-
Anyone Still Believe Me?
May 21, 2013 | 38 comments
-
What Those Who Boycott Israel Really Want
May 14, 2013 | 143 comments
-
Mitt on Marriage
May 8, 2013 | 38 comments
-
The One Constant
May 1, 2013 | 118 comments
-
Trudeaus and Terrorism
April 22, 2013 | 15 comments
Political Hay
Is Romney Grasping at Straws?
The former governor is confident the stigma of Mass-Care won’t last.
Mitt Romney’s political fortunes got a bit of a boost over the weekend when he won the straw poll at the Southern Republican Leadership Council meeting in New Orleans. Romney won the straw ballot by a single vote over Ron Paul. Sarah Palin finished a distant third despite giving a barnburner of a speech. Meanwhile, Romney was absent from the proceedings altogether.
But the former Massachusetts governor is a long way from grasping the brass ring of the GOP nomination. At this point all Romney has grasped is, well, straw. Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin of Politico.com note that Romney’s strong showing in New Orleans was due in no small part to a group called Evangelicals for Mitt. They offered 200 free tickets to the gathering to Republicans who made a commitment to vote for Romney in the straw poll. The American Spectator further notes that Romney supporters also received free buttons, bumper stickers and copies of his book No Apology – The Case for American Greatness. Well, at least they weren’t saddled with any lousy T-shirts.
Yet one must refrain from reading too much into this straw poll. In August 2007, Romney handily won the Iowa straw poll. Well, fat lot of good that did him against Mike Huckabee in the Iowa Caucus the following January.
Last week, I attended a talk given by Romney at the Boston Public Library sponsored by the Ford Hall Forum, the oldest free public lecture series in the United States. Romney was interviewed by Boston Globe columnist Jeff Jacoby. As the Globe’s lone conservative columnist it came as no surprise that Jacoby was generally friendly in his questioning of Romney.
However, Jacoby would become more adversarial in his approach to when it came to the subject of health care. Jacoby challenged Romney’s assertion that health care was “much better in Massachusetts” due his implementation of Mass-Care or Romneycare. It is, of course, the program Romney signed into law in 2006 that requires all Massachusetts residents to have health insurance or be fined by the Department of Revenue. Sound familiar?
Jacoby focused his attention not on the mandatory aspect of the program but rather the fact that health care premiums are higher in Massachusetts than in any other state and are also growing faster than in any other state. Romney became defensive and stated, “Health care premiums were higher before the law passed.” But in No Apology, Romney touts the Massachusetts Model as creating an exchange that assists individuals in buying health insurance. He writes on page 177, “The exchange lowers premiums and enables individuals to buy health insurance in pretax dollars, just as companies are able to do.”
However, Romney took no responsibility for higher premiums and was content to blame Governor Deval Patrick, the legislature, and “the connector board” (the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, which is the “exchange” responsible for helping Massachusetts residents find health insurance) for extending coverage to include mental health, dental care, and in vitro fertilization.
It is worth remembering that Romney signed the plan into law the same year in which he opted not to seek re-election. Now Governor Patrick, the state legislature, and “the connector board” have a lot for which to answer. But is Romney telling us he could not have foreseen that a Democratic governor, a Democratic controlled legislature, and a board full of Democratic appointees would have extended Romneycare coverage once he left office?
The best Romney could do was to half-apologize for his own creation by claiming “it isn’t a perfect plan.” The audience, which had mostly been receptive to Romney on other matters such as foreign affairs and economic policy, sat on its hands.
Conservative audiences might end up with their fingers falling asleep if Romneycare continues to get praise from the likes of President Obama and New York Times columnist Gail Collins. Naturally enough, potential rival GOP contenders are already making an issue of Romneycare. Last month, Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty said in an interview, “Looking at the Massachusetts experience, it would not be one I would want for the country to follow any further.” In an interview of his own, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, Romney’s arch nemesis in Iowa, called Romneycare “a dismal failure.”
If Pawlenty and Huckabee are gunning for Romney now, one can only imagine what things will be like right before the GOP caucuses and primaries. Not surprisingly, Romney’s advisers are counting on health care fading into the background. If a week in politics is a lifetime, then two years might as well be an eternity.
So it would be a mistake to write off Romney. John McCain’s campaign was singing its swan song scarcely four months before the 2008 New Hampshire Primary. Many conservatives were angry at McCain for his support of amnesty for illegal immigrants (and, with the challenge from J.D. Hayworth, still are). But McCain sunk his teeth into another issue and one scarcely anyone else was willing to touch – the surge in Iraq. With the likes of Harry Reid and even some Republicans wondering aloud if the war was lost, McCain vigorously backed the surge and won back a critical mass of GOP primary voters. Despite Romney’s proximity to the Granite State, he lost to McCain by six points.
Health care is to Romney in the spring of 2010 what illegal immigration was to McCain in the summer of 2007. If Romney can find an issue that resonates with Republican voters and conservative activists, he could find himself back in the saddle. The thought of a Romney-Obama debate on economic and international affairs is downright tantalizing. It could be Reagan-Carter all over again. But Romney first needs to find his grasp.
