “integrity”. Sen. McCain has proven to me, that his integrity is in question. Why you ask? His “hack” job on Gov. Romney on the weekend prior to the Florida Primary was atrocious. It amounted to an out and out lie once the words and facts were presented. If Sen. McCain is willing to sacrifice his integrity, for the sake of an election, my question is, what other character traits which he possesses will be sacrificed next? His Honor? His committment? His courage? His STRAIGHT TALK EXPRESS? I can’t vote for ANY individual that “knuckles” to temptation and sacrifices his own integrity by spreading out and out lies and deceit for personal gain. He’ll never get my vote. I have to go with Gov. Romney…..Boats
February 1st, 2008 at 5:56 pm
John and Boats,
Thanks for the responses. Unfortunately, they don’t really answer the questions I asked. First of all, regarding the troop withdrawal issue, I don’t think the issue is as clear as you make it out to be. As I cited early, fact check said that both sides were equally at fault: http://www.factcheck.org/elections-2008/simi_valley_showdown.html
Also, when asked about the disagreement, Huckabee, who seems me to be a very honest guy, seemed to back McCain on this issue:
http://www.politico.com/blogs/thecrypt/0108/Huckabee_continues_to_whack_Romney_defend_McCain.html
So, while I do agree that McCain’s attacks weren’t entirely fair, I don’t think Romney was being honest either. You didn’t really answer the other issues, you just basically stated your conclusion. That’s pretty unconvincing.
Also, you didn’t address any of the misstatements that Romney made at the debate that were talked about in factcheck.org.
Also, you failed to even address the issue of electability. What good does it do us to nominate Romney if he’ll be destroyed in the general election.
John, you mentioned that he’s not the usual politician, but is the smartest man in the room. First of all, I’m not convinced that the “smartest man in the room” is the best to be president. Both Clinton and Obama are pretty dang smart. Secondly, that is exactly what Romney seems to be, a usual politican. He jumped left to win MA governorship and then right to win the repub nomination. That seems to be the usual politician to me. McCain on the other hand, has stood up for what he believe (e.g. immigration), even when it hurt him in the polls.
Finally, you didn’t address any of the issues of Romney’s change of position. Convince me that Romney will be a solid social conservative, and he’s not just saying this to win an election.
So far, the McCain folks are doing a much better job making their case than the Romney folks are.
Convince me to vote for Romney. Answer the 3 questions and don’t just attack McCain.
Mark
February 1st, 2008 at 6:13 pm
Here is all you need to know about McCain, Mark. Some of the links are actual originals of documents
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDEzMDYzZjBkMDNhYjk0ZjdhZmJlZWNkMWQ1NjI4MGI
RE: pro life
McCain filed an amicus brief against Wisconsin Right to Life
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=YjUzOGY0ODA1YzBmNjFhOWE5NWU0OTY5NTZiOGNhOGQ
Romney won an award from Massachusetts Citizens for Life in 2007. This is not an award given lightly. And here is where you can read that Mitt’s conversion to pro-life is not sudden:
http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=OWYwMzg3MzZkNDBmYzJhMGY5OTY5MjI3YTYxYzFkNDE
McCain was willing to run with John Kerry in 2004. What kind of a Republican is that?
February 1st, 2008 at 6:16 pm
I just listened to Rick Santorum and Laura Ingram. It was great!
How are we going to get this message out to the rest of the voters before it is too late?
If all of the conservative media will blast the airwaves with this same kind of information, and we all send emails to all of our associates, maybe we can still do it.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Mark I don’t think you are genuine in your desire to understand the positions of Mitt Romney. If you were genuine you could see that Mitt Romney did not support troop with drawl as McCain would have us believe. He simply recognized that there would be time tables in place, benchmarks for reevaluation and measuring our success. The PRESS agrees with Mitt Romney that McCain distorted and LIED about Romney position in order to win Florida. McCain is a cheat and Mr. Huckabee has lied about Mitt Romney and has not run a honorable campaign.
