Romney vows to carry on with campaign

AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/29/08 | Glen Johnson - ap

[NormsRevenge]

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Republican Mitt Romney, his family and supporters vowed to carry his campaign into the vote-rich Super Tuesday contests next week after narrowly losing Florida's primary to rival John McCain.

In his concession speech Tuesday night, Romney issued a call to arms to conservatives to support him, vowing to cut federal spending, end illegal immigration and teach children "that before they have babies, they should get married."

But it was his wife, Ann, who took the microphone after Romney delivered nine minutes of prepared remarks, who explained the reasons for continuing.

"We feel as though the conservatives are starting to rally around Mitt," she said, as her husband stood beside her. "This is just a send-off point; this is not an end. It's another beginning. We have 22 more states to go after, and we will be able to do that."

The defeat marked the fourth time the former Massachusetts governor and the Arizona senator had gone head-to-head in a major contest, with McCain winning as he had earlier in New Hampshire and South Carolina. Romney claimed victory in his native state of Michigan.

Romney's team believes that as the field narrows, most likely next with the departure of former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Romney's ability to raise money and spend his millions will allow him to better highlight the contrast between his business background and McCain's long tenure in a Washington.

There are 21 GOP contests on the ballot on Feb. 5, with 1,023 delegates at stake. A total of 1,191 are needed for the GOP nomination.

It was the contrast in backgrounds that Romney highlighted in a concession speech that otherwise echoed familiar themes from the trail, as if the loss presented no jeopardy to the future of his campaign.

"At a time like this, America needs a president in the White House who has actually had a job in the real economy," Romney said, adding that "at a time like this, knowing how America works is more important than knowing how Washington works."

As the audience cheered, he declared: "Washington is fundamentally broken, and we're not going to change Washington by sending the same people back, just to sit in different chairs. I think it's time for the politicians to leave Washington and for the citizens to take over."

Despite Romney's upbeat posture, the loss was a setback.

As the former venture capitalist had done in earlier contests, Romney spent the most on television advertising of any GOP candidate in Florida. His staff was stocked with aides to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, a veteran of state politics who secured a win for his brother, George W. Bush, in the disputed 2000 election.

In addition, with McCain winning all 57 of Florida's convention delegates, Romney ceded a major talking point: He no longer has the most delegates in the field. Romney began the evening with a 59-26 lead over McCain; McCain ended it ahead 83-59.

McCain gained late momentum with endorsements from Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., the state's top elected Hispanic leader, and Republican Gov. Charlie Crist.

He also made use of one of Romney's campaign tactics, running negative radio and Internet ads against his rival and fielding calls that accused Romney of favoring taxpayer-funded abortion. McCain also claimed Romney supported a timetable for withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq. Romney had not.

From Florida, Romney was headed to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, Calif., for a debate Wednesday night. He also planned two days of politicking in the state and a series of fundraisers from Beverly Hills to Sacramento.

He was stopping in Salt Lake City on Saturday to attend the funeral of Gordon B. Hinckley, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who died Sunday. Romney is trying to become the first Mormon elected president.

After that, the schedule most likely will include stops in Colorado, Georgia and other states before concluding on Tuesday in Massachusetts, one of the Feb. 5 states.

[GeorgiaDawg]

..I’m rooting for Mitt. However, I don’t think it’s accurate to say there’s a long way to go to the nomination. With Super Tuesday next week, that has huge implications and lots of delegates. Mitt needs to win some big ones like CA to have a legit shot.

[Tennessee Nana]

You, however, have written numerous posts about Obama...oh he is so handsome...he is so young...blah, blah, blah.
_______________________________________________________

Now, Now

That’s insincere of you...

You know why I write comments like that about Obama

The old spinsters in here have fainting spells over RINO Romney

They think he’s young...old Romney is over 60

You can imagine how old they must be

They lisp that Romney is handsome, good looking (BARF) LOL

So I just tweek their silly noses with a real young guy

Romney is old enough to be Obama’s father

While Obama has personality, Romney is a door knob

But we have quite a beauty contest going on here....

Since their liberal Democrat views on social issues and

fiscal issues and the WOT are much the same...

I guess personal attributes can come into play

if you are looking for a center fold for Playgirl as they are

And not the next POTUS as I am.

So, sorry MittNitWitts and groupies and tx

Obama is the young Dude and better looking and cuter and a man

While Romney is a girlie-man and a wimp...

dyes his hair and lifts his face...

FOR Romney a beard might help...

might make him look like a guy...

azt his age like a mean, starched Santa Claus

Obama wins this round...

:)

[Tennessee Nana]

Two weeks ago we lost our only conservatives in the race

As long as you know what you are doing and havent drunk the Kool Ade

[purpleraine]

Ridiculous headline, typical of the AP.

[txlurker]

Ok...so who is your guy?

[Tennessee Nana]

None of your business

The Seeret Ballot and I are pals

Tammeny Hall and Jim Crow might suit you...

but not me...

[txlurker]

LOL....figures! You can come on here and trash but can’t tell me who you support. You are a piece of work. No doubt in my mind now you are a dim!

[txlurker]

Nevermind....found out for myself. I still think you are a troll though!

Posted by Tennessee Nana to Et_Tu_Brute
On News/Activism ^ 01/30/2008 6:07:26 AM CST · 25 of 57 ^

Thompson/Hunter because I am a conservative

[rockabyebaby]

It’s my vote I can do what I want with it. I’ll take 100 romney’s over one mclame.

