Newest McCain VideoJuly 30th, 2008 | 9 Comments | Posted in Barack Obama, Campaign Ad, Campaign Ads, Campaign Commercials, John McCain, Video
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Figured you might want to see it…
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Spanish Language Romney TV Ad Going Up in FloridaJanuary 21st, 2008 | 4 Comments | Posted in 5 Brothers, Campaign Ads, Craig Romney, Family, Mitt Romney, Spanish
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Craig Romney narrates this ad that shows Romney as a proven leader, and family man. When Romney says he approves this message he says it in Spanish. How cool is that? You must check this out!
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Insert - rough translation by Nate Gunderson:
Craig: The record of Mitt Romney speaks for itself: He was successful as a business man, he saved the Olympics, and as Governor of Massachusetts he lowered taxes and stimulated the economy.
But overall Mitt Romney is a family man - a great father, husband and grandfather. I know because Mitt Romney is my dad. I’m Craig Romney and I invite you to come to know my father better.
Mitt Romney - a leader who loves our nation, he understands our challenges and has the solutions to confront them.
Mitt: I’m Mitt Romney and I approve this message.
How to Positively go NegativeJanuary 9th, 2008 | 53 Comments | Posted in 2008, Analysis, Commentary, and Editorials, Attack Ads, Bigotry, Campaign Ads, Debate, Debates, Media, Mitt Romney
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Many of us here would argue that Romney’s ads have been comparison advertisements and not negative, but the media and many voters have felt otherwise. Calling what has been done negative was often brought up at the last debate. Romney needs to contrast his skills and policy positions without the appearance of “going negative”.
A former Brownback supporter, now a Romney supporter holds this view:
But the Romney campaign has made some critical mistakes and absolutely has to turn some things around. It is critical that Romney’s people realize that Iowa was not about Evangelicals, it was about the kind of campaign that they have run. Please hear this, someone in the Romney campaign: people start from a position of being skeptical of position changes. It makes them really angry when they perceive that someone who has changed positions recently is attacking someone else for the position that they used to hold. In other words… your man has a resume on which to run, please stop unloading on every other candidate for every deviation from doctrinaire conservatism, when you yourself previously suffered from the same flaws. This is just a harsh fact of life: Huckabee is in a position to throw stones on life issues, you aren’t. Tom Tancredo was in a position to throw stones on immigration, you aren’t. People feel like you’re insulting their intelligence when you do this sort of stuff, and in so doing, you’ve made so many Republicans angry with you that I take constant crap from various quarters just for supporting you. Stop in the hopes that it’s not too late.
You may agree with this or not, but there are many conservatives that could go Romney’s way that have expressed similar views on other sites. Here are my two cents on “How To” do contrast advertising without appearing to be negative, or falling into other conservatives’ mental trap of hypocritical criticisms. It is important to point out differences between candidates without turning off people that hate “negative campaigning”. In my opinion, Huckabee is already verse with this technique. In regards to debates, Romney just needs to keep showing his relaxed and “unplugged” side while under fire and he’ll continue to win them. In regards to advertisements, I recommend the following:
- Say what’s wrong with a policy without naming names. Smart voters can draw the line to who holds the wrong policy, especially when candidates espouse the policy you show to be wrong
- An example of this is the following: “Some folks still want to give illegals the benefit of staying in the U.S. indefinitely. This is a bad policy. We need to take away the magnet that is drawing them here in the first place.”
- After you show why a policy is bad, then highlight your good policy
- “I will remove the factors that bring illegals here. I will build the fence and create an ID system which helps businesses only hire legal immigrants, etc.”
- After highlighting your good policy, seal the deal with driving your vision home
- “Washington is broken and has not fixed this problem. I can fix this problem. That’s what I do. I will fix the illegal immigration problem and will secure America and restore fairness to the many immigrants legally waiting in line to come here.”
I would humbly advise not naming names in ads and sticking only to policies while explaining why a policy is bad, then why your policy is good and follow through with your vision for the future. This lays the foundation for the debates where you can reiterate why a policy is bad without attacking specific candidates. Most voters are smart enough to draw in between the lines.
