Posted on 08/18/2008 2:55:31 PM PDT by presidio9
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.
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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.
Nevertheless, the determined opposition to Mr. Romney highlights the nagging concerns about his ideological authenticity — and his Mormon religion — that dogged him throughout his primary campaign. It also illuminates the continuing unease Mr. McCain arouses among some evangelicals and other social conservatives who make up an important voting bloc of the Republican base.
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The ultimate danger for Mr. McCain is not necessarily that Christian conservatives will not vote for him if he chooses Mr. Romney, but that they will not be as energetic in turning people out to vote,
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(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...
Boy, I sure wish the NYT would at least go to the trouble of NAMING some of those "social conservative leaders." Or at the newspaper, at the very least.
There are some still talking McCain down. Its a powerful team and one the DEMS are afraid of.
Personally, I think the Dem/Libs are afraid of him. He can debate them and he can make them look bad. He is not a conservative’s conservative and first choice ... however he present a viable option to be a voice against Dem/Libs. He also presents some good qualities and traits McCain doesn’t possess. Management ability, leadership ability, speaking ability to name a few.
I guess Romney earned some sort of shot here; but I feel he’d be a liability. McCain can’t be painted into any corner whatsoever. Dems love to do that; but w/ Mac, they just can’t.
Not so with Mitt. Every aspect of Mormonism that seems weird to the rest of the country would be kept in the forefront — one new controversy per week. We just don’t need that.
Looks like more Huckabug stench to me.
Here’s your cue!
I know that a lot of people don’t like Mitt and that is fine, but if the stupid press is even mentioning him and spreadig BS stories, they must fear him. Notice how they don’t say squat about knucklebee EVER.
Romney would be a good pick...pro-business, anti-illegal (actually for deportation and fencing), pro-life..
The NYT fears the McCain/Romney ticket would blast their Messiah...we all know Obama will lose...this would cement the deal.
Oops, the NYT story was August 15th. The MSNBC site says it is “updated”, but a quick perusal I didn’t see any changes.
Don't think Barry can win if he loses Michigan.
There are better candidates out there with far more sterling conservative credentials-- Sarah Pallin, Eric Cantor and Tom Coburn, just to name three.
In the end, McCain has to add up the pros and cons. Not just who can help energize the base, but who can put swing states and swing demographics into play. He's also got to pick a team player because whomever he selects will probably give up any chance of ever being president by taking the VP slot. The reason is because if McCain wins and McCain does a good job (neither of which is probable at this point), the VP would have a very steep hill to climb extending Republican administrations to 16 or 20 years. It hasn't happened since the Civil War and it won't happen with amnesty which McCain is sure to push in an even more liberal congress.
McCain is less liberal government spending wise, and when seeing an opening, has taken a vote costing stand. Something Mitt has never done. In this elections, McCain has come out, in Indiana no less, against ethanol. Something Mitt would never have the spine to do.
McCain bested Obama, and has won, what 8 elections to Mitts one.
Mitt left the Mass GOP in ruins. He used, bought and abused it. I don't know if he ever got the thanks he should of from Mass Democrats. There is something creepy, and un democratic with the stickiness of Romney's name in this election. The weird support from NR, the effete elite of the GOP, Mitt's beating in the nomination by a broke, old, stumble McCain. The constant quasi Democrat tactic of any one against Mitt is an snake handling evangelical and or Mormon bigot. I know I used to 'get' Mitt. But that was until he reviled himself as Governor as the go along to get along to become President ticket puncher. In a way, Mitt reminds me of Nixon. There's a wiff of energetic, intelligent, dogged desperation.
I don't know, other than mindless repetition, or MittPitch, where he gets any street cred for being anti-illegal.
He should be blocked. A Mormon on the ticket would be a disaster. It doesn’t please me to say so. In fact, it’s pretty sad. But a principal advantage we have against Obama is fear and suspicion of his Islamic roots. Put a Mormon—a sect which many people also fear—on the ticket, and you dilute that advantage.
One thing Slick Willard’s candidacy revealed is that it ended up outing a lot of people we thought were Conservatives that proved to be anything but. Those that put looks, lies and bucks ahead of a substantive Conservative record. People that a year or two ago I thought were giants (Coulter, Tancredo) turned out to be nothing but little weasels.
And Leisler, I’d disagree with the “fairly decent” description. I contend he is not a nice man in the least, and in his quest for power in attempting to avenge his father, he sold his soul. When I look at him, he not only seems to lack substance, he appears soulless. Very unattractive indeed. (Funny thing is, if he had used a fraction of the ruthlessness in whoring after the Presidency and channelled it into doing something positive as Governor, he might not have left the MA GOP dead and the state in total shambles).
Huckabee has torpedoed any chance that Romney will be on the ticket. Huck let it be known that he would not be campaigning for Romney.
But Mormons aren't flying planes into buildings or strapping bombs to their chests.
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