Romney greets the conservative new media Romney campaign responds
posted at 4:20 pm on December 9, 2011 by Jazz Shaw
Mitt Romney’s journey in seeking the GOP nomination for 2012 has had – to put it mildly – more than a few twists and turns. But now, even with Newt Gingrich surging in the polls, he’s getting close to the finish line when voting begins in January. This would be the ideal time to jump out there and try to light a fire under the conservative wing of the new media, as I’m sure his campaign knows. So it was a perfect time to schedule a conference call and take questions from some of the heavy hitters on the starboard side of the political ship. Right, Mitt? Right? Matt Lewis reports:
As you probably heard, some Mitt Romney surrogates hosted a conference call today to attack Newt Gingrich. Because Romney is attempting to win a Republican primary — and cast Newt Gingrich as unacceptable to conservatives — you probably assume that center-right journalists or conservative bloggers got to ask some questions, right?
Wrong. Here’s the list of reporters and media outlets who were permitted to ask questions:
JOHN DICKERSON, CBS NEWS
MARK HALPERIN, TIME
LLOYD GROVE, THE DAILY BEAST
EVAN MCMORRIS-SANTORO, TPM
DAVID CORN, MOTHER JONES
PHIL RUCKER, WASHINGTON POST
Were there any questions for Hot Gas? Sadly… no. But this isn’t just sour grapes, as Lewis notes. This is simply mind boggling, bad judgement. Da Tech Guy hones in on the problem.
Stupid isn’t the word here. You are trying to make the case you are more conservative than Newt Gingrich and you not only exclude Conservatives from questions but you take questions from flipping Mother Jones and Talking Points Memo? This is an insult to every conservative news outlet, new media site and blogger out there.
And people complained about the way Herman Cain treated friends, but perhaps the Romney Campaign doesn’t consider conservatives friends.
There’s a word here I’m struggling for. It’s along the lines of “outreach.” If you want us to take you seriously, you might field some of our questions. Then again, maybe Mitt thinks Mother Jones and Talking Points Memo will give him the key endorsements he needs to win big in the GOP primary.
For you Tweeters… insert the #headdesk hashtag here.
UPDATE: The Romney campaign responded to Hot Air with the following:
The Daily Caller piece you cite in your post is wrong.
Tonight (as we do with every call) we sent out a media advisory to our regular press inviting members of the media to join the call. We use a phone conferencing system to manage these calls.
Participants who join the call are then invited to ask a question after the opening comments by pressing “1” on their phones. Question are fielded on a first come, first serve basis. We do not screen out any media organization. Whoever notifies the operator by pressing ”1” first gets to ask their question first.
On tonight’s call we answered a every single question in the queue. Every reporter – conservative, liberal or nonpartisan – who wanted to ask a question got to ask one. Organizations that were not called on either didn’t press the number “1” or never joined the call in the first place.
Blowback
Note from Hot Air management: This section is for comments from Hot Air's community of registered readers. Please don't assume that Hot Air management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment just because we let it stand. A reminder: Anyone who fails to comply with our terms of use may lose their posting privilege.
Trackbacks/Pings
Trackback URL
Comments
Comment pages: « Previous 1 … 3 4 5 6 Next »
As for Al sharpton. heh. I watch his show once in a while. Its comedic. Lets just say. No tounge twisters allowed near that studio. or else they are RACIST.
Gedge on December 10, 2011 at 5:50 AM
I agree Mitt is not conservative enough, but then you go with the guy who’s to the left of HIM? And to call him the father of Obamacare is severe hyperbole. He vetoed half of it. How do you give him credit for something that only went through after an override by congress?
Ronnie on December 10, 2011 at 5:53 AM
I’ve never seen his show, nor have I gone on an Education Reform Tour with him. Newt has.
Ronnie on December 10, 2011 at 5:56 AM
That’s Newt’s solution for the economy? More federal education spending? Yippee!
Ronnie on December 10, 2011 at 5:57 AM
You Mittonians are on full attack mode. Cant wait to see Mitt do it in person at the debate. (right) Wish Mitt had the balls of his supporters. He would probably be considered as a president. Ask Mitt yourself. But press 1 for a question you want answered. If you wernt invited to press 1. Please speak to our representative out of Ogden.
