comMITTed to Romney!

From The New Republic.

Would Romney Be Doing Better?

The economy is collapsing and the GOP is stuck with a candidate who doesn’t know jack about economics. But what if Mitt Romney had won that hard-fought Florida primary and grabbed the nomination? Romney’s whole business career was about turning around distressed companies. Plus, he’s far less identified with George W. Bush than is McCain. And unlike McCain he might not have had to give up on Michigan, where his father was governor. (What state pray tell is McCain holding that Mitt couldn’t?)

I know there are plenty of strikes against the guy. But it’s an interesting counterfactual to consider–one that makes a lot more sense now that foreign policy has all but disappeared from the conversation.

P.S. Good point from commenter timteeter:

Or for that matter if McCain had sucked it up and made Romney his VP.

You might’ve had far less base enthusiasm at convention time, but delivering a strong economic message right now could’ve been far easier.

–Michael Crowley

Sorry for swearing here all, but, “NO SHIT SHERLOCK”. I think all of us here knew that a long freaking time ago.

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The major party candidates are taking their time making a decision on their respective Veep picks. What are your thoughts about their strategies? Do you think they have already made their picks and that the “selection process’ is nothing but a Kabucki dance? When do you think they will announce? Will they wait until the convention, with teases continuing throughout the summer months?

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.concordmonitor.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=
/20080615/OPINION/806150330/1101/NEWS04

On the Straight Talk Express Thursday, McCain declined to promise a Boston television reporter that he’d add former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney to his ticket. McCain said he was looking for a vice president who shared his “values and principles and priorities.”

Though he said it will be a while before he settles on a veep, he did say that Romney fit that bill. “Mitt Romney has earned himself a very important place in the Republican Party,” McCain said.

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No new information in this BEEHIVE STANDARD article, but it does reinforce what we have been saying for months on this site.

~~John Cronin~~

http://beehivestandardweekly.com/articles/198/1/
Romney-Wins-With-or-Without-VP-Spot

By leaving the GOP nomination in a timely fashion, Mitt Romney is poised to win with or without a spot on the McCain ticket. Though Romney is certainly hoping to join the ticket as John McCain’s presidential running mate, if he is not chosen, he is clearly the leading candidate going into the next election cycle, whether that is in four or eight years.

CHOOSING ROMNEY

John McCain won the presidential nomination fair and square. The problem for McCain is that he didn’t win over conservatives, he split them between Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney. In a sense, McCain’s win happened only because he split the financial and evangelical base of the party. McCain clearly won the national defense component of the party, but that will not win him the White House — especially during a time of an unpopular war.

Times have changed since the last primary for John McCain. America has slipped into financial chaos. If McCain were to run today against Mitt Romney, a well known financial fix-it man, Romney would win two out of three contests. Earlier the Iraq War was still front and center, whereas today the economy is the most important issue to voters. McCain has many choices in a vice presidential selection, but none so credible in speaking on financial matters than Mitt Romney.

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Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s name is coming up more often in recent weeks as a possible McCain VP candidate. Reportedly, WIZBANG.COM had somebody “drop a dime” about a McCain advance man being spotted recently in Juneau.

~~John Cronin~~

http://wizbangblog.com/content/2008/05/29/
alaska-gov-sarah-palin-to-meet-with-mccain-vp-search-team.php

A tipster sent us word that John McCain’s VP advance man Arthur Culvahouse has been spotted in Juneau, Alaska. There’s only one reason he would be there - to meet with Alaska Governor Sarah Palin about the Vice President position.

This comes on the heels of McCain’s Memorial Day weekend barbecue attended by Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback, South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, former White House budget director Rob Portman, and Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman. Supposedly that was in informal affair, not a vetting session, but it appears that the VP selection game is very much afoot.

