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Column: Republicans insane to think Romney should run again
The Salem News ^ | September 2, 2014 | Jeff Crouere

Posted on 09/03/2014 1:53:57 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet

Definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

— Albert Einstein

Unbelievably, the drumbeat has begun for former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney to run for president a third time. The man who lost twice for president is now being encouraged by many party leaders to give it another try.

Congressman Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, recently told MSNBC, “I think he’s proven right on a lot of stuff. I happen to be in the camp that thinks he’s actually going to run, and I think he will be the next president of the United States.”

Chaffetz is not alone; commentator Ann Coulter, Internet titan Matt Drudge and many others are on board the Romney 2016 bandwagon. In addition, Congressman Paul Ryan, R-Wis., Romney’s running mate in 2012, told reporters last week that he would “love to see Mitt Romney run for president again.”

Romney is the darling of the establishment wing of the party. He is a moderate from the Northeast who is not known for strong positions on social issues. For example, he has changed his stance on gay marriage and abortion multiple times.

While he is for a secure border and opposed to amnesty, he is the worst possible candidate to address the dangers of socialized medicine. As governor, Romney championed a Massachusetts version of government-operated healthcare. President Barack Obama used Romney’s plan as a model for the disastrous Affordable Care Act that was foisted on the American people.

Even with all of his baggage, Romney was positioned to defeat Obama in the last election. He won the first debate and needed strong performances in the final two outings to seal the deal with the American people.

Instead, he listened to his advisers and played it safe. The result is that Romney missed many opportunities to blast the president on the Benghazi terrorist attack and wound up agreeing with Obama on a number of issues.

In the last election, his comments on the “47 percent” of Americans on government assistance and his remarks about “binders full of women” were manipulated by the media and misinterpreted by voters.

His successful background as a Bain Capital executive was easy fodder for Democrats to attack him as a rich, heartless businessman. Sadly, his leadership position in the Mormon Church was an issue for some evangelical Christian voters who were not comfortable supporting a candidate who did not share their religious faith.

For reasons both fair and unfair, Romney was not a particularly good presidential candidate in two nationwide elections. Despite this track record, insiders in the Republican Party are obviously in love with the idea of another Romney campaign. According to Ryan, he should run because “the third time’s the charm.”

Fortunately, Romney has not taken the bait so far. He has been adamant that he is not running again. Hopefully, he will continue to hold off these misguided requests and spend his time supporting good GOP candidates across the country.

Romney can certainly play a role as a fundraiser. He should be a respected elder statesman but not subject the Republican Party or the country to another presidential campaign.

The bottom line is that Romney cannot win. He does not unite the wings of the Republican Party and is not an effective candidate to reach independent voters.

Like moderate presidential candidates Gerald Ford, George H. W. Bush, Bob Dole and John McCain, Mitt Romney was unable to win, even after two attempts.

Now, it is time for the Republican Party to start a new chapter and nominate a reliable conservative who can articulate a positive message to the American people. This type of candidate can win in 2016. Clearly, Romney cannot.


TOPICS: Campaign News; Issues; Parties; State and Local
KEYWORDS: 2016; coulter; gop; romney; uniparty
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To: Texicanus

I am liking Cruz so far, but it’s early...


121 posted on 09/03/2014 11:50:28 PM PDT by Cold Heat (Have you reached your breaking point yet? If not now....then when?)
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To: Cold Heat

“I am liking Cruz so far, but it’s early...”

Cruz is certainly one of the new breed of conservatives. He appears to be very conservative and politically smart. He knows the constitution backward and forward and is for limited government and terms for politicians.

The media, GOP-e, and other liberals don’t much like him and his ideas for government. They looking for every opportunity to degrade and “Palinize” him. To me, this is a good indicator that he is a bonafide conservative they fear. He has a large following here in Texas.

As such, I’m watching him closely too. He might be the one.


122 posted on 09/04/2014 12:23:18 AM PDT by Texicanus (Texas, it's a whole 'nother country.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

I actually worked on the Romney campaign. I sent money. I cheered when he had his one good showing against Obama in that one debate. And then . . . Mittens folded.

F*** Mittens. Anyone who ever voted for that man would be an idiot. We have to have someone with the fire in the belly to go the distance.


123 posted on 09/04/2014 12:27:18 AM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert (FUBO, and the useful idiots you rode in on!)
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To: Cold Heat

I am liking Cruz so far, but it’s early...

* * *

I like Cruz, but it’s early days yet. He’s very stiff in his demeanor, and so much of politics these days is a big popularity contest (it’s like electing Prom queen!!!). Cruz needs to learn to loosen up and charm the great unwashed electorate.


124 posted on 09/04/2014 12:29:30 AM PDT by Hetty_Fauxvert (FUBO, and the useful idiots you rode in on!)
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To: Hetty_Fauxvert

125 posted on 09/04/2014 12:30:39 AM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet (The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

It’s too early. I guess (because I don’t watch them) the RINO talking heads are playing it like football and they are just going after someone whom they think can “win.” They don’t give a second thought to governing; it’s only about their team in power, thus they in power.

However, now is the time for conservatives to attempt to fight our losing battle against the media and reach the American people with what true American freedom entails and needs. Which, leaderless, we will once more fail at. The media OWNS us. Our candidate will show up at the stupid debates moderated wholly by liberals. They will define the race and our candidates. In our open primaries they will choose our nominee.

Unless we can get a few self sacrificing leaders, we don’t ever stand a chance.

One other way is if another few thousand Americans are killed by an attack that Obama could have prevented. But I don’t want to think about that because that wouldn’t be worth it.

All we need is one person with power and money to not care about his personal future and give all he’s got to inform and lead the American people, all Americans.

