ComMITTed to Romney!

http://www.cbs47.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=e62a4e02-
f178-42e7-8dc2-e0991f0c3581&rss=1

Jacksonville, Fla.– Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney was the guest speaker at the 2008 Florida Issues Summit. It was hosted by the Florida Federation of Black Republican Clubs.

He spoke Saturday at the Hyatt Regency Riverfront. Romney talked about the economy and the importance of this year’s election.

Romney is on the short list of running mates for Senator John McCain.

Sam Brownback, the electrifying stump speaker from Kansas, oversees McCain’s outreach to Catholics? Who’s in charge of overseeing Brownback? If this is the best McCain can do, the only thing that will save us in November is that Obama’s leftist tax and spend policies and affection for tyrants will scare the electorate into McCain’s waiting embrace!

~~John Cronin~~

http://primebuzz.kcstar.com/?q=node/12018

Among the ribs and veepstakes crowd at John McCain’s Arizona ranch for his Memorial Day barbecue was Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback.

His name has not surfaced as a possibility for the second spot on the GOP ticket with McCain. But Brownback helps oversee the presumptive nominee’s outreach to Catholics.

Attendees who could be in the vice presidential mix were Republican Govs. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana (Prime Buzz does not see how this pick helps McCain), Charlie Crist of Florida (Need we say more?) and former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts (Social conservatives like him, but McCain? Not so much.)

Saw this article this morning while I was enjoying a cup of coffee. Thought our readers might get a chuckle out of it.

~~John Cronin~~

http://blogs.reuters.com/trail08/2008/05/20/
mccain-finds-the-coffee-in-little-havana-pretty-strong/

By: Steve Holland

MIAMI -

Republican John McCain’s “Straight Talk Express” bus took a little detour today, depositing McCain at a Cuban-American restaurant in Little Havana.

McCain, who likes to keep a cup of coffee at his side most of the time, decided to sample the espresso served up at Cafe Versailles, ordering a cup at a window for ordering items to go.
Taking a sip from the small ceramic cup, he must have found it a pretty strong brew. He pumped his fist as he tasted the coffee.

“Do I have any enamel on my teeth?” he asked. “Delicious!”
Somebody in the crowd thought McCain should pick a vanquished Republican adversary, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, as his vice presidential running mate.

“Romney for vice,” was one sign held up by people in the crowd.

As you all know, Sen. McCain delivered a major speech on Thursday, May 15, where he outlined his TIMETABLE FOR THE WITHDRAWAL OF U.S. TROOPS FROM IRAQ!

This is the same man who used that very point to attack Mitt Romney during the last days of the Florida primary! Wait, I’m confused. Timetables for an Iraq withdrawal are bad, right? No, now they’re good.

McCain said that Gov. Romney should not have taken a nuanced approach to timetables in a debate question when he said that their should be private timetables used to gauge the Iraqi government’s progress toward certain benchmarks. He (Romney) said he would not be in favor of publicly releasing any timetables that could be used to the advantage of the insurgents. I thought that was an intelligent response to a complicated set of problems and the correct policy approach.

Sen. McCain had different ideas back then. After all that was three months ago. He lectured Gov. Romney that his response should have been “No.” McCain’s current answer is “Yes.”

Unbelievable folks, just unbelievable. Not only does McCain have timetables, but he delivers them in a major speech that traveled around the world within minutes of it’s conclusion. All Al Queda has to do now is lay low for four years, use the time to recruit and train new thugs, raise money to buy ammunition and IED’s from Iran and get ready for the “big push” in 2013.

~~John Cronin~~

David Keene of the American Conservative Union (ACU) has a great article entitled “Double-Talk Jeopardy” discussing McCain’s dishonesty in the days leading up to the Floriday Primary. David has endorsed Mitt Romney. Read the whole thing, but here are a couple choice quotes below:

Most politicians who identify their interests with the national interest eventually conclude that whatever they have to do to advance those interests is justifiable; that in their case, the end almost always justifies the means. Such politicians can be dangerous and John McCain is just such a politician. In McCain’s world everything is personal: to disagree with him marks one not just as wrong, but as almost definitionally evil.

