Interesting and Smart Take on Mitt |
I found this article this morning while checking up on Mitt around the web, and found it a very great read. It talks about how Romney just seems to be the perfect fit now. The comments section has very positive comments as well. Take a look see…
Tags: 2012 Election, 2012 Election, Blogosphere, Commentary, Mitt Romney
Decision Time - Five Potential GOP Candidates Face Difficult Choice |
By the time the next Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) rolls around in 2010, we should have a much clearer picture of who will be running in the 2012 Presidential Election. That doesn’t mean the field will be completely set, but it should begin taking shape late this year, when potential candidates begin building their contacts and getting their names back in the news - or not.
But for five members of the potential 2012 race, a difficult decision lies in front of them - one they will have to make long before, though not necessarily apart from, their decision on whether or not to run for President. Like many Presidential elections, many of the biggest names of 2012 are Governors - including former VP candidate Sarah Palin, and second-tier members Jindal, Pawlenty, and Sanford. Florida Gov. Charlie Crist is also rumored to be nursing Presidential ambitions, though he is less likely to be a major in 2012 than the others. But all five must decide whether or not to seek re-election to their current offices before running for President in 2012. Four will be on the ballot in 2010, while Bobby Jindal, who perhaps drew the lowest card in the deck, must run again in 2011 if he wants to maintain his position as Governor of Louisiana.
Running in 2010 and again in 2012 isn’t impossible, but it brings up interesting questions for each of the candidates. For example, how do you convince voters to elect you to office, even if you clearly have higher ambitions? “Its my back-up” isn’t a particularly strong argument for re-election. Also, what would the effects of a loss be on their Presidential ambitions? George Allen, remember, was the favorite for 2008 until he lost his bid to keep his Virginia Senate seat in 2006 - effectively ending his Presidential run. With that in mind, the clear answer might be to give up their office to focus fully on a run for President, but that too, has its own unique challenges. Of all the candidates mentioned above, only Sarah Palin is clearly in the top tier - the group from which Republican nominees are almost exclusively drawn. And even her position is questionable, given her lackluster performance in the CPAC straw poll, and her potential to vote-split with fmr. Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. That leaves the potential that all five could be out of work by June 2012, and the oldest, Crist, is only 52. That’s not a particularly enviable position for any politician.
Correction: It has been brought to my attention by Dav46 that South Carolina Mark Sanford is term-limited, and will be unable to seek re-election in 2010. At least for one of the candidates, the choice has been made for them.
Tags: 2012 Election, Bobby Jindal, Charlie Crist, Mark Sanford, Sarah Palin, Tim Pawlenty
2012 Power Rankings: January 17th Edition |
In just three days, Barack Obama will formally take over as the 44th President of the United States, and while we still a long way from the 2012 campaign season, its not too early to take a long at which Republicans are most likely to challenge Obama four years from now. Of course, the length of time between now and the start of the next election make these kinds of assessments preliminary. Its possible, even likely, that the rankings will change several times before the Iowa Caucus in 2012, but, for what its worth, here is the first edition of the 2012 CTR Power Rankings:
Tags: 2012 Election, Bobby Jindal, Mark Sanford, Mike Huckabee, Mitt Romney, Republicans, Sarah Palin
Romney Shows GOP the Path Back to the Majority |
In the aftermath of the 2008 landslide, the Republican party appears to have fractured - split over where the party has to go to return to the majority. The theories range from the predictable: dumping one branch or another of conservatism to attract votes, to the far more exotic: some have suggested Republicans adopt an approach similar to that used to revive the Tory party in England.
Tags: 2012 Election, Mitt Romney
Don’t Read Too Far Into Romney’s Recent Interview |
Note:Before I begin posting, I’d like to introduce myself to all the readers here at Committed to Romney. My name is Matthew Kilburn, and in addition to managing my own website, I’ve been a regular commenter both here (as ActBlog) as well as on other sites. I’ve also been a Romney supporter since 2007, and look forward to playing a role here during the next election cycle.
David’s latest post about Romney’s interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is sure to raise a few eyebrows, but I have to caution my fellow Mittheads against reading too far into anything Romney said, for several reasons. First, we are still 48 months from the 2012 election, 24 months from the midterms, and still two weeks away from election day 2008. For Romney to announce plans now - even that he was considering a future run - would be foolish, at the least. As a leading figure within the Republican party, it is Romney’s job to act, publicly, as though the next four years will pass under a John McCain Presidency. To even hint at the possibility of a run in 2012, Mitt would have to acknowledge the likelihood of an Obama win, something that could be perceived as ambition trumping loyalty - a near-suicidal act in party politics.
Also, lets assume for a minute that Romney were to announce, or even hint at, a run in four years. What else could he possibly do this early in the game? The position the country will be in in four years is unknown, as are the main issues of the campaign. What the Congress looks like, how popular Obama will be, and what kinds of challenges the country will be confronted with are, and will remain, a mystery until much closer to election day. Even if he put together a campaign staff tomorrow, Mitt would have nothing to run on except an ambition to be President, and, while ambition is certainly necessary to hold political office, it often turns off those who might otherwise support you. True or not, Americans like to think of their leaders as holding office for noble motives, not personal benefit.
Finally, the wording of the interview doesn’t suggest disinterest in running again, in which case I might be tempted to believe it, but more a belief that the “window” won’t be open again. Romney never said that he wasn’t interested in running again, but that he believes the opportunity to become your party’s nominee comes only once. Of course, as John McCain has shown, that isn’t even close to the truth. In fact, the GOP has a history of nominating candidates on their second (or even third) try, and that is something you’ll be hearing more about from me in the coming weeks. Clearly, Romney intends to remain in politics, and, if in two years the opportunity to run is there, I have no doubt that Romney will.
Tags: 2012 Election, Mitt Romney
