Romney, Outsmarted: ObamaCare dashed Romney's presidential hopes before he's even announced

The Wall Street Journal ^ | March 31, 2010 | Allysia Finley

[2ndDivisionVet]

Mitt Romney may end up being the biggest GOP casualty of ObamaCare -- his 2012 presidential hopes dashed before he's even announced a bid.

Mr. Romney has continued vociferously campaigning against ObamaCare even while defending a very similar universal health-care plan he signed into law as Massachusetts's governor in 2006. Last week, he inveighed on the National Review blog that "President Obama has betrayed his oath to the nation . . . . he has succumbed to the lowest denominator of incumbent power: justifying the means by extolling the ends."

Critically, Republicans need to win the presidency in order to have any shot at repealing ObamaCare, as many GOPers insist should be the goal. Imagine Mr. Romney trying to carry this banner in 2012 in a debate with fellow GOP primary opponents. His Republican rivals would get plenty of mileage from a quote by MIT's Jonathan Gruber, a former Romney adviser who bragged that ObamaCare would never have happened if Mr. Romney hadn't made "the decision in 2005 to go for it. He is in many ways the intellectual father of national health reform."

Mr. Romney has been frantically trying to distinguish the bills to conservatives. At Iowa State on Monday he claimed: "We solved our problem at the state level. Like it or not, it was a state solution." In Chicago last week, he said: "Our bill was carried out in a bipartisan basis." Judging by the questions he gets from audiences, voters aren't buying it. The Club for Growth has gone so far as to say that Mr. Romney's "in the wrong party."(continued)

[Allegra]

Hmmm...something good comes out of this travesty...

[Waryone]

“Yes we it passed in Massachusetts. I wasn't just in favor of it. I bought the phony statistics and liberal promises big time. I was totally in favor it. I pushed for it... and boy, was I wrong. It was and is a disaster. Other than obamacare, it's the worst healthcare mistake America ever made. It was the worst, most wrong, most foolish decision of my life. I thought it might work. We didn't know better.

Mitt Romney probably can't and won't do this because this is precisely what his father did with the Viet Nam war and he lost big time. It seems because of his father's situation, Mittens has never been able to admit he has gotten anything wrong. Because to do what you have said would mean he would have to admit he was "brainwashed" just like his dad.

[MindBender26]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

I have never posted that.

The reality that FR was so good that the Left felt they needed to co-opt it is rather obvious, but I have no idea where you got that quote.

[MindBender26]

The other reality is that Conservatives had better not repeat the mistakes of the past in 2010 and 2012.

The real battles will be waged in the Primaries, not the Generals.

All too often we do little to ensure the Conservative candidate is nominated, then complain that the candidate that is nominated is too liberal. Let's get off out butts now. Conservative candidates cannot win unless they are on the mainline ballot. 3d parties are a worthless dream. They only split the vote and allow the Dem in.

We need to work TODAY to get the Conservative nominated, not cry about who is. If Romney is nominated, he will be better than whoever the Dems run.... and he will be OUR fault!

[SoConPubbie]

We need to work TODAY to get the Conservative nominated, not cry about who is. If Romney is nominated, he will be better than whoever the Dems run.... and he will be OUR fault!

I agree, except for the Romney part.

As proof I offer this: if McCain had won the election, would we have seen the Tea Parties?

If McCain had won the election, would we have gotten some sort of Universal Healthcare solution? Probably; it wouldn't have been as bad as Obamas, but it would have happened because McCain believes in compromising principles and big-government solutions. It would have further destroyed the GOP and enabled the Democrats/RINOs to move the US to the left for years to come with no organized fight from groups like the Tea Parties because it originated from the GOP.

If McCain had won the election, I can garantee he would have gotten Amnesty. The result being the complete disintegration of the GOP as the Independents, conservatives and small "l" libertarians left the party. Instead, Obama and team, with the help of the RINOs will attempt to push that through now with the result of further alienating independents, Republicans, and even some Democrats from the Demcrats and increasing our margin of victory come this November. Furthermore, we will get the added benefit of further cleansing the party of more RINOs come November because of their treacherous behavior on this issue.

If McCain had won in November, he would have been able to pass Cap-and-Trade, which he supported. Another nail in the coffin for the GOP because it would have originated with the GOP. Instead, Zero, the Democrats, and some RINOs will attempt to push this through once again alienating more of various voting groups.

Those are just some of the issues that are important today.

Mitt is the 2012 model of McCain. He believes almost totally in everything McCain believes in. A Myth Romney presidency would be just as devasting to the GOP, as shown also by his Governership and the devasting hit the MA GOP took, as a potential McCain Presidency would have been.

No Mitt, No Way, No How, Notever!

Not in the Primary, Not in the General.

[SoConPubbie]

I have no idea what you are talking about.

Sorry, I meant that post for Whitedog57

He's the one that posted that loser post!

[LibLieSlayer]

Now that’s funny!

LLS

[MindBender26]

Great.

You just agreed to help elect Obama again if Conservatives fail to make their case and Romney is nominated.

No wonder the libs laugh at us.

[MindBender26]

However, he did raise two important issues.

This place does now have, because of its success in years past, many quiet but effettive trolls.

This site has taken on an anti-Romney tone far beyond its called for importance. FR is using anti-Romney spots in some of its largest donation-generating efforts. Why is that? How about taking on Pelosi, Obama, Sharpton, etc.

[o2bfree]

Why not Bob McDonnell, or Chris Christie.

[GlockThe Vote]

I am still hoping Thune jumps in.

[MindBender26]

He believes almost totally in everything McCain believes in

The problem is, so does most of America.