Stories of McCain’s intolerance abound in Washington. He’s attacked his fellow senators personally when they have had the temerity to actually disagree with him. Indeed, one Republican senator told me several years ago that he was confronted by an enraged McCain after voting against a minor amendment in committee and dressed down in “language that would be inappropriate in a barroom, let alone in the Senate.”

It is these qualities that concern many who know McCain best. Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran (R) is universally liked and admired by his colleagues. He’s known McCain for decades, and while he’s no camera hog, his colleagues listen when he speaks. In endorsing Romney over McCain in what many now view as a two-man race, Cochran said of McCain, “The thought of his being president sends a cold chill down my spine.”

Help Mitt Romney win the nomination. Make a donation today and ask your family and friends to turn out for Mitt on Super Tuesday!

Hat Tip to Ranzel for bringing this excellent analysis to our attention. Mitt Romney is nailing down the Reagan coalition.

NEW YORK TIMES

Tags: Florida, John McCain, Mitt Romney

Does Mitt Romney have a victory to cling to in Florida? Joshua Trevino, vice president for public policy at San Francisco’s Pacific Research Institute (and one of the founders of the conservative blog RedState), breaks down the numbers on his personal blog.

“Mitt Romney is in a bad way,” Trevino writes. “He blew through $10 million in Iowa and lost; and outspent McCain eight to one in Florida, and lost that too. But for all this, Mitt Romney is not done yet and the reason lies in the breakdown of this evening’s Florida vote.” He continues:

CNN has the exit-poll numbers, and they reveal some surprising things:

* Romney won pro-lifers.
* Romney won the mainstream religious. (Huckabee won the very religious ­ less than one-fifth of the pool.)
* Romney won the Protestants.
* Romney tied Huckabee with Evangelicals.
* Romney won the pro-GWB voters.
* Romney is the primary second choice of Giuliani voters, Thompson voters …. and McCain voters.
* Romney won the immigration hard-liners.
* Romney won the upper-middle class, earning between $100,000 and $200,000 annually.
* Romney won the terrorism-oriented voters.
* Romney won the self-identified conservatives and the self-identified very conservative.
* Romney won the values-oriented voters.
* Romney won the white voters.
* Romney won the tax-cutting voters.

In short, Mitt Romney won the Republican Party’s idea of itself ­ and that, too, is a big deal. If you’re white, Protestant, anti-abortion, go to church on Sundays, think well of the President, want lower taxes, hate terrorists, make a good living, want to do something about immigration, and live in Florida, chances are you voted Romney. The question before Florida was whether McCain could win a closed Republican race, and now we know he can. The question now is whether he can win conservatives ­ and in Florida, he did not.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH to all of you who have contributed to contribute to Governor Romney’s presidential campaign. He needs to build the war chest for next Tuesday.   We are still short about $5,000 in the committed bucket (see commitment to Gov. Romney below).

Governor Romney is running against three HUGE opponents in these primaries:

1 — The Mainstream Media. Clearly, in the Republican Primary in Florida and beyond, John McCain is the MSM darling. Many political experts outside Governor Romney’s camp have even stated as much. They are all pulling for McDarling.

2 — Washington, D.C. Establishment. People like Lindsay Graham (senator from South Carolina) and many others are directly threatened by Mitt Romney if he is able to follow through on his promises of turning Washington, D.C. inside-out to completely reform it.

3 — John McCain. In the last several days, the driver of the “Straight Talk Express” has been blatantly lying about Governor Romney’s statements. We now know he is able, and more than willing, to do or say whatever he thinks he needs to in order to gain supreme power in Washington, D.C.

4 — Religious Bigotry.

