Romney best pick for state Republicans (Nevada)

Nevada Review-Journal ^ | 01/17/08 | Editorial Board

[Reaganesque]

GOP also caucusing on Saturday

You might not know it, but there's also a Republican caucus in Nevada on Saturday.

While the Democratic candidates have been showering attention on the Silver State in order to sway voters in preparation for their Saturday event, Republican hopefuls have been largely absent, preferring to campaign in Michigan and South Carolina.

Thus the GOP caucus here hasn't garnered nearly the attention of the Democratic one.

As it stands now, there is no clear Republican front-runner nationally. Mike Huckabee won Iowa, John McCain took New Hampshire and Mitt Romney picked up Michigan. The race in South Carolina looks to be close. Meanwhile, Rudy Giuliani is banking that he'll grab a big win in Florida and gain momentum for Super Tuesday, when 22 states will hold primaries.

The fight for the nomination "is going to be like the Bataan Death March," said Ron Kaufman, a top adviser to Mr. Romney.

Well then, perhaps even little old Nevada could provide a slight boost for the winning GOP candidate.

Republicans haven't had much national electoral success of late, and for that they have only themselves to blame. In the 14 years since the Gingrich revolution, too many Republicans have embraced the beltway culture and abandoned the very principles upon which their success with voters depended -- smaller government, low taxes, free markets and personal liberty.

Nevada Republicans on Saturday should examine their choices through precisely such a filter. Each GOP candidate can make -- and has made -- a reasonable case that he's best suited to ensure the party again embraces the ideas and concepts that made this nation a beacon of freedom and economic opportunity. But in our opinion, the viable candidate most likely to lead Republicans in such a direction is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts.

Mr. Romney's economic agenda includes several pro-growth policies, including a plan to eliminate taxes on capital gains, interest and dividends for any household earning less than $200,000 a year. He backs a line-item veto, favors making the Bush tax cuts permanent and understands that imposing higher taxes as a means of fixing Social Security will only make the problem worse.

He's supportive of free trade, rejects protectionism, backs tort reform, supports school choice and accountability, and while governor was even able to successfully push a handful of spending reforms through Massachusetts' overwhelmingly Democratic legislature. Mr. Romney vows to exercise his veto power if Congress doesn't embrace spending restraint and understands the drag that excessive federal regulation imposes on the innovation and the economy.

Mr. Romney did push a measure to ensure universal health insurance in Massachusetts, but says as president he'd offer incentives for states to experiment with their own solutions, rather than embrace a top-down, national single-payer system. He also understands that a sensible energy policy will require developing more of America's domestic resources.

Mr. Romney has extensive experience in the private sector, which is unusual for far too many politicians. Before becoming governor of Massachusetts, he was the president and CEO of the Salt Lake City Olympic Organizing Committee. He is a former vice president and CEO of Bain & Company Inc., a Boston management consulting firm, and also a founder of Bain Capital, a private equity firm.

In a speech earlier this month to the Economic Club of Detroit, Mr. Romney articulated a concise understanding of what made this country great.

"The 20th century saw two economic systems pitted against each other," he said. "Ours, built on free enterprise and the primacy of the consumer. The Soviets', built on government command and control, and the primacy of the state.

"Ours produced the most powerful economy in the world that has given its citizens a standard of living our grandparents never dreamed possible; theirs produced a downward spiraling standard of living and eventual collapse.

"The 20th century history lesson is that America's economy is strong because we put our trust in the American people, and in the free enterprises they create."

We urge Nevada Republicans on Saturday to support Mitt Romney.

[LexBaird]

What are you getting at? That the publisher donated to Bush in the last cycle? So?

[Italia222]

Romney is going to be the nominee. Huckaboo, Huckabee - whatever is UNELECTABLE. McCain - even if he wins SC is going to fall apart. Why - he is too old and he is not a Republican. I am not even including Guiliani or Thompson because they are done - finished in this race. Romney has the look of a President and he is going to be the next President. I hope Romney names Guiliani as his running mate and that will be a fantastic, strong ticket.
Hopefully, Obama will be the nominee on the Democratic side because he will be very easy to beat. Why because he is an empty suit - there is nothing there. His wife eerily reminds me of Hillary Clinton and we don’t need another one of those in the White House. Lastly, whatever is going to happen Hillary Rodham must be stopped at all costs from being elected - that will be the final destruction of this great country.

