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 remember they clashed over illegal immigration
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No they didnt...
Romney was for the AMNESTY Bill...
He said the “we cant send them back” and “we have to find a pathwaty to citizenship” for them...
No clash there...
There were differences on other issues though...
but as you say...
McCain is the Republican nominee...
He won fair and square by a majority of Republican votes..
He wasnt everyone’s choice, but he is our candidate...
and for the good of the country, McCain must win next week...
Again, please explain why we should believe you vs. them. These as well as many others have been the avant gaurd of the conservative movement. Perhaps you would like to espouse a different movement. That's fine, but let us know.
As always, well done! : )
Those leaders are the ones previously enumerated such as Rush, Ingraham, Coulter, Hewitt, Bork, etc., etc.
Again, please explain why we
________________________________________________
Again with the “us” “we”
Do you ever have an individual thopught ???
That’s part of being a conservative...
The freedom to think for yourself...
And now you “invite” me to get lost and out of the “conservative movement” ????
(Sigh)
So to you talk show hosts who are paid big bucks to expound daily on the radio, are the “leaders of the conservative movement”
Where does Ronald Reagan fit in ????
He was only a sports caster...
President Reagan, “perhaps you would like to espouse a different movement”
Get yourself to confession, P-boy. I'm not joking.
You’re just trying to teach us about the Saul Alinsky tactics the Liberals use on conservatives with that last post to me, right?
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You’re the expert on Saul Alinsky...
So you would know how you yourself are doing in his shoes...
I’ve never studied the guy...
For myself, I am inspired by Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan...
She doesn’t know how. : )
Yes, you're right. Somehow I clearly recall from the recesses of my memory ten years ago.... the left can never fight one on one. They have to gang up on you. Thanks for the reminder. : )
Second, please refer to where I told you to get lost & out of the conservative movement.
Third, Perhaps I would have invoked Ronald Reagan's name had he actually still been alive & been a part of this election cycle. Not sure why you even brought his name into this as he has absolutely no bearing on what we've discussing in regards to anti Romney folks.
Reagan was only a sports caster? Actor maybe, before politics?
I'm starting to get a clearer picture here. Thanks for your input. I wish you the best TN.
From the "anti-Palin article" you link. The actual source is a former Bush aide Nicolle Wallace not a Romeny staffer. CNN passed on the "rumors" to the American Spectator which showed poor judgement in carrying water for CNN on this one.
But you already know this judging by your obsession with all the Romney threads this last few days and are just choosing to continute the original CNN lie.
The Novak mistake was dealt with months ago. The real source of the rumor was Mike Murphey a former McCain staffer not a Romney staffer. Novak admitted as much but I see you haven't linked his comments from a few days after the initial "rumors".
But I'm guessing you already knew that one as well. but want to bring up lies from a year and a half ago to try to splinter the base in the last 6 days.
>>>[Romney: A Mistake for McCain, 7/23/2008, Dick Morris][Dick Morris]
LOL, I'm not even going to respond to that one. Pretty shameless for a "so-called" conservative to post Dick Morris to try to divide the base 6 days before the election.
Here I'll help you add another quote to your list since you have sunk down to quoting Dick Morris. "The real Romney is clearly an extraordinarily ambitious man with no perceivable political principle whatsoever. He is the most intellectually dishonest human being in the history of politics," Barney Frank
Next, Massachusetts Republican Jeff Beatty is on fine terms with Romney, he told McCain Romney is the best choice for VP. Romney has campaigned for him recently. A month ago Beatty was still singing praise to Romney's economic plans when he went into the debate with Kerry. Jeff beatty hasn't been jilted by Rommey.
Your last link to Red State (if you read the entire article, apparently not your strong suit) Erikson admits Romney isn't behind any anti-Palin attacks thus refuting your other points that Romney is behind it. He cites the Spectator as one of his original sources which was proven wrong. (i.e. it was nicolle) Kevin Madden hasn't worked for Romney since he droped out. He is a private citizen working in some D.C. based business now. He has worked for Tom Delay and Bush as well. When a former employee says something dumb we get to hold the ex-employer accountable? Oh wait this is America. Kevin did go off message on CNN making the point that the clothes discussion was detracting from the discussion fo the real issues. He has also vehemenently praised Palin for her performance in the debate and elsewhere.
Now is the time to unite behind Palin. Romney came in second in the primaries. if it was Fred or Duncan who came in second these rumors would be about them not Romney. It is predictable and is calculated to hurt the base. What is suprising is you are purposely buying into it. Those who keep bringing up these two false allegations less than a week before Nov. 4 are like the DEM's trying to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Mind-reading and more tasty personal attacks.
Have a super-classy day!
You have a way with words. :-)
: )
Personally I think the laughing is the awkwardness of having to deal with someone you disagree with politically.
...Because where it matters most, in their own families lives, they have it figured out. They both have lived conservatism in the walls of their own homes.
Odd how people whine about why can’t we all get along, and then they go and demonstrate how not to get along by calling us _______-haters.
Funny, I didn’t think that name calling and false accusations were examples of how to get along.
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