About the Author
Aaron Goldstein writes from Boston, Massachusetts.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (106) | Leave a comment
More Articles by Aaron Goldstein
More Articles From Political Hay
http://spectator.org/archives/2010/04/13/is-romney-grasping-at-straws
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- The Demise of Money and Credit
- Razing Reagan
- Downton’s Class System — and Ours
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
H/T to National Review Online
ADVERTISEMENT
Yosemeti Sam| 4.13.10 @ 6:57AM
Romney - speculative good intentions won't cut it
on your resume regarding hope and change to Mass
health reform turned deform!
Just - go away!
Quartermaster| 4.13.10 @ 6:26PM
I remember Bush from the campaign in 1999-2000 and what was brought forward about his behavior as Texas Gov. Appointing liberals to state office is not the behavior of a conservative, yet he was able to pull the wool over Limbaugh's eyes, and we know how well that turned out.
Romney is no different. He is, however, more overt and has not been able to cover his tracks as well as Bush did. Romney is a Liberal Republican and his attempts to re-invent himself for the 2008 primaries didn't work. Romney needs to forget running for the Republican nomination in 2012. He'll be wearing Romneycare like the Albatross it is. I certainly won't forget.
Siegfried X| 4.13.10 @ 7:15AM
The RINO leadership rigged the rules to make sure that a left-wing Republican, either Giuliani or McCain won, and they could do the same thing this time around. It could be that a few weeks into primary season we are once again told that the votes of the first 10 states have decided everything, and so the rest of us in the other 40 states don't get to vote and don't matter.
loulou| 4.13.10 @ 10:00AM
The RINO establishment colluded with the Democrats to produce a loser of a GOP presidential candidate--McCain. A loser even more inept than Bobdole.
Melvin| 4.13.10 @ 7:47AM
No Romney, no Huckabee. Nothing personally against these guys but Mitt's Massachusetts Health Care stinks and is way too expensive.
Right now, we have a President, Congress, Senate and other Countries wanting to stop the living crap out of us because of what we represent and we don't have time to get into ecumenical/religious agrugments wtih these two right now.
Religious dialog is important, but right now it is not the time especially when Israel is getting to open up a can of whoop-ass on Iran.
mike ames| 4.13.10 @ 10:17AM
right on. No more phony republicans like romney. He is not a conservative, just another ego driven RINO with a forked tongue. and I mean NO RINOs, including opportunist Palin who chose to run with the king of the RINOs and then returns to the same vomit.
wodiej| 4.14.10 @ 8:37AM
Sarah Palin IS NOT A RINO! She had two choices-support McCain or Hayworth. Hayworth is a clown. She made it clear she did not agree w everything on the candidates she supported. But if they supported limited, small gov't and the other most important things, that was fine. If Palin is not conservative enough for you, then I doubt even God would meet with your approval. Perhaps it is her gender that is the problem.
Gatorgirl| 4.13.10 @ 8:02AM
Yosemite "Perot" you have forgotten Governor Romney's real "resume"
Some but not all of Gov. Mitt Romney's monumental acheivements which speak volumes to his character and fiscal prowess include:
In undegrad in college Romney was the Valedictorian fo his class at B.Y.U.
Romney then earned a double post graduate degree simultaneously earning an MBA and Law degree at Harvard and graduating Cum lade
Started Bain Capitol and made households names across America by reorganzing struggling companies such as Domino's Pizza, Office Depot and Staples.
Selflessly left there where he was comfortably making millions. moved his family and stepped up when his country called him to lead and rectify the massive debt in the U.S. Olympics in Salt Lake City in 2002, with a budget HOLE of $279 million dollars in the red and turned a profit there for 100 million under his leadership and with no breah in security right after 9-11, 2001.
Romney saw how badly his state in MA needed strong fiscal leadership, which had accumulated a gargantuan 3 billion dollar deficit, he ran as a Republican in state which is compromised of 85% Democrats and won, then as governor closed that massive 3 billion dollar debt working with a bi-partisan legislature with a majority of Democrats without rasing taxes and left the state with 1.3 million in the black. (for a comparison check out Calif = the new Greece). Then Romney was deservedly elected head of the RGA- Republican Governor's Association his final year as governor.
For these and other reasons the National Review Editorial Board endorsed Mitt Romney in the 2008 G.O.P. primary.
The U.S. would not be on the brink of financial disaster if moderate Republicans and evangelicals had rallied behind this intelligent man of integrity; a charismatic leader and with a family Norman Rockwell would dream of painting.
The last thing our party needs to do is join the New York Times and liberal media in their ABM Anybody But Mitt Campaign II and start undercutting the strongest most viable full spectrun conservative in 2012.
If as Republicans we make this mistake , & independents who imprudently supported Ross Perot, or nominate a weak nominee in 2008, we will surely suffer for another 4 years. America cannot afford that outcome.
As a staunch pro-life Catholic and Reagan conservative, I know Mitt Romney is our best shot against President Obama.
Mr Goldstein is right about one thing , a debate between Mitt Romney and Obama would be a Reagan V. Carter landslide.
I thank God for Romney's principled and selfless leadership thru the years. He has earned and deserves our support.
Ryan| 4.13.10 @ 8:26AM
Yay for Romney's campaign posting talking points!
Seriously, though, we HAVE to look at his record on health care in the light of what is going on right now, and add it to other issues - his campaign is rapidly becoming known as the "presumptive candidate" one (and had the problem in 2007); he was the governor of Massachusetts, which means that you are a moderate at best; his campaign is trying to "buy" elections, and it looks like they're out doing damage control already.
It all just smells funny.
