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Romney's Graceful Exit
The Atlantic ^
| February 7, 2008
| Marc Ambinder
Posted on 02/07/2008 4:04:11 PM PST by Plutarch
Romney's Graceful Exit
07 Feb 2008 06:31 pm
Mitt Romney's decision to stand aside and acknowledge Sen. John McCain as the likely Republican nominee will serve the former Massachusetts governor well in his future endeavors.
He will be well-positioned to run for office -- national or state -- anytime he wants. He is certainly an automatic leading candidate for the nomination in 2012, should Republicans fail to capture the White House in November.
McCain was gracious to Romney in his speech today, but some of his advisers understand that something substantive has to come from Romney's concession.
What follows is not a postmortem or an obit... just some thoughts.
Romney's fellow candidates did not like him. They saw him as an upstart who synthesized his conservatism in order to cater to the Republican base. Romney changed his mind on many positions; some of these were acknowledged and others weren't. Many of the position changes were suspiciously recent. Though, Romney was always more conservative, personally, than his opponents gave him credit for, he was struck with the curse of being found to lack credibility from the start.
He was more comfortable running as a social conservative than as a social liberal, but he never found the right way to voice his optimism, and his stump speeches often reflected pessimism, not optimism: America under attack from all corners.
Romney found his voice too late; had he run principally as an anti-Washington reformer, he would have found a niche in this race. For many, he was the default candidate, though. It's never good to be a default candidate...[edit]
(Excerpt) Read more at marcambinder.theatlantic.com ...
TOPICS: Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2008; cpac; romney
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1
posted on
02/07/2008 4:04:17 PM PST
by
Plutarch
To: Plutarch
Romney did not have the name recognition that Rudy, McCain, or Fred had. I know for me, my top two picks were either Rudy or Romney and I can say the same about my husband and a neighbor of mine.
2
posted on
02/07/2008 4:08:29 PM PST
by
psjones
(u)
To: Plutarch
Yea...what’s funny is all the idiots who are fawning over McCain, Hillary, and Obama, (all current Senators) because they believe they will “change” things...or those who see McCain, (who has been in Washington for thirty years) as an outsider. These knuckleheads want change so much, why haven’t they done it from the office they’re in....ahh yes because then they wouldn’t have a platform on which to snooker people into voting for them.
To Quote Nancy Reagan...I’m gonna “Just Say NO” this November to McCain, Hillary, and Obama.
3
posted on
02/07/2008 4:08:57 PM PST
by
IMissPresidentReagan
("When you can't make them see the light; make them feel the heat." President Ronald Reagan)
To: Plutarch
the primary reason Huckabee did not like him is that Romney is a Mormon. The primary reason McCain did not like him is that he is rich. I did not get the impression the others did not like him.
The article is more a case of projection by the media.
4
posted on
02/07/2008 4:13:28 PM PST
by
Brilliant
To: psjones
Well he’s got four years (if the dems win in Nov) to prove himself the conservative he ran on so that in 2012 he can step up to the plate and have at it again.
In four years he can do much to prove the naysayers wrong that he’s not a flip-flopper, but a man who’s had a real conversion of heart. Loved his speech today.
To: psjones
I think Mitt needed a few pitt bulls to attack the competition. I really like him, I think he is the only one that wanted the job to actually do a good job, not to rent the lincoln bedroom. I hope he runs in 2012.
I will never vote for anyone who called me racist/bigot/nativist.
6
posted on
02/07/2008 4:20:07 PM PST
by
libbylu
(Ann and I will be campaigning for Hill.)
To: Plutarch
He showed the world a lot of class.
Not that it is a useful attribute in American politics.
7
posted on
02/07/2008 4:23:00 PM PST
by
Iron Munro
(Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress; but I repeat myself.)
To: Caravaggio
In four years he can do much to prove the naysayers wrong that hes not a flip-flopper, but a man whos had a real conversion of heart. Loved his speech today.I've been thinking about this today. How does a man out of office erase his record and get people to believe the opposite about him? The MSM did this for McCain, but Romney did not have this luxury. He has a tough road ahead of him to convince the skeptics. Had I believed him, he would have had my support this time around. However, all I had to go by was a long list of activist judges and actions that I would not want to see out of a president.
