Mitt Romney’s Radio Interview on St. Louis’ 97.1 FM This Morning
St. Louis’ Jamie Allman on 97.1 FM interviewed Mitt Romney this morning. They had a 10 minute segment together and covered a number of subjects, obviously the VP selection was one, Mitt said that John McCain will make a great pick for the party no matter who it turns out to be.
One thing that struck me was that Jamie slipped twice, almost saying that Mitt was the nominee. Something like, “Gov. Romney as the….whoever the VP pick turns out to be…”
So, I don’t know if that was significant or not, but one thing I can say for sure, Jamie Allman is a big Romney fan. Jamie told Mitt that he was very popular in Missouri and especially in the St. Louis suburbs. I can attest to that, having done neighborhood canvassing in my area. He told Gov. Romney that he was really looking forward to seeing him again in St. Louis on Sunday, Aug. 31.
Mitt said he was really looking forward to being in St. Louis with John McCain and Mike Huckabee. Jamie asked him about his relationship with MH and, as always, he was polite and said some good things about their making some campaign appearances for each other when they were both Governors, but you could tell they won’t ever be best buddies, which is fine with me.
Right after the segment was over, Jamie talked about the “tension” that was palpable in the air inside the DNC convention hall. He said that Hillary’s delegates were not pacified by her speech last night and that the Republicans “caught two huge breaks.” “One was when Obama got the nomination and the other when they passed Hillary over.” He said there is no way the Dems are coming out of this convention unified and that the McCain campaign has got a golden opportunity to capitalize on this display of weakness. Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to pour it on!!
~~John Cronin~~
August 27th, 2008 at 8:21 am
Great reed John Cronin. What do you think is going to happen??? I hope and pray the correct decision is made. Mitt is sure getting around alot isn’t he??? More than anyone else I would say. He is such an imposing (in a great way) figure. In the presser yesterday with Cantor and (??name eludes me) beside him, he had the most commanding presence. Amazing.
It is mean to ask what you think is going to happen, you have no better idea than anyone else. this is so nerve wracking!
Over at race42008, they are saying it has to be Cantor since he is the only one not on the speaking list! sigh
August 27th, 2008 at 8:27 am
Karen, race42008 is so in the tank for Cantor or Pawlenty, it’s ridiculous. They have some rabid anti-Romney people on that site.
I was banned for telling the story about my dad really not wanting to vote for president if Mitt wasn’t on the ticket. The moderator said I was trying to disunify the GOP and sell out this country to Obama.
Eric Cantor is a nice guy, and a solid conservative, but he’s not very forceful . . . at least that I have seen. We will need someone with the “gravitas” to stand up to Obama, Biden, and the media who have sold out their journalistic principles in the frenzy to get the Obamessiah elected.
My views on Pawlenty have been stated before.
Hopefully McCain will be smart and pick Mitt.
August 27th, 2008 at 8:32 am
Yes, you are absolutely correct Marybeth! They are rabid about Mitt over there. I feel so sorry for the people on there who ardently defend Mitt. They try really hard to talk sense into the nonsensible, but it is very hard from all I can see. I only check on there to see what is going on. The truth is, it is very agitating for me!
McCain’s only hope and true strength would be Mitt. I pray it goes like it should.
K
August 27th, 2008 at 8:34 am
Oh, and the speaker list for the Republican convention is nowhere near complete. They’ll be adding and moving people around up until the convention program is published.
I saw something yesterday about “sources close to” Mitt saying that they haven’t been asked for info on Mitt for VP for a long time.
At first I was sad to hear it, but then I thought, it might mean that McCain’s people had obtained all the vetting info they needed a long time ago, and that the pick was made a while ago. And that it was a clever way for Mitt’s “sources” to answer the press’ incessant questions.
What do you think?
August 27th, 2008 at 9:08 am
That could definitely be. I do NOT understand the vetting process though. I am, however picking it up. I didn’t know they had to submit health records, taxes etc. I think this is the most involved I have ever been. I certainly am gaining an understanding of the process.
