Video: “Chairs”
posted at 1:00 pm on January 17, 2008 by Bryan
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Romney’s campaign has decided to skip South Carolina, appear in Nevada for a couple of days and then head south, so the ad below begins its run in Florida today. With Giuliani cratering and McCain surging but Romney and Huckabee within striking distance, Florida is anyone’s state and there’s time to make a move there. This ad includes what is becoming Romney’s rationale for his candidacy — that he can fix things.
I will change Washington. I will take it apart and put it back together. I know how to bring change.
I really, really hate the “change” mantra that has engulfed the campaign, not because I hate change itself but because that word is being used as an empty vessel into which candidates and voters can pour whatever they want or whatever the tactics of the moment call for. Change qua change is meaningless without some specifics, and change isn’t always for the better. But at least Romney here is tying it to his own resume and history. With pretty much everyone left, right and center agreeing that Washington is not working, Mr. Fixit isn’t a bad identity to run with. This probably should have been his central campaign theme from the start. The Fixit theme has always been hovering around the Romney campaign, but the Michigan primary brought it to the top as a theme that resonated on its own for the first time in the campaign.
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Well, one can dream.
davidk on January 17, 2008 at 1:05 PM
All this election needs is a dozen vikings and Graham Chapman and it would be a Monty Python Sketch.
Keljeck on January 17, 2008 at 1:05 PM
And it wouldn’t even be their best work.
Spam!
Bryan on January 17, 2008 at 1:06 PM
Wonderful Spam!
thejackal on January 17, 2008 at 1:10 PM
Every presidential candidate in my lifetime has said they can “change” Washington. So far, none have been able to do so. Is all hope lost?
pullingmyhairout on January 17, 2008 at 1:11 PM
Empty promises from a typical politician…but the Python references made this thread worth the read! Thanks, Guys!
“But I don’t like SPAM!”
tickleddragon on January 17, 2008 at 1:16 PM
On a somewhat-related note…Did you know the bottom of Obama’s website says it’s “Powered by Hope”? Ugh…
amerpundit on January 17, 2008 at 1:18 PM
Romney is a little different than other politicians, though, I mean, look at the debacle that he inherited from MA: billions in deficit yet he balanced the budget every year he was governor. He righted a a completely screwed up Olympics, and has more than enough personal wealth, integrity and character to not even be susceptible to the temptation to be bought and paid for by influence buyers.
Maybe he really could change things.
No one’s said it yet, and I hope it doesn’t get me banned from hotair, so here goes:
I’m smitten for Mittens!
JustTruth101 on January 17, 2008 at 1:19 PM
“He who lives on hope will die fasting.” –Benjamin Franklin
thejackal on January 17, 2008 at 1:22 PM
Yes, but he didn’t exact sweeping change to the country because still nobody watched.
I’ve got my own slogan for Mitt, being a Fred man.
Mitt’ll do. If we can’t have the Fred!
pistolero on January 17, 2008 at 1:23 PM
Wait… Romney is for “change”? Why didn’t anyone tell me? That changes everything. I mean, what a unique, detailed, compelling position to have! Why has no other candidate- Republican or Democrat- thought of endorsing “change” before?
Only now do I see why the Romniacs have been so supportive of Mitt! How could anyone NOT be in favor of a candidate with the brains, organization and sheer guts to advocate something so bold as “change”?
He should stop confusing voters with all that policy and family values mumbo-jumbo and just go with “change”. Who needs anything more than change?
Foreign policy: CHANGE.
Economic policy: CHANGE.
Illegal immigration: CHANGE.
Iraq: CHANGE.
Social policy: CHANGE.
Why, he could be the changeyist changer ever to change a changing world so desperate for change!
Hollowpoint on January 17, 2008 at 1:24 PM
NO no no no, Romney is being really, really slick here.
So he gets the nomination from our side and either Obama or Hillary gets it from their side. What has THEIR mantra been?