Gedge on December 10, 2011 at 6:19 AM
Press 1,600,000 if you love Freddie Mac.
Ronnie on December 10, 2011 at 6:25 AM
The last thing we need is a Milquetoast nominee running against the Obama/media machine.
Newt isn’t much better and the rest of them suck.
The problem is that Obama is even worse. Much worse.
and we wonder how we got to this point with leadership like this…
rightConcept on December 10, 2011 at 7:01 AM
Press 1,800,000 if you want to strip a domestic company of all its assets and send them to the People’s Republic of China.
Like, oh…Bain Capital…
victor82 on December 10, 2011 at 7:16 AM
I find it disappointing that 25% of the Republican electorate fall for the hairdo and the electability argument. They certainly can’t find Romney’s campaign inspiring, and there’s not a lot there to support on policy grounds but double-speak and a mythological background of competence. I don’t even see a compelling reason for Romney’s candidacy beyond his personal ambition. He wants to be President because…well, just because he thinks he should be.
If Mitt goes on the attack tonight, maybe we will finally see some personality. This one should be interesting, at least.
DRayRaven on December 10, 2011 at 7:58 AM
Hey Hot Gas, it’s time to upgrade your phone system from rotary dial machines.
moo on December 10, 2011 at 8:04 AM
Perhaps, but it is unreasonable to assume that Romney’s team are so out of touch that their entire press list is confined to 6 people, one of whom is David Corn.
Um, what does this mean?:
Buy Danish on December 10, 2011 at 8:12 AM
Mitt……….Our generations version of Nelson Rockefeller (only with magic underwear).
NO MORE BIG GOVERNMENT Progressives in GOP leadership people!
They are stealing our liberties one “necessary” regulation at a time.
******or does 50% of the GOP reply want to have Mommy Party take care of them?
PappyD61 on December 10, 2011 at 8:25 AM
Really…….not reply.
:-)
PappyD61 on December 10, 2011 at 8:27 AM
Back at ya, box o’ rocks. I don’t hate Romney, I’m just being critical of the man. Stop the juvenile whining. Also, I wouldn’t call Team Romney the most “in touch” outfit around, would you?
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 8:41 AM
Your bigotry is getting real old.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 8:41 AM
Good luck with that, snark snark. They were the key in 2008 and 1996 too, snark snark.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 8:45 AM
How many more votes is that going to get for Mitt? Will it put him past the 18% mark?
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 8:46 AM
Newt has done some dumb things in the past. No doubt about that. Newt says that he was advising Freddie Mac not to do the things they did over a several year period. I dk. Newt likes throwing around ideas and trying to reach common ground. Nothing wrong with that as long as you don’t compromise your principles.
When Newt was speaker he managed to get a Democrat president to sign welfare reform, cut capital gains taxes, and to balance the budget. I think it is fair to say that Newt governed as a conservative. Did Mitt Romney govern as a conservative?
Mitt was, by his own admission, pro-choice. Mitt passed a single payer health care system. Mitt hired radical environmentalists to implement a cap and trade scheme in Mass.
I judge a person more on what they do than on what they say. Newt has governed as a conservative, Mitt governed as a liberal. I will support Newt.
Bill C on December 10, 2011 at 8:51 AM
Oh, and someone said Africa’s a country too. And doesn’t read any newspapers and probably doesn’t know what one is. Lord, the irony. Sweet.
By the way, I’ll take our track records of success over your Moderate Pathway to Victory any day.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 8:54 AM
See, it is that exact attitude that is wrong with the general attitude of the loud mouths at HA. All you are concerned with is winning the nomination. There is a general election that must be won and this demand for an attack dog mentality from our nominee is counter productive. If Gingrich wins the nomination the advantage that he has now goes away. He is simply the “Not Romney” flavor of the month. That works in our primary but is an epic failure in the general because the indies don’t give a crap that Gingrich isn’t Romney. They will start examining his immoral past, his unethical past, and his involvement with Fannie/Freddie as the economy started to collapse. Those issues cut across political lines and Gingrich is the weakest candidate we have! Romney, Bachmann, and Santorum are stronger on those issues and Romney is the only one who has consistently shown he will beat Obama.