MARK - YOU DON’T WANT TO SEE THE TRUTH- YOU WANT TO DISTORT ROMNEY’S RECORD IN AN EFFORT TO MOVE YOUR CANDIDATE AHEAD IN LINE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE. YOUR TACTIC IS VERY TRANSPARENT. THE ONLY THING I AM NOT SURE OF IS WHAT CANDIDATE YOU ARE SUPPORTING. IT IS NOT ROMNEY AND YOUR INTENTIONS ARE TO NEVER SUPPORT HIM.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:23 pm
“Anti-McCain Voters Unite!”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-DlsCQYO1Vk
February 1st, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Mark,
Appreciate your interest in dialogue, not insults. Here’s my effort:
1. Gov. Romney has admitted to his mistake in taking a “pro-life” stance in Mass. He acknowledges this mistake and says he was wrong. However, during his tenure as governor, he did an exemplary job of supporting pro-life causes, at least as much as he could. I won’t argue that he made certain statements that seem to be politically motivated. He was running in Mass. after all. But I can tell you with all seriousness of heart that the man is most definitely pro-life and pro-marriage and I’ll tell you why: his religion. I am LDS and there is no way I could ever be a full-standing member and support abortion. It simply goes directly against the will of God. Mitt Romney knows this and I guarantee you that he finds the very thought of abortion repugnant. Even Harry Reid, the Democrat’s Democrat (who is also LDS) is pro-life. Why did he say what he did? Political expediency. Is that a good thing? No. Does every politician do it? Absolutely (John McCain is absolutely no exception). While it rankles me a bit, I’m willing to forgive because I know where Mitt’s heart really is.
2. One word: debate. Did you watch Wednesday’s debate? Can you imagine McCain going up against Obama or Hillary? He’ll be wiped all over the floor and any perceived electability will go right out the window.
3. Mark, have you ever set goals to achieve a mission? Another word for goals is timetables. I guarantee you the Pentagon has 10,000 timetables on every aspect of our mission in Iraq. Any responsible leader sets timetables. IT’S HOW YOU MEASURE PROGRESS. Let’s put this one to rest.
Yes factcheck seems to be very partisan - not one direct comment about McCain. What about his dodge of the amnesty vote? Did you find that respectable? The man didn’t even have the guts to come out and either denounce the bill as the trash it was or justify it as one of the main authors.
Mark, be honest and ask yourself this question: is Romney the only politician out there who has changed his opinions? McCain voted against the tax hikes, now he says he will make them permanent. Is that a flip or a flop? All politicians do this. In fact, I would argue that the only one who hasn’t is Ron Paul. The man may be a nut but he sticks by his convictions.
But I don’t hold this against Mitt Romney because the very few issues he has “flipped” on have taken him in the right direction. Will he change his mind once he gets into office? Not a chance. I say that because his conversion on abortion is sincere.
For me it comes down to this: I want someone in office who is going to turn around this country. Someone who is going to come in, clean house and get things in order. Romney has proven time and time again that this is his absolute strength. With McCain, I think we’ll just get more of the same. Yeah, it may be a Republican in the White House (I still think Obama or Hillary will tear him limb from limb), but it will be in name only.
Watch the debate and truly ask yourself: is McCain the man I want representing me to the other billions of people on this Earth?
Thanks for your time.
February 1st, 2008 at 6:43 pm
Mark, I think that we should carefully re-consider the war that is still hanging in iraq. The cost of war is about $400 billion/year for 5 consective years, that is 1 trillion. I believe that John McCain is a warlord, and fighting a war is all he can do; but where those money come from? The subprime is burning out most of cash reserve in US’s banks, and the country is facing a BK. People are getting mania fuled by John McCain’s vitory in FL, but no one really think about what would happen next. I believe that governor Romney was right on the timetable issue, and he is the honest man with calm. John McCain is a warlord, and he will destroy the entire country if he gets elected.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Mark,
Let me take a crack.
1. I am much more comfortable witha statesman who is willing to change after the reality of convincing arguments in a real world environment. Romney chaged because he saw the reality of these social issues first hand in Massachusetts and came to recognize his position was wrong. He was already Governor. He wasn’y running for office. Now, Senator McCain is adamant about his position on immigration and illegal aliens . He argues national security but refuses to adjust to the reality that Reagan’s isuue when McCain was early in the Senate of 3 million illegals has morphed into 12-15 million aliens. The public is equally adamant against the amnesty proposed in his bill which he says he will still sign if it comes to his desk. The medeia say this is a strength. I say it is ego driven by self rectitude that refuses to adjust. A scary trait in the nation’s CEO. And it is amnesty. McCain doesnt believe the end of the line is on Avenida Reforma in Mexico City. He believes it is in downtown Phoenix or D.C.
