Posted on 02/25/2012 2:14:42 PM PST by Libloather
Ann Romney: No more debates for Mitt
By Keith Laing - 02/25/12 03:10 PM ET
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's wife Ann said the former Massachusetts governor would not participate in any more debates in the GOP primary.
Introducing Romney before his speech to the conservative group Americans For Prosperity's forum in Troy, Mich., Ann Romney said that she decided that her husband should stop debating the other Republican candidates.
"I've also decided no more debates," Ann Romney said to laugher in her introduction of her husband. "If we do another debate, he's going to sit in the audience and watch me."
The Republican field has battled itself in more than 20 debates and forums since the early months of 2011. As the wide array of candidates has steadily been narrowed the attacks have grown more intense and personal.
Ann Romney joked Saturday that she should "do all the talking" for her husband, who has been criticized for his gaffes on the campaign trail. In a speech in Detroit on Friday, the candidate tried to show his support for the American auto industry by naming the American cars his family owned. But when he said his wife "drives a couple of Cadillacs," critics said he sounded out of touch with less wealthy people.
"Maybe I should do all the talking and let him just stand here and watch me," Ann Romney said Saturday.
The former governor did not take up his wife's offer, using his speech to the AFP to criticize both President Obama and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, with who he is locked in a tight race, according to the latest polls.
Romney, whose father was the governor of Michigan in the 1960s, also touted his Michigan roots, noting that he and Ann were both raised in the state. A loss in what is widely viewed as one of Romney's home states could deal a serious blow to his hopes for winning the GOP nomination.
"It's good to be in Michigan," Romney said of his ties to the state, which holds its primary on Feb. 28. "A lot of stories here. Deep roots here."
Moving on to the attack against the president, he said that Obama was "out of ideas."
"He's out of excuses," Romney said. "In 2012 he's going to be out of office."
Romney also targeted Santorum, quoting the former senator's endorsement of his during his bid for the GOP nomination in 2008.
"I can attest for my conservative credentials from someone who endorsed me in my 2008 campaign," Romney said. "Sen. Santorum was kind enough to say on the Laura Ingram show, he said 'Mitt Romney. This is a guy who is really conservative, and who we can trust.'"
Romney continued, "He's right, I'm the conservative candidate and what we need in the White House is principled conservative leadership, and I'll bring it."
Santorum said Friday he regretted endorsing Romney for president in 2008.
"As far as my endorsement, you know what?," Santorum said. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."
In his own speech to the AFP forum Saturday, Santorum argued Romney was too moderate to be the GOP nominee.
"Every time we’ve run a moderate, we’ve lost," Santorum said. "Every time we’ve run a conservative, a complete conservative … we’ve won.
"Why would we nominate someone who is uniquely unqualified to take on the big issue of today," he continued.
That because he scared what happened to Rick could happen to him. Everyone can have a bad day. I thought that Huckabee was having a debate? Hope romney does not show up so Newt & Santorum can attack hypocrite paul and romney, who won’t be there to defend himself.
He spelled 'Coulter' wrong.
first smart thing this a$$whole has done... debates, arranged by communists, moderated by communists, giving communists fodder to use against a candidate during the real election... my beef is against the fools that decide to participate ( unless they can hand a commie his ba!!s on a platter )
How many debates have their been? Is there anything we can learn, that we haven’t already heard, by having more debates? Not in my opinion.
Ann’s another Hillary, Co-President.
He never says anything anyway - he just accuses and the comes ‘I’m the one’.
Truly not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
Shameless Mitt Romney sends his ill wife
out to pimp him by pitching her illnesses for him,
during another of his cowardly moments.
I think there have been 19 debates so far.
Personally I think Mike Huckabee hit on a winner with his Forum idea. One candidate at a time, taking questions, with attacks on other candidates off limits.
LOL! Very good!
Chicken. If I were Newt I would challenge them all to a debate and show up. If they didn't, I would take the time to completely dismantle them on every issue.
She must be tired of seeing Miff staring at Newt with that goofy grin every time Newt gives an answer.
So what is left for Romney to do?
Very nicely played. Hilarious.
No. Mitt is calling it quits because he's gotten all the mileage he's going to get out of the process, and the networks are satisfied.
He's going to leap off the process and act like he's won the nomination.
He needs to because the bloom is coming off Santorum's rose and the old fielder -- Gingrich -- is still there... tick, tock, tick, tock..
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