[Antoninus]

Are you in the tank for John McCain? Are you pro-amnesty? Dont you know that - Better a convert than a traitor!

I dislike McCain. I can't stand the phony Mitt Romney.

You guys are so far out on a limb with Flip--if he gets elected, it'll be the worst thing that can happen to you. Because he'll start sawing that limb off in a deuce.

Ask yourself this: Given that Romney is the epitome of the corporate elite country-club GOP, what do you really think he's going to do to stem the flow of cheap labor into the US? I'll tell you: nothing. Given his MO, he'll make a big show of it, produce a plan that appears to do something, but at the end of the day, the problem will be even worse.

That's the Romney way. Ask any of the few conservatives left in Massachusetts.

[Antoninus]

Is not his money; it is GOD’s money.

Really? Well, isn't that a novel way of looking at things. I guess Flip is divinely ordained to be president, eh?

[MinuteGal]

I've been here almost ten years and am used to trolls. Once in a while, though, I indulge myself with feeding trolls because they are rather fun to practice on. This one is a little more than a troll, however.

Leni

[bIlluminati]

Consider what’s important to conservatives in 2008:

1. Judges - McCain - gang of 14 - Romney - got some conservative judges with an 85% Mass Demonrat legislature - Huckabee - would nominate pro-life judges - but would they be confirmed?
Demonrats - Hitlery - need I say more? - Obama - corrupt Chicago Demonrat
2. WOT vs individual liberty - McCain-Feingold - Huckabee - theocrat: Saddam’s sons tortured animals starting at age 8 - would he inspire fear among Islamists? - Romney - threaded needle as Mass governor - but has not had to show foreign policy vs liberty perspectives
Demonrats - support Islamists, Obama directly in Kenya
3. immigration - McCain - Mr. amnesty - Huckabee - amnesty from a Christian perspective - Romney - hires illegals to do yard work
Demonrats - sees future voters - however, most Latino adults work and go to church, which means long-term, they will support conservative positions
4. guns - McCain, Romney - not a great record, but Romney had to deal with that 85% Mass Demonrat legislature - Huckabee - probably good on guns
Demonrats - ha - ha -ha - don’t register your guns, as they are making a list
5. economy/taxes - Huckabee - raised taxes over and over - McCain - voted against tax cuts - Romney - actually has business experience, may think taxes are bad

Overall: Romney > Huckabee > McCain > Hillary > Obama

Some Demonrats are switching to Obama, thinking they can get Marxist/Kenyan pro-Islamist as they think the Republicans are toast. Minor consolation: they are wrong. Obama would lose to McCain, and Romney or Huckabee vs Obama would be an October of popcorn.

One last morbid thought (since Fred Thompson dropped out, my 2008 thoughts have become morbid) - McCain is 71, has had health problems. What happens if he dies either before or after the convention? Before, I think Romney wins (although probably brokered). After, we’d likely rally around his chosen vice-president. And I’m sure he already has a short list, which does not include Thompson or Romney.

[1Old Pro]

If McLame is the nominee, get used to 8 more years of President Hillary Clintoon.

[DannyTN]

If Romney supports want to stop McCain, they need to throw their support to Huckabee now.

[DouglasKC]

Romney is the last best hope. The Democrats have been setting up McCain as the nominee since day one. They've been whispering in his ear that it's his turn. They've been telling him how much they respect him. They've been telling him how much they appreciate his service to his country.

And when he gets the nomination they're going to show him as an old, corrupt (Keating 5) unstable, angry man who represents everything bad about Washington.

Romneys not perfect, but the odds that he'll govern as a conservative are thousands of times better than the odds that McCain will.

[bIlluminati]

First off, McCain would have a shot at beating Hitlery. And he’d be a shoo-in against Obama (old people in Florida like McCain, and he’d also hold Ohio).

Second: he might name a good vice-president. What are the chances of Hillary or Obama doing that?

Of course, he’d be a disaster on judges. And he’d be even more eager to sign “bi-partisan” (Demonrat plus scalawags) freedom-destroying law than George W. Bush. And people would think of him as a conservative. On the bright side, he *might* be less of a disaster on judges than Hitlery or Obama.

Finally, although William J. Blythe Clinton was re-elected, what in beelzebubba’s name makes you think Hitlery could possibly win in 2012? Okay, massive fraud, but other than that?

[rodeo-mamma]

“Which is why the Huckster is staying in. McCain will reward him”

If it becomes anymore obvious then it already is that McCain plans on rewarding Huck, then McCain will not get any votes at all from the people he worked so ruthlessly to defeat, he just won’t. He can go suck an egg.

[Aliska]

Thanks so much for the links. I don't watch much tv any more and happened to catch that some time ago, and all those details escaped me. I'll watch the youtube video and read that link. They should be an inspiration to any family that is musically inclined such as mine was (nothing compared to them).

I dearly wanted to be a good piano player but had to work very hard at it. Memorization was no problem, and I did it by feel somehow, not sure how it worked, not seeing the notes or music in my head. I've lost that ability.

Then I discovered the improvisation method using chords several years ago and did learn all the major chords but never got very good at that. So I appreciate people are truly talented in music and love listening to good piano players whether classic or contemporary.

[txlurker]

I've been here almost ten years and am used to trolls. Once in a while, though, I indulge myself with feeding trolls because they are rather fun to practice on

Same here...some are just more obnoxious than others!