Grzmlyk| 4.13.10 @ 8:49AM
Romneycare is a DISASTER.
Obama has made government controlled health care the major topic of debte in the country since 2008.
Therefore, despite the fact that Romney is a smart guy, despite the fact that he has a swell family, despite his amazingly presidential looks, he is also a poster child for the failure of government-run health care.
Yes, I'm aware of the political circumstances under which he toiled in Massachusetts, but that's no excuse for the monstrosity he foisted on both the state's taxpayers but the Federal government. After all, even though a surgeon might be operating under horrible conditions, if the patient dies, the patient dies.
Actually, I supported Romney before he wilted before the mediocrity of Huckabee.
As for McCain and his position on amnesty, I never forgave him and I never will. I was appalled that he won the nomination (but then after Dole got it in '96, nothing the GOP does has surprised me).
We must never Romney's failure with health care, even though he has. And, by the way, that failure to own up to it is just as disturbing as Romnycare itself. It's more typical of a political hack than a principled conservative leader.
Sorry. I think Romney's a gifted manager, but a mediocre politician. And the man is NOT a conservative LEADER. And THAT's what we need at the top of the ticket - above an impressive college resume, above the photogenic family, above the great hair.
Next!
Silver Streak| 4.13.10 @ 11:44AM
The ignorance of the Left is well known, but the ignorance of conservatives when it comes to Romneycare is amazing.
No one wanted socialized medical care but MA taxpayers were already footing the bill for the millions of dollars of reimbursements to hospitals in MA as a result of the illegals and other uninsured people using the emergency rooms. Something had to be done and Mitt found a way to involve the private sector, in contrast to Obamacare, which is a complete takeover of healthcare and your life.
The Federal reimbursement to MA by Medicaid helps balance the deficit of Romeycare and the control is at the state level, not the Federal. If you'd prefer a DC bureaucrat to manage your healthcare, the Obama's is the plan for you.
The cost of healthcare is driven by one major factor - lawsuits. Give the medical establishment tort protection and help stabilize these costs. Romney care was a stop-gap attempt to stabilize but in any government funded entitlement, it only gets bigger.
Grzmlyk| 4.13.10 @ 4:04PM
It's still a failure, and the use of emergency rooms has not fallen off one iota.
Stopgap measure? As Reagan said, the nearest thing to immortality on this planet is a government program.
Also, it's not lawsuits alone that are driving the cost of healthcare - it's also lack of portability across state lines, the construct of having employers supply it to employees for tax breaks (and its subsequent overuse by most of this population) as well as the fact that goverment increasingly ratchets up the procedures and conditions that companies must cover - all of which drives up premiums.
Besides, what ticks me off more than the fact that a supposed conservative foisted an utterly unsuccessful socialized healthcare system on the taxpayers of Mass - which drove premiums UP, not DOWN, is that he is trying to squirm out of it.
I understand that he was a Republican in one of the bluest of all states; but again, what we need is a CONSERVATIVE, not somebody who will implement LIBERAL LITE.
And to top it off, perception IS reality in politics. He can never, should never and will never cast aside that albatross.
Cris Worth| 4.13.10 @ 9:46AM
Romney does have an impressive business resume but he is a lousy politician. When you run for office you suppose to emphasize your strengths but in ‘08 Romney tried to convince us he was a social conservative yet his words and deeds over the years proved otherwise. Hence credibility gap amongst conservatives. Also his X factor issue (Mormonism) was improperly addressed diminishing evangelical support and losing big in the South. RomneyCare is the blue print for ObamaCare and you can't defend the indefensible.
loulou| 4.13.10 @ 9:57AM
No one is saying that Romney isn't smart. His problem is that he's a RINO. He couldn't win a primary last time even with millions of his personal fortune spent and his pretty boy plastic looks.
He better get the message, for the good of the party.
mike ames| 4.13.10 @ 10:20AM
with all these credentials one would think he would have avoided his bon a fides as a true RINO. Not to mention following the lunatic Joseph smith.
Dai Alanye | 4.13.10 @ 11:45AM
Remember the last time Americans (many of them, at least) voted for the "smart" candidate? November '08 I believe it was, and we're suffering under him now.
Romney lacks the common touch and doesn't have natural political talents. Everything about his runs for office have had a programmed feel. When Repubs vote for the likes of Huckabee and McCain in preference to the "smart" candidate it should tell all you need to know about Romney's electability.
The chances of Romney beating a Democrat for national office are near zero.
1FreeMan| 4.13.10 @ 11:45AM
Looks like the dumb-o-crats are not the only one paying shills to post here. Romney sided with the socialists. Period. All I need to know. He is not on the side of freedom no matter what his talking heads tell us.
Get lost RHINO. You are not the answer to this nations problems.
JimE| 4.13.10 @ 6:05PM
Gator,
You forgot his crowning achivement of health care in MA. Sorry no RINOs.
Curly Smith| 4.13.10 @ 8:20AM
"Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney... at the Southern Republican Leadership Council"
Can you say "Carpetbagger"?
If Romney wants to attend the NE Republican Leadership Council then well and good but I've always thought that the reason for multiple groups was to encourage real dialogue about the future of the Party and the Country. What's the point in having all of the same players show up at the different meetings with their same, tired GOP Establishment speeches? The same speeches and players that have brought us to where we are?
Yosemeti Sam| 4.13.10 @ 8:24AM
Yawn.