Below is a reader’s comment left at this blog about seven days ago. I decided to post it, front and center, to make a point. Many, many of you have sacrificed greatly to assist Governor Romney in this cause to fundamentally alter the course of America for good. Many thousands of grassroots hours of work have been given by many of you in placing the get-out-the-vote calls. So many of you have been contacting neighbors, friends, and associates to influence. I have spoken to many of you who have done these things. THANK YOU!

I made a commitment over a week ago to raise a significant amount of money toward the February 5th primary states to get Governor Romney’s message out properly. I intend to keep that commitment to the campaign, but I will need a lot of help — FROM YOU. You can imagine that for Governor Romney to campaign against all three of the above opponents in Florida, he has had to spend a considerable amount.

In the last few days, I have contacted people who told me months ago they would one day contribute to Governor Romney’s campaign when it looked like he was really viable. Well guess what? He has always been viable, but now is their time to step up. I have called them on it and they will contribute. There are always early trail blazers — those have already blazed the trails for Governor Romney. We now need those who have been waiting and watching.

Please make a contribution today. Click below to do so (in the “Source Code” box, please type in ECA064):

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OFFICIAL ROMNEY ONLINE CONTRIBUTION FORM — PLEASE DONATE NOW

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Using the above online form sends the needed funds directly to the campaign chest immediately. People always ask me how much they should donate. Frankly, that is a private matter — this I will say: No contribution is too small. If all you can afford today is $25, then [click Continue Reading below]

Continue Reading »

Though I provide analysis below, I do not suggest I have answers to the questions I raise. But I do raise questions that I think are of critical importance and consideration; not just to this current presidential contest, but more importantly to America. These are questions I think nobody wants to discuss (see photo below).

Tonight (1/29), I have heard the term “lick their wounds” several times. That is not at all how I feel about the loss in Florida. It is fair to say, I believe, that America as a nation, has matured in its history to a point in which a woman or a black man can be elected President by a majority of both sexes and a majority of those of the white or black races. I believe that America has come of age to the point that the bigotry we call sexism and racism, though still engrained in some people, has been marginalized.

What about the bigotry of religious intolerance? In an enlightened age, it is known by all that bigotry of any kind is not acceptable. In this modern day, we don’t generally hear statements of bigotry in common language in ways that were pervasive as recent as the 1950s and 1960s. Religious bigotry was even out in the open at that time as evidenced by evangelical ministers that routinely and publicly denounced the idea that Americans might vote for a Catholic. Today, bigotry of any kind, as a matter of common discussion in mixed company, is simply unacceptable in today’s diverse age. As a result, we do not hear public discussion about religious bigotry. Does that mean that this form of bigotry has also been marginalized to the point America can elect a Mormon? I do not believe it has. In fact, I think it is still pervasive, if now private.

In the states in which GMR won the Silver, by how much did he miss the Gold? Usually around 5%, maybe 10%. Today, he missed the Gold by 6% in a very large state. Since I began to seriously pay attention to presidential politics for 2008 back in 2006, I have seen poll results showing that a fair number of Americans are unwilling to ever vote for a Mormon; anywhere from about 20% of those surveyed to 40% recently. Since I have always concluded that America has matured to the point at which religious intolerance has been effectively marginalized, I more or less dismissed those poll numbers as based on simple ignorance, not bigotry.

Then, as the early state caucuses and primaries became history, I started to see a trend that I saw repeated today in Florida. It is fair to say that a majority of Americans do not find McCain acceptable as President as evidenced by his votes of 35% compared to 65% to all others. But to understand whether bigotry is at work against MR specifically, we need to drill down into the numbers. Is it not also fair to say that the most conservative voters of all would not be generally attracted to McCain, who is a well-known liberal Republican, or at least a Republican that cannot be trusted?