[Signalman]

Romney is the the GOP’s best chance to carry the GOP to victory in November.

I’m sure others will dispute that contention, but that’s my honest opinion.

[1Old Pro]

Romney is the best of the bunch, no doubt.

[Hattie]

Yup. SC is getting very distasteful with the push polls etc and the liberal media would blame Mitt if he was there. They probably will anyway but it won’t be credible. Also gives FT a good chance.

[TheLion]

Bump!

[La Enchiladita]

Excellent!! Thanks for finding and posting this. I’m looking forward to Saturday’s results, both states.

[La Enchiladita]

That is outrageous. You people are des-per-ate.

[La Enchiladita]

Cool...

[La Enchiladita]

I am concerned about her also. She needs to pace herself, or the MS will act up.

[mwl1]

Tell me more, plesae... how serious is her MS condition?

[rodeo-mamma]

I like the idea of keeping the Federal Government out of Health Care. There are too many politics and when the Federal Government tries to tell the states what to do it’s not good. No Child Left Behind isn’t working because Democratically controlled states will not let it work. Instead, great effort is made to make people hate the law. I am not for the Federal Government trying to make laws at the state level. So I think Mitt has it right about Health Care and the Federal Government.

[rodeo-mamma]

I agree with you. I was going to write him but then decided not to. It almost sounded like a lie, to say that he sees Clinton when he is looking at Mitt. How can he compare the two? Clinton was a grifter womanizer. I personally don’t believe it. I think people are just making things up. It’s so easy to say things like that. It really is.

[exile]

Anyone who doesn’t vote for Alan Keyes is a Communist.

(just kidding)

I’m a Fred guy, but I like Romney, and would gladly vote for him.

[La Enchiladita]

chuckle, chuckle
thanks for the laff

[tortdog]

What is Romney’s position on using Nevada for nuclear waste?

[La Enchiladita]

Meanwhile, I notice that Huckabee is putting on weight again, and that’s a fact. Didn’t make it up...:)

Here’s the rundown for all on the campaign today:
Hill’rey is in the ‘hood. Yes, right here in Compton, CA.
Edwards went downtown L.A., which is much more upscale (guess he’s the yuppie candidate).
O’bama-orama is in San Francisco, wearing an important looking little frown.

All of our Republicans are in South Carolina, Mitt standing out in the whipping wind (hear it’s raining there now), Rudy, Fred, Huck, McManiac indoors.

[claudiustg]

Mitt is getting a boost in the latest SC poll and Rasmussen now shows that race as a tie between McCain and Huckabee. I would be very happy if Mitt holds 3rd there and Huckabee beats McCain.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/south_carolina-primary.html

[FreedomProtector]

Hopefully not.



Ted Kennedy: I just suckered a Republican into signing a tyrannical bill forcing taxpayers to buy Planned Parenthood run health care and pay for $50 abortions. The sucker vetoed parts of the bill which I don't care about, but left the innocent baby killing in. I am a great evil democrat. (Evil sly grin)


Not only does Romney have a horrible liberal record, Romney is a weak candidate (extremely high negatives) inflated by two temporary factors: 1) huge amount of money spent in early states 2) two early primaries with geographical ties—won’t last.

47% of voters will definitely not vote for Slick Mitt (same number as Hidlebeast):
http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/mitt_romney_match_ups/election_2008_romney_vs_clinton_and_obama

Romney has spent a ton of money trying to suddenly 'rebrand' himself a conservative in two or three months. While the democrats have done a good job sticking to an optimistic/hopeful message (history has shown this is effective), Romney is lowering the Republican party to the gutter through spending a fortune on mischaracterization ads.

[Owen]

There are a handful of Romney Derangement Syndrome types around FR. They can be safely ignored. It is useful to remember that in 2000 there was a similar number of Bush Haters who demanded Gary Bauer or Alan Keyes. They soon disappeared.