Becky| 4.13.10 @ 9:03AM
I don't see ObamaCare or RomneyCare fading in the next election. Sometimes you have to face facts like a man. Politicians are good at changing the subject, but not facing facts or understanding how data actually relates to human beings.
Funny how politicians cannot be sued for medical malpractice. Possibly if they could, they'd get out of the business.
I cannot see myself voting for Romney, couldn't last time based on his MassCare support. Both plans are basically the same concept: give everyone insurance by making those who don't want to buy it pay to subsidize those who have medical problems. I don't know how he can defend the plan based on Dems adding services (in vitro, etc.). Isn't he then participating in a form of rationing, determining what is medically needed? We do need more babies, at least replacement numbers. I thought a 12 year old boy died of an infected tooth a year or so ago, so dental care an also be argued as a medical necessity.
Doctor Right| 4.13.10 @ 9:29AM
Mitt Romney:
Solid (enough) Conservative.
REAL executive-level experience in Gov't.
Highly successful businessman who understands economics.
A decent, God-fearing family man.
Well spoken, understands the issues.
He'd probably make an excellent President.
Too bad he's not electable.
Don't get me wrong; I'd vote for him under the right circumstances.
But I think he lacks that "common touch" that will help him connect with average Americans. His tanned, well-groomed good looks, as well as his mannerisms and inflections just scream "Country Club Republican".
Do I think that's fair? No. He's not a Rockefeller, or a DuPont.
But unfortunately, he's no Reagan, either.
I doubt he'd ever be a Veep.
Secretary of the Treasury sounds about right for Mitt.
Grzmlyk| 4.13.10 @ 10:01AM
Well, Dr. Right, I agree that Romney would flourish in a cabinet position.
But I do NOT think he's a solid enough conservative. I think that, left to his own devices, he'd drift directly to the middle.
Sure, I'd vote for him if he were the nominee - I voted for McCain, too, but I had to shower several times right afterward (and I must never speak of what I had to do after voting for Dole in 96).
We need a nominee who has a stout rudder, not someone who will drift wherever the political winds take him or her.
dskfjs| 4.13.10 @ 10:13AM
Those attorneys who had been hired had actively opposed the Bush Administration's anti-terrorism policies, and several of them had advocated on behalf of terrorists housed at Guantanamo or in legal briefs to overturn Bush policies. Both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees had looked into Johnsen's behind the scenes activities and had confirmed that she had participated in the hiring of at least one senior attorney for OLC, according to a Senate Judiciary Committee staffer.
Alan Brooks| 4.13.10 @ 10:18AM
"But the former Massachusetts governor is a long way from grasping the brass ring of the GOP nomination."
Gosh, no kiddin'.
2 1/2 years.
chi| 4.13.10 @ 10:21AM
Come on, people, self promotion is as human as egotism (something we all share to some degree), and, in the case of name recognition, as important as eating. Can any of you name a single politician, writer, sports figure, actor or actress, media darling, and the like, chi straightener buy now who DIDN'T indulge in a bit of self-promotion?
George S| 4.13.10 @ 10:33AM
The Republican nominee would take a whole different look if New Hampshire didn't have open primaries to Democrats and Independents. That is what gave us McCain, along with his signature McCain- Feingold legislation that made it easy only for either a millionaire or an incumbent congressman to advance to the top due to cash flow restrictions to campaigns. Notice how three US Senators were in the final running for the presidency in 2008. Unheard of prior to McCain-Feingold.
Hopefully, today, with the SCOTUS lifing restrictions on advertising and issue advocacy by private groups, the money may start to flow where it will do the most good. And that money will do an about face when it smells the stench of socialized medicine on Romney's hands.
Think of who you would like to see getting the nomination. If people agree with you, there's no more McCain-Feingold to muzzle you. That will, I think, make the difference... but those Independents and Democrats in New Hampshire could put a RINO over the top because the money usually follows that state's winner as Giuliani and Thompson found out the hard way.
Tell the RNC to close the NH primary. That's a must if we are to avoid being a RINO's lunch once again.
Old Soldier| 4.13.10 @ 10:53AM
I have had the pleasure of voting for a Presidential candidate I actually liked exactly once - in 1984. Every time since, I have voted for the less objectionable candidate.
I have hopes for 2012, those hopes don't include a Rino like Romney.
Old Soldier| 4.13.10 @ 10:53AM
I have had the pleasure of voting for a Presidential candidate I actually liked exactly once - in 1984. Every time since, I have voted for the less objectionable candidate.
I have hopes for 2012, those hopes don't include a Rino like Romney.
David| 4.13.10 @ 11:18AM
I read that Romney actually paid people at the meeting to campaign for him and vote for him. There is no way with the mood of the country that Romney could win the repub nomination.
And yes, repub primaries should be open to only registered repubs. It's bad enough that we can exclude RINO's from the votes, but it makes no sense at all to allow democrats and independents to interview with getting the conservative candidates into the general election.
mike ames| 4.13.10 @ 11:25AM
The unspoken issue also regarding romney is his Mormonism. Many us question a man who could believe in such unhistoric ramblings of a cult leader like Smith. That is a reality no matter how nice his teeth and hair. The credibility of that "faith" is no greater than the scam of Scientology. I do not know what these evangelicals who support him were preaching but it isnt the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the vast majority of Christians would never align themselves with the "visions" of Joseph Smith.
