Romney Leads Denver Counteroffensive
Great article from the WASHINGTON POST as Gov. Romney slices and dices the Dems in Denver. This is Romney at his best as he takes off the velvet gloves and puts the brass knuckles on.
If Romney is the VP pick, we win this election. McCain & Co. have been much, much better counter punchers than I would have given them credit for even a couple of months ago. Add Mitt to the ticket and he brings that extra energy that Obama/Biden will not be able to overcome.
~~John Cronin~~
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/08/26/AR2008082603046.html
By Shailagh Murray
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, August 27, 2008; Page A23
DENVER, Aug. 26 – Blocks away from the Democratic convention site Tuesday, Republicans waged an aggressive “Not Ready ‘08″ counteroffensive led by Mitt Romney, a potential running mate for Sen. John McCain who was trying out the attack-dog role.
Romney held back-to-back events that drew overflow crowds of reporters, and he unleashed a stream of sharp critiques about the Democratic team. Gone were all signs of his strained relationship with McCain during their GOP primary battle. “Every effort to try and portray John McCain as someone that doesn’t connect with the American people will fall extraordinarily short — just as short as the effort to say he’s the continuation of George W. Bush,” Romney said. “The American people recognize that’s total baloney.”
He issued a challenge on national security, saying that Obama has ignored “what Republicans consider to be the greatest threat of the civilized world,” which he described as “radical, violent, Islamic jihadism.”
August 27th, 2008 at 10:25 am
Is there a video of yesterdays press conference somewhere?
August 27th, 2008 at 10:59 am
Denver Press Conference Its the video entitled “Words.”
August 27th, 2008 at 11:20 am
OMG, is anyone listening to Huck on Rush? He still can’t let go of of his Romney obsession.
Rush called him on his ganging up with McCain on Mitt in West Va - Good!!!!
August 27th, 2008 at 11:34 am
I listened to Huckabee. I think he is pandering. Rush was great. I am not going to say Huckabee did a terrible job but please get some class. Yeah I thought that was funny. I actually think even though Rush was being genuinely nice to Huckabee he didn’t believe some of his answers.
August 27th, 2008 at 12:50 pm
Florida Poll: Mitt Romney, Not Crist, Helps McCain
http://www.miamiherald.com/news/breaking-news/story/660701.html
August 27th, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Marybeth, what did Rush and Huckabee say. I missed that and would’ve loved to hear it. I just watched Tom Ridge on Fox news and he and many other politicians are trying hard to let us know that no matter who McCain chooses, it will be a GOOD choice… Huckabee is the only one that I’m aware of, who takes every opportunity to slap Mitt Romney in the face. What a low-life Huck is. I have no respect for him anymore.
Everything I watched yesterday with Mitt Romney, I was sooo impressed. I know I’m a bit bias cuz he’s my guy.. but no one can deny how comfortable he is at all this. He does a great job and I can’t imagine McCain not choosing him!
August 27th, 2008 at 1:13 pm
This is great news, although I’m not surprised. Mitt did very well in Florida.
Interesting points from the article:
1. About 32 percent of respondents said they’d favor McCain if he picked Romney. That’s double the number of those who said they’d be less inclined to back the ticket. Only 17 percent said they wanted Crist on the ticket.
”People like Charlie Crist where he is, in the governor’s mansion. They know Romney, who campaigned hard in this state,” said Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker. “Romney looks like he gives McCain more of an edge than Biden gives Obama.”
2. But Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman looks toxic to the ticket. Nearly twice as many people said they’d be less likely to vote for McCain if the former Democrat were on the ticket. Many Democrats see the former vice presidential candidate of 2000 as a turncoat. Conservative Republicans can’t stand his abortion-rights record.
”Lieberman’s luster has faded,” Coker said.
3. Tim Pawlenty and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin barely registered responses in the poll, which didn’t include the name of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
Mitt has widespread appeal in all areas of the country.
We have so much diversity here in Florida - lefties on the southeast coast and big cities (except Jacksonville), fiscal & social conservatives & retired military on the west coast, active military in the northeast and panhandle, hugely social conservatives & farmers in the center and panhandle. It’s really a microcosm of the rest of the country. And Mitt did very well here in the primaries.
August 27th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
John, We need to spread the word of this poll to all conservative media outlets ASAP and get Mitt on the ticket. What do you think?
Florida poll: Mitt Romney, not Crist, helps McCain
Posted on Wed, Aug. 27, 2008reprint print email
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BY MARC CAPUTO
mcaputo@MiamiHerald.com
AP FILE PHOTO
About 32 percent of respondents said they’d favor John McCain if he picked Mitt Romney as his running mate.
TALLAHASSEE — Joe Biden’s barely a blip. Mitt Romney’s more of a hit. Gov. Charlie Crist should stay where he is. And Joe Lieberman should go away.
That’s all according to Mason-Dixon Polling & Research’s latest Florida voter survey gauging the vice presidential picks and possibilities in the presidential race.
The poll shows the race is almost dead-even: 45 percent favor Barack Obama and 44 percent favor Republican John McCain.
Obama’s decision to pick Delaware Sen. Biden on Saturday as a running mate doesn’t seem to have done much for the ticket. The poll shows that those who said Biden would make them either more or less inclined to vote Democrat almost canceled each other out, while 64 percent of likely voters said the pick made no difference.
