I have two things against Romney. Only, really, two.
One is the fact that when Palin was being trashed, those of her attackers who were Repubs always turned out to be Romniacs. When the tea party was being trashed, those of our attackers who were Repubs always turned out to be Romniacs.
The second is this: When Obama won the election, and the GOP was as demoralized as I have ever seen it, most Repubs were doing backflips to prove that they could “reach across the aisle” to work with Obama. A very few stood up to fight back. Some in, some out of government. I said then that this is the moment for anybody to see their baggage forgiven and their past redeemed, if they will just stand up and fight.
Who stood up? A couple of pundits like Beck. Palin. Bachmann and DeMint. I remember Gingrich making some real barn-burner speeches (and then blowing it with his Scozzafava endorsement... I’m still mad about that...) And the “tea party” rebellion, where the rank and file stood up.
And Romney? AWOL. Fight of the century and he is no where to be found. We were fighting with teeth and nails to try and stop the Obamists and Romney was silent. I said then that anyone who sat out this fight was unworthy of being our “leader” because leaders lead. Fighters fight. They don’t sit at home waiting to be crowned “leader”. Romney always thought he deserved to be president just based on his sheer wonderfulness. He didn’t want to get down into the mosh pit to actually fight the Obamists.
He’ll fight Repubs, like Palin and Gingrich. He’ll send his proxies out to trash the tea party. But when we needed his voice two years back he was silent.
well said
Damn good points.
I remember when they were attacking Palin, and filing one ethics complaint after another- and my first thought was, “Where the hell is everybody? Where’s McCain? Romney? Why is the GOP Establishment sitting back quietly when the former VP pick is being character assassinated? What is wrong with you people? Why is nobody, besides Conservatives, lifting a finger to defend this woman?” (Romney of course, as you note, was operating in the shadows).
I know why they were silent- they either didn’t care because they despised her, or they were cowards who were afraid of being personally attacked if they defended her.
And you’re absolutely right about the rise of the Tea Party, and everything else. Where was Romney? Romney was AWOL. (That would make a good attack line, btw).