David| 4.13.10 @ 11:55AM
Big time typos in my last post. It should read: It's bad enough that we CAN'T exclude RINO's from the vote, but it makes no sense at all to allow democrats and independents to interVENE with getting the conservative candidates into the general election.
Charles Martel| 4.13.10 @ 1:06PM
Romney for President? I'll keep my answer short because I'm busy today: No.
Will I have to bludgeon the GOP leadership with that "no" to make them understand? Probably: they're very, very stupid.
+++
Northern Rebel| 4.13.10 @ 1:07PM
The only way we can prevent the alphabet media, and the socialist-democrat party from choosing our nominee AGAIN, is to only let republicans vote in republican primaries.
Why bother joining a party, if anyone can come in and vote for the candidate most easily beaten?
Romney cannot win, and neither can Huckabee, so the media will be touting them, instead of: George Allen
Fred Thompson
Rik Santorum
Sarah Palin ( great VP candidate)
Haley Barbour
Bobby Jindal ( another great VP candidate)
Feel free to add any I've missed.
It's a sad twist of cruel fate that the most qualified man on Earth - Dick Cheney, has a bad ticker.
Maybe his daughter will run someday.
Howard Hirsch| 4.13.10 @ 1:10PM
We MUST have closed primaries in order to keep more disasters like McCain from taking place. We MUST stop awarding our nomination to whoever's "turn" it is (and if it's anyone's turn, it's Sarah Palin's, not Mitt Romney's).
Pawlenty, Daniels, Christie, Ryan, Cantor. Pick two.
Northern Rebel| 4.13.10 @ 1:42PM
I like Daniels, and prefer a governor, because they've actually run something.
I also left out Gingrich, who I love, and believe he is brilliant, but I can't shake those pictures of him on the couch with Pelosi, (talk about political porn) and Hillary.
I don't believe anyone else on your list has a chance, because nobody knows them.
There is still time for a PR campaign for all of them. Ryan is a rising star, and let's not overlook Mike Pence!
Siegfried X| 4.13.10 @ 3:13PM
" I can't shake those pictures of him on the couch with Pelosi"
That is the problem with Gingrich, that he's always had a split personality. One day he is a strong, free-market conservative. But the next day he will act like a RINO, talking like a Democrat and making commercials with Pelosi.
He also endorses and supports RINO candidates, the ones party establishment wants.
Dai Alanye | 4.13.10 @ 3:40PM
Gingrich is a useful idea man but not a sturdy leader. His caving to Clinton during the government shutdown crisis led to Slick Willy's second term.
Bruce | 4.13.10 @ 1:44PM
Judging by the comments of the dozen or so regulars here - we are doomed to suffer another 4 years of Zero, and probably continuing terms of socialists after that. When are people going to come to the realization that you can not POSSIBLY find every quality each individual wants in a single candidate? So Romney is a RINO; he's a Mormon; he's a "pretty boy"; he brought MassCare; he's this and he's that. Okay. He's also a superb manager. One thing he definitely has going for him, in my opinion, is he is NOT a "politician." I've had more than enough of that type, thank you very much. Say what you will about massCare - the difference is it was done by a state, as permitted under the Constitution, and was not a socialist/Marxist federal mandate we're stuck with now. People from mass are free to up and leave that state if they don't like it - under Obamacare we are all stuck with an unconstitutional mandate we can't escape.
I'm not crazy about Romney, personally. In fact I'm not crazy about any of the proposed candidates. They all have "failings" - ideas that are anathema to me. But on the whole, ANY of them are preferable to another Obama term and subsequent socialist presidents that will take this country even further into a third world-type sinkhole. People here are doing exactly what the donks want us to do - fight over picayune characteristics and further splinter the party so we can't rally around any candidate - thus assuring continued socialist/Marxist rule and diminishing influence of the United States.
Good work, folks - keep it up - and watch the country sink further into a version of Venezuela. Real smart.
Ryan| 4.13.10 @ 1:50PM
Romney's massCare is not a "picayune characteristic." It's essential to why we shouldn't support him.
Dai Alanye | 4.13.10 @ 3:43PM
Like it or not, you've got to be a "politician" to be elected.
And it would help if we actually knew what Romney believes. But we don't, because he's never been consistent about anything except his yearning for higher office.
iamse7en| 4.13.10 @ 1:48PM
Was a Romney supporter in '08 - attracted to his private sector experience and his defense of the free market - however health care has really damaged that.
Having studied the financial crisis in depth and studying the issues at length, I now support Ron Paul. I can't believe I disliked him so much during the primaries. He exactly predicted (as early as 2003) the housing boom and bust - and what that bust would do to the financial system. He has a 30 year record of consistent adherence to the constitution. He is the biggest proponent of free markets in all of Congress, and wants to bring the recession to government. I'm sold - Ron Paul is my man. I'm late to the game, but better late than never.
Mr. Mojo Risin| 4.13.10 @ 1:54PM
I like Romney, but his insistence Mass-Care is just peachy takes him out of the running, he's not good-to-go... Now if he would back-up and be as critical of (his) Mass-Care mess as he is of ObamaCare, he might be able to save his candidacy.
Oh yeah, those straw-poll results are not what I would be banking on. Ya might know all of Paul's devotees just happened to be in New Orleans for the week-end, funny how that happened...
