Posted on 10/29/2008 6:34:55 AM PDT by Reaganesque
It’s been the most frequently asked question I’ve gotten from National Review Online readers and conservatives over e-mail and in person since the market chaos and subsequent bailout circus began.
My answer these last few months has always been: Turn on MSNBC. Turn on FOX. Google a conservative candidate for Congress. Romney is liable to turn up.
And yet, a ridiculous item on the Internet yesterday suggested that he’s been in hiding, keeping a “low profile nationally” and unwilling to help out Republicans who aren’t a sure thing.
There are problems with that contention: Why do I keep seeing the man on television? Is any Republican a shoe-in this year? Someone get Norm Coleman on the phone with the good news! Because Romney is scheduled to campaign with the Minnesota senator, who is fighting for his political life against the not-so-funny prospect of Senator Al Franken. The images on his website blog do not suggest someone who’s decided to sit out the election — they suggest someone still engaged in the election year. Nor does his travelog, as he’s been doing McCain surrogate events everywhere from Pennylvania and Colorado to Nevada and Texas (among other places including Oregon, Georgia, Nashville ... ). Nor do his post-debate spin-room appearances or his interview on The Laura Ingraham Show this morning suggest that Mitt is standing down on election 2008.
Romney’s been in Virginia helping Keith Fimian in that newly blue-leaning state. He’s campaigned for Michele Bachman, now a favorite of MSNBC. He’s raised money for John Sununu in New Hampshire and Oregon senator Gordon Smith — both of whose reelection prospects are far from guaranteed. The list goes on.
Since Romney suspended his campaign and subsequently formed the Free and Strong America political action committee in April, he has donated approximately $202,000 to 75 GOP candidates, according to numbers made available to NRO from the PAC. Romney has also made an additional $173,000 in donations through flexible spending accounts to five affiliated state PACS, including $10,000 to the National Organization for Marriage, which is working to pass Proposition 8 in California, and $5,000 to stop a ballot initiative in Massachusetts to decriminalize marijuana.
And when the McCain campaign famously withdrew from Michigan, Romney contributed $50,000 to the demoralized GOP there. According to his PAC, “The total amount of financial support to GOP candidates and conservative causes through Romney-controlled state and federal PACs is $375,000.”
The web piece further blamed former Romney aides for being the source of the Sarah-Palin-is-a-diva complaints coming out of the McCain camp, presumably meant to damage her post-election prospects should the Republican ticket lose next week. The problem with that is: Most of Romney’s inner circle is still his inner circle — some having come from the business world, others being Massachusetts people now running his PAC. Others returned to Washington, and are doing McCain surrogate work, but are far from campaign insiders. Whomever is shooting at Palin from the McCain camp is not doing Romney’s bidding.
The good news for Mitt Romney is folks care what he’s doing. And someone out there sees him as enough of a threat to their ambitions to try to wound him. That rarely happens to irrelevant also-rans.
When longtime Romney spokesman Eric Fernstrom was asked about the former Massachusetts governor’s future on Monday, the longtime aide suggested Romney’s 2008 presidential ambitions weren’t running his life: “Gov. Romney had his shot at the White House, and he lost fair and square.” After a hostile primary season that highlighted some shameful instincts hostile to religious liberty both in the mainstream media and on the Right, you might not blame Romney if he went into retreat. But he never did. Romney got on the campaign trail for John McCain, defending the free-market policies that this successful businessman could no doubt run with, if he were in the driver’s seat.
Romney’s been a team player. Is it because he wants a Cabinet seat? Ask him — but I doubt it. There are easier jobs that taking over a massive bureacracy with limited freedom. Is it because he wants to be president? Ask him, but I don’t think that’s it either — and only time will tell, anyway, who will be Right prospects in a few years.
Watching him these past few months, he acts like a man who found a home on the Right, who both personally and philosophically appreciates those who were open to what he brought to the campaign trail, and continues to want to serve his country in whatever capacity she needs him. Right now, that’s by fundraising, contributing, and campaigning for conservative candidates and causes like the Susan B. Anthony List and Proposition 8 in California.
In his final primary-campaign speech in February, Mitt Romney said:
I entered this race because I love America, and because I love America, I feel I must now stand aside, for our party and for our country.
I will continue to stand for conservative principles. I will fight alongside you for all the things we believe in. And one of those things is that we cannot allow the next President of the United States to retreat in the face of evil extremism.
And so he campaigns for candidates who share his general vision of the world. Romney was with McCain in Ohio on Monday. He’ll be in New Hampshire on Wednesday campaigning for congressional candidates Jeb Bradley and Jennifer Horn. And then he’ll take off for get-out-the-vote rallies.
If you’re wondering where Mitt is — and you can suspend some of your cynicism — the answer might just be: Where he can be of use. If you take him at his word and his schedule, that’s what it reads like anyway.
— Kathryn Jean Lopez is the editor of National Review Online.
I think there was a lot of jealousy because Romney is smart, dazzingly successful, squeaky clean with a squeaky clean family, and handsome. But the most obvious dislike came from McCain and Huckabee. Huckabee’s reasons are obvious. He was whipping up the anti-Mormons.
I’ve never met Romney, but I’ve never seen him be arrogant. His attitude has always been gracious, even when he was under attack.
“Your comments to me are offensive and unwarranted. If you prefer, I won’t vote for McCain next week. So do keep criticizing me.”
It has been a while since I have seen something that childish, BOO!, now go vote for Obama.
