Posted on 01/20/2008 9:34:59 AM PST by barryg
Mitt Romney had it all — money, looks, organization, endorsements and a seasoned staff.
But he still couldn’t crack South Carolina. There was something about the former Massachusetts governor that turned off Palmetto State voters.
He couldn’t connect with them no matter how hard he tried.
“He came across as a luxury car salesman,” said Francis Marion University political scientist Neal Thigpen, a Republican.
Romney spent about $280,000 a week to make his name known across South Carolina.
That was $3 million last year, in South Carolina alone.
He still flopped.
Realizing he couldn’t win here, Romney fled South Carolina last week with no plans to return. He hopped a plane to Nevada to claim his caucus win there Saturday.
The way South Carolinians saw it, Romney was ceding the state to three rivals — U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former U.S. Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee.
Romney made a mistake earlier in the month when he pulled all of his money out of South Carolina to go campaigning in Michigan, said Clemson University professor Dave Woodard.
“His timing was just terrible,” said Woodard, a Republican. “It couldn’t have been worse. What Romney was saying was, ‘I really don’t care about South Carolina.’
“He left us at the altar.”
Romney’s campaign never did catch fire here. After a brief period leading in S.C. polls last fall, he lost steam, slumping to third, fourth or fifth in the polls.
Why? Three reasons.
Romney is from Massachusetts, automatically making him suspect in South Carolina. Voters here don’t trust politicians from the home of Teddy Kennedy, Mike Dukakis and John Kerry.
Voters also questioned Romney’s conservative credentials. His flip-flopping on key social issues — abortion and gay rights —caused S.C. voters to wonder about his claims of being a conservative.
Among S.C. voters who told exit pollsters Saturday the main reason they voted for a candidate was because he “says what he believes,” Romney finished last among the five candidates who actively campaigned here.
Romney’s Mormon faith also hurt him among evangelical voters in the Republican primary. Many Southern Baptists, who comprise the largest denomination in the state, see Mormonism as a cult. Romney ran fourth among S.C. voters who identified themselves in exit polls as born-again or evangelical Christians.
However, Thigpen rejects the notion that Romney lost South Carolina because of his faith.
“It wasn’t his faith,” he said. “It was his phonyism.”
Romney’s decision to pack up to Nevada and its caucus were an attempt to build on his lone primary victory, in Michigan. Romney also won Wyoming’s little-watched caucus.
His departure from South Carolina served to lower expectations for him here, even though he started to advertise again in the primary’s days and made a get-out-the-vote effort.
The other high-profile Republican candidates decided to ignore Nevada in favor of South Carolina with its history of creating and demolishing Republican hopefuls.
For Romney, Nevada presented a particular opportunity. His faith was an asset in that state with its large Mormon population.
One in four Nevada caucus-goers was Mormon; 95 percent supported Romney, according to entrance polls there.
Romney aides have attributed their candidate’s Iowa caucus loss to suspicion about his faith among evangelicals, who rallied behind Huckabee, a Baptist preacher.
Thigpen said Romney made a wise decision to travel to Nevada.
“Why kick a dead horse?” he asked, referring to South Carolina. “Why waste your money on something that doesn’t look promising?”
But in essentially declaring that South Carolina didn’t count, Romney missed a chance to prove he can be a winning candidate nationwide.
South Carolina is “a test-tube state,” said Chip Felker, a Greenville-based Republican consultant. “If you win here, you have shown you can win elsewhere.”
I don't know who the strongest choice would be...Pawlenty has been mentioned in the past, but maybe there is someone better (I don't know much about Pawlenty).
12/17/2007 - This Sunday on Meet The Press (MTP), Governor Mitt Romney restated his support for the Brady Registration Act and a renewal of the assault weapons ban.
MTP host Tim Russert — certainly no friend of gun owners — pressed Romney on his flip-flopping on the issue of gun rights, questioning Romney’s election year pandering to gun owners and his consistent record of supporting and signing gun control measures in Massachusetts.
Romney’s reply was typical of a politician trying to avoid a difficult record. Romney tried the same old stick, claiming support to the Second Amendment and the rights of gun owners and hunters. However, you and I both know that actions speak louder than words.
As Massachusetts’ governor, Romney signed an assault weapons ban, supported the Brady Registration Act, 5 day waiting periods and firearm registration cards.
http://nationalgunrights.org/alerts/2007-romneyawb.shtml
“What’s McCain’s NRA rating?”
After CFR, the NRA has become a defanged organization.
Ratings from a 2ndA group dont matter when your 1st amendment rights to talk about them are gone.
“As Massachusetts’ governor, Romney signed an assault weapons ban, supported the Brady Registration Act, 5 day waiting periods and firearm registration cards.”
