Posted on 10/10/2008 10:57:34 PM PDT by Gator_that_eats_Dems
The economy is collapsing and the GOP is stuck with a candidate who doesn't know jack about economics. But what if Mitt Romney had won that hard-fought Florida primary and grabbed the nomination? Romney's whole business career was about turning around distressed companies. Plus, he's far less identified with George W. Bush than is McCain. And unlike McCain he might not have had to give up on Michigan, where his father was governor. (What state pray tell is McCain holding that Mitt couldn't?)
I know there are plenty of strikes against the guy. But it's an interesting counterfactual to consider--one that makes a lot more sense now that foreign policy has all but disappeared from the conversation.
P.S. Good point from commenter timteeter:
Or for that matter if McCain had sucked it up and made Romney his VP.
You might've had far less base enthusiasm at convention time, but delivering a strong economic message right now could've been far easier.
No, to all of the above!
Thought the same things myself.
McCain demonstrated his tin ear with the economy when he “suspended” his campaign to go to Washington, did nothing, and then unsuspended it 24 hours later.
It was awful, and I like McCain.
I just envision Romney would have had something intelligent to say, some good ideas, and Romney would not have been afraid to get in obama’s face.
This must be the STUPIDEST question of the year.
The Republican nominee IS John McCain/Sarah Palin.
The Democrat nominee is Barack Hussein Obama/Joe Biden.
It is pathetic that with so much at stake, some people engage in hypothetical stupid questions, which can only harm our chances against Obama, because they are raising doubt about McCain, trying to get conservatives to not support McCain, thereby ensuring an Obama presidency.
Romney endorsed McCain way back when and campaigned with and for him. It’s time that his supporters follow his example.
Yes, we would be better off, I believe, but all I heard during the primaries were that he is impure in his conservatism because he used to be more liberal and is a flip flopper. He’d be able to talk about these economic issues better than McCain.
Yep, without the stigma of being tied to the economy (Congress) or the Bush administration (other than Giuliani’s support during post 9/11, which most Americans hold in high regard).
I would have voted for Rudy as well had he still been in the race. He was my first choice, although I also liked Fred Thompson. These two and McCain (as my third choice) were the only candidates that I could have voted for in the primaries.
Mitt Romney, didn’t he host Love Connections?
I’ve said McCain was my last choice, let me correct myself Slick Mittney was my last choice in the primaries. If he was the VP choice, I would have been the most unenthusiastic voter in the history of voting booths.
McCain should get Steve Forbes on his campaign. He’s a good conservative that knows all about the economy.
Unfortunately, Rudy could never compete in the GOP primary. But he would make an excellent attorney general in a McCain Administration.
Treu. But he did even worse. He pretended that socializing the banking sector in the name of a bailout was wise and necessary.
Considering the terrible choices we had, and looking at where we are right now, that would have been a terrific ticket. The Huck would have torn Hussein up during the debates with his humor alone, and he's also very quick on his feet. He also would have been far more experienced and would have connected better with the voters. Rudy would have been the perfect VP candidate.
I got the feeling that Romney thought he was pretty close to being picked as VP, and walked away angry after Palin was chosen. I could be wrong, of course, but he's made himself pretty scarce since Palin was chosen.
I did not support Mitt Romney during the primaries, but given the current financial mess and his expertise in running a business, he looks a lot better now than he did a year ago.
“The real question is: Where is Mitt Romney NOW? He could help McCain/Palin in Colorado and Nevada.”
Mittens is getting ready for 2012 in the unlikely event of a McCain loss.
It’s worse than that...he didn’t pretend. He actually THOUGHT that...
Scary times we live in. We have to vote for a quasi-socialist/blithering idiot, so we can keep the communist coup from happening. Makes me sick to my stomach.
Well, then, we’ll just have to defeat him again then.
One would HOPE that the RINO brand would be tarnished for quite some time if their poster-child were to lose the election.
In a year of wall street collapses, Mitt’s wall street background would have hurt him if he was the nominee.
I think Giuliani is the best in attack tactics, he is brilliant at pulling someone down with humour.
But Giuliani would have driven away social conservatives, maybe a Giuliani/Romney ticket could have performed.
“I got the feeling that Romney thought he was pretty close to being picked as VP, and walked away angry after Palin was chosen. I could be wrong, of course, but he’s made himself pretty scarce since Palin was chosen.”
Remember Romney switched to Republican in 1993 only for political reasons to run for the Senate, he campaigned on the fact that he had gone Independent during the Reagan years.
In the years before that all of his campaign donations had gone to Democrats. He has never really been a part of anything in politics, that might explain his lack of focus right now.
Giuliani is great theater and we respect him as a man, but he is not of our tribe, he is out on the fringes in New York, but he is against almost everything that conservatives are for.
Romney is helping Republicans, including McCain in Nevada (see October 2 below).
Romney Campaigning for Walberg in MichiganOctober 9, 2008more ... |
Romney Talks Finances in West MichiganOctober 9, 2008more ... |
Romney to Raise Money at $1,000-per-Plate DuPage DinnerOctober 7, 2008more ... |
Boulder City Speech: Romney Stumps onOctober 3, 2008more ... |
Mitt Romney Visits Idaho Falls, Campaigns for U.S. Senate Candidate Jim RischOctober 2, 2008more ... |
Romney in Nevada for McCain Campaign TonightOctober 2, 2008more ...
I can't help but think that with the economic turmoil, Romney as Veep would be very helpful as a media campaign spokesman. Palin is great at base rallying, but as for media appearances is treated by the McCain campaign as more a liability than an asset. Romney might have been able to make the Fannie Mae mess stick to Obama, and describe a McCain plan for the economy that would offer more security than Obama's socialism.
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