Posted on 03/13/2007 9:03:04 PM PDT by EternalVigilance
When a candidate for president blows into town, most reporters show up. There’s always a chance he or she will say something surprising or stupid, and there could even be a chance to ask a substantial question and get an answer with some teeth to it, but it’s not likely.
That’s just the way these things go.
But when the Idaho press showed up today for Republican candidate Mitt Romney, his people were still rehearsing – badly - the drill of the classic obligatory campaign fly-through. They issued conflicting information about the place and time of the press conference, with most reporters never notified at all and nobody in charge who could straighten it all out. Attempts to reach the campaign by phone with follow-up questions went unanswered. Multiple cell phone and landline numbers were available, but nobody responded except to refer us to someone else – who wasn’t there. It was a disgraceful runaround. It’s early, but when a field organization is THIS bad, it’s not encouraging.
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a nice man with good hair who was considered a superior governor by opinion leaders on both sides of the aisle, provided a possible reason for all that uncertainty: he’s remarkably uninspiring. Anybody who has ever called Al Gore “wooden” has never seen Mitt Romney.
It’s nothing to do with politics or party; it has everything to do with electability. Everyone wants their horse in the race to have what it takes to cross the finish line first, and today, Romney didn’t have it.
I was eerily reminded of the novel and film of “The Manchurian Candidate,” a thriller in which a handsome war hero is controlled via a brain microchip and turned into the perfect presidential candidate, who is later directed by evil forces via the chip. His speeches are repetitive platitudes which seem to arrive in his mouth by computer. Romney is good-looking, fit, beautifully turned out with perfect white teeth, and unfortunately, he speaks that way, too.
He’s certainly not the first presidential candidate to employ banality in an attempt to say nothing which would commit him to any firm policy, but it’s still disappointing. The weariest old adages flowed from Romney like so much water. “Look at my wife and me and our family if you want to know our values,” he said.
“Look at my heart, character and experience.”
“I see the internet age and the YouTube era as a great opportunity to take my message directly to the people.” And that message would be…..?
Romney did name universal health insurance, on which he has an impressive record, as a top priority of his, but was equivocal about exactly how he’d handle it as President. He said the “Muslim jihad” needed a solution, but offered none. He worked up a little enthusiasm about global competition – “especially with the Chinese” – but really only came alive when talking about his experience as President and CEO of the Salt Lake Organizing Committee for the 2002 winter Olympics. “We took something in trouble and made it a success.”
Which he did. An excellent Olympics, indeed.
Outstanding comic relief was provided by a protestor who, complete with rolled R’s and dramatic Shakespearean tones, boomed out, “MISTAH RRROMNEY! WHY DO THE MORMONS SAY JESUS IS THE DEVIL’S BROTHAH?”
Nobody answered that, or was much interested in Romney’s Mormonism. That was good.
Asked about the Rocky Mountain West, Romney said he saw “the spirit of innovation. The opportunity-seeking of the American West has long been the character of the American people.” (I can’t interpret that one.) He spoke of technology innovations which came from the West, but again, nothing about what that had to do with….anything.
“Coal has a major role to play in our future energy policy, along with wind and solar power.” No specifics.
Of the evangelical Christian groups which seem to dog Romney wherever he goes, he had this to say, “I will do my best to establish my bona fides with that group.”
“On the internet, people can see me in speeches, get to know a candidate on a personal basis, in unguarded moments, and see the true character of a candidate.”
Despite many years working in, and watching campaigns - enough to know the hard realities - I still say enough, enough, enough with the Family Values and the Spirit of America and the Heart and Character and Hope for the Future and…..holy MOTHER of mercy….STOP! For once, can’t we please have a candidate who says, “I believe this. I will do this. I will not do that. I don’t care who gets mad; it’s the right thing to do. I don’t care who gave me money, it’s the right thing to do.”
I know. Incredibly naïve. Hopelessly idealistic. Never going to happen, and all that.
But isn’t it, in our unguarded, raw heart of hearts, what all of us truly want from candidates? If you could wave a wand and turn them all into decisive, plain-speaking, committed people who said what they mean and mean what they say, wouldn’t you?
Of course you would. But in the words of Governor Romney, “If this is a place where I can come and raise money as well as strengthen my political base, I’m going to do it.” And at $1,000 a plate, 100 people showed up to have lunch with him.
MISTAH ROMNEY! YOU’LL BE BACK!
Socialized medicine is going to the Emergency Room and having someone else pay for it. This makes every responsible for their own care. People are blind to the fact that we already have universal coverage. This frees up people and rids ourselves of freeloaders.
Pretty creative conservative plan devised by the Heritage Foundation.
http://mittromney.permissiontv.com/?showid=42338
You have gone too far this time, EV, to assert that this man has no core principles is a despicable piece of crap from you. You ought to be ashamed, but you are apparently unable to comprehend your lowness. And I'm an Epicopalisn, not a Mormon! Shame on you, self-righteous sewer rat.
Don't be astonished. EV is a vicious and vile bigot and hater.
In Kennedy country? No, it's not a fair statement. It's not fair at all.
BUMPing FOR MITT!
It's sad, but true, O. May God forgive the vicious, mean-spirited, E "SPAM-meister" V.
He doesn't like Fred Thompson either and he's been posting lies about him too.
If I had not reacted so quickly, I would have read your post and seen that I need not respond to EV ... now I need a shower. How vile this thread will become.
Do you drive a car?
This from a "true conservative" who calls Fred Thompson a "notch to the left of Bush" moderate liberal.
I think Romney's faithful relationship with his wife, his five married children and ten grandchildren, speak well for his core family value principles, don't you?
Well, he's got my vote!
/sarc
Romney would be just as tough as Rudy regarding the WOT and nation security . There is no evidence to suggest otherwise .
Hugh Hewitt show March 13, 2007:
HH: You know, one of the things I’ve written about in this new book, and I have not yet sent out my copies, but you’ll be getting one when I get back to California, A Mormon In The White House, is that Mitt Romney’s a billionaire with a “B”, but he made it himself, and he lives, apparently, modestly. He does not flaunt the great wealth that he has compiled. What do you make of Romney, Victor Davis Hanson?
VDH: Well, I’ve met him twice, and I’m actually going to meet him this Thursday at 8:00 in Palo Alto, again, for the third time. I’m very impressed with him, and you’re absolutely right. He’s a moralist who somehow in this fast-paced world has managed to match word with deed. I’m very impressed with him, and for me, his religion is of secondary importance. I don’t really care what his religion is. I am impressed that…a couple of things. As you said, he’s a self-made man, but more importantly, that we was a governor in a state that had only 13% of the legislature represented by Republicans, and yet he found a way through rhetoric and personal leadership to be effective when all the odds were against him. So I’m really impressed with him. I look forward to seeing him again on Thursday.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1800482/posts
(Please see post #67 as well. I forgot to ping you per protocol. Sorry.)
{crickets chirping}
You're wasting your breath. Some FReepers can't find anything interesting to say about their own favorite candidate (because he's boring and lackluster?) that all they can do is attack, lie about and smear candidates they don't like. There's much more entertainment value in going 100% negative, 100% of the time.
It's also less taxing on the intellect.
Some FReepers are physically and mentally incapable of obeying Ronald Reagan's 11th Commandment.
You guys are going to be eating a lot of crow.
The only way to have coverage for everyone in the US -short of hillarycare federal directed medical coverage (socialized medicine)- is to have some subsidized insurance method allowing IRS credits. It will be reality in a decade, if America continues to exist. The Mass example can be instructive as it plays out.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.