~”Money can get you votes and recognition. What it can’t do is erase your record.”~
No, money can get you recognition. Romney needed that, given he was running against household names.
Money does not get you votes. Forbes is testament to that. The reason Romney built up so much support - about 30% of the Republican base - is that many people were attracted to his ideas.
The charge by some people that Romney was trying to buy the election is childish. What he bought was exposure. Evidently, he didn’t do enough to earn the votes.
“The reason Romney built up so much support - about 30% of
the Republican base - is that many people were attracted to
his ideas.”
Not ideas. Claims. All shaped by his legion of consultants
and extravagent spending and donations. I’ve read he had
a woman consultant who was hired to “shape his conservative
image”.
As an example (small, compared to all I could copy and
paste)... here is a quote from Harpers about buying
influence with conservative causes and influential
party members....
* * *
“In seeking to woo conservatives, Romney has also used his personal PAC—the Commonwealth Political Action Committee—to contribute lavishly to several national pro-life groups, the Federalist Society, the National Review, and the Heritage Foundation, among others.
===>> Notice the names of the groups he gave bucks to, who
later spoke highly of him or endorsed him <<===
“In South Carolina, Romney set up a branch of the PAC all
the way back in 2004. (He started branches in Iowa, New
Hampshire, Michigan, and Arizona at the same time.)
===>> Here we interrupt this quote to point out that Mitt
was setting up a Presidential run back AT LEAST in 2004 -
about the time he was busily changing his personal convictions
about almost every issue important to winning the Republican
primary. THIS is why so many of us called his “conversion”
to so many conservative issues fake. <<===
“Since then, the state branch—with guidance from a number of consulting firms, including DC Navigators, a top Washington-based group—has run up expenditures of roughly $518,000. Recipients in South Carolina include dozens of state representatives as well as Lieutenant Governor André Bauer ($3,500) and Attorney General Henry McMaster ($1,000). Romney has ladled $9,500 on the state Republican Party, $3,500 on the state Senate G.O.P. caucus, and $7,000 on the House caucus, and has sent tens of thousands of dollars in total to numerous county-level party committees.
[http://www.harpers.org/archive/2007/11/0081773 - btw]
===>> Apparently, money can buy 4,700,000 votes, by greasing
the sweaty palms of state Republican leaders who went on
to endorse Mitt. <<===
I’m not sure Romney had any really original ideas. He had
17 staff members writing position papers for the campaign
that would appeal to conservatives. And, I admit, many true
conservative voters believed him - just like those who hear
Hillary and believe what she says and do not look at her
history.
best,
ampu