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Posted on 06/12/2007 5:40:36 PM PDT by Reaganesque
It was the day before I was headed to Des Moines to interview Mitt Romney when a friend called who covers the White House for another publication. "Romney's catching fire in Iowa," he said. "Interesting time for you to be seeing him up there."
Well, polls are polls -- meaning, don't trust 'em -- and it's awfully early to be on fire lest you burn out before the actual voting begins. But then again…
The fact is, I've become fascinated with Romney. This wouldn't be the first time I'd met him, or the second. Okay, it would be merely the third. But I figured after three sit-downs I'm justified in forming some opinions of the man. And so I have.
Let me say right off the bat that I am not being paid under the table by the Romney campaign. I have no horse in this race. I'm a registered Independent. Blah, blah, blah. Nonetheless, my message to his Republican rivals (and to any future Democratic ones, too) is: Watch out for this guy.
Let's get quickly past the lame critiques. "He's actually too good-looking for a politician. He looks too perfect, a candidate from central casting." Please. That's like a bald man saying all those guys out there with a full head of hair are so…ugh… hairy. Somehow I don't think Romney's looks will doom him.
"Yeah, but he's a Mormon. And that makes him unelectable." So let's see -- he's up against one Republican who's supposedly unelectable because he's not a real conservative and another Republican who's unelectable because…umm… oh yeah, he's not a real conservative. And on the Democrats' side, he'd be up against a woman who's said to be unelectable and an African American who's said to be unelectable. Unless we're just going to shut down the White House for four years (tempting, isn't it?), someone's going to prove electable. Might as well be a Mormon.
If there's a legitimate criticism of Romney, it's that he's flipping and flopping on any number of issues. From pro-abortion rights to fervently pro-life. From pro-gun control laws to fan of the NRA. From pro-gay rights to anti-gay marriage. These shifts can make you think that, maybe, just maybe, there are political calculations behind them. Imagine.
Here's why I think Romney can survive the scrutiny. He's smart. He's articulate (a reading of my interview transcipt confirms that he talks in complete sentences. Present occupants of the White House, take note). But the most important thing he has going for him is that he's so likeable. Bear with me, because I know how superficial that sounds. It's actually a hugely important trait.
Since every Republican candidate this year is evoking Ronald Reagan, let's use the 40th president as our standard here. Reagan said any number of bizarre and contradictory things during his years in politics, from confusing a Hollywood role of his with actual combat service to claiming that trees are the main cause of air pollution. America forgave him for these sorts of gaffes and more -- including, ultimately, Iran-contra. Why? They liked him so much as a person. They liked his sunny optimism and his heartland America values. They liked that Reagan was a person who, even in his private diaries, as we've now discovered, couldn't bring himself to spell out curse words.
Well, among the cast of characters running for president this go-round, no one is more darn wholesome than Mitt Romney. No one projects optimism in quite the same "gosh, we can do it, folks" sort of way. In the Republican debates, he has been very polished, and pundits say he probably "won" two of the three (whatever that really means). He's also been genial, despite some tough give-and-take. Asked after one debate about a barb he got from McCain (about switching his stands based on what office he was running for), Romney just smiled and said that John can really throw out some good one-liners. Imagine how Rudy would have responded to the jab.
I don't buy that Fred Thompson is the Reaganesque candidate in the wings. I think the closest the Republicans will find this year is Mitt Romney -- a man with Reagan-style appeal, combined with gray matter.
Don't just take my word, though. Take Chris Matthews' word, if you dare. "I can't help it, I just like the guy," he recently said on his show about Romney. Remember, Matthews is nothing if not proudly cynical about politicians. More revealing, a friend of mine from Massachusetts said her parents, who are ardent liberal Democrats, are disappointed in Romney's campaign stands. Why? "They really liked him as governor." Now, I've met her parents. I've discussed politics with them. If they liked Romney, a Republican, then he is likeable.