We won’t get one.


126 posted on 09/04/2014 12:30:56 AM PDT by Yaelle
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To: hadaclueonce
Amen from my dog.

Seamus Romney would agree.


127 posted on 09/04/2014 12:48:47 AM PDT by cynwoody
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To: EandH Dad
If I can’t vote for someone I will vote against someone else but I will not stay home and pout like a baby because my perfect candidate didn’t make the finals.

Well said!

128 posted on 09/04/2014 12:57:20 AM PDT by cynwoody
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To: Cold Heat

You lie even to yourself, and you lie repeatedly on this thread, Romney is liberal like no republican at that level that we have ever seen, and has been all of his life, and since you can’t challenge that directly, you try to pretend that he only became liberal as a one term failed governor of Mass., in this post you pretend that you were being challenged for calling him conservative, you don’t appear to have any relationship with honesty.

We do know how Romney would govern if he got the chance, because he did win an election once, and it was as the 4th republican governor in a row, in Mass.

Romney left the party because of Reagan, was anti-Reagan/Bush, despised Reagan, and Senator Helms, and was against the Contract with America, and the most passionate pro-abortion republican that we have ever seen, and was for gay scout leaders and a homosexualized military before everyone, he became a democrat donor and fundraiser, and voter and didn’t rejoin the GOP until October of 1993.

Yet as a con man, you pretend that he had to fake some liberalism after he rejected running for governor of Utah, and decided to run in Mass. in 2002 instead, because it fit his politics better.


129 posted on 09/04/2014 7:23:11 AM PDT by ansel12 (LEGAL immigrants, 30 million 1980-2012, continues to remake the nation's electorate for democrats)
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To: cynwoody; EandH Dad; All
Except there's no such thing as voting "against," cynwoody.

Like you, I've been voting AGAINST leftists for 35 years. And all I've gotten is MORE LEFTISM. I finally figured it out -- it's because there's no such thing as voting against.

As long as you guys think you can vote "against," you are as USELESS as the "babies" you rail about staying home and "pouting."

The STUPID PARTY -- made up of people who will vote FOR leftists while telling themselves they're voting "against" leftism.

130 posted on 09/04/2014 8:55:07 AM PDT by Finny (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. -- Psalm 119:105)
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To: RitaOK
In 2008, the Republicans nominated RINO McCain. Lots of conservatives stayed home. Obama got elected. But we sure showed them!

In 2012, the Republicans nominated RINO Romney. Lots of conservatives stayed home. Obama got re-elected. But we sure showed them again!

In 2016, I hope and pray that the Republicans do not nominate another RINO. I will do everything that I can in the primaries to prevent that from happening and hope everyone else does as well. If the Republicans nominate another RINO, lots of conservatives will stay home and whoever the Democrat is will get elected. But we sure will show them!

Frankly, one more "we sure showed them" and our country is finished. We cannot survive another 4 to 8 years of left wing Democrat control. The judicial appointments alone will be the death of us.

We MIGHT survive 4 years of RINO control. Do I want that to happen? Hell no! Can we survive it? Maybe. I will choose the possibility of survival over certain death.

So go ahead and commit suicide if a RINO is nominated. I will try and stay alive a little longer on life support and keep working on a cure.

131 posted on 09/04/2014 2:16:42 PM PDT by Bubba_Leroy (The Obamanation Continues)
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To: Bubba_Leroy

Everything you say is true, but I would end those perfectly accurate phrases that you posed differently. I would put the blame where it belongs, ie., on the UniParty Establishment, and the voters who prop their self interests up.

I would take a look at your own ridiculous voting habits. As long as you feed the beast, nothing changes.

If this is an experiment, something better give this presidential cycle or else a couple of things could happen. Libertarians may run over their @$$es, and conservatives will leave the R’s and fight inside the Independent Party.

But if they can continue to put up these losers, time after time, then conservatives can reject them time after time.

Admittedly, not everyone who is Republican is a conservative. Resistance is hard, risky, pricey and scary, but it has to be done. Conservatives are resisting.


132 posted on 09/04/2014 5:51:48 PM PDT by RitaOK ( VIVA CRISTO REY / Public education is the farm team for more Marxists coming.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet

133 posted on 09/06/2014 10:33:36 AM PDT by COBOL2Java (I'm a Christian, pro-life, pro-gun, Reaganite. The GOP hates me. Why should I vote for them?)
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To: Cold Heat

The comparison would be that an out-of-touch, slightly goofy candidate runs for President twice and loses. Romney’s lost one time, if he gets the nomination, there’s a very good chance he’ll lose again. Romney also comes off as a decent man, but weak and lacking passion. Adlai may have Mitt (what is it with these names?) on rhetoric. Can you remember one thing Romney has said?


134 posted on 09/11/2014 10:40:11 AM PDT by Jabba the Nutt (You can have a free country or government schools. Choose one.)
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To: Jabba the Nutt

Actually, having given it some thought, I cannot recall anything that any of the last two slates of potential candidates have said...going back to Bush’s 1st term election.(Romney included)

I don’t know if it is the unwillingness to be subjected to character assassination, or that the GOP cannot get it’s act together, but whatever it is, it’s been lackluster elections for some time now.(which we lost)

I think perhaps that the term “partisan red meat” has not applied to a GOP election in recent memory, and it’s probably due to a majority liberalized electorate. They are trying to appeal to both sides of the divide, and thus they loose their base.

Until that changes, I assume it will remain true in the next election. (as demonstrated by GOP based attacks on the Tea Party)

So color me uninspired. But it’s early...


135 posted on 09/11/2014 12:20:48 PM PDT by Cold Heat (Have you reached your breaking point yet? If not now....then when?)
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