You people ignore the indies at the peril of this country. The most important issue this election is to get rid of Obama. This is not the time to embrace ideologues for the sack of making statements to the establishment GOP. You do that and we lose, and Obama nominates one and possibly two progressive justices to the SCOTUS. Do you really think making a statement to the GOP is worth saddling our future generations with the progressive decisions that a leftest controlled SCOTUS would render?
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 8:55 AM
You overestimate your ideology in the GOP. The bigots complain about being outed and the rational folks agree that the display of bigotry is disgusting and is not a value of the GOP but rather the providence of the Marxists.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 8:58 AM
It is not a single payer system. It is free market where everyone has choices. It was an individual mandate that simply reallocated the funds the tax payers were already paying. Instead of paying huge emergency room fees, it switched to private insurance. Thus giving people more choice and getting a bigger bang for the buck.
If you support Gingrich, you support and unethical and immoral person who was involved with Freddie/Fannie as our economy began to collapse. Those issues, even though they mean nothing to you because you hate Romney, are huge issues with the indies and Gingrich will lose them in the general. That gives Obama a 2nd term.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:03 AM
Given how Mitt can’t get past the 25% mark in the polls, I’d say it’s you who overestimate your ideology in the GOP.
DRayRaven on December 10, 2011 at 9:04 AM
LOL, bingo.
That’s ultimately the only way Mittbots can operate: tear down the other guy and his/her supporters.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:10 AM
And that’s a reason to go with Romney? Gingrich’s overall numbers against Obama are better than Romney’s. You’re losing the only thing Romney really ever had, the “electability” argument.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:13 AM
You are obviously a complete liar or you don’t know the meaning of the a single payer health care system. I suspect that you have a lot of company on this site.
The hospitals in Mass asked Romney to deal with the situation of the 8% of the population that wouldn’t provide for their own health care costs. Romney required that these freeloaders pay for their own way by buying private insurance policies. You obviously prefer that the taxpayers pay for the freeloaders. Your proposal is less conservative than Romney’s.
The Romneycare meme doesn’t hold water. From a liberty and economic perspective the coercion of requiring the irresponsible to pay their own way is preferable to the coercion of requiring the taxpayers to pay the costs of the irresponsible.
Basilsbest on December 10, 2011 at 9:13 AM
Unfortunately for you, it does.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:17 AM
Given Romney is the only candidate that has a steady base of support and the rest of the candidates have all crashed below 10% (except Paul..lol), it is you who don’t really understand the priorities of the majority of the GOP. We want the most conservative nominee that will beat Obama. All of the candidates, except Gingrich have been vetted and found to be lacking that ability. Gingrich is on the hot seat now and his failures as a candidate that can gain the confidence of the indies are being examined. His involvement with Fannie/Freddie. His status as a 40 year Washington insider and lobbyist. His immoral past. His unethical behavior that gave him the mantle of the ONLY Speaker of the House to be sanctioned and then forced to resigned. Those issues will make it impossible for the indies to support him.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:18 AM
You’ll have to link to that recent polling of the indies. He certainly has the lead in the GOP (this week). When we include the indies, Romney has had the lead (or even) on Obama for a ling time.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:20 AM
**long time**
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:20 AM
Mitt’s only chance is to make a hard right.
So what does he do? LOL
What an idiot.
Well… if he keeps running for the next 20 years or so, he might figure it out.
idesign on December 10, 2011 at 9:21 AM
Does this go into the meme that Republicans are stupid?
astonerii on December 10, 2011 at 9:21 AM
Wait a second. Do you mean to say that people who couldn’t afford private insurance, or who said they couldn’t afford private insurance, had to buy private insurance? Remember, this is about “freeeloaders”. Isn’t it true also that some people would wait until they were sick and then signed up for insurance?
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:21 AM
Hahahaha!!! Stating the relevant facts is tearing a candidate down now.
Brilliant./
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:22 AM
Hey, you’re unfair to Romney! He thinks those media outlets are conservative!
Herb on December 10, 2011 at 9:23 AM
8% of the population had no insurance. Now 98% of the population has PRIVATE insurance. AND they have access to more choice and better care for the buck.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:23 AM
According to you….
Romney can only win the GOP nomination by going hard right.
In fact, Gingrich staying right where he is at will lose him the general against Obama.
