Posted on 03/23/2012 4:20:08 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
"Excited" after a meeting Thursday with Mitt Romney, tea party favorite Sen. Jim DeMint urged fellow Republicans to be realistic and rally around the party's eventual nominee, making his plea the same day the ex-governor's chief rival suggested voters would be as well off with President Barack Obama as they would Romney.
In addition to fundraising events, Romney was in Washington to hold talks with DeMint as well as legislators from Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, which hold primaries next month. The legislators included House Budget Committee chairman Paul Ryan, according to GOP aides.
"I'm not only comfortable with Romney, I'm excited about the possibility of him possibly being our nominee," said DeMint, a well known conservative, claiming he was impressed by Romney but stopping short of giving him a full endorsement.
Adding that "I just think we just need to look at where we are," DeMint strongly suggested that rival candidates Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich should drop out to end the nomination fight and focus the party's efforts on defeating Obama in November....
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
Perhaps DeMint wants to be Romney’s Vice Presidential running mate. He would no doubt appeal to the Huguenot vote.
CNN sure appears to be promoting Romney lately.
Oh, he’s in a government healthcare program, alright. It’s just that it’s free as the wind, gold-plated and nothing at all like what we’ll suffer under ObamaCare.
DeMint is a Tea Party favorite? No one told me.
Most on this web site know that DeMint’s conservative credentials are beyond reproach. I suggest everyone here consider his judgement regarding this issue.
You are correct, but that will not sway the kamikaze wing on our side.
“CNN sure appears to be promoting Romney lately.”
Well they would have a Marxist running against a Socialist. They can’t lose.
Then his “credentials” just took a MAJOR hit! “Don`t piss down my back and tell me its rainin.”
He's a good guy, but I would not go that far. He has a few doozies, and this is one of them.
I am not looking for a Pied Piper to lead me on. I am my on person. All the Romneybots are wee-weed up that the rest of us are not falling in line behind their libtard.
I wonder why good old DeMint is trying to shove Romney down our throats.
March 2011: Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) "would never consider" endorsing Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney for president again in 2012 unless Romney repudiates the health reforms he sought as governor
(from http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2690381/posts)
March 2012: "I'm not only comfortable with Romney, I'm excited about the possibility of him possibly being our nominee" said DeMint
Hmmm. Last I checked, Romney has never renounced his Romneycare legislation. DeMint's flip-flop is reminiscent of when he gushed over Hillary during Senate confirmation hearings but then cast a token "NAY" vote against her on the Senate floor (knowing she'd win confirmation) so he could tell conservatives how principled he was.
>> Slump Tester : DeMint is a Tea Party favorite? No one told me. <<
Really? Plenty of freepers have told me that and he has a huge fan club here. Maybe should read over some old DeMint threads where they talk about how he's the only conservative Senator with spine that's willing to take on RINOs. The basic premise is that DeMint is a heroic conservative leader and Lindsey Graham is RINO scum, and pay no attention to the fact their voting record is 90% alike and that they're good friends (DeMint even co-chaired Graham's re-election campaign)
>> Clintonfatigued: Perhaps DeMint wants to be Romney’s Vice Presidential running mate. He would no doubt appeal to the Huguenot vote. <<
It's possible he's on Romney's shortlist and is thus playing ball with him. Romney knows that the conservative base has serious qualms about ever voting for him and he can't just pick any old reliable conservative to excite them, but he needs a conservative with "star power". DeMint would fit the bill. Though I think Rubio is a more likely possibility because he needs Florida in the GOP column. Rubio is a rarity... both acceptable to the GOP establishment as a "rising star" and a "tea party candidate" who became known for defeating an odious RINO in the primary.
Not exactly, who told you that stuff?
DeMint sought out then Governor, Mitt Romney in 2006. DeMint was one of the early promoters of Mitt Romney to run in 2007, he was senior advisor to his exploratory committee.
JANUARY 2007,NOT, JANUARY 2008--- Senator DeMint wrote, "We must elect a President in 2008 who is up to the task, and I need you to encourage Mitt to run. ...
Tuesday, Jan 09, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Boston, MA – Governor Mitt Romney announced today that Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) will serve as a senior adviser to the Romney for President Exploratory Committee.
OCTOBER, 2007
Boston, MA – Today, Governor Mitt Romney named Governor Matt Blunt (R-MO), Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH) as National Co-Chairs of the Romney for President campaign. As National Co-Chairs, they will serve as key advisers to Governor Romney and his national campaign.
Senator Jim DeMint said, “Governor Mitt Romney is the standard-bearer the Republican Party needs in 2008. His message of conservative change will bring our Party and Washington back to our most basic conservative values of fiscal discipline, smaller government and lower taxes. Governor Romney has the record and experience to bring true change to Washington.”
If Romney thinks I’ll vote for him if he picks DeMint as his VP, he needs to think again.
I want to vote for the Republican that can beat nobama. And Romney ain’t it.
I’ve been wary of DeMint since the last Presidential election cycle. I surmised he was playing a VERY dangerous game in trying to position himself to get Willard’s VP slot. Willard would likely only choose a running mate who is thoroughly weak and non-threatening to him personally (more or less, a total cypher, a la Kerry Healey in MA). Anyone who could outshine him (let alone be a strong Conservative opposed to his leftist agenda) would never be chosen.
With this current “stance” from DeMint, which is equally as dangerous and as odious (not to mention hypocritical) as it was 4 years ago, he has damaged his reputation as a so-called Conservative leader almost beyond repair. He seems to have learned nothing from the prior endorsement. After 14 years in DC, one can say he has officially jumped the shark (or spoiled, whichever you prefer).
Fantastic analysis!!!
“”I’m not only comfortable with Romney, I’m excited about the possibility of him possibly being our nominee,” said DeMint”
And why are you telling us that? You can vote for him, DeMint. That’s all you can do.
It refreshing to see some of DeMint's more vocal supporters here have serious reservations about his flirtations with Romney and realize they go way back. The rest of FR needs to be educated that DeMint was one of Romney's EARLIEST backers in Jan. 2007. He wasn't doing it to "stop McCain" (and ironically, Rick Santorum has been beat over the head repeatedly for endorsing Romney at the last minute to stop McCain)
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