Governor Palin would (in my estimation) make an excellent VP candidate for McCain. Thomas Cheplick at The American Spectator makes the case that she’s probably the only VP candidate who can balance the ticket against Obama. She’s also a potential magnet for disaffected Hillary Clinton voters, many of whom are just looking for a reason not to vote for Obama

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It is always so gratifying to see the very themes being played out here, on this site, being played out in the major media outlets as well. This time in no less a publication than the WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE. Please read this very interesting article and see Gerald Seib talking about the concerns of social conservatives this election cycle. Mr. Seib writes about the religious right reminding the Republican Party that “you can’t win this thing without us.”

~~John Cronin~~

http://blogs.wsj.com/politicalperceptions/2008/05/19/
disquiet-on-the-right-a-danger-for-mccain/

Gerald F. Seib, executive Washington editor of The Wall Street Journal, has been involved in covering every presidential election since 1980 and writes the weekly Capital Journal column for the Journal.

That sound you hear is rumbling among unhappy social conservatives on the Republican Party’s right wing; it spells trouble not just for President Bush, but for the party’s presumptive presidential candidate, John McCain.

At a time when Sen. McCain badly needs to consolidate the support of the Republican base before the general-election campaign begins in earnest, leaders of the party’s social conservatives are letting it be known—quietly, for now—that they aren’t happy with the way their desires are being met.

The immediate target of their grumbling is Mr. Bush, but the message to Sen. McCain is clear: “You need us in the fall, not just those independent voters everybody wants you to spend your time courting.”

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Hat Tips to NY FOR MITT and to DOUG & DARLENE for the heads up on this article.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/romney-poses-bigger-threa_b_
102262.html

Excerpts taken from an Opinion piece by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

The burning question is who close-to-presumptive Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama will pick as his running mate. The question is better asked of his GOP foe John McCain. His vice presidential pick is far more crucial than who Obama picks.

He has no choice but to implore Mitt Romney to sign on to the ticket.

The reasons for Romney go beyond McCain’s image problem and party doubts. Romney was the first GOP presidential candidate to publicly warn back in January that Obama would be the likely GOP opponent, and then say that he could beat him. This was not mere political braggadocio. He like Obama sold himself as the change guy who can go to Washington cut the cronyism, bureaucratic and congressional inertia, and restore public confidence. McCain is the walking embodiment of the much loathed Washington insider establishment.

Romney is a social conservative, but he’s also one that social conservatives like, have confidence in, and have gotten behind with passion. McCain isn’t.

In nearly all polls, affordable health care worries ranks close behind the economy as a major concern of millions. Obama will tell what he will do if elected to provide affordable care for millions. Romney can tell what he actually did to provide it.

McCain will have to spend time and money building name identification for any VP pick other than Romney. Romney has that name identification, and more importantly, name identification that is not saddled with a trunk load of negatives.

Romney is a decade younger than McCain. Age, as race with Obama is a great X Factor, for McCain. He will be the oldest president ever on inauguration day. This, and health questions, is a big concern of many voters.

The most successful presidents have been governors (with one very current exception). They bring the administrative and management skills crucial to the office. Romney would put the minds of many voters at ease that if McCain succumbed to health problems, he could immediately step in and ably run the affairs of state.

He’s a team player. When he shut down his campaign in February he immediately met with and smoothed over the ruffled feathers with McCain, and urged his delegates to support him. He then went to a couple of states to pitch him. One of them was Michigan which is very much in play for the GOP given the large number of social conservatives there and his strong roots there during his father, George Romney’s, years as governor.

McCain bets the political bank that his strengths on national security, the war against terrorism, and strangely, even winning the war in Iraq on his terms, will resonate with millions of voters. He’ll need more than that to offset voter and party doubts, divisions, and the X Factor of age and health. Romney gives him added insurance to help offset these potentially deal breaking liabilities for him. Romney poses a bigger threat to Obama than McCain.

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I have always considered myself a Wall Street Journal loyalist and I always will be at heart, but Investor’s Business Daily is coming on strong. Another wonderful piece that should be required reading for the Republican National Committee.

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=295051193056705

By INVESTOR’S BUSINESS DAILY | Posted Wednesday, May 07, 2008 4:20 PM PT

Politics: Some Republicans fret that special-election losses portend disaster for their party this fall. But the most radical Democratic presidential nominee ever is actually a golden opportunity for the GOP to win big.