I’m not surprised you think that way. You made grandiose promises about a person who was absolutely going to run for POTUS. You certainly are short sighted in your evaluation of the process.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:27 AM
Read this verrrrrry slowly: I never call commenters “haters”. I did not say you “hate” Romney. On the other hand, YOU childishly asserted I “hate” Palin because I (God forbid) have been critical of her. But there you were admonishing another commenter not to use the “hate” word. It’s about the hypocrisy, stupid.
What does the hell does this have to do with me? I never criticized Palin for either her reading habits or knowledge of Geography. Are you suggesting that because the media was unfair to Palin (and your pent up desire for revenge so consumes you) that it’s okay for them to be unfair to everyone else? That all standards of journalistic ethics and decency should just be discarded, that the truth no longer matters?
Buy Danish on December 10, 2011 at 9:30 AM
Rasmussen has Gingrich trailing Obama now. However, the polls are awfully fluid. At any rate, there isn’t really a compelling case to be made for Romney from the polling data:
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:30 AM
No, it’s about the whining, stupid.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:34 AM
LOL…so things are all just hunkydory on the Massachusetts health care front now, are they?
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:36 AM
Is it irresponsible for a 22 year old single male who has almost no likelihood of needing any expensive medical care to go without insurance? Were our founding fathers all irresponsible people?
1% of the population spends 22% of every healthcare dollar.
5% of the population spends 49% of every healthcare dollar.
50% of the population spends 97% of every healthcare dollar.
So, you are saying that a person that is in the bottom of the healthcare spending pool of 50% of the population that spends a total of 3% of the healthcare dollars is irresponsible? Of that 3% spent, it is likely much of it is spent because the insurance requires them to take certain medical exams every year or set number of years.
astonerii on December 10, 2011 at 9:37 AM
Soooo … only the CONSERVATIVE MEDIA didn’t press “1″ …
And ONLY the LIBERAL MEDIA DID?
I call BS … Romney campaign is flat out lying.
HondaV65 on December 10, 2011 at 9:37 AM
I’d add that that’s exactly the selling point for ObamaCare.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:38 AM
Exactly.
BettyRuth on December 10, 2011 at 9:40 AM
That’s a little hard to swallow, but I’m certainly not inclined to go through your comments even if I could find them all. The breathlessly pissy ones of the moment are too much to take as it is.
Well, yeah, sort of. Consistency is a good thing.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 9:41 AM
Thanks to HA for posting the update from the Romney campaign. I think the author of this misguided article deserves Romney an apology now.
Romney has the best chance of beating Obama, yet many of you people seem intent on attacking him whenever you can. If we end up with Gingrich (?!) instead of Romney, it will be a real shame. Not only will we have a liberal Republican in Gingrich, but we’ll have someone whose haughty manner and serious ethical problems will be an eassily defeatable opponent for Obama’s well-funded attack campaign.
bluegill on December 10, 2011 at 9:44 AM
I’m glad you agree with me on those points. Gingrich is the flavor of the month and as his vetting progresses, his heresies against the indies will become front and center. I have examined the weaknesses of each candidate with the indies. They all have them, but I find Gingrich the worst offender.
Look, Gingrich can make no case for his status as a Washington insider for 40 years, his ethics violations as Speaker (the man 2nd in line for the presidency for crying out loud!), and his involvement with Fannie/Freddie as the economy collapsed, amnesty, and the federal individual mandate. He can make a case for sitting on couches, his multiple infidelities to the women in his life, Skuzziefazza, and other issues that are very right issues. The scales are against him because of the issues that caused the collapse of the economy (fannie, ethics, mandate, lobbying).
Romney has issues to, but in the final analysis, the scales are tilted in his favor.
Like it or no, the indies decide elections and our nominee MUST be able to make a case that they will accept as a credible replacement for Obama. Gingrich cannot do that.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:45 AM
Look here. It’s mean to make fun of Romneybots in a passive aggressive manner.
Flapjackmaka on December 10, 2011 at 9:45 AM
My review of Mitt’s religion is just getting started. And it is not bigotry.
Mitt believes that a guy (or three) in Salt Lake City speaks for God and can change previous ethical requirements written in his scriptures if they say so. Flip flopping is the only certain thing in his belief system.
Mormons abandoned poligamy and excluding blacks from the temple based on declarations (excusing past errors) from their prophets.