David | 4.13.10 @ 2:21PM
Please consider the resumes of Mitch Daniels, current governor of Indiana, and Rick Santorum, former senator from PA. I believe both are presidential material.
Dai Alanye | 4.13.10 @ 3:45PM
I fully agree.
David| 4.13.10 @ 2:35PM
Bruce, your comments on Romney have zero credibility. Don't you recall during the last primary that one of the biggest criticisms was that he was the ultimate political because he flip-flopped or moderated his views on so many issues?
I used to believe that he was a good manager, but he can't run away from pushing Romneycare through. It is a disaster. So now I have doubts about his mgmt capabilities.
Yes, repubs can rally around a single candidate provided the candidate is a solid conservative, which Bush clearly was not.
Cheney would be my choice, but the major media would make certain that he would not win in the general election - with all their lies about Iraq, Halliburton, torture, etc., they would make sure he couldn't get elected.
No way Gingrich. He is a politician to the core: self-serving and opportunistic. Please, please get his name out of your minds. Just think about him and Pelosi on the park bench and his support of the global warming crap. The major media would do to him what they would do to Cheney.
GW| 4.13.10 @ 3:19PM
Everyone ripping into Romney here for being too moderate are the same people who voted for McCain in 2008. His health care debacle is Massachusetts aside, he is a solid fiscal conservative w/ a strong business background. Isn't that the beef we hear about Obama all day from conservative pundits? That O never ran a business, he "never made a payroll"? Sheesh, I swear Hannity has that cliche permanently drilled into his brain. The difference between ObamaCare and RomneyCare is that one is Unconstitutional (violates the Commerce clause) and one is not (can be applied to the 10th amendment). This doesn't mean I would ever want my home state to adopt RomneyCare, but if that is what Mass. residents wanted, then so be it (although it shouldn't be subsidized by the Fed. Gov't). But to think Romney would violate the Fed. Constitution and support a Fed. Socialistic medicine program ala Obama/Reid is just false. Romney may not be perfect, but he isn't a RINO, and he may be the best we get...
Siegfried X| 4.13.10 @ 3:58PM
I did not vote for McCain -- voted third party conservative instead. Voting for an Obama Republican is just as bad as voting for Obama himself.
In fact I won't vote for Romney (or Sarah Palin) because they were enthusiastic supporters of John McCain. That is one of my rules, my litmus tests that I apply to everyone.
David| 4.13.10 @ 3:50PM
GW, a question I asked earlier of other Romney defenders: "Don't you recall that during the last primary the biggest criticism of Romney was that he flip-flopped or moderated his positions on many of the issues between the time he was governor and when he became a candidate?
He may be a solid fiscal conservative, but he still did a terrible job of reforming the medical care system in MA. It is a disaster and it is broke. And he is no social conservative. We don't need that kind of BS getting elected to Congress or the White House. We need all-around solid conservatives.
Your way of thinking is why the voters ended up rejecting the repubs after a decade.
GW| 4.13.10 @ 8:57PM
Well, he seems pretty solid on fiscal and defense issues. The Mass. system is of course not great, and I'm not here to defend it. But there is a difference b/t a state (using the 10th amendment) to self-govern and a violation of the Commerce Clause that I don't think Romney would ever do.
But my way of thinking isn't why the voters rejected the repubs. Bush was a political liability for any Republican, and Reagan would have had a tough time winning in '08. Elections go in cycles. And I can go down the list of potential Repubs...Paul-no chance in h#ll...Palin-no chance...Pawlenty-what's he done...Huckabee-how many people have he pardoned...etc....
I don't know if anyone is the "perfect" candidate. Most politicians have to moderate some of their views to be electable, and where I am not defending Romney Care I'm not going to crucify Romney either.
Dai Alanye | 4.13.10 @ 3:50PM
"Romney may not be perfect, but he isn't a RINO"
In fact, we have little idea what Romney is because he attempts to tailor his political persona to whatever audience he thinks he's addressing.
And BTW, Obama pulled another one of his bows with China, and hugged another quasi-communist. There's something downright creepy about The One, and it makes me wish more than ever that we'd elected The Other One, no matter what a doofus he is.
GW| 4.13.10 @ 8:47PM
Good logic, Dai. Change the subject to Obama because you don't really have a good point on Romney...
Oldefarte| 4.13.10 @ 3:58PM
Aaron, I could agree with you more----Masscare will be the Republican kytonite around Romney's neck [even though his business credentials are outstanding]. The Republican Party needs a OUTSIDE THE BOX candidate, not an typical, rewashed type [ie Huckabee, Romney, Pawlenty,etc]. What's needed is a KICK-ARS type newcomer with the political guts to confront Obama and paint him for the radical liberal that he is. Does Sarah Palin possibly come to mind???????
Dave| 4.13.10 @ 4:13PM
It's been reported that the Bush family and political operation are lined-up behind Romney.
That's all I need to know in order to decide to avoid Romney like the plague.
maverick muse| 4.13.10 @ 4:24PM
Mass' MessCare aside, Romney's final potus campaign week (directing to promise anything it takes) dramatically exposed Romney's economic vision for jobs via same route Obama is taking, socialism, GOVERNMENT JOBS including government purchase of failing national industries.
AS IF by Romney doing it, that's just great. Only for neoconservative RINOs, not acceptable to Constitutional Conservatives.