Not so for Romney.
About 32 percent of respondents said they’d favor McCain if he picked Romney. That’s double the number of those who said they’d be less inclined to back the ticket. Only 17 percent said they wanted Crist on the ticket.
”People like Charlie Crist where he is, in the governor’s mansion. They know Romney, who campaigned hard in this state,” said Mason-Dixon pollster Brad Coker. “Romney looks like he gives McCain more of an edge than Biden gives Obama.”
But Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman looks toxic to the ticket. Nearly twice as many people said they’d be less likely to vote for McCain if the former Democrat were on the ticket. Many Democrats see the former vice presidential candidate of 2000 as a turncoat. Conservative Republicans can’t stand his abortion-rights record.
”Lieberman’s luster has faded,” Coker said.
McCain will probably make his pick Friday. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin barely registered responses in the poll, which didn’t include the name of former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge.
The poll shows that South Florida favors Obama the most, where he leads 53-37 — almost the reverse of the numbers favoring McCain in North Florida. McCain also has a slight lead in the crucial Central Florida I-4 corridor, which is often the decider of the statewide elections.
The virtual tie in the race, though, is doubly good news for Obama. It should make McCain nervous because he needs to win Florida more than the Democrat due to the vagaries of the election map. And recent polls have shown Obama was slipping after making up major ground in Florida by blitzing the state with more than $7 million in ads over two months.
Also in Obama’s favor: New voters, who have flocked to the party in eye-popping numbers. Most of them aren’t showing up in the polls because they’re so new to the rolls. Obama leads among independents, who favor him 48-42, according to the poll of 625 voters, which has an error-margin of four percentage points.
The poll shows McCain has strong Republican support, at 78 percent, but that’s not strong enough when compared to Jeb and George Bush, who consistently polled in the high 80s in Florida.
In the Jan. 29 primary he barely lost to McCain, Romney won more conservative parts of the state. But McCain prevailed largely due to the last-minute endorsement of Crist and Hispanic support in Miami-Dade swung by Sen. Mel Martinez, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and the Diaz-Balart brothers, Lincoln and Mario.
Romney’s baggage: Some Christian conservatives are nervous about his Mormonreligion. He also switched his position on abortion to ”pro-life” before he ran for governor.
Romney frequently blasted McCain for knowing little about economics and acknowledging as much during the primary. Romney tried to dismiss his own attacks as election ”hyperbole” when he appeared Wednesday on MSNBC’s Morning Joe political forum. McCain’s campaign this week released a Web advertisement recycling Hillary Clinton’s primary attacks on Obama, whose campaign is ready to respond in turn with a Romney pick. Romney’s big-business record was also the subject of scorn from fellow GOP candidate Mike Huckabee, who suggested blue-collar workers wouldn’t want to vote for “the guy who laid you off.”
Many Republicans, though, say a Romney pick is worth that risk.
”Romney should bring McCain some of those conservatives. And he could help with the economy,” said Republican state Rep. Julio Robaina of Miami. “But this is a close race.”
August 27th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
John,
Although I have no way of knowing, it seems to make common sense that, at this late date, McCain has already made his pick. He will announce sometime within the next 48 hours or less. As you know, his birthday is the 29th and announcing on Friday morning would allow him to dominate the news cycle through the entire weekend and then starting the 3 or 4 state campaign swing would be ideal. He will then get to introduce his VP pick to a partisan crowd of Republicans at a minor league ball park and what a photo-op that will be.
That’s why I feel so fortunate to have both power players coming to my backyard. The M&M ticket will be here in the St. Louis suburb of O’Fallon, Mo. the 31st. After owning the headlines for 3 days, then he gets to start the cycle all over again with the RNC in Minneapolis. Whew!!
Barack who?
August 27th, 2008 at 4:51 pm
So, let me get this straight John Cronin, both you and Ann Marie are going to the Fallon event???? I am most certainly writhing in envy and agony! No fair! Do you think they will ever come to Utah and do something fun??? Doubtful since Utah is so considered in the bag all the time… dang it!
August 27th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Karen,
The Curling Division and the Cronin Division of Mitt’s Militia will be forming a “pincers movement”, with the Curling Division coming from the southeast and the Cronin Division converging from the east. Since O’Fallon, Mo. is familiar territory to the Cronin Division, we will be leading the column into the battle area.
Because all of our readers are also members of Mitt’s Militia, you will, of course, be fully debriefed as soon as the mission is accomplished.
You know, in all seriousness, it is one of the downsides of being such stalwart Republicans in Utah. In Missouri, we like to keep the Pubbies guessing which way the state will swing until election day, that way we get the fun campaign events. But I have to say, we really admire your loyalty to the party. It’s a big status symbol to be known as one of the reddest states in the country!
August 27th, 2008 at 6:20 pm
John, I’m almost envious enough of you two to go on every cable and radio station I can, denouncing you as VP choices. Ha.
August 27th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
Bigmo,
So, you’re going to do your Huckabee impression?
August 27th, 2008 at 11:07 pm
Glad you picked up on it John. Ha.
August 27th, 2008 at 11:47 pm
Good one, John and bigmo!