Expecting a person with a “loose leaf version” of the bible to stick to a stable set of beliefs is not wise.
Mormons also have their own version of Taqiyah (or religiously sanctioned lying). Given that Mitt told a bunch of liberals in private that having him rise in the Republican party would benefit them, I think Mitt is a Manchurian Republican rather than a RINO.
WhatNot on December 10, 2011 at 9:47 AM
Um…the majority of the GOP wants anyone but Mitt, but I’m the one who doesn’t understand the priorities of the majority of the GOP? Your argument is the living definitnion of cognitive dissonence.
According to who? You?
Romney isn’t the most conservative candidate who can beat Obama. In fact, every single one of the other candidates…every-single-one…is more conservative than Romney.
In addition, the Obama campaign already has their script written for how they’ll beat Romney. If you think the “human weather vane” attacks from the right are bad, wait until Obama unleashes ad after ad highlighting Romney’s flip-flops. To top that off, they will highlight Romney’s record at Bain Capital and Wall Street, and they will plaster that photo of Mitt and his buddies standing there with sh!t-eating grins and money stuffed into every orafice (including their mouths).
Romney is the walking cliche of a corrupt Wall Street backroom dealer and a politician with no principles save his own personal ambition. And you don’t even see it coming, so spare me your haughty proclamations about how stupid and unreasonable the rest of us are.
In addition, you seem to be under the mistaken impression that I’m a Gingrich supporter. I’m not. That being said, his moral short-comings are old news. The indies already know about them, and Obama harping on them now would be like the GOP attacking the Clintons over Monica Lewinsky. Sure, it’s a hurdle to overcome, but it’s not fatal.
I question Gingrich’s judgment (his criticism of the Paul Ryan plan, sitting on the couch with Nanzi Pelosi)…but even with all that, he’d make a better President and a better conservative than Mitt.
DRayRaven on December 10, 2011 at 9:51 AM
Obama can lie all he wants, but that doesn’t make it true. The Romney plan was created with the tenth amendment in mind. Any deviation from that is a 100% different plan. States rights is a huge issue this cycle because the size of the federal government has grown by leaps and bounds under Obama and Obamacare was a big part of that. It was passed in a despicable manner and is opposed by a huge majority of Americans.
Romneycare was passed by a huge majority of the representatives of the people, done so in an open and transparent fashion, has the support of a huge majority of the citizens of MA, and is fully in line with the MA constitution.
That distinction is not lost on independents.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 9:51 AM
Romney’s record as Governor of a liberal state.
Basilsbest on December 10, 2011 at 9:52 AM
I can’t help but think it’s Mitt saying:
“How bout a Fresca!?”
golfmann on December 10, 2011 at 9:56 AM
Fixed it
WhatNot on December 10, 2011 at 9:56 AM
Romney has an impressively conservative record as Governor. Freddie Mac Gingrich is a faux conservative with terrible judgment and no record of turning anything around. Read the article to which I link in my 9:52 am comment.
Basilsbest on December 10, 2011 at 9:58 AM
Fxed it, better.
WhatNot on December 10, 2011 at 9:59 AM
csdeven, even if Romney isn’t nominated, you can write him in. Your vote does not count anyway over there in Massachusetts.
Flapjackmaka on December 10, 2011 at 10:00 AM
The polls. 70+ percent of the GOP is more interested in beating Obama than nominating an ideologically pure candidate. We hold a huge majority in enthusiasm to vote. So the GOP will turn out irrespective of the candidate.
They poll far, far behind against Obama. Romney is even or leads Obama and has done so for a couple of months.
Romney does have issues to deal with. His time with Bain is a net positive. Obama is trying to demonize the rich, but it will fail because Obama supported the bailouts of the rich and their failing ventures. Solyndra etc. While at Bain, Romney didn’t bailout failing companies and he did invest in companies that are successful still today and employ 1000′s of Americans.
Obama loses in every comparison to Romney and more importantly in the issues that are important this cycle.
As far as these ideological conservatives you support….that’s fine, support them. But don’t try to convince Americans that Santorum, Bachmann, Paul, or Perry, have the ability to reach the indies while they are spending their time addressing hard right issues. The indies don’t care and turn away from most of them.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 10:01 AM
Romney’s record of job creation in MA is so massive that he decided not to run for reelection. Uh huh.