Once you are attacked in a debate, then you are free to tie bad policies to their supporters and drive the message home.
Nathan W.
Taking the Silver in Iowa.
Like Mitt said, it’s not what we’d hoped but it’s still a great finish, and preparation for the ultimate gold. We need to keep things humming along. What can you do? Make sure you make your phone calls for Mitt (if you’re not already a volunteer, contact the campaign to find out how to become one). As I said yesterday, considering where the campaign’s been and where it’s going it’s no time to get concerned about one bump in the road. Here are some facts to keep in perspective:
Wyoming’s caucuses are tomorrow, and both Mitt and McCain have big appearances on the Sunday shows. As “Richard” posted on Politico, Mitt can actually move into first place in the delegate count depending on the showing in Wyoming, and could even retain that lead with as much as a solid 2d place showing in NH.
“Isn’t it interesting people are making fun of Wyoming. That’s like football fans saying they don’t care about field goals. They would just as soon pass them up. Well, Mitt isn’t going to pass anything up. Since not very many people are aware, it takes 1191 Delegates to WIN the republican nomination. So far Huck has 20, Romney 18, McCain and Thompson 3, Paul 2 and Giuliani 1. Wyoming has 14 delegates up for grabs, New Hampshire 14 and Michigan 30. So, because the media looks to promote certain states, it truly is the number of delegates available. By the way, Romney, Thompson and Paul are the only ones that have been to Wyoming so watch them snatch up the delegates….”
I’m not sure these numbers are right but they’re roughly consistent with what I’ve read elsewhere. Mitt being in first place for delegates after NH is more than we could have hoped for a few months ago, and that’s a very achievable goal. We all knew it would be a close race; now we need to pitch in to make it happen! A quick stat: 2 of the 5 brothers were at the Des Moines airport early this morning, and at least one was headed to Wyoming, so Wyoming is clearly going to be feeling the love.
Mitt’s Game of 3D Chess
I happened to find my way into a Q&A Kevin Madden was giving to reporters before Mitt’s appearance at the Sheraton last night. Here are a few shots:
Kevin may have the best tie I’ve seen so far in the campaign, even including Mitt. Try to get a good look.
Kevin told them that Mitt’s playing 3D chess versus his opponents’ checkers, pursuing a multi-front war while his opponents have largely focused on one state. And (using my words) this race is like the Tour de France: winning a particular stage isn’t the important thing, it’s standings at the end. In Lance’s seven tour wins, he won on average fewer than 3 stages per year (20 total stages in 7 wins).
Bring on NH!
McCain is Mitt’s main competition in NH as we all know. Mitt has a new ad, as does McCain. In his, McCain blatantly spins a couple half-quotes from Mitt to make false claims. In one of Mitt’s statements Mitt said foreign policy expertise is easy to find; you can go to the State Department to find someone versed in knowledge, but that expertise (like McCain’s) alone isn’t enough. But the ad twists the statement to say Mitt would rely on the State Department for leadership, which was the exact opposite of what was intended. We need to make sure we call him on this sort of false claim and twisted quotes. So much for John remaining above negative campaiging (as if he’d ever tried).
As a result, now would be a good time to reinforce Mitt’s leadership experience and executive successes (contrasted to McCain’s 20+ years leisurely creating laws after dispatching lackeys to do the research for him). We need to remind people of Mitt’s strengths and that he’s succeeded at nearly everything he’s touched. A few talking points:
1. He had the leadership to turn around the Olympics.
2. He had the leadership to turn around a collection of companies while at Bain, solving problems people before him couldn’t. Sound like a skill we could use in our President today?
3. He had the leadership and determination to keep all the campaign promises he made in Massachusetts, while working with a democratic legislature. By contrast a “maverick” has a hard time getting things done because they don’t tend to play well with others.
4. He had the leadership to organize and motivate volunteers to turn out more voters than expected in Iowa.
5. He showed grace and leadership last night in acknowledging Mike Huckabee’s success, but motivating and convincing the troops we’ll do better in New Hampshire.
6. He has shown the strength of character to think about solutions to problems before he implements them, but then to decisively execute on his plan.