Ronald Reagan used to say the key to GOP victory was presenting voters with “a banner of bold, unmistakable colors, with no pastel shades.” Now, with Barack Obama as the Republicans’ likely opponent this November, there’s no excuse for pastel.

The fashionable notion is that the silver-tongued Obama will generate a coattail effect helping other Democratic candidates. Therefore, Republicans should be scared stiff and hope for the unlikely nomination of Hillary Clinton. But that’s nonsense.

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Interesting article at the DETROIT NEWS. We are not the only ones touting Mitt for office. Michiganders involved in state politics are trying to draft Romney to run for Governor of Michigan in 2010.

Although it’s a very nice compliment, I hope MR keeps his eyes on the prize, the White House in 2012!

~~John Cronin~~

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/POLITICS01/805060354

Gordon Trowbridge / Detroit News Washington Bureau

Michigan native Mitt Romney helps host an Oakland County fundraiser today for Sen. John McCain, and said Monday he expects to campaign for McCain in Michigan and elsewhere.
But don’t expect Romney’s future to include a run for office here. Despite the hopes of some Michigan Republicans, the former Massachusetts governor and presidential candidate said he has no plans to return to the state.

“There is no prospect that I will be running for statewide office in Michigan — or any other state for that matter,” Romney said. “I’ve made Massachusetts my home these last 35 years or so, and I don’t have plans to change the place where I run for office.”

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As you know I have been beating the drum for us to get involved in Republican Congressional races, knowing that this looks to be a very tough year for the Party. According to the WSJ, McCain looks like he is in a position to run a competitive race, but with the approval numbers so low for the party nationwide, Senator McCain will not be able to get anything passed unless we step up to the plate and try to get back a Republican majority.

~~John Cronin~~

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120959262155757509.html?mod=hpp_us_whats_news

• The Wall Street Journal – McCain runs even with Dems even though GOP is running low in poll: “Only 27% of voters have positive views of the Republican Party, according to the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, the lowest level for either party in the survey’s nearly two-decade history. Yet the party’s probable presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, continues to run nearly even with Democratic rivals Sen. Barack Obama and Sen. Hillary Clinton. His standing so far makes for a more competitive race for the White House than would be expected for Republicans, who face an electorate that overwhelmingly believes the country is headed in the wrong direction under President Bush.”

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I just signed up with the Republican National Committee and volunteered for several activities, including working at my local campaign headquarters. In my first email to them I talked about strict enforcement of our border laws and the need to build the fence that was authorized by Congress.

I feel good about the whole process. I hope many of you will join as well. Let’s make Romney supporters a force to be reckoned with in the GOP.

Go Mitt!! Romney for President in 2012!!

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By: Michael Luo

NEW YORK TIMES CAUCUS

Brief article on the NYT political website. Gov. Romney has no plans to quit this race and I know from our reader’s comments that 99.9% of us have no such plans.

~~John Cronin~~

Mitt Romney is committed to barreling ahead in his bid for the Republican nomination, despite the odds being stacked against him, said his son, Tagg, a senior campaign adviser, in an interview today.

Mr. Romney delivered a pep talk to his staff this morning, he said, and his advisers are looking into buying airtime to broadcast television commercials in some of the upcoming states that are voting.

“We’re not going to project when it is we’re going to quit,” said Tagg Romney, “because we’re not planning on quitting.”

They are mapping out a farfetched possibility premised on conservative fears continuing to fester against Mr. McCain, which they hope fuels a series of wins for Mr. Romney and then perhaps get him to a point where he has enough momentum to wrest some of those promised but not officially bound delegates into his column at a contested convention.
Mr. Romney appeared to even allude to this potential route in his speech on Tuesday night, promising to take the contest “all the way to the convention.”
“There’s a whole lot of scenarios that get us there,” Tagg Romney said.

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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.

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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.

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I wanted to say a quick hello and introduce myself as a rookie blogger here at Elect Romney in 2008!  I’m pleased and excited to jump in here and do my part to help Mitt’s run for the White House! 

