Posted on 06/16/2005 4:42:31 AM PDT by Molly Pitcher
PONTIAC, Mich. -- Any real doubt that Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney will run for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination should have been resolved by his performance Monday in suburban Oakland County, Mich. He did not merely drop into his native state for a political fund-raising speech. He spent a 12-hour candidate's day working a key presidential primary state.
Romney's public exposure was less than two hours at the Marriott Hotel in Pontiac for the 13th annual event sponsored by Rep. Joe Knollenberg. But in closed-door meetings starting at 8 a.m., he conferred with Republican politicians and donors. Although Romney sought no commitments and made no promises of his candidacy, the assumption by everybody here is that he will not seek re-election as governor in 2006.
Indeed, Romney's preparation for 2008 is more advanced than any of his potential Republican rivals. While he recently spoke in his neighboring state of New Hampshire, Romney's Commonwealth fund has raised and distributed $225,000, concentrated in three early primary states: Iowa, South Carolina and Michigan.
This early campaign is being put together by famed political consultant Mike Murphy, who is California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's closest political adviser and who worked for Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign in 2000. Trent Wisecup, a partner in Murphy's firm, arranged Monday's schedule. Wisecup and Murphy, both Michigan natives, were in the audience at the Marriott.
Romney began his long day over breakfast with Ed Levy, a nationally known leader in the Jewish community. That was followed by meetings with Romney's older brother, Scott, a prominent Michigan Republican, and builder John Rakolta, a major party contributor. He met some 20 Republicans for lunch and in the afternoon, including Dick DeVos (of the Amway family), the probable Republican nominee for governor. Romney talked about the need to elect DeVos and Republican candidates for governor elsewhere in '06, and the Republicans expressed fear of Hillary Clinton in '08.
Michigan is central to Romney's presidential hopes. It has been 36 years since George Romney, his father, served three terms as governor of Michigan, and the name is no longer familiar in the state. Mitt left Michigan at age 18 to attend Brigham Young University and has never lived here since. But Romney has made several political visits to the state, including three days starting last Saturday with his 40th class reunion at the elite Cranbrook school in Oakland County.
Romney strategists would like Michigan's still-unscheduled presidential primary to come as early as possible in 2008 to give their man a boost. They support efforts by the state's party regulars to close the primary to non-Republicans, averting a repetition of McCain's 2000 Michigan primary win on the backs of Democratic and independent voters.
But the Romney team opposes Republican State Chairman Saul Anuzis' attempts to return to a caucus system, fearing that Sen. Sam Brownback of Kansas could mobilize the same constituency that flocked to televangelist Pat Robertson in 1988.
For old-timers, Romney was reminiscent of his father's assaults on Big Labor and Big Business. Warning that the United States is facing stiff competition from China and India, he urged "our labor unions to recognize that we're in this together" and should work to "preserve the employers in the very country where they earn their living." At the same time, he admonished corporate CEOs "to be less concerned about their own compensation."
However, Mitt Romney lacks George Romney's bombast. Nor is he his liberal Republican father's son when it comes to ideology. In introducing Romney, pro-life stalwart Knollenberg noted that "this party is looking for a very conservative candidate." Romney responded with an agenda of tax reduction and slimmed-down spending and opposition to federally financed embryonic stem cell research and same-sex marriage. He wisecracked about the liberalism of Massachusetts, suggesting, "You need a passport" to enter Cambridge (home of Harvard).
Behind the scenes, Republican politicians ask each other the same question that went unanswered when George Romney sought the 1968 nomination: Can a Mormon be elected president of the United States? Nobody talks about it, as Mitt Romney meticulously prepares the field for 2008, but that potential bias is his one great liability as a presidential candidate.
I agree completly. We must have someone who can "manipulate" the media and not be demonized.We are stronger in communication than ever before.We msu have a great communicator.
My husband and I met Mitt and his wife, on vacation, a few years back. He was warm and gracious.
The Boston Globe will do everything they can to do as much damage to him as they can.
Yeah. Romney gives me the creeps, but I think he has a better chance than any of the others to pass himself off as a true conservative. This reminds me a lot of Dukakis' "Miracle of Massachusetts" campaign. Romney gets high marks in "intangibles."