7. He’s the only one that can represent the entire republican party, as the National Review pointed out in their endorsement. In looking at all the candidates, he has the best chance of winning it all, and if you listen carefully he is still the defacto front runner. All guns seem to be pointed at Mitt.
You heard it here first: if we can remind the people of NH what Mitt has accomplished, we will win in NH. People in NH know we need real leadership in Washington. A repackaging of the same old ideas and people just won’t cut it anymore. If there was anything clear in Iowa last night, change and effective leadership are what people are looking for. John McCain is a member of a Congress whose approval rating is abysmal. He has had his chance to be an agent of change as a Washington insider for the last 20+ years. If he hasn’t had shown the leadership yet to solve the problems we have in our society, how will he suddenly start showing leadership now as President? He’s had his chance. We need to tell Washington and Johnny Mac to lead, follow or get out of the way.
Last Thoughts About the Iowa Caucuses
My wife and I drove to a northern suburb of Des Moines last night and attended a caucus of about 130 people. The process, though less complicated than for the dems, was still fascinating. The republican leader (clearly an untrained volunteer from the local community) had an envelope of instructions on how to run the show, and was learning along with everyone else. I felt like I was watching pure democracy, with all its wrinkles. After getting organized, representatives of each campaign were given a chance to speak. When Rudy’s name came up someone shouted “Rudy who?,” generating guffaws. Statements were made on behalf of Huckabee, Fred and Mitt (this last made by yours truly). Votes were cast on yellow ballots made from quartered sheets of 8.5×11″ paper. Ballots were hand-collected and sorted into stacks for each candidate. Votes were then counted and re-counted, then telephoned into GOP headquarters. My wife noted a number of people changing their party affiliations at the door, confirming anecdotally what the national press has observed, that someone out there was driving new voters to turn out, we believe evangelicals.
The Post-Game Party
At the final party Doug Gross, Mitt and Ann re-enthused the crowd.
Here are some pictures:
Now off to bed so I can come back again tomorrow. It’s now after 3 a.m. central time, so I’ve been up about 23 hours straight. Keep it up everybody out there, we all know how much this country needs a man like Mitt Romney (for a reminder see Thomas Alan’s blog on this very site). One last bit of encouragement. Close your eyes and imagine Mitt raising his hand and taking the oath of office in January 2009. Now open those eyes and let’s get it done!
“Mike Huckabee is the candidate that just keeps on giving!” [quote from Jeff Fuller just now after speaking with him]
Does Mr. Huckabee think we are all complete, utter idiots?
[Please forgive me for using the nickname "Duckabee" --- I depart from the normal decorum in this one instance as I believe the label best suits Huckabee as he continues to dodge truth --- I simply could not resist.]
KUDOS to Rusty, Ann Marie, and Mike for getting the Huckabee low-road story up so fast. Is this amazing, or what? Seriously, I think Huckabee woke up this morning and said to his wife,
“I think I want to become the first presidential candidate in the history of the Iowa caucuses to become a certifiable laughing stock of the media and the good folks of Iowa. What do you think darling? What is the best way for me to do that today?”
There are so many words that came to my mind after seeing all the reports today on this. I chose the title of this post from a line in Rusty’s post. Here are the words that came to my mind after watching all of these reports on Duckabee:
— CUNNING — INDECISIVE — MANIPULATIVE — CRAFTY — DISENGENUOUS — UNSOPHISTICATED — BACK-WATER — DISHONEST — CORRUPT — DECEITFUL — FRAUDULENT — DOUBLE-DEALING — UNPRINCIPLED — UNSCRUPULOUS — GUILE — TWO-FACED — DESPERATE (I could list the other 25 but want to keep this short)
Why the word “dishonest”? Simply because Duckabee absolutely knew that the State of Massachusetts, by law, does not allow capital punishment. Even if the guy feigns ignorance on this, he is inept at the very least. Governor Romney campaigned to add the death penalty in Mass.
