Romney Still Raises Concerns in Some Conservatives

The New York Times ^ | August 15, 2008 | Michael Luo

[Plutarch]

On the day Mitt Romney bowed out of the presidential race last February, his supporters latched onto something of a consolation prize that appeared to bode well for his political future: the warm embrace of hundreds of conservatives whose seal of approval he had long sought.

The enthusiastic ovations Mr. Romney received before and after his speech ending his campaign at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington seemed to signal that Mr. Romney had finally overcome doubts about his conservative credentials, as conservatives embraced him as a bona fide standard-bearer for the movement.

Yet as Mr. Romney, a former governor of Massachusetts, is said to have emerged as a top contender to be Senator John McCain’s vice-presidential running mate, a vocal segment of conservative leaders and grass-roots activists have mobilized against him, with some going out of their way to block his path to the Republican ticket.

It is unclear just how large the group of Romney detractors is and how representative it is of the broader conservative movement. Many are evangelicals who flocked to one of Mr. Romney’s rivals in the Republican primaries, Mike Huckabee, the Baptist minister and former Arkansas governor whose own hopes for making a repeat presidential run in 2012 or 2016 could suffer if Mr. Romney were named to the ticket.

Indeed, Mr. Huckabee himself aimed a few jabs at Mr. Romney this week, arguing that he would make an unacceptable vice-presidential pick because of his shifting positions on several issues...

[Leisler]

I'm very aware, as a Massachusetts Republican, of Mitt's great charm, handsomeness, public speaking.

It's that he's a lousy politician. He's lost 3 out of four. In his only test, as Governor, he was wimpy, grossly ineffective, nice, polite, and more or less abandoned his office half way through and left the Mass GOP trashed like a one night stand.

Other than Romneycare, which no Republican wanted, and even the citizens didn't really klammer for, I don't know of a single accomplishment.

So, if he couldn't find the political testicular fortitude to go easy hunting in the Louisiana of the north, I don't see him pulling any triggers on the Federal level.

As they say in the south, “This dog don't hunt”.
He is a pleasing pitch man though. I'll give you that. Reagan without spine.

[ellery]

First and foremost, the GOP VP nominee needs to be someone who can unite the party. That rules out any of the contentious presidential primary candidates (including Romney and also my favorite, Thompson).

Fresh, proven, conservative blood with potential to unite the party: Sanford, Cantor, Coburn, DeMint (to name a few).

[ellery]

Some info for those who think Romney did as well as he could have at limiting government in an overwhelmingly liberal state:

According to Cato, Romney had the worst fiscal/limited government record of any Republican Massachusetts governor in the past 25 years. Of the four GOP Massachussets governors (Weld, Cellucci, Swift, Romney), all had an overwhelmingly liberal legislature. But Cato gave Weld, Cellucci and Swift As and Bs for their work in fighting spending and big government. Romney got Cs.

Cato gave Weld an A in 1992
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=1027&full=1

And a B in 1994
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=1062

And a B in 1996
http://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=1116

Cato gave Paul Cellucci an A in 2000
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa391.pdf

Cato gave Swift a B in 2002
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa454.pdf

They gave Romney a C in 2004, and a C in 2006

http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa537.pdf
http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa581.pdf

A champion of small government and fiscal restraint, he is not.

[Norman Bates]

Dang you guys are still at this. Why do we keep posting these threads? It’s the same 25 people who hate his guts and the same 25 who defend him. It’s getting wearisome.

[ellery]

I’m not “still at this” — I just got here. I’m late to the party, as usual. :)

[Norman Bates]

“Welcome to the party, pal.” /Bruce Willis

[ellery]

Heh. :)