[In order to keep this commentary from becoming longer than it is, I use only the initials of candidates’ first and last names and any time there is a number, it represents a percentage]

In Florida, among evangelicals, the votes were JM(30), MR(29), MH(29). We can conclude that the 29 who voted for MR are not bigots. My presumption is that the reason MH’s 29 did not go to JM is because they consider him way too liberal to represent their values and principles. But if MH were not in the race, would all 29 go to MR? As you think about that answer, if they would not all go to MR, why would any significant portion of them go to JM? Incidentally, as MH keeps smiling and telling the world he can be the nominee, he knows he cannot. He won exactly 4 of all non-evangelical votes; that is par for the course for him. Since day one in Iowa, there has never been broad support for MH. Why does he stay in the race?

White evangelicals voted this way: MH(31), MR(31), JM(28). I think it is fair to say that those who voted for JM would be the more moderate or less orthodox evangelicals, simply because they could have chosen an orthodox evangelical in MH, and they did not. If true, and MH were not in the race, would MH’s 31 go to JM or MR and why? Why would an orthodox evangelical vote for the more liberal, twice married, untrustworthy Republican when they have MR, whose values and principles are much closer to theirs by comparison?

Of voters who think abortion should be illegal, the votes were MR(35), JM(29), MH (21). These are very conservative voters. We know 35 are not bigots and since MR won the majority here, we know that a very high percentage of voters know him to be strong pro-life. If MH were not in the race, would most of his 21 go to MR or JM and why? Of voters who think abortion should always be illegal, the votes were MH(32), MR(30), and JM(26). These voters are even more conservative overall. If MH were not in the race, would most of his 32 go to the more conservative candidate MR? If they would not, why not? Why would more than a handful go to JM instead of MR? Could bigotry influence their decision to go to JM?

Voters that identified themselves as very conservative were MR(44), JM(21), MH(20). It is well known by now that MR is the most conservative of both JM and MH. That being the case, if MH were not in the race, would his ‘very conservative’ voters go to the known, more conservative MR or to the less conservative, more liberal JM? And why? Could bigotry influence their decision to go to JM?

Over at Evangelicals for Mitt, both Steven Muscatello and Nancy French think MH should do “the honorable thing” and drop out. Read their excellent arguments here and here. But think of the context of my rhetorical questions above and consider this. If RG could so easily see the vanity of continuing the race, knowing he could never win, why can MH not see it? Or is it that he sees it and has ulterior motives? Think of the irony. RG, the person many have derided as ethically challenged, drops out seeing the reality; there are no ulterior motives really. MH, whose supporters consider the most ethical and upstanding man in the race, who would consider himself the most humble among them all, plans to “win the nomination” to quote him. Right. And pigs will fly for the first time in February. We now have resounding proof that MH cannot garner more than 10% of all non-evangelical votes and he has only nearly received 40% of all evangelical votes in one state. Clearly, he has no broad support, unlike GWB did as an evangelical. So, his decision to stay in the race is based on what? Ego? Vanity? Love of the sport? Is he lying to us when he says he is not running for Pastor in Chief? Or does he want to influence his voters away from MR and if so, why?

As many at this site have shown, MH revealed his stripes when he let slip his rhetorical Jesus/brother question in an interview. He also ardently campaigned in Salt Lake City to save the Mormons there from hell at the evangelical convention.

My opinion is that the frequent citing of 20 to 40 percent of all Americans unwilling to vote for a Mormon for President, the bigots are at the low end of the range. I may be naïve, but I do not believe that 40% of all Americans are religious bigots. Now, we know that when MR loses the Gold, the margin of loss is only 5% to 10%. That margin of difference is well below the 20% conservative estimate. Where are those 20% or so aligned? Are they divided among RG, MH, and JM? Are they mostly with MH or JM?

My conclusion is that the margin of victory that JM has enjoyed in any state, is a direct correlation to the reported bigotry still pervasive in America. If so, how does MR overcome this obvious bigotry, to win? These less than 20% “unwilling voters” are currently aligned with RG, JM, and MH, in some unknown mix. But knowing this does not help, does it? By definition, if they are bigots, MR will never be their choice. It cannot be argued that all 20% of these “unwilling” voters are in JM’s camp. Yet, it is he that is the beneficiary of their unwillingness to ever vote for MR. And clearly not all of the supporters left in RG’s and MH’s camp are bigots; but some are. So it is fair to say that if both RG and MH were not in the race, a fair number of their non-bigoted supporters would back the most conservative candidate in the race — MR. And why are the voters not following Rush Limbaugh’s advice to not vote for JM and MH?

So again, what is the motivation of MH to remain in a race he knows he cannot and will not win? Is his primary motivation to steer as many evangelicals to the Protestant JM, away from MR? If so, is that reason enough to not drop out of the race?

I think this issue is the 900-pound gorilla in the room with which nobody wants to make eye contact.

~ Vic

[Source of exit poll information above: CNN Politics]
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NOTE: Any comment left at this post that is primarily religious based or which contains vitriol, is antagonistic, or generally obnoxious, will be deleted without notice. Please set a standard of discussion that is productive and illuminating. If you have religious opinions, please leave them out of the discussion at this post.

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As we headed into election day on the morning of Jan.29, 2008 the RCP (Real Clear Politics) Average of the polls they follow showed McCain at 29.9 in Florida vs. Romney at 29.1. Obviously, the election didn’t break our candidate’s way.

So, what’s next? I can only speak for myself. I will continue to work to “get out the vote” on behalf of Mitt Romney, I will deliver yard signs to the people who have called me to request them and I will call from home to remind voters to be sure to get to the polls on Feb.5.

The reason I will do these things is that I believe in the conservative movement and movements transcend elections. Of course I am saddened by the final vote totals in the Florida primary election. But mostly I am saddened by the realization that the candidates who came in first in the election will change America profoundly and, in my opinion, for the worst. I am not conceding anything to McCain or to Clinton. Both of these politicians are the wrong choices for this country and I will continue to say so and to do everything within my power to stop them from taking our country to the left.

The Left of Jimmy Carter and hostages in Iran and “malaise” and 20% interest rates. The Left of Bill Clinton and Monica-gate and perjury and impeachment. The Left of Al Gore and global warming and melting polar ice caps and “reducing our carbon footprints.” The Left of John Kerry and “Swift Boats” and “voting for the war before I voted against it.” The Left of Hillary Clinton and $5,000 bonds for every baby born in America and huge new bureaucracies and the tax increases to support them. The Left of John McCain and Open Borders and limiting free speech and huge new energy taxes.

I will not do any of these things because it is fashionable. If we do not win this nominating election, whether in the primaries are in a smoke filled back room at the Convention, I can easily envision myself and others like me, very much out of fashion. I will do these things because they are right.

I don’t know how the Super Tuesday votes will tally. If the Republican Party bestows it’s nomination on John McCain, the damage done to the GOP will be immense. I hope the party realizes what they may be doing before it is too late and come to the realization that this man will nominate the kind of Supreme Court judges that will continue to chip away at our freedoms and to further weaken the Constitutional underpinnings of our country. It will be just a matter of time before the “No Illegal Alien Left Behind” bill is re-introduced into Congress. The damage from that alone would cause me to oppose this man and the designs he has on this country.

And so I intend to work from within the party structure. I will not leave the GOP if McCain wins the nomination. I will work to recapture the party from a man who once considered switching his registration to the Democratic Party. If McCain becomes the GOP standard bearer, he will have to form an unholy alliance with the Left, because the Reagan Coalition will never allow this country to slide back into the fever swamps of Big government, big taxes, big, but empty promises, foreign policy retreat, gutting the military and every other self-defeating policy that can be conjured up by the liberal mind.

I would like to remind our younger readers that Ronald Reagan was denied the nomination after a bitter convention battle in 1976, but went on to win the first of his landslide victories four years later. I am not suggesting that the battle is lost for now. What I am saying is that this party and the principles it stands for is worth fighting for. Hopefully, we will win enough delegates on Super Tuesday to carry the fight to the convention if need be. But in the event we don’t, I strongly suggest that we continue to work within the party to return it to the principles that made it great and to position Mitt Romney for the Presidency in 2012.

Below I have highlighted some thoughts from Michael Graham at THE CORNER, NRO. I don’t fully agree with his conclusions, but he is thinking what a lot of us are thinking as we observe the John McCain train wreck of a campaign.

~~John Cronin~~

So it is over. Finished. In November, we’ll be sending out our most liberal, least trustworthy candidate vs. to take on Hillary Clinton—perhaps not more liberal than Barack Obama, but certainly far less trustworthy.

And the worst part for the Right is that McCain will have won the nomination while ignoring, insulting and, as of this weekend, shamelessly lying about conservatives and conservatism.

You think he supported amnesty six months ago? You think he was squishy on tax cuts and judicial nominees before? Wait until he has the power to anger every conservative in America, and feel good about it.

Every day, he dreams of a world filled with happy Democrats and insulted Republicans. And he is, thanks to Florida, the presidential nominee of the Republican party.

Many who read or write on this blog may feel disheartened by Romney’s “defeat” (actually a strong 2nd) in today’s Florida Primary. Certainly after much hard work by all of us it is only natural to sense some discouragement…somewhat like the wind being knocked out of your sails for a moment. We had expected a victory and we wouldn’t settle for less. As an avid lover of the sea I have noticed that the wind always returns and the sails fill again sending the ship to its intended destination.

Florida was one state out of fifty. Super Tuesday is coming. We cannot let the outcome of Florida betray our enthusiasm. Romney will win the Republican nomination for President of the United States.

Ann Romney brings immediate optimism with her statement, “This is just a send-off point; this is not an end.” I love the excitement she brings to the moment. What a great political partner to have in such a tight and contentious race!

One of the greatest Presidents in our history was an eternal optimist. After many political defeats (and one in particular), Lincoln told his friend Dr. Ray who continued to brood over Lincoln’s defeat, “You will soon feel better. Another blow up is coming; and we shall have fun again.” (Quoted from Team of Rivals)

Lincoln was not discouraged by his defeats…only his friends were. Like them, as we refocus our efforts towards Romney’s eventual nomination, we need to pull the bootstraps tight and start working the trenches just a bit harder. We are fighting for certain principles and for a better America. Each state individually is one stepping stone along the path to ultimate victory. The next contest is coming and it will be fun.

Just like Lincoln, Romney is winning the respect of others, earning their trust and even devotion as he moves along the campaign trail introducing himself to those who barely know him.

Read the following quotes about Lincoln’s strategy for the nomination. I think you will find them similar to Romney’s. These quotes are taken from A Team of Rivals.

As a dark horse, he knew it was important not to reveal his intentions too early, so as to minimize the possibility of opponents mobilizing against him.

It was important that any efforts on his behalf be squelched until the timing was right, and Lincoln, as would be evidenced throughout his presidency was a master of timing.

Not hindered by the hubris, delusions, and inconsistencies that plagued his three chief rivals, Lincoln gained steady ground through a combination of hard work, skill and luck. While his rivals felt compelled to reposition themselves toward the center of the party, Lincoln never changed his basic stance.

Though a successful bid for the nomination remained unlikely, a viable candidacy was no longer an impossible dream. Slowly and methodically, Lincoln set out to improve his long odds.

Most of his audiences had never laid eyes on him.

Once he began speaking he invariably forged an indelible impression, and left an impact on his listeners.

Though sensed by many to be an underdog candidate, Lincoln rose to the top and captured the nomination.

Romney is a master strategist. His focus for the nation is the right one. As we work “slowly and methodically” from state to state bringing the message of change, of fixing a broken Washington, and a re-commitment to time held American family values, I believe that America will listen, and the ‘long odds’ of success will be realized as we witness Romney place his hand on the Bible and swear and oath of duty as our next President.