The best moment of this day with Duck? When he said he made the (”high road”) decision to not run the ad but that he wanted to show it to the reporters so they supposedly would know he made the ad. He made that statement with a complete straight face as if he were serious. Then the entire audience burst out in complete spontaneous laughter and Duckabee stood there with a complete serious face. I totally expected him to burst into laughter himself. That was hilarious!
Carl Cameron, in one clip I saw, said this could end up as a genius move by Duck. If the people of Iowa don’t mind being played the fools by his camp, then maybe. There is a chance that Huckabee has attained “martyr” status in the minds of some in Iowa. If so, then there will be a sympathy following, but still I cannot imagine thinking people backing a person who touts his “Christian values” while his behavior is completely dishonest at best.
No, I think this will sink Huck’s life-raft. Iowans are not fools. Reporters of the MSM are not fools and I think they will turn on Huck. Until about two weeks ago, Huck has gotten a pass from the MSM. His presumptuous, manipulative, and cunning behavior to play all the reporters for fools will backfire. They will shred him in the next few days. Mark my words. It is over for Huckabee. He will get the martyr-sympathy vote, but that is it (credit to Jeff Fuller for this insight). Iowans are too smart to vote for this guy. I think we will see the media eat Huckabee alive over the next three plus days.
I wish I could be a fly on the wall in one of the Republican caucus meeting halls to hear the discussions among voters. Oh, how sweet it would be.
Here is how I would like the results to show three nights from now, in Iowa, on Thursday night:
— Romney: 44%
— Hunter: 18%
— Thompson: 9%
— Keyes: 8%
— Giuliani: 5%
— Paul: 5%
— McCain: 5%
— Tancredo: 4% (yes, he will still get votes)
— Duckabee: 2%
I gave Duckabee 4%, not because I think there are really dumb Iowans, but because I think 4% of the Republican voters of Iowa who liked Duckabee a month ago, will not have gotten the news from today.
IOWANS: Please remember that both Giuliani and McCain abandoned the Ames Straw Poll in August effectively telling you a) your straw poll does not matter, and b) we [McCain/Giuliani] don’t want you to have any of our campaign money for your economy.
~ Vic
This recommendation to the Romney for President, Inc. campaign team is not mine. It was mentioned to me by Brent Koch, a friend, and one of our newest writers at this blog.
Brent just called and is mad about the cheap shots McCain is taking at Governor Romney: 1) McCain’s whining about the factual, truthful, and contrasting ads, 2) McCain’s irrelevant personal attack ads, and 3) McCain’s refusal to refute the facts presented to the people of NH by Governor Romney.
Brent’s recommendation?
That Governor Romney create a 30-second TV ad exclusively for New Hampshire that runs often, every day until January 8th. I TOTALLY love this idea of Brent’s. Seriously. If Governor Romney were to play this ad endlessly, it would cause John McCain to start dancing as if he were on hot coals. This clip is too long to play in its entirety, but you could make the most awesome 30-second spot that matches McCain at his level. What do you think?
Count how many times McCain mentions “honesty” and “integrity” in direct reference to Governor Romney.
Why is this brilliant? McCain’s ads are pulling video clips from old archives; this one above matches him on that front. This proposed 30-second ad would be completely positive; it does not bashe McCain in any way and it is all in McCain’s own words and passionate words at that! If played often in NH, it would create media buzz forcing McCain to answer it; it is the best way to put McCain on the defensive.
Think about it. McCain would be smoked out of his smug fox hole to refute his own words and angle to and fro to explain why he was wrong at the time.
~ Vic
Help Governor Romney get his message out — PLEASE CONTRIBUTE NOW, HERE
McCain Has a History of Using Scare TacticsDecember 29th, 2007 | 4 Comments | Posted in Campaign Ads, George W. Bush, John McCain, Mitt Romney, National Review Online, Powerline Blog, The Caucus - New York Times, The Union Leader, The Washington Post
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THE MCCAIN WAY
“Senator McCain has a troubling history of neglecting substantive issues and getting personal in his attacks against those who happen to disagree with him. It’s the McCain way.” – Romney Spokesman Kevin Madden
McCain and Hillary share a “love-in” moment.