‘Change’
What does Romney have then? He can come back as such: “Well so am I. I’m for change too. Lets compare how I want to change things to make them work to how you want to change things to make them work, and let the voters decide”
He, anticipating their attacks and his own nomination, is already positioning himself to nullify their main ‘attack’ line. Their screaming for ‘change’ in Washington means nothing if he’s right there with them.
And then, if they have to get into brass tacks about how each side will work their ‘change’ for the best, they are dead in the water because as we all know it’s just tax and spend and feel-good policies they’re pushing and if they’re on stage pushing that tripe against he of the high IQ and master planning and sales genius? Romney will DESTROY them.
I think it’s genius. And I guarantee what he’s doing has that in mind as his premise…he’s a slick businessperson, an MBA, think about it…that’s how he OPERATES. He’s thinking and planning far ahead and betting that if he can reduce the debate to our ideas and planning vs their ideas and planning, he has the advantage BY FAR.
TheGoblinKing on January 17, 2008 at 1:29 PM
So basically…
He’s Ross Perot with plasitc hair and capped teeth.
Swell.
Typhoon on January 17, 2008 at 1:30 PM
This country needs to change out of diapers.
RushBaby on January 17, 2008 at 1:31 PM
Change = Spam ?
I’ll have the change, change, change, eggs, and change.
BohicaTwentyTwo on January 17, 2008 at 1:32 PM
I’m not wild about “change” either and would prefer something like “turnaround” but the chairs metaphor is a good one. That being said, I don’t know that this ad has enough punch to it.
He should pick up the music to “so tired, tired of waiting” and use it as his campaign’s theme song. Please don’t keep a me waiting could be his rallying cry :-)
Buy Danish on January 17, 2008 at 1:33 PM
Good analysis, GoblinKing!
GO MITT!!!
Eclectic on January 17, 2008 at 1:37 PM
Change I’m in favor of …..
Removing every sitting congressman and senator, democrat and republican alike, and start anew.
With term limits.
fogw on January 17, 2008 at 1:38 PM
The difference is that Mitt has ACTUALLY made positive changes in the real world. What other candidate that has ever used that term had such success in his life prior to being POTUS? The bottom line is that Mitt is credible with the change message and no one else is.
csdeven on January 17, 2008 at 1:42 PM
There will never be “change” inside of the Beltway until there are term limits. The Founding Fathers never anticipated that there would be political pigs in perpetuity, hanging around Washington, D.C., like Spanish Moss on a Southern tree.
We need a Constitutional amendment. The fact that the voters can vote them out is no consolation for me - inasmuch as the majority of voters religiously watch Oprah, Ellen and cartoons directed at “adults.” An ignorant vote, or a vote predicated on name recognition or media hype is the order the day. I’d prefer the votes of cattle, munching in their fields.
OhEssYouCowboys on January 17, 2008 at 1:43 PM
I do think the chairs metaphor will be a good one if he goes against any of the three demo-dorks in the general. You can’t get real change by sending the same people back in a different chair. Nice.
A 30 sec commericial isn’t a great place to lay out major policy plans. Hopefully he has some good white papers detailing his ideas (like Fred does). I’ll have to go check.
TX Mom on January 17, 2008 at 1:45 PM
yeah but Fred! has core pricipals and reads his lines well
windansea on January 17, 2008 at 1:45 PM
You’re absolutely right! Now all the conservatives in SC who support Mitt only have Fred to vote for. Fred should gain quite a bit. If so this knocks out McCain AND Huckabee in one fell swoop in South Carolina. Huckabee can’t come back from that kind of loss and McCain’s campaign then goes into a spiral hoping for a good showing in Florida.
Mitt just possibly eliminated the Huckster AND McShamnesty.
PureMutt on January 17, 2008 at 1:52 PM
You know what would be the best change? For congress and the President to do nothing…that’s right no bills, no legislative action, nothing. Every time they do “something”, every time there is a “change”, it costs me money.
right2bright on January 17, 2008 at 1:53 PM
The biggest change Mitt could make…is not to make a change in his positions.