It was the same with GWB twisting 9/11 into "requiring" a fascist DHS in order for government to function; as if an executive order demanding the FBI/CIA to effectively communicate in the Oval Office was not a possibility; as if by himself in charge, it was a trustworthy "solution" to the ever present problem in America with government employees refusing to complete their sworn Constitutional duties. Or recall GWB's last week in office executive ordering the job of the Sec./Treasury into the Czar of the American Economy beholden to no one, totally untouchable, placing the national treasury totally in the hands of the non-government Federal Reserve, Goldman Sachs, with no oversight by anyone, not Congress or anyone beyond the thieves Paulson and now Geithner. But since the neoconservative Republicans mutate our government to abort the Constitution, it's just fine and will be fine again to keep mutating the USA into authoritarian Marxism so long as its the "Republicans" in charge.
VOMIT.
Pingback| 4.13.10 @ 4:32PM
FamilyFoundationBlog.com » Blog Archive » Virginia News Stand: April 13, 2010 links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
maverick muse| 4.13.10 @ 4:41PM
Sarah Palin, nice as she may be, sold out to be the front for neoconservatives. She made that choice, and to date, has failed to dedicate herself to intense studies. As McCain's VP, Palin supported Gore's Global Warming as a scientific reality and supported McCain's immigration platform to provide illegal alien amnesty. That was then. This is now. She's cute with sound bites and might do well on FOX. But no way on earth would I vote for Palin on the potus ticket, or anything at this point. She is an extremely talented fund raiser with gullible people starving to trust a politician. But she chose to neglect her international affairs studies and Constitutional and even Economic studies. I don't want a neoconservative cheerleader for potus. And I supported Palin throughout her ordeals as McCain's running mate, as the media savaged her. And we bought and read her book. And therein, she may be a nice person. But in politics, she is nothing more than the content in her book. Whatever vision she had has mutated
Fred Thompson, hands down.
All the jerks jeering Fred for his maturity were rooting for Romney.
You don't have to guess where Fred stands on anything. You never did, anyway. It's the Constitution, stupid.
http://fredthompsonshow.com/stationfinder
David| 4.13.10 @ 4:49PM
Fred Thompson was my choice in the primary. He really never caught fire like I had known him to when in the senate.
After the primary, I asked a friend and fellow Thompson supporter if we might have been able to light the fire in his belly if all the conservatives who claimed to suppport him would have contributed a lousy $10 to him. I know I didn't and neither did my friend. Maybe the lack of money flowing in discouraged him. Of course, entering the race at such a late date didn't help him.
Gene Car| 4.14.10 @ 10:20AM
I would prefer to wait and see. It is true that Palin has some surprising things in her record, such as her strong record of bipartissanship with the Alaskan Democrats and refusal to recind the rights of gay couples in Alaska. But her record on industrial policy with the oil industry (pro-markets, not pro-Big Business) and fiscal policy were soundly conservative and showed a keen understanding of what Thomas Sowell calls 'basic economics'. He fiscal rectitude was also exemplary. Her attitude to climate change was also the stuff of common sense. If there is anthing it (and she was specptical) then we should transition to a 'renewables' ecoonomy. If there is nothing in it then we should transition to a renewables economy anyway, because fossil fuels are ultimately finite. In the meantime we have a transition to manage. I like Fred but unlike Fred there is no doubt that Sarah will cathch fire.
Boston12GS| 4.13.10 @ 5:19PM
As smart as he obviously is, Mitt comes across as severely mentally impaired every time he refuses to acknowledge the utter disaster that is Romneycare in MA. As a resident here I'm living the experience--my family health insurance costs were increased by 50% this past month, another $6,000 a year--and we make virtually NO USE of health care. Of course, Romneycare also makes high-deductible catastrophic insurance illegal in MA, so I have no option but to pay for one of the few "Cadillac plans" or go without and pay the fine. With two small kids, I'm loath to go without, but frankly the economics of carrying health insurance in this Commonwealth are simply crushing. So, sure, more poor will be covered with "free" health insurance, but what about those of us in the middle class who make just enough to get no subsidy but not enough to be able to pay for a $4,000-a-year deductible plan costing my family $18,000 a year?
Christopher Holland| 4.13.10 @ 10:25PM
Sure, Romneycare stinks like a dead fish - its a disaster. But even so, as long as Mitt Romney isn't caught in bed with a live boy or a dead girl, he comes out head and shoulders in front of Barack Obama, any day of the week.
If you don't like Mitt Romney, who do you propose instead? At the moment, I do not see much else on the horizon and in wars and in politics, you make do with what you have, not what you wish you had.
Jerome C. Borden| 4.14.10 @ 12:50AM
This "Health Care" thing is sucking the oxygen out. Romney has a huge Second Amendment problem that may have caused him to leave Utah where he ran (and rescued) the Winter Games but he allowed no gun lockers in a state loaded with CCW holders. In Massachusetts, he signed a gun control bill as bad as either the 1994 Assault Weapon Ban or California's SB-22 which was even worse. Ergo, Mitt is a Gun Grabber who doesn't believe in the Second Amendment.
Jordan| 4.14.10 @ 2:40AM
Wow. There sure are alot of nut cases on this site!
Blacque Jacques Shellacque| 4.14.10 @ 3:05AM
Not surprisingly, Romney's advisers are counting on health care fading into the background.
Well of course they are. Short attention spans aren't necessarily confined to liberals...
David| 4.14.10 @ 1:05PM
Chris Holland, do you bother to read the other posts? Other names are all over the place.