Flapjackmaka on December 10, 2011 at 10:01 AM
Insanity.
astonerii on December 10, 2011 at 10:02 AM
Cut and strike is the weakest form of countering an argument. I bet you think if you turned traffic lights upside down that it will magically change how they work.
Try making a reasoned argument if you want to be taken seriously.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 10:03 AM
RINO Jazz Shaw is in the tank for Freddie Mac Gingrich. There won’t be an apology.
Gingrich is self absorbed to the point of being delusional. The other day he was taking credit for pushing Reagan to the right.
Basilsbest on December 10, 2011 at 10:03 AM
I wait 4 years to vote the anti christ Obama out of office and what do I get, Romneycare, a flip flopper who was the father of the biggest government mandate in history, Obamacare and Gingrich a career hack who became a millionaire AFTER leaving office with his lobbying company/backroom deals.
Is this the best the establishment republicans can give me. My bar is very low, however as a principled conservative, I WANT SOMEONE TO VOTE FOR NOT HOLD MY NOSE AND TAKE IT. The establishment republicans need to offer me a true conservative, Palin, Demint, Mike Lee, Rand Paul etc. or I’m not voting. Screw those who say I’m helping Obama by not voting, the republican establishment IS HELPING OBAMA BY GIVING LOBBYIST GINGRICH AND ROMNEYCARE.
If a conservative candidate gets in before the end of January, he/she will miss a percentage of early primary/caucus states, but my guess they will take the nomination by the convention. Why, because Gingrich (who never has won a statewide race and has no executive experience) will have been exposed and Romneycare will be shown to have no support.
By the end of Jan., republican give me a conservative candidate for prez or Conservatives like me will sit home and you can kiss your senate/congress majorities and govnerships goodbye.
I’ve had it w/the republican blueblood establishment, George H W bush, Dole, George W bush, McCain etc. enough w/this cow poop!!!!
Danielvito on December 10, 2011 at 10:03 AM
Zzzzzzzzz. Proof by assertion is the hallmark of the ignorant.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 10:04 AM
OK, csdeven, here’s what you do. Get all those precious indies to vote for Romney in the primaries. As it is, Romney can’t get above 18%-25%. In other words, 75% of GOP voters want someone other than Romney, like it or no.
If the individual mandate was great for Massachusetts, it should be great for the entire country. You can’t spin yourself out of that.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 10:06 AM
Bwahahahaha!!! We at Hot Air are creating a picture album of those of you who are going to sit at home hacking your nose off the spite Americans for not being as enlightened as they are. Please send us a picture of the event. We can always use a good laugh around here.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 10:07 AM
If Romney becomes POTUS, that would would mean a GOP Senate and House comes with it? A GOP Congress would keep Mitt in check, I hope.
JDavis on December 10, 2011 at 10:07 AM
Say he of those who live or die by the tactic. Insane!
astonerii on December 10, 2011 at 10:07 AM
And it’s now being funded by federal tax dollars because it is a clusterfark of biblical proportions.
So on behalf of the other 49 states who didn’t vote for Romneycare…you’re welcome.
Spliff Menendez on December 10, 2011 at 10:08 AM
With Romney would come two years of a GOP congress. If they do not accomplish the mission of American prosperity, the American voters will take his congress away. They will then vote in another Democrat President. Then we will be in this same position in 2015.
astonerii on December 10, 2011 at 10:09 AM
Idiocy. And 70%+ of the GOP want someone other than Romney.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 10:09 AM
So noting the socialism of RomneyCare and how it took money from other states through the federal government is not a argument in your “logic”.
Good luck with that Romney-fool!
csdevev would not recognize a reasoned argument that challenges his insanity, even if it kicked him.
WhatNot on December 10, 2011 at 10:11 AM
Romney’s impressively conservative record speaks volumes about him. Just as your inane comment reflects on you.
Romney moved a very liberal state to the right and governed it with the skill of a phenomenally successful businessman. There are idiots on this site who somehow think it reflects poorly on him that he ran in a very liberal state and won.
Basilsbest on December 10, 2011 at 10:11 AM
And yet, 70%+ of the GOP wants someone other than Romney. Right now, more voters are going for Gingrich, who, as you pointed out, is not ideologically pure, either. But he’s closer to being ideologically pure than Romney.