Prior to our interview last week, he joked with me as I fumbled around with audio equipment. "Ok, time's up! Gotta go!" he laughed, when I finally got all the equipment working. For someone on the grueling campaign trail, he sure was chipper and having fun. And why not? It must be nice to be liked.
I think as people get to know him they will like him too, especially the ones who aren’t terribly political. I personally picked him last fall based on his anti amnesty position. The fact that he seems like a perfect husband and dad and has the looks and the manners of a gentleman, and where are all the other truly nice guys with one wife for 35 years, a good reputation, good looks, no apparent dirt or we would have surely heard it by now, are there any others?
Last thing we need is another “Bob Dole” — perfect on paper, but a persona of a grumpy old man. That’s how Hunter/Thompson come across.
Good old Bob had chronic eye-blinking problems whenever he was nervous... Things like that will kill you on camera.
Can you imagine Hillary doing this?
Too bad he’s been mired in the polls at 11% for months.
LA Times?
Don’t want to rain on your parade, and I hate to cast aspersions on my own screen genre, but Mitt romney comes across to me as a carefully painted cardboard model - not a real, honest to goodness person.
That makes two of us. I predicted last summer that he would be the next President. I know, I was going out on a limb, but it was that small voice that says “he’s the one.” I haven’t decided on who I will vote for yet. I’m still watching.
Bob Dole gave the Christian Coalition and the right to life movement the finger about three minutes after he was nominated. And these were the people who worked for him and put him over the top.
Bob Dole and Fred Thompson are about as different as you can get.
National polls that mean essentially nothing, you mean?
Let’s be honest, if Romney’s momentum carries Iowa and New Hampshire, and he rolls into South Carolina with all of that, a win there would make him very, very hard to beat. For one, the party leadership would begin to solidify around him. Second, he’d be getting press constantly just as peopel started tuning in for the elections.
South Carolina SHOULD be Thompson territory. We’ll see. I’ve seen him bomb some recent interviews and just come across as very unconvincing and bumbling.
He may not need to worry about that, though, as he can deliver a heck of a speech. Debates with fewer candidates would be more his style. Shorter snip-its, not so much...
We’ll see.
RCP Average 10.3%
Romney
Rasmussen 10%
LA Times/Bloomberg 11%
FOX News 10%
AP-Ipsos 10%
USA Today/Gallup 11%
ABC News/Wash Post 11%
RCP Average 10.3%
Agreed. They said the same about Bill Clinton. Look what you got there.
(Before I get jumped, I don't think Mitt is another Clinton but I have other reasons for not preferring him. And anyone who's followed my postings knows I have nothing against Mormons in government - I'm just waiting for my former state rep to re-announce so I can sign up. "Mormon" and surnamed "Nixon" -- I'm with him!)
If, if, if and one more if.
NO.
What’s not to like?
I really like Fred Thompson, but that is a very bad picture of him at your link. He really looks grumpy.
Looks DO make a difference. They shouldn’t, but we’re all human and they make a difference as to whether the general public will listen to what the politician is saying. When the general public listens, they vote. It’s all a matter of getting votes.
In the Nixon Kennedy debates back in 1960, those who heard them on the radio gave the winning margin to Nixon. Those who watched them on TV picked Kennedy.
If Fred runs, he should stay off TV and just let his beautiful voice speak for him on audio and use beautiful smiling still pictures of himself in camoaign lit. But I don’t think that is possible in today’s campaign climate.
Everybody is laughing at Hillary’s various face lifts and cosmetic makeovers. But she looks really good and will fool those who haven’t been paying attention. It gives her an edge.
Hmmm, I’ve met Mitt (as governor) and yes, he is the perfect husband and father. I also wish he was still the governor, but he has also been shall we say recent convert to the illegal immigration problem. I am suspicious of how tough he would actually be. Mitt is really more of a pragmatist, truth be told.
This would seem to be the key paragraph in the article.
The author seems to be saying that yes, he's flipping and flopping on issues, but it's nothing to get excited about.