Jordan, we would love to take you at your word, but why don't you try being a little more specific moron.
Pingback| 4.14.10 @ 2:48PM
Ron Paul vs. Obama! links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Jim| 4.14.10 @ 3:33PM
Romney is a smooth talking career politician. Enough already.
jann| 4.14.10 @ 7:22PM
Oh Mitt, just by you being Mitt we'll just vote for ya!!! Gee isn't it your turn??? NOT! Are these guys smoking sumthin funny??? Your time is OVER! Where were you all this time while the Dims are destroying our country, not a PEEP. How arrogant can you get, gee who do you remind me of.................OBAMA! I hate to tell you but we are looking for some quality men and women to take over this mess you made, oh let me see who has been front and center in this fight for our country this whole time.......that's right Sarah Palin and who of all you old coots have supported her? Well I can only think of a few and if you think we haven't noticed you are delusional.
Steve| 4.14.10 @ 11:06PM
So who is conservative and can actually win independents because thus far we are playing the role of Democrats in 2002 and 2003-wanting to kick the President out with no candidate to get the job done. From some of the posts, it appears that anyone electable is a RINO (Huckabee/Romney/Gingrich(?)), those who are preferred repel moderates (ie. Palin/Santorum/Paul), and others are unknown to many Americans (Daniels/Pence). I don't think my father's health is going to survive 4 more years of Obama, so we'd better sort this out.
Steve| 4.14.10 @ 11:12PM
I made a mistake-I intended to put Gingrich with question mark in the 'repels moderates' category-he is most certainly a conservative.
Does Thune have a chance?
Mr. Reagan| 4.15.10 @ 9:38AM
Why are you "ultra-conservatives" posting anything on this forum when you can't or won't accurately portray Romney's record?
How are you any different from the liberal Democrats who have a political agenda? You are no different.
Furthermore, our fearless leader, GWB was supposed to be our model conservative and he got it very wrong. Where were YOU during the Bush years? Were you calling for his resignation because he wasn't "conservative" enough? No. You were drinking up the Bush kool aid (massive spending) in gallons, most likely.
The country is not going to elect a right-wing conservative like Grzmlyk and others want.
Do you hear this loud and clear? The American electorate is NOT going to elect a right-wing or ULTRA-conservative candidate in 2012. Please wake up so we can defeat Obama in 2012.
In fact, based on the very bad arguments of Republicans lately, the country may NEVER elect an ULTRA-conservative Republican ever again.
Most of you can't let go of the MSM's brain washing you got last cycle claiming that Romney's change on abortion, or even now you're buying into the liberal kool aid, that because Romney worked with Democrats in his state to create Commonwealth care, and solve for their time and circumstances, what amounted to health care reform, that such makes him unfit to be the Republican nominee or a candidate for President.
Are you freaking nuts?
Romney isn't proposing any changes in abortion and he's not proposing UNIVERSAL health care in the future!
Who is the best candidate that can ARGUE against Obama's universal health care, regardless of the failures of Masscare? Romney.
Perusing the boards and forums, I see a lot of ultra-conservative Republicans living out a fantasy in their minds that somehow, magically, Obama is going to lose in 2012, but they propose no viable candidate who can touch Obama.
Wake up right-wingers - you're not living in a Christian theocracy anymore. Presenting an ULTRA-conservative candidate to the country in 2012 will ENSURE Obama another 4 years in office.
Thune? Oh boy...more slumbering.
Learn this important distinction: we aren't looking for any other candidate except one that can DEFEAT OBAMA. Understand?
We need a REPUBLICAN candidate who can appeal to conservatives, independents and moderate Democrats.
Is it Palin? No.
Is it Huckabee? No.
Is it Gingrich? No.
Is it Pawlenty? No.
Is it Jindal? No.
Is it Thune? No.
is it Mitch Daniels? No.
When we think of THESE candidates we can certainly agree that any of them could be the Republican nominee but NONE OF THEM CAN BEAT Obama.
Romney has the greatest shot, BECAUSE OF HIS APPEAL TO INDEPENDENTS AND MODERATE DEMOCRATS, to win a general election against Obama.
No other Republican candidate has that appeal.
Romney 2012
John| 4.15.10 @ 9:42AM
"Romney has a huge Second Amendment problem that may have caused him to leave Utah where he ran (and rescued) the Winter Games but he allowed no gun lockers in a state loaded with CCW holders."
Actually, the NRA called Romney's compromise with Democrats in MA a net gain when he was Governor.
Clyde| 4.15.10 @ 9:46AM
"As smart as he obviously is, Mitt comes across as severely mentally impaired every time he refuses to acknowledge the utter disaster that is Romneycare in MA. As a resident here I'm living the experience--my family health insurance costs were increased by 50% this past month, another $6,000 a year--and we make virtually NO USE of health care."
Boston, are you as dumb as a stump?
Commonwwealth care has since been amended since Romney left your state.
Your new governor, Patrick and your Democratic legislature have increased your costs.
Pingback| 4.15.10 @ 5:30PM
Ron Paul vs. Obama! » » Trending North News Copy links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
Pingback| 4.17.10 @ 11:41AM
Virginia News Stand: April 13, 2010 « Economic Play Pin Statement links to this page. Here’s an excerpt:
fsdjk| 6.30.10 @ 11:40PM
beijing massage shanghai girl