Sen. McCain Cannot Explain His Positions, And So He Launches Negative Personal Attacks:
- Sen. McCain Can’t Address Criticism Of His Tax And Immigration Policies Because He “Has No Good Response.” “Both responses by McCain have this in common — they fail entirely to address the substance of Romney’s criticism. The reason, of course, is that McCain has no good response. He did oppose tax cuts, support for which does lie at the essence of Reagan conservatism. Similarly, he did support comprehensive immigration reform and his line on that support now is a grudging acknowledgement that the American people (though not necessarily McCain) want border security first.” (Paul Mirengoff, “Romney’s Point,” Power Line Blog, Posted 12/27/07)
- Sen. McCain Complains That Discussing Policy Positions Is “Attacking.” SEN. JOHN MCCAIN: “If there’s any doubt that we’re doing well, it’s when Mitt Romney starts attacking.” (National Review Online, Posted 12/28/07)
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And Now, Sen. McCain Has Launched A Negative Personal Attack On Gov. Romney. “‘I begin the ad by indicating he’s an honorable man,’ Mr. Romney said. ‘I believe he is a good person. I make no attacks on his character, no attacks of a personal nature whatsoever. I’ve just seen the text of his ad. It’s obviously of a very different nature. It’s an attack ad. It attacks me personally. It’s nasty. It’s mean-spirited. Frankly, it tells you more about Senator McCain than it does about me that he’d run an ad like that.’” (Marc Santora, “McCain Ad: Right Back At Ya, Mitt,” The New York Times’ Caucus Blog, Posted 12/28/07)
Launching Negative Personal Attacks Is The McCain Way – As Seen In The 2000 Campaign:
- In 2000, Sen. McCain Ran An Attack Ad Comparing Then-Gov. Bush To Bill Clinton. SEN. MCCAIN: “I guess it was bound to happen. Governor Bush’s campaign is getting desperate, with a negative ad about me. The fact is, I’ll use the surplus money to fix Social Security, cut your taxes and pay down the debt. Governor Bush uses all of the surplus for tax cuts, with not one new penny for Social Security or the debt. His ad twists the truth like Clinton. We’re all pretty tired of that. As president, I’ll be conservative and always tell you the truth. No matter what.” (McCain 2000, Campaign Ad, 2/9/00)
To watch the 2000 campaign ad, click here:
- Gov. Romney: McCain’s Latest Attack Is Reminiscent Of The 2000 Campaign. “‘It’s reminiscent of what he did against George W. Bush in 2000, which as you recall, he accused President Bush of twisting the truth like Bill Clinton,’ he said. ‘Again, this is the kind of nasty, personal attack, which really doesn’t have a place in this process.’” (Marc Santora, “McCain Ad: Right Back At Ya, Mitt,” The New York Times’ Caucus Blog, Posted 12/28/07)
These, On The Other Hand, Are Substantive Facts – Not Negative Personal Attacks:
- FACT: In 2001, McCain Was One Of Only Two Republicans To Vote Against The $1.35 Trillion Bush Tax Cut. The bill lowered marginal rates, eliminated the marriage penalty, and doubled the child tax credit. (H.R. 1836, CQ Vote #170: Adopted 58-33: R 46-2; D 12-31; I 0-0, 5/26/01, McCain Voted Nay)
- FACT: In 2003, McCain Was One Of Only Three Republicans To Twice Vote Against The $350 Billion Bush Tax Cut. The comprehensive bill lowered taxes by $350 billion over 11 years – including increasing the child tax credit and eliminated the marriage penalty. (H.R. 2, CQ Vote #179: Passed 51-49: R 48-3; D 3-45; I 0-1, 5/15/03, McCain Voted Nay; H.R. 2, CQ Vote #196: Adopted 50-50: R 48-3; D 2-46; I 0-1, 5/23/03, McCain Voted Nay)
- FACT: In 2002, McCain Was One Of Only Two Republicans To Twice Vote Against Permanent Repeal Of The Death Tax. (S. 1731, CQ Vote #28: Adopted 56-42: R 45-2; D 11-39; I 0-1, 2/13/02, McCain Voted Nay, H.R. 8, CQ Vote #151: Motion Rejected 54-44: R 45-2; D 9-41; I 0-1, 6/12/02, McCain Voted Nay)
- FACT: McCain Sponsored An Immigration Plan To Allow 11 Million Illegals To Remain In The U.S. “The McCain plan — which is being put forward in the U.S. House by Arizona GOP Congressmen Jeff Flake and Jim Kolbe — allows the 11 million illegal immigrants already in the U.S. to stay in the country if they apply for legal status and pay a $2,000 fine.” (Mike Sunnucks, “Napolitano, Hayworth Criticize Bush On Illegal Immigration,”The Phoenix Business Journal, 2/1/06)