2. Polls can say anything a pollster wants them to say. Four months ago, McCain had a 7 % rating against Hillary. Gulliani had a 40 % rating in Florida. Four months from now, McCain may still have a 7 % rating against Hillary and even lower against Obama. As to the Evangelicals, you note Romney outpolled McCain on this bloc in Florida. You also note that without the hispanic vote in Dade and Broward county, McCain would have come close to losing Florida. You will also note that today’s polls in Georgia ( PPP ) , Texas, Missouri , etc. show Romney close or leading witha majority of Evangelicals, even with Huckabee in the race.
3. The debate. I watched it to. Your issue was dishonesty and consistancy. Let’s talk dishonesty. Check out the web site ” vietnamveteransagainstjohnmccain.com” Don’t just react and say it’s another example of ” Swift-Boat” attacks. They have offered to take down their entire site if Senator McCain can prove them wrong. It is filled with the Senator’s dishonesty all the way back to the Keating 5.
For McCain to argue that Romney had a timetable for withdrawel is dishonest at best. Like the excellent CEO he is , he was referring to stat charts and Pert charts and all time based issues that a successful prosecution of the war requires on the part of everyone. Aside from the political issues, the Iraq war is a logistical nightmare in which tens of millions of dollars and hundreds of lives were lost because the prosecution of the war itself has been so poorly managed logistically. But there was no timetable for withdrawal. On this point and McCain’s own admitted lack of economic understanding, how do you prosecute a war on terror if your economy is so screwed up that you have to borrow money from China to pay your own troops? This will becaome even more of an issue if we are there for 100 years as the good Senator advised.
As to fees, what’s wrong with user fees? They are not taxes. They are user fees. Starbucks charges a ” user fee” to drink their coffee. But John McCain has never run a business so he wouldn’t know. He will rely on his ability to choose a Treasury Secretary, based on his own lack of understanding of what a Treasury Secretary really has to know.
Last, universal healthcare. It’s coming and all we can do is hope that we have a President/CEO who can put a plan together that is pay as you go. Otherwise it is another entitlement gone amuck in DC. Romney knows how to do this with Democrats.I don’t think McCain has a clue.
It all comes down to character. Look at Romney’s personal life. Look at McCains ( check out that website). Look at his accomplishments in government and business. Look at McCains since he went inside the beltway. Ask yourself who you would trust and put your confidence in and then vote. Sorry for the length but I hope it helps
February 1st, 2008 at 7:05 pm
I am starting to realize that the “flip-flop” charge should be applied to McCain 100x more than Romney, although I know we will never see that in the media. Recently McCain said Alito was too conservative to appoint to the bench, now he’s including him on his list of “judges I would appoint.” He has definitely changed his view on illegal immigration lately in order to appeal to Republicans. The more I learn the more I realize that I will have a VERY hard time voting for him if it ever comes to that.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:20 pm
Mark,
To help answer your questions, really there is evidence to support that both Romney and McCain have been caught in shall we say “misstatements”. You have to decide which ones are more offensive to you. As for me, I believe Gov. Romney’s heart is in the right place. I believe he does not seek power, but seeks to serve this great nation.
1. Abortion - he did change, admits he was wrong. I don’t agree with Jeff that he change was politically motivated. I am also LDS and once held Gov. Romney’s previous position. I was personally against abortion, but had a hard time with the government being involved in a decision that could end the life of a young girl seeking to end her pregnancy. I believe he really did come to the conclusion that legalized abortion had cheapened life when the issue of stem cell research and cloning was brought to him in Mass. Again, just my opinion and for you to decide.
As far a gay rights, I don’t believe there has been a change. See this article for explaination: http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2007/oct/05/romneys-nuances-gay-issues/
2. Polls: Well we are still quite a bit out from November and if there as many changes as in the first year, the polls are still meaningless. McCain has plenty of dirt that hasn’t really surfaced yet - I think Romney’s is all out, but only you can make this call.
