Morning Examiner: Romney pulling away

washingtonexaminer.com ^ | 12/30/2011 | Conn Carroll

[TBBT]

Five polls of Iowa this week all show the same thing, Mitt Romney is either in first place, or gaining steam. The NBC News, Rasmussen Reports, Insider Advantage, and CNN polls all have Romney either in first or tied for first. The one poll that does not have Romney winning, the Public Policy Polling survey, shows Romney up 4 points from just two weeks ago.

And on the ground, ABC News is reporting the same trend:

Romney has been drawing crowds numbering in the hundreds wherever he goes.

They spilled out of a hotel ballroom in Davenport, Iowa on Tuesday night to hear his closing argument speech, they lined up at a coffee shop in Muscatine before the sun rose Wednesday morning to throw a couple questions his way and so many people — about 450 in all — showed up to a lunchtime meet-and-greet at a Clinton, Iowa deli yesterday that the campaign decided to stage an impromptu event with Romney at another restaurant across the street to accommodate the overflow. … Though political campaigns are notoriously expert at filling venues to create the appearance of a well-attended event, the growing fervor for Romney among the Iowans who are showing up to see him this week is palpable.

[Doc Savage]

I agree. And I’m a genius. I have a baseball cap that says it!

[CainConservative]

Weirdos, moderates and liberals are simply mobilizing behind Willard in Iowa and New Hampshire.

But no worry, folks. Conservatives will almost certainly find their guy by South Carolina.

Look, the SC winner will be our nominee as it’s been since 1980. The SC victor (NEWT) takes Florida and the entire SOUTH. Conservative Texas and the conservative portions of the MIDWEST fall in line, too. (That is what happens when we DON’T divide the Conservative/Tea party vote. It’s not rocket science as Rocket Scientist Cain would say. Speaking of my man Cain, why isn’t he endorsing Newt now? Or is he just waiting till SC????

OR we are so doooooooooooomed in 2012 and will just have to immediately regroup for the 2014 and and 2016 elections.

[angelcindy]

I don’t believe one of these polls..again it’s the media picking the nominee....

[GlockThe Vote]

LOL - this site is going to turn in to “Purists Conservatives for Obama” if Romney gets the nod.

Me - vote your heart in the primary -

A B O in the general.

[JediJones]

That 3rd party ticket Doug Schoen was discussing is called Americans Elect. Here is their site:

http://www.americanselect.org/

Not quite sure what it’s all about, but it sounded like the ticket would be open to Republicans or Democrats.

If Newt, Trump or Palin run as a 3rd party on any ticket I will definitely vote for them against Obama and Romney.

If Romney’s forced on us we definitely have to send the Republican elites a loud and clear message.

[heiss]

Newt has specific amnesty plan that would open can of worms. He joined every trendy liberal cause in the last 10 years before flipflopping.
He is not even in top 4 in Iowa and dropping like a stone everywhere.
People did like his record when they took a look. He has money, but so has Rick Perry. Both are finished. Neither could get even to VA ballot.Maybe they can run joint ticket in Mexico.

It is either a conservative, Santorum, or Romney.

Newt is centrist republican, just like Romney and is hanging there only to siphon votes off from a conservative.

[CainConservative]

"There’s no way I could vote for Romney in the general. I could stomach 4 more years of Obama rather than at 8 years of Obama-lite. The Republican E needs to realize the conservative base means business. Romney is being forced down America’s throat. If they don’t learn now, it will never end."

Amen, brother. THAT'S exactly where I'm at politically. Enough is enough.

[JediJones]

I just hope anyone voting for Romney because of electability takes into account a possible 3rd party revolt by conservatives or Tea Party people. If that happens, his electability will be even more of a myth than it is now.

[Washi]

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE God have Santroum and Bachmann realize on Tuesday that they need to drop out for the good of the conservative cause.

Santorum is polling ahead of the much less conservative Gingrich in Iowa.

Perhaps Gingrich should drop out and throw his support toward a real conservative. For the good of the conservative cause, of course.