If you get your way with Romney winning the nomination (doubtful), I won’t turn out. Wait…I take that back. I will turn out. But I’ll vote third party rather than pull the lever for Romney.
Anyone whose knowledge of presidential elections extends farther into the past than this one KNOWS that polls taken before Labor Day are practically meaningless. At one point, Michael Dukakis held a double-digit lead over George Bush, and we saw how electable he turned out to be.
Only a fool would look at a poll taken in December and believe it says anything about how people will vote in November.
Romney does have issues to deal with. His time with Bain is a net positive.
No, it’s not. All the “indies” will care about are the number of jobs he destroyed and shipped overseas. Obama and the MSM will make sure of that. And that money photo will be everywhere.
Again, I question how much you really know about electoral politics. Addressing the base is how candiates win the nomination. They address the “indies” after it’s secured. And this is hardly new. Successful candidates in both parties court their base in the primaries and move toward the middle in the general. Given that Romney is already in the middle, he has nowhere to go but left. No, thanks.
By the way, which Romney is the real one? The liberal governor of MA, or the slightly-to-the-right of moderate candidate for President? Realistically speaking, there is no objective way to know. And that’s not a chance I’m willing to take.
DRayRaven on December 10, 2011 at 10:12 AM
BTW…that part of my post appeared in italics, but it should have been in quote marks, since it was from csdeven’s post. My bad.
DRayRaven on December 10, 2011 at 10:13 AM
No it wont because it is unconstitutional. The individual and the state did not give the federal government the right to force Americans to purchase a commodity. Because all rights not given to the federal government are reserved to the states or the individual, it is perfectly constitutional for a state to do so IF the citizens give the state that power. The people of MA gave the state that power. It is called federalism which is a conservative principle. We as principled conservatives accept the fact that states and their citizens can structure their system as they choose. ESPECIALLY when that structure is not what we would do. If the citizens of that state doesn’t like it, they can move to a state that doesn’t force an individual mandate on their citizens.
Romney certainly did support the mandate but he did so with conservative free market principles. He did this because the federal government imposed EMTALA on their state (all states). That makes Romney a moderate conservative. And I believe he will govern more to the right than his record in the liberal state of MA shows. He will certainly govern more to the right than Obama has AND he will create jobs, fix the economy, and nominate conservative justices. And he can beat Obama.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 10:16 AM
Indies are squishy. Romney loses all the arguments to Obama. He’s got the same healthcare plan, he’s the consummate Wall St. insider, and he’s stripped down American companies and sold assets off to China. The indies will have no problems flocking back to Obama.
If he wins the nomination, he will be caught blindsided when the favorable MFM coverage turns into a full on war machine tasked with destroying him. He will be destroyed, and he will have made it so easy by being a slimey weasel in all that he’s done and said.
Hell, the man made it a point to destroy his Governorship records on his way out. That surely spells confidence.
Not to mention he’s been running for President for 5 years and hasn’t accomplished anything but a 25% support ceiling and a loss to John McCain.
Spliff Menendez on December 10, 2011 at 10:17 AM
Before he left, I think Romney’s approval rating in Mass was something in the neighborhood of 40%. If he had run for re-election, he would’ve lost, and his presidential plans would’ve been scuttled. So he didn’t run again.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 10:18 AM
MA was already taking money from the federal government pool. Just as all states who cannot support the burden that medical expenses have on their budgets. Romneycare put into place free market solutions that made better use, created more choice, and provided better care for the citizens of MA.
If you don’t like that states have to fix the system, get EMTALA repealed.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 10:19 AM
Romney said that his healthcare plan would be great for the entire country. I think he wants to be president so bad is because he wants to do what papa mittens could not. Maybe one of Romney’s kids could try again in another 40 years
Flapjackmaka on December 10, 2011 at 10:20 AM
Insane!
Romney Nominated over 60% liberals to justice in Massacusetts as governor. Insane!
So can a two year old ham sandwich. Insane!
McCain was the candidate who could win in 2008, I remember well how that worked out.
astonerii on December 10, 2011 at 10:21 AM
So standing up for the tenth amendment meant submitting to whatever the federal government imposed on his state. Tell me more about your reasoned arguments ! :-)
The seas will stop rising. Peace will be achieved by his smart power.
