Posted on 11/07/2012 10:26:27 PM PST by Steelfish
Life After Defeat For Mitt Romney: Public Praise, Private Questions
By Philip Rucker November 7
BOSTON Mitt Romney began his retreat from public life Wednesday at a private breakfast gathering with a couple hundred of his most loyal and affluent campaign benefactors. The former Massachusetts governor, humbled by the thumping that ended his six-year pursuit of the presidency, reminisced about the journey and tried not to cry.
Romney waxed about the roaring crowds in the campaigns closing days and the feeling that he was winning, said donors in attendance. He commended Stuart Stevens, his chief strategist, as well as his senior aides, and then went around thanking donors one by one.
Mitt was vintage Mitt, said L.E. Simmons, an oil investor on Romneys national finance committee. He was analytical, no notes, spoke from the heart and was very appreciative.
But Romneys top aides, who only a couple of days ago were openly speculating about who would fill which jobs in a Romney administration, woke up Wednesday to face brutal recriminations.
Some top donors privately unloaded on Romneys senior staff, describing it as a junior varsity operation that failed to adequately insulate and defend Romney through a summer of relentless attacks from the Obama campaign over his business career and personal wealth.
Everybody feels like they were a bunch of well-meaning folks who were, to use a phrase that Governor Romney coined to describe his opponent, way in over their heads, said one member of the campaigns national finance committee, who requested anonymity to speak candidly.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
The Republican/conservative consultancy industry needs an enema.
Well, bye.
Bye Mitt, enjoy your money.
I hope we never hear from him again
If we had listened to Don Feder in electing Michelle Bachmann or Newt Gingrich (my choices), we would have had a better fighting chance.
Ronald Reagan wouldn’t have beaten Obama yesterday.. give it a rest
Sad but true.
Mitt Romney was not the conservative candidate of our dreams, but I don’t believe he deserves to be trashed. Sure, we can criticize campaign performance and weaknesses, but unlike McCain, Romney wanted to win and he fought for it.
He is also a good man and an accomplished man. If we trash that and ridicule him for being financially successful, we are no better than the welfare state addicts who re-elected Obama.
Yes he would have. And he would have run a 50 state national campaign.
>> He commended Stuart Stevens, his chief strategist ...
Well, now, isn’t that sweet?
I disagree. People think of Ronald Reagan as this guy who gives great speeches. Actually, Reagan was a seasoned political operative from his days as president of the Screen Actors Guild all the way through California's governorship. The problem with Romney is that he's a political novice - he's only won one election in his life and never spent any time figuring out the ins-and-outs of winning elections. Romney has 20 IQ points or more on GWB, but GWB has superior political judgment from being immersed in politics his whole life.
Who knows? If we knew what it takes to win, we’d be doing it ourselves instead of hoping someone else would do it for us.
I read that Romney’s ground campaign was practically non existent. Where did the 1 billion go?
One reason why it bothered me that McCain picked Palin. She’d be a better candidate today if she was ‘allowed’ to quietly finish her term and get re-elected.
“I read that Romneys ground campaign was practically non existent. Where did the 1 billion go?”
I guess that shows he wasn’t the guy we need to get our fiscal house in order.
And W had Rove.
Love him or hate him, the guy knew how to win.
GWB supported the auto bailout because he understood the Electoral College and down ticket effects from the effect on the Rust Belt states. He won OH in 2000 and 2004. Romney should have said nothing or kept a low profile. Instead, he had to grandstand and pen a newspaper editorial. GWB’s gaffes were mainly mispronunciations of words or malapropisms. Romney alienated big chunks of the population with mentions of 47% and his two Cadillacs. Romney’s are the kinds of mistakes experienced pols don’t make.
The ground game can call and knock and walk, but only voters can vote.
He is also a good man and an accomplished man. If we trash that and ridicule him for being financially successful, we are no better than the welfare state addicts who re-elected Obama.
I agree and would like to add: America turned down a great opportunity to get its economy in order. He lost now leave him the hell alone.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.