3. The debate, I also checked factcheck this morning to see what was up- I was a little disheartened that Mitt was wrong on some of his points, but his errors seemed reasonable to me - as in not intentional. Check out these links for some more info. http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2008/jan/31/showdown-simi-valley/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uh66RGN2SLI
Obviously, no one is perfect here, but I would ask you to strongly consider Mitt. He has accomplished much and I believe he is doing this for the right reasons. His errors are small in comparision to blantant lying that McCain appears to be doing regarding the “timetables.” Hope this helps.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:33 pm
Mark,
If you are really interested in all these answers, you’ve come to the right place. Troll this blog and you’ll find answers to these and all other boiler plate questions. These have been discussed ad nauseum elsewhere, but in case you are newly considering Governor Romney (is there nothing new on this guy, he really is squeaky clean
), here are the short answers:
1. Abortion - personally opposed, always, but effectively pro choice. He’s admitted he was wrong (something McCain is loathe to do), dealt with this, and it is old news. NEVER has been pro gay marriage. The gay rights agenda has shifted dramatically in the 14 years since 1994. This is a red herring used by those to obfuscate the truth.
2. Head to head elect ability polls mean nothing 9 months out (good thing, too, as McCain would have been out last summer). Consider Carter/Reagan in October 1980. As with Reagan, Governor Romney’s trend lines steadily climb as people get to know him. It will be no different in the general election.
3. There has been exactly one flip (#1a above), and no ensuing flop. The flip/flop label better characterizes McCain’s vacillating positions on amnesty and tax cuts than anything you can come up with against Governor Romney.
But that last point deserves some more discussion. If you mistakenly sensed dishonesty in his answers in the debate the other night, consider this: He’s a successful business man. Successful business men have business plans. These plans include strategies (timetables, if you will) that include milestones for success. You don’t let your competitors know your business plans, and only really bad companies don’t have milestones. Really great companies have a vision of success and set milestones to achieve those goals, and they measure themselves against those goals, privately, so your competitors don’t know what’s up (think Steve Jobs and the secrecy around the iPhone development). Do we want to be in Iraq forever (ahem, even 100 years?) No. So we can agree that success includes our eventual withdrawal, but only after Iraq is stabilized. THE GOAL IS A STABLE IRAQ, NOT AN ARBITRARY WITHDRAWAL. Governor Romney has NEVER supported setting an arbitrary date or deadline for withdrawal. Read the Governor’s comments more closely, and go back to the original interview in question if you don’t believe me. He flat out said he’d veto any measure that included a withdrawal date. He didn’t say then and has never said anything different. But of course he wants a business plan. That’s simply good business.
I’ll leave you with this. Governor Romney is completely consistent in all his statements. Unfortunately, he has quite the vocabulary, and isn’t constrained to stating things using exactly the same words over and over again. Earlier in the year, this was more pronounced, but recently, he’s learning to be more repetitive on the stump. But his ability to fully articulate and rearticulate his positions may be a perceived shortcoming, especially when faced with an ill-informed and unmotivated electorate that prefers catchy one-liners (a la Huckabee) to finely nuanced position statements. For me, however, it demonstrates he understands the issues deeply and can discuss them comfortably, in detail and at length. The matter is compounded when lesser candidates try to rephrase his position statements themselves (simplification, for their benefit and for the benefit of others), and the true meaning is lost in translation.
But Governor Romney’s original statements, folks, is the real straight talk, not the boiled down oversimplifications that McCain and others use. It is a complex world we live in, with complex challenges, and we need someone with the acumen to fully understand and articulately describe it.
If you are honest with yourself, that can only lead you to Governor Romney. Some say Obama is a skilled orator, but he doesn’t understand the complexity of the issues. I’ll take Mitt’s resume over any of the other’s any day.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:35 pm
Hmmm. Just as I thought. Mark is not as sincere as he portrays himself to be. I believe I’ve addressed his concerns, however, if he is willing to consider them.