- Rep. Steve King (R-IA) Called The McCain-Kennedy Immigration Bill “Amnesty.” “[McCain] has also teamed up with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.), a liberal Democrat, on an immigration bill that many conservatives despise. ‘It would have legalized and provided a path for citizenship, which is amnesty, for 66.1 million people,’ said Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), who has called Kennedy and McCain ‘amnesty mercenaries.’” (Michael D. Shear, “McCain Fighting To Recapture Maverick Spirit Of 2000 Bid,” The Washington Post, 3/15/07)
- Manchester Union Leader Editorial: McCain-Kennedy Proposal “Would Encourage Border Jumping.” “Sens. John McCain and Ted Kennedy have a bill that, surprise, includes a generous guest worker program that would encourage border jumping. Illegals who register would have to pay a fine and taxes, but they would get to stay here and apply for permanent residency. That sure beats waiting at the border and hoping to be let in.” (Editorial, “Turnstile Security,” The [Manchester, NH] Union Leader, 3/27/06)
McCain Knows The Attack Ad Personally |
McCain complains that Romney’s using attack ads against him, which is absolutely untrue. But, Mr. McCain has an intimate knowledge of how to do an attack ad…
See the following:
Can you really trust John McCain?
As we approach the primary voting season, there are more and more new folks finding their way to our humble blog. The information I found on this blog was extremely helpful to me as I assessed the various candidates in search of “the One.” As such, I thought it would be fitting for me to share why I am a staunch supporter of Governor Mitt Romney in his run for the White House.
In a nutshell, Mitt Romney is the only “full-spectrum” Conservative who can rally the support of all three wings of the Reagan coalition, namely, Social, Economic, and Foreign Policy Conservatives.
For a full treatment of Mitt Romney’s positions, I would refer you to his comprehensive policy book “Vision for a Strong America.” Let me summarize here, however, the highlights across the major issues:
• Foreign Policy
o War against Islamic Fascism: We are engaged in a multi-front war which will require using all of our military, economic, and diplomatic might to win; we must defeat the terrorists and those who aid and abet them as well as help the Muslim people enter the 21st century (click here and here)
o Iraq and Afghanistan: The surge is working and we must do what it takes to help Iraq and Afghanistan become stable democratic allies in the war on Islamic Fascism and support our troops (click here and here)
o Iran: Iran must not be allowed to become a nuclear state; diplomacy and economic sanctions are critical, but may not be enough; the military option must remain on the table (click here)
o Military: Need to increase defense spending to a minimum of 4% of GDP to make sure our armed forces have the equipment they need in the field and the support the need back home; the best ally of peace is a strong America (click here and here)
• Economic Policy
o Taxes: We need to keep the Bush tax cuts permanent, eliminate the Death Tax, and cut taxes on capital gains, dividends, and interest to zero for the Middle Class (click here, and here)
o Spending: We need to restrain Federal spending and close the deficit; will veto any budget where non-defense discretionary spending growth exceeds inflation minus 1%; Need to give the President a line-item veto; Strong track record of financial management from Massachusetts where he closed a $3B deficit and turned it into a $1B surplus without raising taxes; carry out a comprehensive review of government spending to increase efficiency and effectiveness (click here and here)
o Entitlements reform: Maintain benefits for current Seniors, but institute fundamental reforms combining slowing the rate of increase for benefits based on income, extending the retirement age, individual retirement accounts, and no tax increases (click here)
o Healthcare: Mitt Romney is the only candidate on either side of the aisle who implemented a universal health care plan; He covered all of the citizens of Massachusetts using market-based insurance without raising taxes; Governor Romney advocates a Federalist state-by-state approach to make health insurance more affordable for everyone (click here)
o Globalization: Continue to trade around the world but make sure we negotiate level playing fields in foreign markets and upgrade American competitiveness through investments in education and innovation (click here and here)
• Culture and Values