Better yet, hold your vote in for ten days until you turn blue.
They can never explain why folks like Rush, Ingraham, Coulter, Hannity, Hewitt, Bork, etc., etc., all backed Romney, other than to say they were sell outs or were paid off. Makes one go hmmmmmmm.
If that’s true, then why is it that the majority of these anti Mitt folks are also over on the religious boards bashing Mormon’s in general?
Please tell me your view on why most of the conservative leaders backed Mitt. Do you feel they didn’t know his record? Or perhaps they knew more than you about the man.
perhaps they knew more than you about the man
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Romney has been an abortion pusher for 40 years...
There is nothing more to know about the guy...
You doth protest too much, I think. You and blogger, Erick with a "K," are a little obsessed with Romney's former employees, aren't you?
Like the Romney camp said, Madden is his own man. He is no longer Romney's spokesman. Did you know he was also Tom Delay's spokesman too? Kind of interesting. Now it appears he is a paid political pundit for Fox. He is free to his own opinion, is he not?
The bottomline is that you are focused on the wrong people. Mitt Romney has been more than complimentary about Sarah Palin from Day One and has been campaigning non-stop for the GOP.
I am a strong Palin supporter. I lobbied for her to be on the ticket with Mitt way back in May of 2007 (before most of you even knew she was alive), and I don't disagree with much of what he has said.
She is green, unseasoned and inexperienced when it comes to dealing with national media (true, and that's why we like her).
She was not vetted to the same extent as say, someone like Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, or Mitt Romney, who were all highly scrutinized throughout the long, arduous primary season (also true, but that's why she was fresh and exciting).
When people are not properly vetted, surprises happen (no, duh).
I don't follow everything Kevin says with bated breath like you do, but the above observations (which I've heard Kevin express) seem fairly accurate and not too terribly scandalous.
Maybe you all should stop being the thought police and go out and do something productive.
Yet, the reports of the other candidates' dislike of Romney state exactly that as the reason and of course, they have met him frequently. The description often used about Romney's demeanor, patrician, is a nice way of saying that he thinks he is better than everyone else because he belongs to a higher class.
As long as we are doing personal impressions, I didn't personally call him arrogant, just reporting what others have said. I wouldn't call Romney humble. There seems to be lots of pride in Romney.
However, the WSJ also stated this:
"More blacks than ever support vouchers and faith-based initiatives, and side with President Bush on gay marriage. Mr. Hayes recently made the transition himself, ending a long journey for this former leftist...
Now, correct me if I'm wrong but, aren't you one of these people who have rather forcefully contended that being a "recent," "former leftist" automatically made a candidate an evil RINO who is working to destroy the Republican party from within? Why the exception here?
People who are jealous of another often accuse them of “arrogance,” when they can’t find anything else to criticize. I never saw him make a personal attack on anyone, even when they were getting very personal with him. His demeanor has been, more often, self-deprecating and classy.
And “patrician” can mean just that — classy. He doesn’t go knock back beers with the boys, or swap dirty stories. In some people’s minds, that enough to condemn him.
Have you considered posting a comment that isn't hate-filled against anyone not supporting Mitt? The hate and name-calling is all coming from one side on this thread. I have posted articles with sources that don't make Mitt's operatives look so good.
Perhaps you sould just post a link to your blog, on which you can use all the nasty ad hominems in one fell swoop.
You can even borrow this.
I think a lot of people miss that point. Politics is the art of the possible. A moderate Republican has a shot at getting elected in Mass. A conservative Republican simply does not. I think Romeny did a good job as governor of Mass., given the political restraints imposed on him by the people of that State.
I supported Romney in the primaries, though it was all over by the time I had a chance to vote in mine. From all indications, Romney is now doing his best to support the McCain/Plain ticket. I'm not sure what all this vitriol directed against him is supposed to accomplish.
At what point did Madden defend McCain's choice of Palin? Please post the statement with a link. Thanks.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong but, aren’t you one of these people who have rather forcefully contended that being a “recent,” “former leftist” automatically made a candidate an evil RINO who is working to destroy the Republican party from within?
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No, I have never said that...
Quote me but dont make up things...
As for Ted Hayes, he has fought against the influx of illegal aliens for a long time...
Even to being falsely arrested at least once during a PERMITTED march against the continued presence of illegal aliens...
Ted has guts and wont back down for the AMNESTY crowd...
As for Romney, he has knowingly hired illegal aliens and during the AMNESTY Bill fiasco stated that we “cannot not send them home” and that we needed a “pathway to citizenship” for all 25,000,000 illegal aliens...
He even kissed up to La Raza et al, during the primary, wearing a Latino shirt given to him by an illegal alien supporter and promising them privileges they had no right to expect..
Other than Ted’s color, black, there are other differences between him and Romney...
Ted is not afraid to stick up for what he believes...
Romney is a sniverling coward...
Very well said. I thought you'd be happy to see what Mitt said from the very start about Sarah Palin. Like you said, he has been gracious throughout.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2070650/posts
Wow. Talk about projection.
I hadn’t actually heard of him until you mentioned him
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That’s strange...
Ted Hayes is well known...
And respected....
I’ve known of him for years...
Romney, now, was the unknown...
I’d never heard of him until the first debate...
At which time his own mouth condemned him...
Reporting for duty!!
Romney had better and more qualifications than anyone running for president in the primary on either side of the aisle, including Hillary. It’s a no brainer.
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