If they are saying that, it sounds to me like they have been asked and given all that was necessary. And, what is “a long time”? It is an innocous term, inexact. It could be a month ago, or 2 weeks or 4 months ago. If I was looking, I would start looking pretty early. Let’s just pray he invites someone along for the ride that could energize the party. Biden honestly didn’t do much and probably won’t. If I was a dem, I would certainly be underwhelmed, wouldn’t you? We don’t need that kind of reception. Please Mr McCain, do the right thing for America!
I wonder if that is why Mitt was always so certain he wasn’t it? Because they took the info then didn’t say anything for a long period of time. We, the little people, will probably never know!
K
August 27th, 2008 at 9:08 am
Karen,
You are right when you say I don’t know whats going to happen anymore than anyone else.
But here’s my $0.02. You want to give your VP candidate the chance to prove he can dish it out and take it with the best of them, because, as you know, presidential campaigns are “down and dirty”. No place for the faint of heart. Romney’s one-liner to Chris Matthews the other day was priceless and he has been on a riff since then. I can’t imagine McCain giving Romney such a high profile role during the DNC and then pivoting to an unknown like Cantor.
Cantor is untried and untested. His “brand” is very weak. Mitt’s “brand” has now been “test marketed” for months and he has proven, beyond a doubt, that he is McCain’s most effective fund raiser and campaigner.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Yep, that has been kind of the way I am leaning as well. I just hate to get my hopes up though. I think it will be Romney, but is that because I think it should be Romney??? Romney is certainly prooving himself up to the fight isn’t he? At least he is intellectually stimulating! That is good. McCain can’t even hold a candle to him and not too many can as far as I have been able to see. It is all just so intriguing and so hard to watch!
Thanks for your response, K
August 27th, 2008 at 9:21 am
Glenn Beck just predicted Romney will be VP choice.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:26 am
I am feeling hopeful for Romney and I will fall hard if it is not. He is such a strong choice. McCain will really redeem himself with the conservatives if he picks Romney.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:30 am
I predict Romney will be VP choice, and then the actual VP on Jan 9.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Every time I hear Romney speak, I hear Reagans voice.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:36 am
John, your two cents jingle well in my pocket! I agree with your thoughts! Romney has consistently shown polish and PIZAZZ.
Along with Mitt’s keen intelligence, his capability to remain unflappable and clear-thinking when under attack is a characteristic most politicians lack. If he’s the V.P. nominee, it will serve him well when he climbs in the ring with Bombastic Biden.
The Veep countdown is excruciating…
August 27th, 2008 at 9:46 am
Did anyone see Mitt on Fox this morning? I missed it, but I read that he told Neil Cavuto,
“I have nothing for you on the V.P. front. … I’m not going to open the door on this big secret that you’re talking about.”
That definitely makes it sound like he knows something, doesn’t it?
August 27th, 2008 at 9:51 am
Yes, I heard that on Glenn Beck, too. He based his prediction on Intrade, where Mitt has been riding very high since Biden was picked. And Mitt hasn’t slid below $50 since then. Pawlenty is the closest at $20-$25
I think it was Glenn’s sidekick on his show - or maybe Glenn himself - who said that Intrade has only been wrong once. I don’t know what period of time “once” covers, though.
During the primaries, I would watch Mitt’s stock on Intrade in different races and it was always dead on, especially the afternoons of voting days.
I’ve also checked Rassmussen Markets: Mitt is at 60, Pawlenty is dropping like a rock. Wonder what’s going on?
August 27th, 2008 at 9:53 am
I also keep thinking, hope McCain isn’t going to hang Mitt out to dry after everything Mitt’s done for him.
