‘Where’s Mitt?’

National Review Online ^ | 10/28/08 | Kathryn Jean Lopez

[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.

[9YearLurker]

What is the link with Mitt and the couples in these photos? Thanks.

[9YearLurker]

*couple*

[tioga]

Mitt is truly a great American. No doubt about that.

[CommerceComet]

Once when I was in SLC for a conference, I and friend stopped in the Utah Lighthouse bookstore and visited with Sandra Tanner for an hour or so. Very nice person. My friend knew nothing of the Tanner's ministry beforehand but left the bookstore with a large stack of books and has since purchased several more.

I always appreciated the Tanners’ thoughtful apologetics which is less sensational than some other “anti-Mormons.” Jerald Tanner was the first person to openly question the Salamander Letter and Mark Hoffman. Jerald was an honest critic who seemed more interested in the truth than in simply bashing Mormons.

[Diogenesis]

Myth Romney is nothing more than a selfish, coveting, vile, backstabbing traitor.

Romney refused to help the GOP Senatorial candidate in Massachusetts,
so guess who is helping this weekend? None other than
true Conservative Fred Thompson from Tennessee.

"The most glaring oversight was Romney's refusal to do a phone recording
for Massachusetts Republican Jeff Beatty, who is challenging Sen. John Kerry.
"Mitt supposedly cares about Massachusetts, but won't even return phone calls asking for help,"
says a conservative working for Beatty in Boston.
"It's a tough race, but the least he could do is help.
He's showing his true colors."

[Tennessee Nana]

Good for FRed, a true conservative..

Romney is just a RINO hack...

[tioga]

I don’t like hearing he is refusing help in his own state. Not good.

[Diogenesis]

I don’t like hearing he is refusing help in his own state. Not good.

Exactly. But is SSDD.

“The Massachusetts Republican Party died last Tuesday.
The cause of death: failed leadership.
The party is survived by a few leftover legislators
and a handful of county officials and grassroots activists
who have been ignored for years.
Services will be public and a mass exodus of taxpayers will follow.
In lieu of flowers, send messages to New Hampshire Republican voters
warning them about a certain presidential candidate named Romney.”
- Boston Herald, 11/12/2006

"In 2006, while Romney was chairman of the National Republican
Governors Association - a group dedicated to electing more
Republican governors - his own hand-picked Republican successor
as governor lost badly to the Democrat, despite the fact that Republicans
have held the governorship in Massachusetts since 1990. Romney largely
ignored the Massachusetts elections and spent most of the time
during the campaign out of state building his presidential campaign.
He came back and publicly campaigned for the Republican candidate
the day before the general election!
“Locally, this is a rebuke to Mitt Romney and checking out within six months
after being elected and having accomplished almost nothing,”
[Jim] Rappaport [former chairman of the state Republican Party]."
- Boston Globe, 11/8/2006

[Reaganesque]

I think they are involved.

How? Who are involved? What are their names? What did they say? Have they said it more than once? How is pointing out that Sarah Palin is new to the national stage "tearing her down?" She knows she is. McCain knows she is. It doesn't matter. She's a proven leader and that's what counts but a rookie national politician will make rookie mistakes. No big deal.

So, why the sudden need to tear down one of McCain's most tireless supporters base on a single instance of a minor criticism from one person who used to work for him? If you have additional evidence, let's hear it. Otherwise, you are being diverted from the excellent work you have provided our party by gossip and innuendo. And at a time like this, we can't afford such meaningless, petty diversions, can we?

[AmericanGirlRising]

So, why the sudden need to tear down one of McCain's most tireless supporters base on a single instance of a minor criticism from one person who used to work for him? If you have additional evidence, let's hear it. Otherwise, you are being diverted from the excellent work you have provided our party by gossip and innuendo. And at a time like this, we can't afford such meaningless, petty diversions, can we?

You just don't get it, do you? IT'S NOT ABOUT MITT ROMNEY! I'm not tearing down your candidate. I appreciate his campaigning for the McCain campaign. I'm calling into question the people who USED TO WORK FOR ROMNEY that are now working on the McCain campaign. Now is the time to call those out who seek to damage the McCain campaign from within our party and put this election in jeopardy.

When Red State and other serious, reputable blogs report (click the links in the post for crying out loud) that negatives come from Madden - and knowing Madden’s partnership with Howard Wolfson, I trust them on this fact - and not a stranger - when I know who the people are and you obviously do not. In addition, I dare you to read every opinion piece from pro-Romney Kathleen Parker and see how her opinion of this race changed after McCain won the primaries.