When FReepers such as you spend most of your time telling us why various Rs are no good, but do not offer or work for viable alternatives, FR becomes part of the problem, not part of the solution.

[Diogenesis]

MindBender26 (RomneyBOT defending the indefensible):
“When FReepers such as you spend most of your time telling us
why various Rs are no good, but do not offer or work for viable alternatives,
FR becomes part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

When will Mitt Romney be a Man and Take Ownership
for TeamRomney's Attacks on Gov. Palin

Late in October, The American Spectator's The Prowler revealed:
"Former Mitt Romney presidential campaign staffers…
have been involved in spreading anti-Palin spin to reporters, seeking to diminish her standing after the election.
'Sarah Palin is a lightweight, she won't be the first, not even the third, person people will think of when it comes to 2012,'
says one former Romney aide…
'The only serious candidate ready to challenge to lead the Republican Party is Mitt Romney.
"Some former Romney aides were behind the recent leaks to media, including CNN, that Governor Sarah Palin was a 'diva' and was going off message intentionally."

---

The Palmetto Scoop reported: "One of the first stories to hit the national airwaves was
the claim of a major internal strife between close McCain aides and the folks handling his running mate Sarah Palin."
"I’m told by very good sources that this was indeed the case and that a rift had developed, but it was between Palin’s people and the staffers brought on from the failed presidential campaign of former Gov. Mitt Romney, not McCain aides."
"The sources said nearly 80 percent of Romney’s former staff was absorbed by McCain and these individuals were responsible for what amounts to a premeditated, last-minute sabotage of Palin."
… aides loyal to Romney inside the McCain campaign, said The Scoop, reportedly saw
that Palin would be a serious contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 or 2016, which made her a threat to another presidential quest by Romney.

---

"Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney"

"Someone's got to say it: IS MITT ROMNEY RESPONSIBLE FOR OBAMA'S VICTORY?"

"Vanity: Team Romney Sabotaged Palin and Continuing to Do So?"

"Romney Supporters Trashing Palin"

"Romney advisors sniping at Palin?"

---

Poor sport spoiler Romney attacks other GOP candidates:

Novak: "Fred Thompson drop-out rumors traced to Romney campaign"

Said Novak: "The rumors were traced in part to Mitt Romney's campaign,
trying to stir up strife between McCain and Thompson."

"Despite outspending his rivals by huge margins throughout the primaries,
(Mitt Romney, Carpetbagger UT,CA,MA,NH,Mexico) lost Iowa, South Carolina, Florida and California.
The only primaries he won were in Michigan, where Dad was governor; LDS states;
and a few states on Super Tuesday in which his California-obsessed rivals
couldn't spare the cash to advertise.
Only John Connolly in 1968 had a worse cash-to-delegates ratio.
And John McCain rightly did not like Romney's tactics during the primaries.
(W)hen (Romney's early leads) started slipping away, he resorted to unfair,
distorted, scorched-earth negative ads, betting that his opponents couldn't
afford to spend enough for the truth to catch up to his charges."
[Romney: A Mistake for McCain, 7/23/2008, Dick Morris]

[Above My Pay Grade]

“You people are nuts. That’s it ... trash Romney. We will have no one to put up against Obama and he will win re-election.
I am convinced that many of you anti-Romney people are MoveOn / Huffington Post posters pretending to care about the USA.”

Would you include Free Republic’s founder and owner in that group. He is the 2nd most anti-Romney FReeper.

Face the facts, Romney is not only an unprincipled weasel who governed as a pro-abortion, anti-gun, pro-socialized medicine Socialist, he is utterly unelectable.

That is why he is the darling of the left wing media. They want to trick us into nominating Romney because they know he will never win the general election and even if he did, he is one of them.

[pnh102]

Why not Bob McDonnell, or Chris Christie.

Either one would make for an excellent president. And no, I am not saying that simply because of who either would be up against, but from what I hear coming out of VA and NJ, it sounds like they are making the right decisions and actually know what they are doing.

[MindBender26]

You need to work on that anti-Mormon hate a little more. Just calling me a RomneyBot is isn't enough.

Since you know nothing about me.... you might be surprised that I'm actually a strong Palin supporter, and had dinner with her 3 weeks ago.

She says Hi!

[Waryone]

That’s called preaching to the choir. Most people here know Pelousy, 0bama, and Rev Al Sharktongue are bottom feeders. But some have never run into Romney before and they can be conned by him. If we provide them with the information they need to make an informed decision, they won’t be fooled.

That is why I thank the Lord for the information Diogenesis provides. It has been instrumental in helping people see Romney for what he really is. I know some of the Romneybots complain, but for people who don’t know Romney, it’s a necessary eye opener.

[AlanD]

Chris Christie? No way. He speaks with a Joizey accent.

Tim Pawlenty has been tearing Romney to shreds on Romney Care.

[Waryone]

BINGO

[SoConPubbie]

The problem is, so does most of America.

When FReepers such as you spend most of your time telling us why various Rs are no good, but do not offer or work for viable alternatives, FR becomes part of the problem, not part of the solution.

No, most of america does not believe in the following, which McCain has stated he believes in in one manner or another:

1. Global Warming
2. Amnesty
3. Cap-n-trade
4. Big-Government Solutions to everything

If you would have been paying attention to what McCain had been saying during the 2008 election season and the current polls right now on each and every one of the issues, you'd know the truth.

Furthermore, how would you know whether or not I have not been working for a better solution and am part of the problem?

Are you working two jobs? I am.

Have you gone to the Tea Parties? I have.

Have you donated to political efforts when you had no extra money in your budget to do so? I have.

Next time, mind reader, you mind want to adjust that tin-foil hat you have on.