A bit about me:  I’m 37, mother of 4 and wife of 1, living in snowy, cold, rural, beautiful, northern Nevada.  I’m originally from Canada, have lived in the U.S. for several years, and just recently got my U.S. citizenship.  What a great and humbling experience!  I really feel at home in this incredible country!  There is a spirit and a strength and a power here - a patriotism that is unlike any other.

I became a Romniac, Mitthead, Mitten about a year ago after Mitt made his announcement.  I started coming to this blog shortly after and quickly became an addict, as I know many of you have (you might have seen me comment as Nevadagirl).  The founder, the bloggers and, based on their comments, the readers, are all very impressive and articulate - it’s great to be part of this!

During the Nevada caucus, I had the chance to stand up and speak for 2 minutes on why I support Mitt.  It felt great to vocalize to others the reasons why I feel Mitt is our best choice and hope.  My challenge to you guys is to be prepared to do the same.  With the upcoming importance of Feb. 5, many of you will have the opportunity to share with others why you support Mitt in your own state and in your own circle of influence.  Here’s a short version of what I said:

I support Mitt because I’m looking for 2 things in a President.  One - a conservative record and platform, someone that supports the 3 legs of the Reagan coalition - strong military, strong economy, and strong families.  Two - someone who has a resume that shows he actually has the executive skills and personality to lead and accomplish his Presidential To-Do list.  Mitt’s record in Massachusettes shows an ability to fight for conservative principles and policies in a highly liberal environment.  He is one of only 2 true conservatives running.  His experiences in the private sector and as CEO of the SLC Olympics unequivocally show that this is a man who understands what it takes to solve extremely difficult problems.  No one else running comes close to his track record of success in this area.

Obviously the important thing is to say what works for you.  Let us know about any great experiences you have had sharing your support of Mitt!

Here is a pic of Mitt at a rally in Orlando today.

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I spent 3 hours canvassing door-to-door in my neighborhood yesterday and the results were very encouraging. The vast majority of the people who came to the door ranged from respectful to enthusiastic, with only a hand full getting testy with me.

I was able to put out two yard signs and sign up those two households to be part of my precinct team. The cool thing was that both of the families said that they had young adult children who were looking for ways to get involved and the parents would put them in touch with me so that we can get them involved with phone banking and neighborhood canvassing.

Several people commented that “you are representing a good man” and others said “I like his “can-do optimism” in regard to “saving American jobs.” The voters in my precinct are moving from McCain to Romney because they now see the economy as the #1 issue, especially with stories in the news about the oil producing states now favoring the Euro over the American dollar, layoffs and the stock market tanking as well as fears of bond market defaults. I just don’t see Pastor Huckabee doing well in this environment. The perception is that McCain is out of his depth as well.

The weather in St. Louis was just about identical to that first day of canvassing in Iowa. There is an old saying that “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun.” This campaign’s counterpart to that expression probably should be that “Only mad dogs and Republicans go out in -15 degree wind chill factors.” Nevertheless, several people said they were impressed with the level of dedication that Gov. Romney inspired in his campaign volunteers.

I can not over emphasize the importance of getting out into your own neighborhoods to build a solid grassroots organization. I know it’s fun to prognosticate here on the blog, and that serves an important purpose as well, but what this campaign needs more that anything right now is foot soldiers who are willing to press the doorbells, knock on doors, stick Romney yard signs in the frozen turf, hand out bumper stickers and make the phone calls that get out the vote to help insure a Romney victory. Now, you can multiply everything I’ve just said by three if your state is part of “Tsunami Tuesday” on Feb. 5. If you live in one of those states and would like to help, please email me at jtc1767@yahoo.com and I will pass your info. along to the National Campaign through my contacts at MissouriansForMitt.

Please don’t put it off, do it right now! This can be your time to become a part of American political history and help elect the next President of the United States of America, Mitt Romney!

~~John Cronin~~

St. Louis County Coordinator
MissouriansForMitt

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