Haley Barbour might be a good veep. I have never seen Pawlenty so can’t say anything about him.
Did you forget your sarcasm tags?
“What do people think of a McCain/Huckabee ticket? Is it a winner?”
A double-barrelled pro-amnesty RINO ticket. A surefire ticket to disaster.
The only good thing I can say about it is that it most definitely will NOT happen. Huckabee has been effectively enough dispatched in South Carolina that he wont pick up the delegates to forces such a God-awful match.
In case you haven’t heard already (since it has been so sparcely reported)
Since 1980 every republican nominee has won SC.
Oh yeah, did I mention that since 1980 every republican nominee has won SC.
And what is really important to know is that since 1980 every republican nominee has won SC.
There, now the hit-piece disguised as a news article has all of the McCain talking points. It already was able to get the “flopped” and “fled” terms in.
Hey barryg. Next time save us the trouble and just post the link to JohnMcCain.com . Cut out the middleman.
“As Massachusetts’ governor, Romney signed an assault weapons ban,”
FALSE. You are distorting Romney’s record ... Is your point to get McCain nominated? You think McCain will be so much better?
Or McCain/Romney?
"Romney also praised McCain for his general reform campaign when the Arizona senator came to Massachusetts to stump with Romney just before Romney's 2002 election victory in the governor's race. 'He has always stood for reform and change. And he's always fought the good battle, no matter what the odds,' Romney said at the time. 'Those are my values.'" (Eric Moskowitz, "Romney, McCain Spar On Campaign Finance," Concord Monitor, 4/27/07)
Facts in the way? - you are delusional. :)
Mitt will lose big.
Unfortunate, but there it is.
And my facts are just fine on NE liberal RINOs like Mitt
“Hey barryg. Next time save us the trouble and just post the link to JohnMcCain.com . Cut out the middleman.”
LOL. Cut out the real middleman. Just link to the New York Times editorial board. That’s what we are getting by nominating McCain!
We are screwed.
"The Brady Bill has changed over time, and, of course, technology has changed over time. I would have supported the original assault weapon ban." --"Mitt" Romney
Was Romney lying again?
"I signed an assault weapon ban in Massachusetts governor because it provided for a relaxation of licensing requirements for gun owners in Massachusetts, which was a big plus." --"Mitt" Romney
Was Romney lying yet again?
Mitt’s proving himself to be a likable winner.
It is tailor made for fellow Southerner Huckabee, with the largest evangelical population of any State.
It is tailor made for pure conservative Thompson, from neighboring Tennessee, as it is among the most conservative of States.
If it is tailor made for his rivals three, for Romney it cannot be.
By putting Hillary or Obama on the opposition ticket. Much of the old media sure is “worried” that Romney can’t win...
I certainly hope so.
I do think Rudy will finish in the top two
Personally, I'm for Fred, but as he continues to finish weak third and fourth, that pretty much leaves me with Romney, who I think is competent, though I do dislike his forced Mittcare in Mass.
I guess if I wanted a perfect candidate I would run. I would get a least one vote : )
“Much of the old media sure is “worried” that Romney can’t win...”
________________
I think that really says it all. Go Mitt!
Nothing on Romney???
(repost)
Abortion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4
Immigration
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/12/01/illegal_immigrants_toiled_for_governor/
http://www.factcheck.org/tough_guy_on_immigration.html
War on Terror
Has no experience on this issue
Romney: There Is NOT a Global War on Terror. During an event in Iowa, Romney said: “There’s not a global war on terror. There’s a global war being waged by the terrorists and if I am president, there will be a global war waged on the terrorists and we will win.” [Iowa City Press-Citizen, 8/9/07]
Judicial Appoinments
http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/james_antle/2007/11/judging_romney_and_giuliani.html
http://watersblogged.blogspot.com/2007/12/romneys-terrible-record-of-judicial.html
2nd Amendment
http://www.alphecca.com/mt_alphecca_archives/003072.html
http://www.snubnose.info/wordpress/news/mitt-romney-on-gun-control/
Business
Lower Taxes
http://www.clubforgrowth.org/2007/08/mitt_romneys_record_on_economi.php
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2007/12/22/romney-and-mccain-campaigns-tangle-over-taxes/
http://schotlinepress.wordpress.com/2008/01/15/mitt-romneys-memory-lapse-on-suv-tax-hike/
Global Warming
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2004/05/07/romney_hedges_on_global_warming/
http://talk.livedaily.com/showthread.php?t=573407
Energy Independence
http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/11/13/romney_factsheet/
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_055094544?keyword=secondarystory+page=1
Drilling in ANWR
Pro
Gays and the Boy Scouts
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uEOJNw4lmlI
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