8
posted on
02/07/2008 4:23:00 PM PST
by
Ingtar
(Haley Barbour 2012, Because he has experience in Disaster Recovery. - ejonesie22)
To: Plutarch; Reaganesque; Checkers; jan in Colorado
9
posted on
02/07/2008 4:27:28 PM PST
by
sweetiepiezer
(Mitt was the best for this nation..............)
To: Caravaggio
” 2012 he can step up to the plate and have at it again.”
How did this happen?
I have not heard one person say they would vote for McPain.
I don’t know anyone that likes him or believes him. Just wait til the dems pulls out all the dirt. McPain will not come out looking good.
I am 72, lived through lots of elections, voted in everyone from age 21. This is the first time I am totally disappointed. And what a choice for First Lady. The dems will have the best time ever pulling her down.
10
posted on
02/07/2008 4:28:17 PM PST
by
DaltonNC
To: Ingtar
How does a man out of office erase his record and get people to believe the opposite about him?
He does this by supporting CAUSES. Like being active in the pro-life movement, fighting the Culture of Death, using his name now to support things he supposedly flip-flopped on. Now he's got name recognition, his opinion will be more valuable than before. This will go along way to appease those who doubt his conservative credentials and a good chance at the candidacy in 2012.
To: Caravaggio
Mitt Romney is a CLASS ACT! America needs this man today, John McCain is only pretending!
John McCain will not build the fence and the flood of Immigrants will increase and finally destroy the hope of humanity! You can over populate the country!
I will never vote for McCain.
Sorry America, you were once a great country!
12
posted on
02/07/2008 4:48:08 PM PST
by
Mojohemi
To: Plutarch
Yeah, a lot of Republicans are turning quitting into an art form.
To: Mojohemi
John McCain called me a what? Do you remember his comments in 2006? I am not a racist because I think the Border needs protecting, I hate not one soul that God Created !! McCain will destroy the party of Reagan and flood the country will cheap labor.
14
posted on
02/07/2008 4:51:05 PM PST
by
Mojohemi
To: Plutarch
Would have been a great president. I was fredhead at first. But the more I became familiar with Mitt the more I liked him. I’ll support him if he runs in 2012.
To: Plutarch
I just lost the last candidate I could have voted for in good faith.
I saw it coming but I am still numb with disappointment. I am not sure I can call myself a Republican anymore.
16
posted on
02/07/2008 4:56:54 PM PST
by
Ronin
(Bushed out!!! Another tragic victim of BDS.)
To: Iron Munro
He showed the world a lot of class. Not that it is a useful attribute in American politics.
First of all, I agree that Mitt showed a lot of class. However, I disagree that class is a useless attribute in American politics. Just look at Reagan and GWB. They were class acts during their campaigns, during which they both won two terms.
And despite Obama's awful policy intentions, he is the greatest political success this election season, and he has succeeded mainly because he demonstrates class in the face of clintonian wickedness.
To: Ingtar
Most would say Romney flip flopped throughout the campaign and he is not what he says he is. I say he found himself to late and I really believe he believes what he says not for the sake of just winning, votes, friends and the nomination like everyone else in this lousey campaign. Wasn’t Ronald Reagan a democrate early on in his career and had very different views than he did when he took office? I’m not happy at this point with the choices we have.
18
posted on
02/07/2008 5:28:15 PM PST
by
ronnie raygun
(Id rather be hunting with dick than driving with ted)
To: ronnie raygun
I was surprised he suspended his campaign...I figured he would hold on at least through Texas and Ohio. I would not assume he would be the leader for 2012 though. If the ticket ends up being McCain-Huckabee, Huck could be the leader...or there may be someone else on the horizon.
To: Brilliant
That and so much more. They reaked of jealousy.
Romney embodied everything that McLame and Huckface will never, ever be. Not even in their wildest dreams.
20
posted on
02/07/2008 5:35:37 PM PST
by
Kodie39
(Mitten for Romney! Purrrrrrr....)
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