o Illegal immigration: Control the border first and turn of the “magnets” that attract illegal immigrants by implementing an employment verification system, no special path for illegal immigrants to become citizens (i.e. no amnesty), no sanctuary cities, increased enforcement by local police agencies (click here, here, and here)
o Traditional marriage: In favor of amending the constitution to keep marriage defined as between a man and a woman; fought the Massachusetts Supreme Court to prevent the state from becoming a destination for same-sex couples looking for marriage licenses (click here and here and here)
o Life: Much has been made of Governor Romney’s switch from being Pro-Abortion to Pro-Life; This is a critical issue for me; I have heard many times why he made this change, and I believe him; I believe that Mitt Romney will fight for the rights of the unborn and be a great leader in supporting Life (click here, here, and here)
The choice of a nominee and President, however, is not strictly a “right-brained” decision based on policy statements and positions. There needs to be something inspirational about a candidate whether it’s the way that they speak to a crowd, interact one on one, or something about their personal story that sets them apart.
Experiencing Mitt through articles and videos really helped seal the deal for me. Below, I have listed some of what I would consider the best of the best articles and videos that helped me come to the decision to support Mitt actively. I’m sure I’m missing some great material, but there is a lot down below. I would encourage you to click through as much of this as you can, and if you have a favorite that wasn’t listed, please leave a link in the comments!
Key videos, speeches, appearances, and articles:
• Articles
o Romney to the Rescue (Newsmax) – Great overview of Mitt Romney
o National Review’s endorsement of Mitt Romney
o The House that Mitt Built (Private Equity International) – Behind the scenes view of how Mitt ran Bain Capital and his leadership style
o The Making of Mitt Romney (Boston Globe) – Reasonably balanced biography of each of the major phases of Mitt’s life starting from his youth through today
o Consultant in Chief (Wall Street Journal) – Interview of Mitt where he talks about how he would fix the Federal Government
o For Romney & Company, Campaign is all Business (NY Times) – How Mitt runs his campaign and what it would mean for his Presidency
o Evangelicals for Mitt statement of support
o Mark DeMoss on why Evangelicals should support Mitt
o Ann Romney Opens Up (People Magazine) – Great interview with Ann; she would be a fantastic First Lady!
• Speeches
o “Faith in America” – Seminal address on the role of religious faith and liberty in our nation
o Address to the Value Voters Summit – Seminal address on culture and value issues
o Iowa Straw Poll victory speech
o Highlights from the Republican debates (click 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th)
o Speech at CPAC 2007 – One of Mitt’s first major addresses to the leading grassroots gathering of Conservatives; one of his best speeches in my opinion
o Presidential Campaign Announcement – Mitt announcing that he’s running and why he’s running
• Campaign videos
o Biographical overview video of Mitt Romney (click part I, II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII)
o “Path to Victory” webcast – Mitt and Meg Whitman (CEO of eBay) discussing the 2007 campaign and discussing the plan for 2008
o Retrospective of Governor Romney’s campaign in 2007
o Online “Ask Mitt Anything” – For those of us who don’t live in an early primary state, Mitt held an online town hall meeting which provides a really good overview of his key positions
o Christmas 2006 – Behind the scenes look at the Romney family and how they made the decision together that Mitt should run for President; cynics have criticized this video as contrived, but I love the fact that he has held his family together while achieving such exceptional success; you can’t fake this stuff
• Media appearances
o Mitt on Jim Cramer of CNBC’s Mad Money – Great interview by Jim Cramer where he calls Mitt the “Best businessman in America”
o Mitt on ABC News talking about Ann – Great interview of Mitt where he discusses what he loves so much about Ann
o Mitt on Meet the Press – Tim Russert throws everything he’s got plus the kitchen sink at Mitt who proceeds to address each point in a clear, classy, and compelling way
• My favorite TV spots
o “Searched” – Compelling true story of how Mitt Romney shut down Bain Capital and moved all the employees to NYC to search for and find the daughter of one of his partners