February 1st, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hi guys,
Thanks for the responses. I appreciate the honest responses. Although, if you really want to convince people, I’d suggest you put a lid on Mit10 who will just alienate an honest questioner more than anything.
Jeff, your response regarding Mitt Romney and his religion and it’s connection to being pro-life is actually more disconcerting than anything. You say that due to his religious convictions, he was personally pro-life, but didn’t want the government involved. You say that even Harry reid, who is the majority lead in the house, is LDS and, therefore, personally pro-life. To be honest, I don’t really care whether they are “personally opposed” to abortion. What matters is the policy he implements and the extent to which he will work for the cause. The fact that you mention Harry Reid, who gets a terrible rating from pro-life groups, is not comforting to say the least.
I think it is a good point that we are still a long way away and polls at this point aren’t that helpful. You are right, Mitt is a little better debater than McCain is. I would say a lot better, except to be honest, Mitt comes across as a little bit too much like a slick politician. The best speaker and debater by far is Mike Huckabee.
But, putting the polls aside for a second, I still want to know how Mitt Romney could possible win an election. He’ll get the establishment conservatives. But, that will get you 30 - 35%. If you take away a few evangelicals, most independents, and all conservatives, even in a best case scenario, how could Romney get anywhere close 50% of the vote? Tell me who would vote for Romney to get him to 50%. You have convinced me that McCain may have trouble in a general election (with his debating), but you still haven’t given me any reason to hope that Romney will have any shot.
Regarding the issue of timetables, I agree that timetables don’t necessarily have to withdrawal. However, in the context, it seems a little bit suspicious. First of all, timetables was the buzzword for withdrawal. Secondly, he wasn’t talking about timetables in the abstract. He was responding to this question: “Do you believe that there should be a timetable in withdrawing the troops?” So, for him to talk about supporting timetables, in response to asking about timetables in withdrawing troops at the very least leaves the question ambiguous. Finally, if he was not talking about timetables for withdrawal, why did he say “You don’t want the enemy to understand how long they have to wait in the weeds until you’re going to be gone?” If he was only talking about timetables for accomplishments in Iraq, it wouldn’t make any sense to mention the enemy lying in wait.
To be honest, I wish that McCain would just come out say, “I’m sorry if it was a misleading attack. I appreciate the fact that Romney opposed public timetables. But, in the context of the time and in the context of the question, it sure appears as if he is supporting private timetables.” And, I wish Romney would say, “I didn’t support public timetables for withdrawal. However, in light of the context of the question, I understand why someone would be confused.” What happened to Regan’s 11th commandment? I’m kind of disgusted with both candidates on this issue!
Two other things that I noticed about this issue in the debate: 1.) McCain when he was pressed on the issue didn’t really do a good job defending himself and kind of fell back on a generic “you didn’t support the surge rhetoric.” It wasn’t very convincing. 2.) I kept noticing that Romney never directly said he didn’t support private timetables for withdrawal. He said he never supported SPECIFIC dates for withdrawal. Seemed like a potential for fudging. If someone can find a place in the transcript where he explicitly says he never even supported PRIVATE timetables for withdrawal, send that to me.
Your response that factcheck.org is partisan seems a little bit strange. But, that’s not really worth arguing about. Rather, tell me why factcheck’s claims about Romney’s false claims in the debate are wrong. Point me to the evidence.
I think that Romney and McCain’s hearts are both in the right place. I don’t think anyone would go through this grueling process unless they truly thought that they wanted to help the country. So, that’s not an issue for me with either candidate.
If Mitt’s errors on the debate were unintentional, he should just come out and say that he made some mistakes. My respect for him would grow enormously if he did that. (To be honest, that’s true of McCain and a lot of other politicians).
Finally, this really isn’t a serious point, but something I thought was kind of funny. Romney is pushing his economic experience. But, he’s spent how many millions of dollars for how few delegates? That’s not very good money management. In any case, that’s neither here nor there. I just think it’s kind of funny. Thanks for all the responses.
Anyway, of all the issues I’ve mentioned, electability is probably my biggest obstacle to supporting Romney. I just can’t see how Romney could possibly get 50% of America to vote for him. Tell me where the votes come from. I know he can win Utah. But, what else?