[Proudcongal]

Isn’t there a dem out in New Mexico or somewhere that’s either planning to challenge Obama or run as a 3rd party? It would be interesting to see 4 tickets running this time. A third party liberal ticket to mess up Obama and a 3rd party conservative ticket to screw Romney (and win, of course!).

[CainConservative]

You don’t get it, dude. Obama-lite will never ever EVER beat Obama-real.

But thanks for playing.

[Proudcongal]

Santorum didn’t even try to get on the Virginia ballot. Don’t get me wrong, I like Santorum, but, remember, he lost his race in Pennsylvania and just isn’t a very strong candidate. He would do better as a VP choice and help carry PA in the general.

[JediJones]

Give up looking for your pure conservative. Santorum’s record is only now being examined and he’s been as squishy as any Republican. His conservative voting record is lower than Newt’s.

Newt didn’t “join every trendy liberal cause.” The only one you can say he considered is a free market-oriented cap and trade type of plan. Liberals hated what he was proposing, so it was a moderate position. He’s not proposing it now and the Congress can stop anything like that.

Newt is the most conservative candidate who can win, period.

[JediJones]

Gary Johnson is saying he’s going to probably run as a Libertarian. I don’t think he can gain traction. Just a bad candidate. Ron Paul ought to just switch to Libertarian and be honest. No idea how a 4-way race between Obama, Paul, Romney and Newt would go but it’d be interesting, LOL.

[Ranjit]

we might not agree with Romney, but dragging his mormon issue is too much ! I am so tired of you guys whining for 6 months ! He is winning because, we conservatives cannot make up our mind or could not persuade winnable conservative candidates like Paul Ryan or Rubio or Bobby Jindal !Atleast let us pressure Romney for a nice VP !

[JediJones]

Based on what Rush has said, it sounds like the Republican elite has written off beating Obama. They think he’s unbeatable. They want Romney because he’s perceived as a better fundraiser than Newt who can better support the House/Senate races. I don’t get the logic myself.

They don’t understand their base, that’s for sure. They think we’re going to vote Republican NO MATTER WHAT, so they have us and need to pick a candidate who pulls in moderates. The Tea Party needs to continue and teach them otherwise. If Romney is the nominee, we need to send them a message with a 3rd party campaign. Taking back the Republican party for perpetuity is more valuable than a neverending sting of far-left Democrats and center-left Republicans in the presidency.

[GlockThe Vote]

And who can? Newt? Newt is Obama-fat.

I am long over any great expectations for this election.

4 more years of Obama = 4 more years of holder, 2 more kagans, 4 more years of economic collapse, 4 more years of treason, etc.

I am A B O in the GE. The GOP could run Mumia Abu Jamal / Bernie Madoff over Obama an i would vote out obama.

[Proudcongal]

Newt forced Clinton of all people to go with the conservative agenda, balancing the budget and welfare reform. This is a guy that can get things done. No other Republican candidate could accomplish that, I’m sure.

[rbmillerjr]

Actually Gingrich Conservative voting record is higher than Santorum.

...and http://www.realclearpolitics.com/docs/2011/InsiderAdv_Iowa_1229.pdf

Looks like it is Gingrich surging in Iowa now.

Mittens 17
Gingrich 16.7

[Oceander]

could not persuade winnable conservative candidates like Paul Ryan or Rubio or Bobby Jindal !Atleast let us pressure Romney for a nice VP !

Missing from that list of overlooked, snubbed possibilities is one of the actual candidates for the nomination who has a very strong, solidly conservative (even if not up to the high standards of the purity fairies), 10-year record of actual governance and a really good record of winning elections. Conservatives do not seem to want a truly electable candidate even when they've got one who's actually running for the position.



As for pleading with Romney for a "nice VP" - you might as well plead with the captain of the Titanic for a deck chair with a better view of the iceberg, or with a guard at a concentration camp for a cleaner pair of undies to wear into the gas chamber (hyperbole drives the point home, which is why it's supposed to be emotionally charged).

If Romney is to be the captain to complete the sinking of the American ship of state, then perhaps he'd do us the favor of picking a VP who is at least nice on the eyes: