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The Spectacle Blog
One of the things that hurt Mitt Romney in the 2008 election was that he managed to be the most disliked candidate among his rivals, who were agitated not only that he reversed himself on a number of positions, but that he then attacked them for being insufficiently conservative on those very issues on which he just reversed himself. As the primaries wore on, Mike Huckabee and John McCain formed an unspoken alliance to deliver a one-two punch against Romney, defeating him in Iowa and New Hampshire. As I reported at the time from a Huckabee event in Iowa just days before the Iowa caucuses:
In another example of the emerging everybody vs. Romney dynamic of the race, Huckabee came to the defense of John McCain, who has been trading barbs with Romney in New Hampshire over an attack ad. “John McCain is a true, honest to god, American hero,” Huckabee said.
Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani, whose campaign was generally trigger shy about attacking his rivals, reserved his harshest criticism for Romney, who he accused of running a “sanctuary mansion” by hiring illegal immigrants to mow his lawn. “Mitt generally criticizes people in a situation in which he’s had by far the worst record,” Giuliani remarked in that debate. When Giuliani dropped out of the race after losing Florida, he quickly endorsed McCain, providing him a boost heading into Super Tuesday the following week, which ended Romney’s candidacy.
With all of this as prologue, it’s been interesting to see Romney work to repair relationships with his rivals. He not only campaigned for McCain during the general election in 2008, but he has endorsed him in the Arizona Senate primary.
Yesterday, in a USA Today op-ed criticizing Obama’s handling of the BP oil spill, Romney slipped in the following two paragraphs:
We saw leadership on Sept. 11, 2001. Then as now, black billows seemed to come from the center of the earth. Lives had been lost. The environmental impact was immeasurable. The looming economic impact from lost tourism was incalculable. Into the crisis walked Rudy Giuliani. While that was an incomparable human tragedy, how the mayor led New York City to recover is a useful model for the president.
Rudy camped out at Ground Zero - he didn’t hole up in his office or retreat to his residence. His presence not only reassured the people of New York that someone was in charge, it also enabled the mayor to assess the situation firsthand, to take the measure of the people he had on the ground, and to understand the scope of the crisis.
Later in the same piece, Romney writes that, “The president can learn a good deal from the crisis leadership of men and women in government and in business. Giuliani is a notable example, but so too are Washington, Adams, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Eisenhower, Reagan and Kennedy.”
View all comments (26) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/06/11/why-is-mitt-flattering-rudy
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Cris Worth| 6.12.10 @ 3:15AM
McCain and Huckabee also teamed up in West Virginia at the start of Super Tuesday. Romney won the first vote but only a plurality. McCain's people then threw their support to Huckabee who won more than 50% of the vote hence claiming all delegates beginning a very bad day for Romney and ending with defeat in California.
Ronald Reagan| 6.12.10 @ 10:03AM
Serious Mr Klein? You can't "figure out" why Mitt Romney is flattering Rudy Guiliani over his quick and positive response to the 911 attacks?
You can't understand why Romney would want to draw a distinction between a Republican leader handling a crisis and how Obama is handling the oil crisis in the gulf?
It would seem, that the articles at American Spectator are becoming more and more unintelligible, in my opinion.
Margie| 6.12.10 @ 11:32AM
Mr. Reagan,
With all due respect, I believe Mr. Klein is suggesting the possibility of some political maneuvering on Romney's part.. perhaps?
Cris Worth| 6.12.10 @ 12:05PM
Things are falling into place for Romney. He is reaching out to former adversaries...campaigning for McCain, etc. He won a favorability poll amongst Iowa Republicans; the current administration is a shambles losing support from hard core party members with Independents gone already. Romney is perceived as financially competent a big plus with a weak economy and the GOP has a history of giving their losers a second chance, Reagan for instance in 76-80 and McCain a more recent example 00-08. Even Tea Party favorite Sarah Palin has a friendly dialog with Romney and is opened to joining him on a ticket.
Spicy Joker| 6.12.10 @ 12:36PM
Twit Romney knows he can't win because he's unexciting, insincere, and contrived. Nobody is banging down Romney's door to get him to run for President. As a result, he has dipped into his family fortune to bribe Hugh Hewitt and other "conservative" talk radio hosts into whoring for him.
Oldefarte| 6.13.10 @ 10:51AM
After a year plus of Barry & Crew, the majority of voters would get down on their knees and bed Romney [McCain, W, or any SANE individual] to run/be president!!!!!
Oldefarte| 6.13.10 @ 10:52AM
BEG not BED-----sorry!!!!
Joanie| 6.13.10 @ 12:54PM
Get your mind out of the gutter, Oldefarter.
Forget RINO Romney, he the creator of RomneyCare.
JonH| 6.19.10 @ 11:54PM
Joanie, Joanie, Joanie,
Do you live in New Zealand or some place like Madagascar?
You are so out of touch....Rino...Romney?
The Pew Research survey indicated that the most conservative of conservatives groups are Mormons. Between that fact and the fact that any republican politican from MA has to come across as a moderate to get anywhere, you have to think twice. If you don't know the political and party demographics of the state of MA it's REAL EASY to think all republicans from MA are Rinos. Try and put the pieces together once you've gathered enough information about Romney and where he's from geographically (MA) and his deepest philosophical core.
Most Republicans have done that....that's why they are getting behind Mitt Romney now. A little something to help you out.....would the Reagan Presidential Library invite a Rino to speak at their most prestigious annual speaking event recently? Go and watch the event online: http://mittromneycentral.com/2.....e-webcast/ .
Oldefarte| 6.12.10 @ 4:18PM
The President does not know how to lead, since he has zero professional experience in doing so. A community orginizer isn't required to lead, only to organize. A lawyer-senator isn't either, only to research legal theory and to file lawsuits/bills. He did what comes naturally previously.....he sent his Attorney General to Louisiana in order to determine if a lawsuit should be filed. That won't solve the problem, and this President is simply out of his element and completely inept/inexperienced at managing/administering [which is what his job entails]!!!!!!!!!!!
Sarah Palin| 6.12.10 @ 6:22PM
Spicey joker has a very vivid imagination.
Joanie| 6.13.10 @ 12:55PM
Spicy has balls, too, Sarah--just like you!
adidas outlet | 6.13.10 @ 2:24AM
i like this article
Wally| 6.15.10 @ 1:28AM
Everyone knows Independents elected Obama, Margie. Everyone but you. Get your head out of your butt and get a clue.
Margie| 6.13.10 @ 5:05PM
Olefarte,
I wish you were right, but from what I've seen, the Paul-bot Libertarians and Paleo-cons will not cast their votes for anyone they don't consider "conservative" enough, or "true" conservatives. While they yell "RINO!" they wouldn't even vote for McCain/Palin. If Sarah Palin being on the ticket isn't enough for them, what does it prove?
That Liberalism is a mental disorder. Libertarianism is Liberalism under the cloak of conservatism, and unless the candidate is one of theirs, specifically a Paul candidate, they will not vote. They'd just as soon write in their brother-in-laws.
They are like robots, thus~Paul-bots. Unable to understand anything other than their own flawed psychology, they will continue on the side of insanity~ helping to reelect Obama. All for the sake of their "principles", of course.
Wally| 6.13.10 @ 11:42PM
Margie, you need to check yourself into the funny farm. You're a robotic Biblebot and a lazy thinker.
In short, you bore.
Margie| 6.14.10 @ 9:39AM
What a boring response.
Wally| 6.14.10 @ 6:25PM
Margie's a bitch, a useful boring bitch.
Margie| 6.14.10 @ 9:49PM
I suspect Wally fits the profile of my original post. Hey Wally boy, who'd ya vote for in the Oresidential election? Did ya write in your Uncle Toddard's name on the ballot?
Wally| 6.15.10 @ 1:26AM
Oresidential election? You're losing it, Margie; you can't even read your foam-flecked computer screen anymore.
Better dial it back, you look like a fool.
Margie| 6.15.10 @ 10:21AM
Typical Liberal! Make an issue about a typo. You're so very deep with your argumentation, there Wally, with the name calling and insulting. But I understand that's all you're capable of. Pity.
Name one thing that isn't true in my original post. Oh never mind, Liberals hate the truth. Now I think I hear Wally World calling for you, better get a move on!
Wally| 6.15.10 @ 1:29PM
You'd know something about hurling insults, Margie.
The Bible doesn't like hypocrites, of course, you only quote the bible when it suits you--think about it.
Hypocrite.
Margie| 6.15.10 @ 6:03PM
Still haven't said a thing as to whether or not what I said in my original post is true or not. You're not interested in reality~ you've got an agenda, and it's trying to discredit me.
It won't work though, and you're just angry and hide behind "Wally". Easy to take shots that way, isn't it? Coward.
Wally| 6.15.10 @ 11:19PM
You flatter yourself, Margie--and you project, too. You're a lazy, narrow-minded Bible Beater who angrily spouts Biblical passages instead of thinking for yourself.
Pride goeth before the fall, Margie--just ask Lucifer; you're arrogant and a little humility would go a long way for you. Try it.
JonH| 6.19.10 @ 11:26PM
Romney is all about competency. He has high standards, high quality acheivements. He didn't just give credit where credit was due, he was pointing out that our inexperienced, current boy
president had examples of leadership to look at. Pres. Obama didn't do the textbook leadership thing. Neither did he SEE the examples before him.
It wasn't a "kiss-up" thing, it was a simple textbook thing that you and the PROTUS didn't see. Mr. Klein how'd you get the job at AS anyway?