That would be a change we haven’t seen.
right2bright on January 17, 2008 at 1:55 PM
mrfixit, commenter of HA should request royalties :)
thejackal, read latter part of the “marriage” item in headlines.
I want fogw for president!!!
Since his kind of change is not possible, at least not soon enough, I suggest that the entire nation go on a couch because its diagnosis is psychosis. The couch seems to be its only prescription, on both isles.
A few examples:
- Obama thinks he’s Reagan. RR says “Kid, grow up, work harder, actually do something, and earn my reputation and my legacy”.
- The Clintons think they are ‘Change’, until they need experience, then they are ‘Experience’, depending on the second, and the need.
- Romney can’t get away from being Clintonesque.
- Huckabee thinks he’s Jesus, on a bigger than himself mission.
- Fred can’t grasp what is there waiting for him to get a grip of.
- Edwards is just pretty.
- McCain is just himself, psychotic enough right there.
- Rudy…what happened to him, anyway?
- Paul, Kusinich, Bloomberg…narcissists, more/or less, as some of the others.
Entelechy on January 17, 2008 at 1:55 PM
You know, all this “change” business reminds me of the Dawn of the Dead zombie spoof South Park did last year about homeless people.
There needs to be a mantra of all the candidates saying “change” spliced next to clips of the “zombies” saying “CHANNNNGE!!! Got any change, sir?”
Hawkins1701 on January 17, 2008 at 1:56 PM
Agreed! Term limits on Congress would be a great start, followed up by term limits on Supreme Court justices. I sincerely doubt the founders envisioned picking a justice in his 50’s with the expectation that he would live another 30 years on the court.
Tim on January 17, 2008 at 1:57 PM
Whoops: replace the word “mantra” with “montage”.
Hawkins1701 on January 17, 2008 at 2:02 PM
Just not so.
The most complete turnaround I’ve seen in my lifetime is the turnaround Rudy accomplished as mayor of NYC.
Now you may not like Rudy for this or that reason, but that he did it is simply a fact.
And he did it using conservative principles to get it done. At least in the main. And, he did it not in the private sector where competence is expected, but in the public sector in New York, where it was unheard of.
The Olympics isn’t in the same league at all.
Typhoon on January 17, 2008 at 2:03 PM
Slamming critique there! Bryan has the tie-in right: it’s all about the resume. But I’m a bit biased - I saw what he did first hand for the SLOC as I worked on the project personally setting up the networks and computers that ran traffic control. It was corrupt as the day is long, he fixed that and didn’t left them with a few dimes.
SkinnerVic on January 17, 2008 at 2:07 PM
Interesting analysis!
Okay fine. We can stipulate that Rudy did a miraculous job of turning around NYC.
That does not detract from Mitt’s brilliantly successful efforts in starting and turning around businesses, with rescuing the Olympics, and as with getting Massachusetts out of the fiscal hole it was in prior to his being elected Governor.
Buy Danish on January 17, 2008 at 2:23 PM
Reminds me of a song…”We’re going to fix it! We’re going to put our heads together till we fix it! We will work right through the day and not even stop to play! We will fix it!”
Maybe congress can adopt it as their new theme song.
pdxguy on January 17, 2008 at 3:01 PM
All this change talk has me headed for a change into a straightjacket.
ThePrez on January 17, 2008 at 3:08 PM
We should start a new club called “Conservatives for Change.” Or better still, “Radical Conservatives for Change Now.” Winston Smith’s friend, Syme, could be our mascot.
JackOfClubs on January 17, 2008 at 3:22 PM
You tell me. Nice screen cap there.
:::::::::
..:…:..
:::::::::
Here’s an idea:
Shall the Mittheads take the show from here? YES!!
The Fredheads have been dominating for way too long.
Warning! YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED!!
Mcguyver on January 17, 2008 at 3:40 PM
Thanks guys, I appreciate the props!
