Posted on 02/01/2015 6:43:29 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
The Friday afternoon following Mitt Romney's decision not to enter the 2016 campaign fray, my radio show was booked solid with journalists who, like me, were trying to read the "invisible ink" in Romney's announcement, which I had obtained and posted a few minutes before the 2012 nominee began his call with donors. Getting such a scoop was a fine thing for me, but 2016 not getting Romney's participation in the primaries is a disappointment to his legion of supporters and and every political journalist in the land who longs for an "open convention" in Cleveland in the summer of 2016.
That "open convention" is still very much a possibility but it needs the arrival of one or two more serious candidates to make it so with Romney gone, and despite Jake Tapper's caution that Romney's announcement had not been Shermanesque, I think the former Massachusetts governor has gone from would-be king to king-maker.
Following the trails of his key circle of advisors and aides, from Spencer Zwick to Jim Talent to Robert O'Brien will be important sleuthing in the days ahead. Mitt Romney spoke of the need for a "new generation" of GOP candidates, and while instantly understood by most as a shot at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, it could also have nicked former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former Texas Gov. Rick Perry and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. If you've got a "former" attached to your name in press accounts, perhaps Romney is talking to you?
No one is dropping out of the race because of a nudge from a candidate whose support, while influential and powerful, won't be dispositive until last spring of 2016 or even in Cleveland, if ever. What matters next is whether the last four shoes fall: Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Indiana Gov. Mike Pence, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio, and Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder. If even one of these moves to replace Romney in the lists, the "open convention" scenario gets a jolt of joy juice. So "candidate watch" moves from Romneyworld to these four. (Note to their teams: It turns out to be good to build suspense and then leak the announcement via HughHewitt.com for maximum play and completeness and accuracy. Just sayin'.)
A Rubio entry would set off a Godzilla-Mothra contest for Florida, leaving the Sunshine State in much the same state as Tokyo after one of those epic sci-fi film battles. It would also allow the first ever "all-in-Spanish" forum with candidates Bush and Rubio being the only participants in, say, the Telemundo-Radio Luz event, which Biola University President Barry Corey told me Friday he'd host in a minute. (Biola has an enormous population of Spanish-speaking students from around the world.)
Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus has rescued the country and the candidates from the destructive chaos of endless debates with his rollout of a nine to 12 event schedule, but smaller groups of the candidates should do more of what Sens. Ted Cruz, Rand Paul and Rubio did in California for the Koch Partners event ten days ago. A Rubio-Bush paring on the stump conducted in Spanish would be a giant interest generator, as would panels of sitting governors such as Bobby Jindal, Kasich, Snyder and Scott Walker talking energy and water policy — they all have coasts and/or energy resources — and Chris Christie, Carly Fiorina, Pence and Perry talking job generation.
Two of the gang — Cruz and Rubio — have spent the most time detailing plans for rebuilding the military and reasserting America's strength abroad, and pairing them on the road makes sense. Common Core shadows all the campaigns even as it touches every mom in every state, and forums — not "debates" and thus not afoul of the Reince Reforms — on the subject of Common Core will pack halls and raise or lower the standing of various campaigns.
And over on the sideline: Mitt Romney, watching, helping, and waiting to deliver a decisive endorsement even as Charlie Crist did for John McCain in Florida in 2008. Romney put himself on the bench Friday, but remains very much in the game.
Yeah, Hewitt, CONSERVATIVE?, not so much with the C. he’s still pimping RINOS.
I used to listen to Hugh a lot (it was his show back in 2001) that I was listening to when the word came through about the planes hitting the skyscraper in NYC...After he literally shilled for McCain and then Romney I realized that Hugh is another inside the Beltway radio guy. I was so disappointed after this last election that I listen very little to anything Hugh has to say now.
A failed one term governor from 2002-2006, who has lst every other election of his 21 years of running, is the top republican in America, the party’s elder statesman and leader.
Beam me up Scotty.
My very first post on FR, was complaining about Hugh Hewitt.
I'm afraid so. Hewitt is no longer a trustworthy source.
I make a habit of listening to Hugh. That way I know what the latest lie of Team RINO is going to be.
Plus it gives my blood pressure some exercise.
Actually Hugh Hewitt never was a trustworthy source.
Those of us in California learned that as soon as he plopped down his carpetbag in 1994 and joined the illegal alien lobby its attempt to defeat Prop 187.
Hugh must be so sad that his favorite RINO dropped out.
A Mormon in the White House? : 10 Things Every American Should Know about Mitt Romney by Hugh Hewitt. Washington: Regnery, 2007
He would be a good VP—or a sec. of state. he is smart just not a people person. He could balance a Ted Cruz Ticket.
Nick Nolte resents that.
Balance?
Backstabber Romney supports OBAMACARE, Grubering,
bad governing, and the weirdest “marriages”.
He once proposed that Americans pay for
RomneyCARE for Hezbollah.
That kind of Balance?
Agreed!!
Eight paragraphs to say nothing.
Sure can tell this was written by a lawyer.
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