I can understand your appreciation for Mitt Romney, however unless you’re Kevin Madden’s brother or best friend, why are you defending him and his lower-staff working on the McCain campaign? I work at least 16 hours a day VOLUNTEERING for the McCain/Palin campaign. I’ve recruited over 18 volunteers, donated money that is completely none of your business, and worked TIRELESSLY for months while sacrificing my own PAYING business. You have NO ROOM on this or any other planet to criticize me for seeking to eliminate sabateurs from this campaign.

Don’t be so utterly blinded by your love of a primary candidate to think they make bad hires. If Romney employs Madden (and the others in question) in the future, I will work at the same strength I’ve worked to win against Obama to see that Romney will not get the nomination of the GOP.

[Reaganesque]

No, I don't get it. I have read the links and they all state that the offending statements came from a single CNN interview and the sum total of his criticism was that Gov. Palin is new on the national political scene. That's an accurate statement. Madden then points out that she's made some rookie mistakes and somehow this is blown into a vast conspiracy by numerous former Romney employees to tear Sarah Palin down so Mitt can run in 2012. I don't follow that logic at all.

Finally, I respect and honor the fact that you have put your time and your money into your support for John McCain. That is highly commendable. However, if you want me to believe that there is some grand conspiracy to clear the field for Romney in 2012, you will have to do better than telling me "I know who they are" and name some names and back that up with something more tangible than vague rumors and anonymous, unsourced blog posts. Is that really so unreasonable to ask?

One last thing, since name dropping is the order of the day, I am not a blind Romney supporter. I have known Mitt Romney for the past 30 years. I know him, his wife and his eldest sons and their wives. They are friends of the family. I am not blindy following some political svengali, I am supporting and defending the honor and integrity of a friend whom I have respected and looked up to for the majority of my life. I hope you can understand that.

[Diogenesis]

You do not get it. There are many connections to Romney’s attacks on Gov. Palin, and before that, Sen McCain.

At least you explained why you attempt to coverup his extraordinary bad, venal behavior.

[AmericanGirlRising]

I think you have good taste in friends, because so far, I think Mitt Romney seems like a good guy. However, I don’t know you and won’t talk about the Romney staffers on the McCain campaign with you, except for Madden since he’s a ranking pro. Based on your comments, here are a few links that I don’t think you’ve seen yet:

http://townhall.com/blog/g/05b2dfac-f587-49a4-975a-effe40cf2557

http://townhall.com/blog/g/939b5090-2333-4efc-ba0e-502855a412b2

http://www.redstate.com/diaries/redstate/2008/oct/28/on-the-romneybot-attacks-against-sarah-palin/

http://www.gloverparkgroup.com/content/news/news_081806.shtml

[Reaganesque]

Thank you for the links, however: I had previously read all of the referrenced articles. And the fact still remains that this whole conspiracy theory is based on aanonymous allegations about nameless, faceless “Romney supporters.” That’s a major, major flaw in any argument. And if it is so important to rid the party of such alleged backstabbers (and I agree that it would be important) they should be named and exposed, shouldn’t they?

[Diogenesis]

The betrayers, for Romney, who attacked the McCain/Palin ticket
are not faceless, nameless, or unknown. Nor is their link to Romney unknown.

But given that you are Romney’s personal friend for, 30 years was it?,
your need to cover this up for the Mythster is obvious.

[Reaganesque]

The betrayers, for Romney, who attacked the McCain/Palin ticket are not faceless, nameless, or unknown. Nor is their link to Romney unknown.

If it truly is your concern that we root out these "betrayers," then you shouldn't have any problems naming them, right? For the good of the Country, party and Conservativism it would be your duty to expose these people, wouldn't it? So, go ahead...name names.

[Diogenesis]

It is now the day after the election was lost, in major
part because of your family friend Mitt Romney’s RomneyBOTs
and their affiliated RINO-Washington”Republicans”.

Where will you and he bury the “bloody dagger” which
you thrust in even Gov.Palin’s children and wardrobe?

[Reaganesque]

And you have completely ignored my previous question. Thus proving my point: You and yours have no concern for the party whatsoever or, for that matter, the country itself. Your agenda is to destroy Mitt Romney with allegations you know to be false and the fact that you refuse to name names is proof. You are no better than the lunatic conspiracy freaks over at DU and The Daily Kos.

[Diogenesis]

Why dont you just ask your family friend in Belmont MA and
La Jolla CA, himself, Mr. Mitt Romney, the exact ENTIRE
list of who of his RomneyBOTs and sanctuary-mansion servants and agents and fake LEO put their “bloody daggers” into Gov.Palin and her children?

First, the only agenda was by Myth Romney.
Initially to lie, then to shapeshift, and finally to betray the GOP
The posts here were IN RESPONSE to Romney’s misdeeds.

Second, then ask Romney why? What was gained?
Was it worth it to ruin the United States of America for another run by Mr.RINO Romney?
Post your answer right here:

I think not.