Also,the idea that you have to be Governor or a SENATOR (for crying out loud)to be President is nuts. The idea that 8 years in Washington is not enough "experience" to be President is anathema to everything conservatives believe in.I want the guy who has the most experience fighting Socialism.Pence has more of that than the entire field combined.BTW nationwide Pence's,Allen's and Brownback's name ID are all less than 5%,so that is a non factor.
Yes,but we know the truth.This is to important to elect another moderate in conservatives clothing.
Romney is the epitome of a Country-club Republican RINO. He is and always has been a doormat in the state and has done absolutely nothing to build or strengthen the Republican party in mASSachusetts. His Lt. Governor is a North Shore blue-blood, political neophyte and social butterfly chosen because of her Irish sounding name. (Just like that well-know (Jewish) Celtic - John Kerry. It took Romney several months to get her name right, he kept miss-pronouncing it.
Not only do Romney advisors admit he is faking his stance but a few weeks ago the Sunday Boston Globe ran a story about a pro-Abortion medical 'hero' and clost friend of Romney who dropped the comment that behind the 'pro-life- facade' Romney adopts to quiet the rightwing nuts in the mASSachusetts Republican party - Romney is a normal person and a reliable protector of abortion.
The more I reconsider the field, the more Giuliani stands out as the only man who would prosecute the WOT better than Bush. Can someone convince him to become born-again?
only the Lord can do that
Sorry: 'clost' = close
HEAR! HEAR! I'LL SECOND THAT!!!
Sorry, forgot the sarcasm tag
Your OK,I knew you were being sarcastic.My post was for others who are REALLY into expediency.
Expect Dems to play on those reigious bigotries as well. Also expect them to play up the fact that the LDS church is heirarchical and that the church leader claims to be a prophet.
Call me a pessimist, but I don't think a Mormon has a chance of winning the presidency in this country; he'll catch it from both ends: The conservative Christians think Mormonism is satanic, and liberals and moderates are terrified it will be a theocracy.
Pro-abortion
Pro-gay
Anti-gun
That dog won't hunt
US Rep Geoff Davis of Kentucky
Veteran - retired Army Ranger
Studied Arabs at West Point and served in the Middle East
Businessman - founded manufacturing consulting company
Family man - married with six children
Social and fiscal conservative
Elect someone from the real world, not another pansy lawyer!
Thanks to the other poster for correcting my shoddy memory about Garfield and Lincoln.
Okay, I looked up Allen's abortion positions, and he is straining to be as pro-abort as he can get away with as a southern GOPer. As far as name recognition, once the connection is made with his VERY famous father (and NFLers have made pretty good pols), his recogntion would escalate quickly.
I can consider a politician who wants to fight for what we can now, and get the rest later when the time is right, but Allen makes more "exceptions" than he has to (he supports abortion for fetal abnormality...shades of the eugenicists!).
One of the reasons it is useful to be more than a Rep when running has nothing to do with Washington experience. It has to do with showing you can run (and win) a big campaign. Sitting Veeps are apprentices by virtue of having been close to the president, and getting a head start. Maxine Waters of course, is successful at winning a Rep seat, but could not win larger office even in California! Ron Paul and Chris Smith are excellent reps, but they would have similar problems.
Now, if Bush were interested in helping conservatives, instead of his Texas pals and '70's warmovers, he would have been placing guys like Pence in key positions. That didn't happen, so the bench is kind of lean. Think how much mileage Bill Bennett got just out of being Drug Tsar and Education Secretary. Heck, those two positions shouldn't even exist!
One Davis does anyting to fight against socialism,I will consider him.There is nothing wrong with conservative lawyers.Pence has led the fight against socialism for the last few years and everyday he fights for us.For example,today he will led the debate for the Hyde-Pence U.N. Reform act where we could take 50% of their dues away if they do not reform.This is an everyday thing for Pence.Mike Pence gets things done.
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2005/5/8/143759.shtml http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/031705/gop.html
http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/033005/pence.html
Tell him to get a real job and then come back to me.
What happens if the Democrats start sneaking in there and voting for McCain?
If McCain gets on the ticket than the Democrats have two good choices for president.
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