From what I have read about Mr. Romney so far, it does indeed appear that he is flipping and flopping on a wide range of issues.
How is the voter to know what are his true positions, and which ones he would follow as President?
I'm concerned that the author feels that the statement "Imagine {that}" is all that's required to address these position changes.
I’ve known him for more than 30 years. What you see on tv is who he is. It’s not a put on. That’s why he does so well in places that have gotten to meet him.
Thompson would not win California in a general election. Primary yes, general no.
As good as Hunter is he would not win his own state for that reason as well.
Not going to jump you, but realize that Bill Clinton was a phenomenal politician and extremely intelligent. That is not a bad thing. Clinton's problem was that he became evil by consenting to it. Romney is not evil; quite the opposite. There is no crime in being a great politician. It's about time conservatives realized that.
>>>If, if, if and one more if.<<<
What are you talking about? You’re supporting a man who has made his whole candidacy an “IF.” The train left the station months ago, and he’s worried about shooting TV shows.
I don’t get you people. I’m even complimentary to the guy, and the whole lot of you still act like upset teenagers.
Let’s face it, with large leads in Iowa and New Hampshire and the grassroots in place, the “ifs” are growing fewer by the day.
My guess is that Fred will do fine. But Mitt will continue to shine.
As an aside, I actually really like Thompson. He’s a great speaker, has a charm to him, and has a presense about him.
He’s #2 on my list thus far.
But like I said, we’ll see. :)
Maybe he only suffers "toe of clay," but that "toe of clay" can be a big thing to some of the electorate. Mitt is definitely not evil, but he fell way short on some of my issues.
True, and like mcrain I don't know which way he will flip or flop next. He's full of the I voted for it before I voted against it. When you are on all sides of every issue, no one know where he'll be tomorrow.
I have to admit I do not know a lot about Mr. Romney but every time I have heard his voice on TV he has sounded GREAT! When he speaks he makes sense. I think that people will see his smiling face, his nice attitude and consertavtive words and fall in love with him.
He is apparently only campaigning in 2 states and they love him where he is campaigning. National poles mean nothing right now, only the poles in the states where he is working. With the other guys trying to work the entire country they will be spending a lot of energy but not concentrating their efforts in a useful way.
One of the things I think Mr Romney has is executive experience, he knows how to lead a project and make it work. That’s what an election needs. The other men will go out and hire consultants and someone to run the campaign but Mr. Romney knows how to lead effectively and get things done, I think he is the one to watch.
Fred, looks tired and a little old. Chasing around a couple of kids at his age is tiring, gee trying to hopscotch the country everyday will weigh on you. Mr. Romney looks younger than his 60 years, and today they say 60 is like 50 used to be.
I’m not betting yet but this Mr. Romney looks like he has it put together.
Gladys Knight is a Mormon but I don’t know about the Pips.
He must have to beat the women off with a stick!
Mitt Romney wrote a book “Turnaround - Crisis, Leadership and the Olymic Games” - it is a great read and you will be impressed even more with this guy.
Flip flopping is going back and forth. Romney has never done this on any issue. Moving as all politicians do, when they run for nation office to some more acceptable positions is as old as politics.
The importance of which can not be underestimated.
Wholeheartedly agreed! : )
Mitt IS unbelievably good-looking!
Words of wisdom, Deborah! : )
Some people like smooth talking used car salesman until they finde out they have been totally screwed.
“From what I have read about Mr. Romney so far, it does indeed appear that he is flipping and flopping on a wide range of issues.
How is the voter to know what are his true positions, and which ones he would follow as President?”
The same should be asked of Fred Thompson as well. Here is a clip from his 1994 Senate race. The staffer who filled out his NARAL questionaire did not make a mistake.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5a_Fpu_8KE
He doesn't look gay if that's what you mean.
LOLOLOL! I’ve sinceseen other photos fro m that interview, and he looks fine. They just seem to publish the worst looking stills. He looked good on Leno last night. Reminds me of Eisenhower.
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