In the business/marketing world, it’s called ‘positioning’. And it hit me while reading this that that is not only exactly what he’d do seeing as where he comes from, it’s EXACTLY what he’s doing. He’s positioning his ‘brand’ to challenge theirs on a point by point basis. It’s like them saying ‘what you need is a sports car!’ and him having already said and laid the groundwork to continue with ‘I’m a sports car too, lets race’.
And the genius of it all is we all know liberal policy is usually emotionally based and fiscally harmful, and they’re walking right into having to put their costly inefficient ‘fixes’ up against Romneys tight, efficient policies…and if it comes to that they CAN NOT WIN.
So in my mind, they won’t let it come to that. They’ll be reduced to saying ‘Romney is just continuing the policies of Bush blah blah blah’ and that is a great softball to hit out of the park, especially when Romneys policies likely WILL be different than Bush’s.
The Dems will be reduced to attacking Romney himself and refusing to substantively debate policy…and that won’t look good when he’s sitting there saying “Fine, you say you’re for change, so do I. Let’s compare for everyone to see”. It’s a very nasty and very hard to avoid gauntlet they’ll have to run to get out of having to put their crack-induced spendaholic feel-good crap under the microscope.
And if they DO go after Romney personally instead of engaging ideas, that can’t work EITHER because they guy is so damn clean it ain’t funny. If KENNEDY and his people couldn’t come up with one skeleton to bring out of his closet, there probably ain’t any skeletons in there. They can’t even pursue the dumb/evil/womanizer/gravitas/insert-random-slur angle because the guy personally is about as perfect as you can get, so is his family.
Sorry to be so verbose, I just think it’s fantastic what he’s doing, frickin razor sharp. They Dems will be left with a handful of options of how to go after Romney, none of which will be worth a damn.
TheGoblinKing on January 17, 2008 at 3:43 PM
Mr. Fixit.
As I AM MrFixit, I have NOT authorized Mr. Romney to use my moniker or likess for his campaign….. especially since I prefer Fred! I demand a retraction…. (or maybe some more traction… for Fred!) =)
Entelechy on January 17, 2008 at 1:55 PM
Bless you dear Lady E !
mrfixit on January 17, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Yeah, probably so.
And you’ve summed up pretty well why the guy is a manager and not a leader, why what he says is born of expediency and not of purpose, and why–while I suppose I’ll vote for him if he’s the nominee–I’m just never going to have any good feelings about this guy.
Typhoon on January 17, 2008 at 4:22 PM
Change is pretty much inevitable. I’m all for four more of President Bush, but I know that won;t happen.
Hening on January 17, 2008 at 4:23 PM
He11, we could get by with 6 vikings and some flying sheep.
Griz on January 17, 2008 at 5:59 PM
Say, didn’t Mitt sign a law to impose Hillary health care as governor? Funny, he doesn’t mention that “change” any more.
And wasn’t that Teddy Kennedy by his side at the signing? Why, yes.
Captain America on January 17, 2008 at 6:07 PM
CHANGE? I thought we were Conservatives?
Kaptain Amerika on January 17, 2008 at 6:57 PM
He’s Ross Perot with plasitc hair and capped teeth.
Swell.
Typhoon on January 17, 2008 at 1:30 PM
This type of attack is so boring anymore. It’s juvenile and trite.
Are you so ugly yourself that you have to project this shallow view of attractive people?
sheryl on January 17, 2008 at 7:24 PM
I liked Goblin King’s positioning comment. It actually makes me think that vapid sloganeering is wise!
If change is impossible, at least he can fight for your right to have change. He can do this because the book of Brian is a core part of the mormon religion.
Mitt is our best shot at victory and immigration reform.
http://www.culturism.us
culturism on January 18, 2008 at 12:31 AM
This of course assumes that he wins the nomination.
Right now Huckabee is stealing his Washington outsider/change message, but Huck has no business experience so basically it comes down to him being from Arkansas.
Buy Danish on January 18, 2008 at 8:31 AM