Posted on 02/28/2012 9:31:06 PM PST by SmithL
We’ve been reading for weeks about Mitt Romney’s demise as a presidential candidate.
For a candidate who’s been declared dead more often than Mark Twain, he’s showing surprising life.
In his victory speech in suburban Detroit, the Michigan native called his twin victories “a giant step toward a brighter future.”
Here are five reasons why the former Massachusetts governor’s wins in Michigan and Arizona are significant:
1. Considering how many mistakes Romney has made, he still won.
It was a rough week with a bushel of bad press. Remember the trees being the right size. And the multiple Cadillacs in the family garage. He still won.
2. He is resilient.
Romney dug himself a hole in Michigan. He was trailing in the polls. And he came from behind. If he’s going to beat President Obama, he’ll need to follow that same path.
3. His negative ads have been effective.
He outspent rival Rick Santorum and buried him with a barrage of negative ads. Santorum damaged himself with a weak debate performance in Arizona and a couple of campaign-trail gaffes. But Romney proved — once again — that he can shape public images of his rivals through skillful attack ads. Barack Obama: beware.
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.sfgate.com ...
The republican party is not worth a hill of beans anymore. It is looking more and more like it needs to die out.
I dunno, I think this whole contraception and religious liberty blow up will act as a prophylactic against media criticism of his Mormon background. As much as I personally think Mormonism is a cult, Mitt will likely not have to suffer too much media ridicule, though Mormonism will be put under the microscope.
In a rigid, mortician kind of way.
LOL. You nailed it!
Inclusive in all of those posted—is the fact that Romney divides the GOP as much as Obama has divided America. If I want Obama I will vote for Obama not the paler shade of Obama.
I’m not pimping anyone Romney is the better speech maker of the group hands down. It’s a little thing called reality.
Bears repeating
Some people have a hard time acepting reality. We’ve been through many candidates and this is what we’re left with. Newt’s numbers just aren’t there and Santorum will never win the general. Newt and Rick are going to split the votes in the south. Who is that going to help? I’m guessing people didn’t even listen to Romney’s speech last night. He took it to obama pretty darn good. When you consider that he’s taken incoming from the left and the right and in spite of splitting the vote four ways is still surviving. At what point do we stop dismissing the actual voters who are keeping him in? He even took a nice chunk of the senior vote. At this point I’m going with a reality.
Here is another dose of reality for you Santorum fanatics; Newt had the lead months ago, but santorum benefited by being virtually invisible at the time Romney focused all of his big money and guns at Newt, and took him down at a critical moment in the race.
Now that Santorum has proved that he cannot deliver and his Big Mouth is his own worst enemy, the newest Santorum fairy tale/fantasy is that Santorum “actually won” Michigan, by losing to Romney by only 3 points. (Pay no attention to all those Democrat crossovers who Santorum paid campaign funds in order to pander to at the last minute.)
I certainly do not blame Newt for any of this. I do blame the ignorant Lemming voters in this party, who stampede blindly to career moderate/big government candidates like Santorum, who have him wrongly classified as a “true CONservative”. Socially yes, fiscally, he's a joke!
I appreciate that Free Republic pretty much officially hates Romney. I believe that is based on his record as governor and a total mistrust that he has switched on issues like abortion.
However, where many here depart from reality is they discuss Romney as a present day liberal candidate. He simply is not. Romney is campaigning as the most conservative republican. You don’t have to believe him but Romney currently is pro life, favors the strictest anti illegals policy, supports conservative judges, repealing Obamacare, etc.
As for giving a speech I’ve watched a couple now, he is about 10 times better than Santorum, and the speeches are very anti-Obama.
I’ve supported each front runner so that included Perry, Newt, Rick, Hermann. I considered Michelle not sure she was a true front runner. Pawlenti seemed ok but ended up being a dead fish candidate.
I’ve seen Newt do great at debates, have seen him and Romney both do poorly at debates.
I want to see every one of these guys give a great speech. Did you watch Newt last night? With the whole politically inclined population watching, Newt came out early good enough. Then he inexplicably chose to ramble for 15 minutes about cutting down a tree and crashing it into someone’s house 30 years ago.
Then Santorum came out and went on forever. His wife and daughter looked saddened by his speech.
Romney in comparison gave a catchy anti Obama speech.
He’s not exciting. He doesn’t connect with the audience. Unless the audience is a group of elites like himself. He has no common touch. He does not understand conservative principles and offers liberal ideas with a conservative spin. Every single time he opens his mouth lies fly out.
Newt is a way better speaker than Mittens. Newt not only understands, but he can explain conservative principles in easily understandable terms. He can, as Mitt cannot, provide plenty of red meat for the base. Mr. Mayonnaise on White bread cannot excite anyone because there is no red meat in him.
How you can possibly think that Romney is the best speech maker I cannot imagine. Unless you happen to be one of his elite pals.
I dont think you listened to Romney’s or Newt’s speeches last night.
IF you watched then you saw Newt meander for 15 full minutes of nonsense and completely squandered the fact he was the first candidate up on a big night and addressing a national audience.
Then IF you watched Romney speak you saw him give out tons of “red meat” lines to a cheering audience. Now, you cover your comment on speech giving by adding that Romeny is lying every time he opens his mouth. OK that’s fine.
The above are simple facts. Don’t you know I wanted to see Newt give a great speech? He didn’t. Nor was this the first time Newt disappointed, in fact he chose to give that bizarre news conference after the Nevada caucuses, so he squandered the last chance he had to give a good speech on a primary night.
If Newt becomes the front runner again, he has my vote. So does Rick. Whatever happens I am going to vote GOP and against that lying miserable leftist disaster BHO.
The currently liberal Romney still supports gays in the military, embryonic stem cell research, global warming and Romneycare even though you say he’s campaigning as the most conservative candidate. While he is saying he’ll get rid of Obamacare, he has his minions out saying he won’t remove it, just tinker with it. Well what is it? Yes, remove Obamacare or no, just tinker with it. That is typical Romney behavior. Say whatever you think the audience wants to hear.
Mitt Romney is the Rockefeller wing liberal son of Rockefeller wing liberals who attempts to speak conservative to get elected. He will trash anyone else’s conservative history in order to make himself look good in comparison. He trashed Reagan, Gingrich and Santorum. But you want to believe he’s a conservative? Was he lying then or now? From him, it’s all been lies.
Don’t keep pimping Romney here. It seems we know him better than you know him. Romney certainly wants to get elected. He’d turn himself inside out if he had to. So lying and pretending to be conservative is nothing to him. But a conservative should know better.
It’s a shame that much of the commentary here on the election rises to kook level.
You don’t have to trust Romney, very valid point.
After that I read these posts and it’s rabid ranting by people who I think are not even watching the election.
Sorry but I explained I watched ALL the speeches last night. Newt and Santorum flat out sucked, and THEY were the ones I hoped to hear give good speeches. Romney’s speech was superior, by far.
I guess I’m supposed to come on here and BS that Newt and Rick gave great speeches. They sucked. At least Santorum tried to give a speech. For the second primary night in a row, Gingrich kicked away his opportunity to come out and give a good speech. Why is that? You tell me, geniuses because he’s supposed to be the perfect candidate.
As for who is a “real conservative” I have absolute contempt for anyone who would assist in any way in the reelection of Barack Hussein Obama.
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