o “Choice: Judgment” – Striking contrast ad highlighting Mike Huckabee’s 1,033 pardons and clemencies (more than 2x his three predecessors) vs. zero from Mitt Romney
o “Choice: The Record” – Ad contrasting Mitt’s record on illegal immigration vs. Mike Huckabee’s record of supporting tax payer funded scholarships and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants
o “Not Politically Correct” – Mitt’s record supporting life, English immersion education, and traditional marriage
o “Experience Matters” – Ad highlighting the lack of real world, executive experience on the part of Hillary Clinton (and equally applicable to the other Democrats)
o “Ready for Action” – Summary of Governor Romney’s stump speech in 60 seconds; user-generated ad based on a contest that was run back in September
o “Our Home” – Some precious footage of Mitt playing with his children and grandchildren; focuses on the importance of strengthening our families
o “Leadership” and “Energy” – I just love the images of Mitt jogging through the backwoods and the focus on his track record in business; I think he’s the only politician I’ve seen jogging where it looked like he was actually in shape…not just a photo op
o “Ocean” – Ad lamenting the degradation of our culture and Mitt’s thoughts on how he would like to address it; as a parent this one really resonated with me
o “Tested, Proven” – One of his early ads highlighting his track record in Massachusetts
o “I Like Vetoes” – Ad highlights his track record of vetoing excessive spending; no doubt in my mind that he’ll control spending after seeing this ad and other times when he has addressed this topic
Finally, it is one thing to support Mitt with your vote, but I’d like to ask you to consider supporting Mitt in a more active way. Like many of you, I had always followed politics, but never became active in politics (other than voting) until this year in support of Governor Romney.
This year is different. First, this is arguably the most consequential election in over twenty years. The challenges and issues that will be faced by our next President will have far reaching ramifications for our children and grandchildren.
Additionally, we face a set of candidates on the Republican side who represent vastly different positions and perspectives, some of whom threaten to tear asunder the Reagan coalition that has served us so well. Whether it is the socially liberal and sanctuary city defending Rudy Giuliani, the divisive, theocratic, soft on crime and illegal immigration, and fiscally populist Mike Huckabee, or the McCain Feingold, “Gang of 14”, and pro-Amnesty John McCain, there are clear differences in the way that each of these individuals would take the Republican Party.
If you’ve found this persuasive, please do whatever you can to support Mitt Romney’s candidacy. If you’re from Iowa, please caucus for Mitt (get more information here). Winning Iowa is job one between now and January 3.
If you are not from Iowa, please stay informed by checking in here at Elect Romney in 2008 every day. Make a donation to help Mitt win the media air war. Put on a bumper sticker or put up a yard sign (get them here). And most importantly, talk with your friends, family, co-workers, and neighbors about why you’re supporting Mitt Romney! Personal testimonials from trusted individuals are by far the most effective ways to gain more supporters for Mitt!
If you still have questions or remain unconvinced, leave a comment and we’ll do our best to answer your question. Or better yet, if you are also a Mitt supporter, leave a comment telling us why! Thank you for reading!
Mitt Romney “Path to Victory” WebcastDecember 22nd, 2007 | No Comments | Posted in 2008, Campaign Ads, Campaign Appearances, Fundraising, Iowa, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republican Nomination, Video
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I missed the webcast last week, so I was glad to see they posted the complete event on MittTV.
Iowa is critical, and we can make it happen, but we need everybody’s help! As you consider whether to make a donation, ask yourself a few questions:
- If you could pay a sum of money to guarantee that Romney would be the nominee, how much would that be?
- How frustrated and bothered would you be to have Huckabee representing the Republican Party as it’s nominee? How much would you be willing to pay to avoid that outcome?
- How important do you think it is for America to follow Governor Romney’s vision of strength and prosperity? How much is that worth to you?
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