WhatNot on December 10, 2011 at 10:21 AM
The same rationale could be used for federal action. See Security, Social.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 10:21 AM
That pair of words together does not mean anything remotely close to what you imagine it means. Insane!
astonerii on December 10, 2011 at 10:22 AM
With Romney would come two years of a GOP congress and the kind of steady improvement one can expect if the White House is run by a capitalist with a track record of private and public sector accomplishment. But you would rather have as President someone who was paid $1.8 million to promote the Freddie Mac socialist housing scheme and then lied about it.
It’s hardly any wonder that no one who actually worked with Gingrich supports him. He will be easy pickings in the General when the Media goes into full attack mode and the election will be about him rather than Obama’s pathetic record.
And Freddie Mac and the socialist housing scheme which caused the banking crisis and the economy to crater will be lost as an election issue. Instead Obama will convince the electorate that he’s had an impossible job trying to turn around the Bush economy.
Basilsbest on December 10, 2011 at 10:23 AM
facts beg to differ.. but why let facts get in the way of perpetuating a good meme.
RCP has Romney well ahead of what Gingrich is doing vs. Obama.
Romney is the ONLY candidate to have recently out polled Obama across the ENTIRE GOP field, and Gingrich is 5.5 avg points behind where Romney polls vs. Obama.
State by state polling paints an even worse picture for Gingrich’s ability to knock-off Obama.
FLORIDA – Romney up 3 over Obama. Gingrich down 2 under Obama.
PENNSYLVANIA – Romney down 3 to Obama. Gingrich down 8.
and on and on…
Anyway – please don’t let these facts dissuade you in the least.
gatorboy on December 10, 2011 at 10:23 AM
So how much was MA taking before RomneyCare, and how much now?
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 10:24 AM
he is also the only one who has not been attacked and by the looks of it it wont be pretty (Bret Baier Interview which was pretty fair).
We need someone to give Obama a bloody nose, not complement him.
Flapjackmaka on December 10, 2011 at 10:27 AM
He was too conservative for MA. He signed legislation that gave more freedom to gun owners, he did not allow pro abortion laws to advance, and did not support gay marriage etc.
csdeven on December 10, 2011 at 10:27 AM
Much prognostication when there is not actual plan he is proposing to accomplish any of that. Not even some kind of disclaimer. It will just happen. You know who that sounds like? Cain!
astonerii on December 10, 2011 at 10:27 AM
That is not a true statement and I suspect that you know that already. Romney was drawing the comparison that what MA did by way of a laboratory of democracy could be done by other states as well. NOT that the same healthcare plan be enacted by other states, but rather the process by which MA undertook to care for their uninsured could be studied by other states, improved on, etc.
It is so easy for politicians to stand on the sidelines and rail against this or that, yet never accomplish anything in the process. Go back and look at the campaigns over the past 30 years… railing against foreign oil, federal spending, are common themes… the political class is not motivated to actually fix anything, but rather perpetuate the ‘left vs right’ fight which ensures their continued power.
gatorboy on December 10, 2011 at 10:28 AM
Romney is a wimp that America does NOT need! Go NEWT or Perry!
Pragmatic on December 10, 2011 at 10:29 AM
Yeah, true. Romney is now polling about 5 points better than Gingrich. On the other hand, a little over a month ago Gingrich was trialing Obama by double digits. Romney is flatlining. He’s hit his ceiling.
ddrintn on December 10, 2011 at 10:29 AM
It says it in his book you liar.
Flapjackmaka on December 10, 2011 at 10:31 AM
This is actually true. Now if you just think a little harder, you might see why Romney is rejected by almost 80% of the GOP base.
WhatNot on December 10, 2011 at 10:31 AM
I’m curious if you have ever watched one of Romney’s campaign speeches, or listened to one of his replies in a debate as just about any minute or two soundbite of those events would disprove your silly statement above.
Who was it this week that called out Obama on his golfing addiction? Oh, and who was it that reversed courses and decided to hold off on his vacation? I’ll wait for your reply while you study up on that one. It’s not a trick question.
gatorboy on December 10, 2011 at 10:31 AM
Comment pages: « Previous 1 … 3 4 5 6 Next »