Mark
February 1st, 2008 at 7:53 pm
How am I not as sincere as I make myself out to be?
February 1st, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Oh yeah, one other concern. Fred Thompson mentioned earlier that Romney supported a 50 dollar co-pay for abortions in MA. This was after his pro-life conversion. Is this true? If so, what gives? If not, what is the truth.? Thanks.
Mark
February 1st, 2008 at 8:07 pm
Mark,
In fact, governor Romney mentioned timetable about the Iraq war during the interview with ABC that had nothing wrong with it. This country can’t elect someone like John McCain who is a warlord. He is just another MacArthur, who only knew how to fight the war but nothing else.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:11 pm
And the war in Iraq had already cost this country heading to BK, and American has no gain so far. The Gas price has been 3 times than the war before. There are some many ways to protect this country instead of fighting the war, and that is the most stupid thing by any measure. And we can’t stay in Iraq for 100 years like the warlord said.
February 1st, 2008 at 8:50 pm
John McCain is fixated on war! He will not receive my vote because of his arrogance. I will continue to fight for and support Mitt Romney!
If you want to see some neat y tube Mitt videos go to you tube and put in Maine Mitt Romney
February 1st, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I’ve talked to people and none of them like McCain. I don’t see how he’ll win this election, let alone the primaries. Who are these people that are going with McCain? What dark corners are they hiding out in? I don’t personally know any McCain supporters. They must be like rats and only come out at night.
I believe the vote in Florida was stolen. Something wierd about that “independent vote”.
February 2nd, 2008 at 12:23 am
Mark, where have you been throughout the campaign? Mitt Romney has answered all your questions numerous times in public. The $50 copay was not his doing. It was put in by the Massachusetts legislature upon order of the court. Mitt Romney wanted that provision not to be in the plan. Please stop playing around and get serious. There are serious consequences here. If you really care, get behind Mitt NOW; get everyone you know to vote for him on Tuesday. If you are not going to vote for Mitt, then don’t waste everyone’s time here. I challenge you to join us. Help us help Mitt win! We need you with us NOW. If you cannot do this NOW, we move on without you. Take care.
February 2nd, 2008 at 4:05 am
Mark, to your original challenge above:
o Below is a compilation of the folks who’ve denounced Senator McCain’s attack. It has been denounced and debunked EVERYWHERE.
o Huckabee isn’t exactly an honest broker here so what he says is completely irrelevant.
o National polls are simply not the best estimate of electability at this point. To best consider electability, think in terms of the broader political dynamics. More specifically, this election is increasingly about change, about fixing a broken Washington. And Senator McCain is the ultimate Washington insider. In particular, he would get torn to sheds by a media friendly, young, energetic, change-minded Obama. Governor Romney is the only person still in the race with experience outside of Washington, turning around institutions and bringing needed change.
o Governor Romney is anything but a typical politician. He has a wide range of experience in the private sector, the voluntary sector, and in the public sector. This experience and the leadership evidenced by the change he brought to these different arenas are completely unmatched in the remaining Republican or Democratic fields. And don’t even get me started on the myth of “straight talk” (eg he’s “learned his lesson” on immigration but he still supports amnesty; he’s lying about the Governor’s Iraq record; he’s flip-flopped on the Bush tax cuts; flip-flop-flip on ethanol; etc).
