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!
Right. So the state requires that you buy something.
Yeah that's what I figured. They make it sound like Romney pushed for an AWB in an NRA convention .
Mao would if he were alive.
I'm betting he would be even tougher! : )
Why do you always bash Romney? He scores so low in the poles and if he is so bad, why bring attention to him? Won't he just fade away, or are you scared of him? You are a Rudy butt boy loser who knows Rudy is a hack. Also, Rudy/McCain=6 wives, Roney=1 wife for 37 years.
Two completely different things. Really weak attempt.
HAR! Good find! Refutes one more lie.
You are right, and the Romney plan was nearly identical to the plan proposed by Newt Gingrich on his website (before the liberal Mass legislature made some changes). Both Newt and Romney understand something's got to give and they have the ideas to get it done.
Understood . I really need to quit thinking that they will come up with a candidate that they support . My fault for thinking I could get an honest answer after 20 attempts .
There is a boneheaded liberal who lives about an hour east of me, he publishes articles in the New West, which is nothing more than a cadre of liberals engaging in citizen journalism.
You're proving yourself to be part of the problem, not part of the solution. Your despicable character smearing is telling of your true nature ... putting your hands in fecal material to spread it around gets fecal material on you, dolt. And I'm a Hunter supporter unless Fred gets in the race, so don't bother trying to obfuscate this as a candidate partisan response to you.
Bravo for your list of truths. I am sick of EV being a profesional Rudy licker and I thank you for being prepared.
I've been wrong before (as has old Hugh). If Romney gets it together and wins, I'll vote for him. I think he has a very tough road to hoe. (as does Hunter, BTW)
:0)
Well, it seems Mitt disagrees with you, and with himself:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16575748/
Romney says he was wrong on 1994 issues
Retracts then-stance on abortion, gays in Boy Scouts and Reagan
Josh Reynolds / AP
Former Massachusetts Gov., Mitt Romney, R-Mass., who has launched a fundraising campaign for the 2008 presidential race, says he was wrong on some issues in the 1990s.
Updated: 10:08 a.m. CT Jan 11, 2007
BOSTON - A 1994 videotape mysteriously posted on YouTube.com prompted Republican Mitt Romney to declare Wednesday, "I was wrong on some issues back then," while also insisting to social conservatives key to his presidential campaign that he is one of them.
The tape of a Senate debate between Romney and Sen. Edward M. Kennedy showed Romney defending a woman's right to abortion, saying he supported allowing gays in the Boy Scouts and distancing himself from former President Reagan by noting he was a registered independent during the period the conservative icon was leading the nation.
All of the material has been previously published, but its presentation in video form - and on the easily shared YouTube medium - prompted an immediate response from Romney, who formed a presidential exploratory committee last week.
*snip*
A tape of Romney's call was immediately posted on YouTube. Asked whom the campaign suspected of posting the tape, Romney spokesman Kevin Madden said: "It doesn't matter. We used the very same mediums made available to those seeking to attack Governor Romney to set the record straight in his own words with the facts."
'Multiple choice' Romney?
In the 1994 tape, Romney is asked about abortion rights and responds: "One of the great things about our nation is we're each entitled to have strong personal beliefs - and we encourage other people to do the same. ... I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country."
Kennedy retorted that while he was "pro-choice," Romney was "multiple choice."
At another point, Romney was asked if he ever publicly opposed the Boy Scouts' exclusion of gay members while he served on its executive board.
"I feel that all people should be allowed to participate in the Boy Scouts regardless of their sexual orientation," Romney replied.
On a third point, Kennedy accused Romney of harboring the same economic philosophy as Reagan and former President George H.W. Bush.
Romney replied: "I was an independent during the time of Reagan-Bush; I'm not trying to return to Reagan-Bush.
"I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country. I have since the time that my mom took that position when she ran in 1970 as a US Senate candidate. I believe that since Roe v. Wade has been the law for 20 years we should sustain and support it." - Mitt Romney
Yes, tough "rows to hoe." :0)
"he's going to need traincar loads of their money to keep the hacks he's hired across the country going."
Bizarre comment. *every single candidate running* is raising money. And the ones that can't will get 1% of the vote and drop out.
"Well, conservatives in Idaho are none too happy with him either. "
Well, get over it, he's the pick of the litter:
- We Republicans talk about private enterprise, but here is an example of a successful businessman and enterpreneur. He founded and built up a venture capital firm, Bain Capital, creating hundreds of jobs and making hundreds of millions for himself. He was called in to run Bain & Co. and turned it around. He helped save the SLC Olympics and made it a money-maker.
- Romney vetoed bad MA lege bills and excess spending and turned a proposed tax increase into a tax cut
- on his first marriage with a wonderful family
- articulate enough to defeat Hillary and defang her demagoguery
- not too closely linked to Bush admin/Iraq like Rudy and McCain are, yet a clear voice on defeating the 'jihadists'; he knows and says clearly what we are fighting
- pro-life pro-family, real conservative spine against gay marriage and for Scalia-like judges
So what's not to like? You want the far more liberal Rudy to win? Or McCain? Jeesh.
Don't put your hands in the same fecal material that EV has lept into. MSearing Alan Keyes is not called for in this thread ... he's not running and he's a Christian brother.
can you justify the government telling you that you must own something, or buy something?
And yes, the government does that from time to time. You may not like it, but they do. You may not like that the state tells you you have to have liability, but you have to. Why? Because if you cause a wreck and injure the other guy or damage his property, he has suffered a loss.
But if you get sick and have to go to the hospital for treatment, if you have no insurance, you're just hurting yourself, right? No one else suffers a loss...except the hospital who will most likely treat you anyway, and the doctor whose time and skills you use. Don't they also suffer a financial loss if they have to treat you, and you're not self insured (rich) and you have no private insurance?
They're not that far off. There was a time in America when people said, "The government can't force me to buy car insurance if I don't want it!" Nowadays, no one bats an eye.
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.