August 27th, 2008 at 9:55 am
Here is the link with Mitt on Neil Cavuto’s show from yesterday.
http://www.foxnews.com/yourworld/
August 27th, 2008 at 11:44 am
For all we know, Mitt was already chosen to be VP after he dropped out of the race so soon. Maybe that was one of the incentives he was given to leave early. Remember when one of those Romney boys was going to run for office in Utah, and then he suddenly bowed out? I think that was when it came through that Mitt was going to be selected as VP.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Doug and Darlene, thanks for the link. Another great interview!
August 27th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
Sorry folks. Romney is not going to be the VP candidate. After McCain started using Biden & Clinton’s words againt Obama, it is clear he would not have done that if he was going to select another primary contender…. i.e. Romney said som things that the Dem’s could fire back at McCain.
The VP pick will be someone who has not said anything negative about McCain that can be used in an ad by the other side.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:16 pm
Sounds like this was a great radio interview. Thanks for the play-by-play John. I agree that Mitt has certainly proven that he can dish it out and he can take it. He’s perfect for this. What was the one-liner he said to Chris Matthews? I’d love to know.
Karen, I don’t understand the whole vetting process either but I’m sure learning. This is the most-involved I’ve ever been in politics as well and I’m having fun too… but it’s agonizing waiting for the VP pick. Could be tomorrow or Friday. One lady on FOX just a bit ago said it would be great to make the announcement tomorrow morning to steal all of Obama’s thunder. I have mixed feelings about that. I think it may steal some of his thunder but it would also give those speakers tomorrow night (Obama) a big chance to slam the VP choice. I think they should let the dems have their night and then announce first thing Friday morning.
I need to check out race42008 more often. I forget about it. It’s too bad that Mitt is being slammed so much over there
I check out Huck’s Army forum occasionally and some of their posts about Mitt make me downright laugh out loud. But some make me downright mad too.
I don’t know anything about Cantor but seeing him with Mitt Romney and those other two yesterday, my first impression of him was well, he seems nice but just doesn’t have that commanding force like Mitt Romney does. I keep hearing a lot about Pawlenty too *sigh*
Marybeth, I too am afraid after all Mitt has done for McCain these past few months, that McCain is going dump him by the wayside after using him. Sorry this ended up being so long folks.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Oh well, not much longer. Then we will know Mitt’s fate. He surely did the party complete justice,
August 27th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
Hucks army slam Mitt because they are BIGOTS. The other criticism comes from Dems who know Mitt could hand McCain the White House on a silver platter. Especially, after Obama picked Biden. The dems are scared of Romney.
August 27th, 2008 at 1:56 pm
Kris, what choice quote are they going to use from Mitt about McCain? That he’s wrong on immigration? Does open-borders Obama really want to go there? Maybe that he was wrong on the Bush tax cuts? Same deal. Mitt spoke out against McCain for being on the Dem side on some issues. That won’t help Obama. Mitt never said McCain wasn’t ready to be president like Biden and Hillary said of Obama. He also never said he would be proud to campaign with Obama, like Biden said of McCain. Aside from that, if there is any footage of Mitt they want to use to bash McCain, they can do it with or without Mitt as VP. McCain used footage of Hillary, and she’s not the vp. If anything, it will show that McCain is a bigger man than Obama, because he can take criticism and still choose the most qualified person to run with him, a nice contrast for the Hillary fans.
August 27th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
A new phrase has justed passed into the American lexicon;
“AN IMPENETRABLE THICKET OF WORDS”
I heard someone say this about Biden’s propensity to talk and talk. “WHY USE 9 WORDS WHEN 30,000 WILL DO?”
August 27th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Tami,
Chris Matthews thought he had Gov. Romney in one of those “gotcha” moments. He said: “Gov. Romney, how many homes do you own?” Romney replied INSTANTLY, “One less than John Kerry. That would be four.”
I can’t guarantee much of anything in this life, but I feel fairly safe in guaranteeing you that Matthews won’t be asking Mitt any more questions about home ownership going forward.