from the debate the other night:
National Review’s Jim Geraghty: “When Romney takes his shots at McCain, it’s both strong and fair - he acknowledges that McCain has some areas in which he’s a conservative, but he takes several fair shots - McCain Feingold; voting against the Bush tax cuts twice (McCain noted earlier that he had voted to make them permanent).” (Jim Geraghty, ” How Rarely I Get To Write This: Romney Takes McCain To School,” National Review’s The Campaign Spot, http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com, Posted 1/30/08)
· Geraghty: “I like that Romney says that the original version of the McCain-Kennedy immigration legislation wasn’t so bad, and that it got worse as it moved through the process. It shows familiarity with the legislative details.” (Jim Geraghty, ” How Rarely I Get To Write This: Romney Takes McCain To School,” National Review’s The Campaign Spot, http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com, Posted 1/30/08)
· Geraghty: “‘Let me help you with the facts, Senator.’ Wow. Romney nails him for pointing out the study McCain is referring to in his answer about job creation and loss includes his predecessor, Jane Swift, who lost many jobs on her watch.” (Jim Geraghty, ” How Rarely I Get To Write This: Romney Takes McCain To School,” National Review’s The Campaign Spot, http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com, Posted 1/30/08)
· Geraghty: “Where the heck has this Romney been? He just calmly and clearly took McCain to school.” (Jim Geraghty, ” How Rarely I Get To Write This: Romney Takes McCain To School,” National Review’s The Campaign Spot, http://campaignspot.nationalreview.com, Posted 1/30/08)
The American Spectator’s John Tabin: “Romney corrects some of McCain’s facts – McCain confused Romney’s lieutenant governor with his predecessor, among other things. I think Romney won this exchange.” (John Tabin, “Romney Vs. McCain,” The American Spectator Blog, http://www.spectator.org, Posted 1/30/08)
CNN’s Bill Schneider: “Romney’s response scores big points with conservatives – and with a lot of Americans who aren’t conservative.” (Bill Schneider, “Big Points For Romney On Immigration,” CNN’s Political Ticker, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, Posted 1/30/08)
· Schneider: “Romney is winning this big-time — McCain’s wrong. We already have timetables for everything in Iraq, whether we stick to them or adjust them later on.” (Bill Schneider, “Romney Has McCain On The Ropes,” CNN’s Political Ticker Blog, http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com, Posted 1/30/08)
National Review’s Mark Hemmingway: “Not that I needed anyone to tell me the McCain-Lieberman cap-and-trade program is a bad idea, but Romney’s dissection of it was clear and compelling.” (Mark Hemmingway, “Not That I Needed Anyone,” National Review’s The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com=, Posted 1/30/08)
Captains Quarters’ Ed Morrissey: “Romney dominating near the close -this debate is owned by Mitt.” (Ed Morrissey, “Romney Dominating Near The Close,” Heading Right, http://headingright.com/, Posted 1/30/08)
· Morrissey: “Romney’s Playing Ball Control. He’s answering in depth, and by doing so he gets more air time. He’s using the format to his advantage.” (Ed Morrissey, “Romney Dominating Near The Close,” Heading Right, http://headingright.com/, Posted 1/30/08)
· Morrissey: “Romney is getting the best of this exchange … Romney does a good job of keeping the tone even and factual while scolding McCain for getting the data incorrect.” (Ed Morrissey, “Romney Is Getting The Best Of This Exchange,” Heading Right Blog, http://headingright.com/, Posted 1/30/07)
Commentary Magazine’s John Podhoretz: “Mitt Romney is doing a great job. Very commanding. He’s far more substantive than McCain.” (John Podhoretz, “Mitt Romney,” Commentary Magazine, http://www.commentarymagazine.com/, Posted 1/30/08)
Ankle Biting Pundits’ Bull Dog Pundit: “We’re 45 minutes in and I’m not going to go point by point, but I have to say that Romney is hitting the notes he needs to.” (Bull Dog Pundit, “GOP Debate,” Ankle Biting Pundits, http://www.anklebitingpundits.com/, Posted 1/30/08)
· Bull Dog Pundit: “Purely on substance Romney hit it exactly right when he started talking about the need for entitlement reform. When he said we have to ‘change the deal’ on Social Security and Medicaid for people in their 40’s I almost stood up and cheered. He also did a great job of pointing out John McCain’s conservative apostasies.” (Bull Dog Pundit, “GOP Debate,” Ankle Biting Pundits, http://www.anklebitingpundits.com/, Posted 1/30/08)
Heading Right’s Douglas Gibbs: “Romney’s expertise …and knowledge of economics and facts is outshining his opponents.” (Douglas Gibbs, “Romney’s Expertise,” Heading Right Blog, http://headingright.com/, Posted 1/30/07)
Heading Right’s Faust Wertz: “Romney’s answers are great … Clear, to the point but explaining what needs to be explained, and he looks comfortable.” (Faust Wertz, “Romney’s Answers Are Great,” http://headingright.com/, Heading Right Blog, Posted 1/30/07)