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Thursday, January 24, 2008

Nobody Loves Mitt Romney

Hillary and Obama’s slugfest has been capturing the headlines, but the invective aimed at Mitt Romney by his competitors has been equally vicious.

With so much attention recently on the sniping between Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama on the Democratic side, the almost visceral scorn directed at Mr. Romney by his rivals has been overshadowed.

“Never get into a wrestling match with a pig,” Senator John McCain said in New Hampshire this month after reporters asked him about Mr. Romney. “You both get dirty, and the pig likes it.”

Mike Huckabee’s pugilistic campaign chairman, Ed Rollins, appeared to stop just short of threatening Mr. Romney with physical violence at one point. “What I have to do is make sure that my anger with a guy like Romney, whose teeth I want to knock out, doesn’t get in the way of my thought process,” Mr. Rollins said.

Yikes.  One wonders what the oh-so-Christian Mike Huckabee thinks of his campaign manager’s violent tendencies.  And there’s also the question of why Romney inspires such visceral dislike.

I think Ramesh Ponnuru probably has it right:

[Maybe they] resent it when he attacks them for being to the left of positions he has very recently adopted.

I don’t doubt that’s true.  Of course, even with Romney’s new-found conservatism, it’s hard to see where either McCain or Huckabee have any real standing from which to attack him from the right given that none of the three are paragons of conservative virtue.

Comments

Avatar for Bill Mitchell

Want to know why the other candidates dislike Mitt Romney?  Lemme see:

1. He’s richer than them.
2. Has better adjusted kids than them.
3. Is beating them.
4. Is better educated than them.
5. Is better looking than them.
6. Except for Huckabee, has had a better marriage than them.

Ur right, I can see NO reason for these guys to dislike Romney, lol.

Jealousy much?

P.S., We all know that the whole man-love bit between McCain and Huckabee is a “relationship-of-convenience”.

Let’s do a poll and find out how many NFL Teams really really really like the Patriots.

LAST POINT:
All the new polls coming out showing Romney either leading McCain in Fl or in a statistical tie were taken BEFORE Thompson dropped out.  You can add about 5 points to Romney’s numbers once polls reflect Thompson’s absence.

INTRADE UPDATE:
Romney now leads McCain in FL 46 to 40 on Intrade.  It’s called momentum.

Bill Mitchell on January 24, 2008 at 08:08 am

I find it a bit fabulous that people can suddenly know the hearts and minds of politicians to make statement like this:

[Maybe they] resent it when he attacks them for being to the left of positions he has very recently adopted.

It’s neither factual nor particularly intellectually honest.  Not that politically commentary is supposed to be intellectually honest.  It just has to be cynical.

Carrick on January 24, 2008 at 08:45 am
Avatar for Bill Mitchell

The amazing thing about McCain is that he refers to Romney as a “pig” and then says that he refuses to run a negative campaign.

I can see why McCain and Huckabee like each other.  They are both self-righteous liars.

Bill Mitchell on January 24, 2008 at 08:50 am
Avatar for Bill Mitchell

Rasmussen’s latest FL poll comes at at 12 EST.  This will be the first poll taken AFTER Thompson dropped and and should be interesting.

His last poll showed Romney with a 5 point lead.  Will that expand, contract, explode, evaporate?  Will Rasmussen decide he really really dislikes Romney so much that he must adjust his sample to show the race closer than it is?  Who know?

P.S. Rasmussen, although accurate is very much a liberal and has great disdain for Romney.

In his last poll showing Romney ahead by 5 in FL, he referred to it as a “slight lead” that Romney holds “for now”.

If McCain held the same lead, Rasmussen woulkd have called it a “substantial and perhaps insurmaountable lead”.

Lol, these libs do love them some McCain.

Bill Mitchell on January 24, 2008 at 09:26 am

Fox News just listed McCain ahead by a point, with Romney second and Giuliani a point behind in third.  Florida is a “winner take all” state, so coming in second or third means nothing.


“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

Bat One on January 24, 2008 at 09:50 am

Rasmussen, although accurate is very much a liberal and has great disdain for Romney.

Bill,

Scott Rasmussen may well be a liberal, but that may well have nothing to do with any disdain he has for Romney.  There are plenty of real conservatives, fiscal and social, who share that disdain.


“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

Bat One on January 24, 2008 at 09:55 am

MC-CAIN THE PODHORETZ NEO-CON CANDIDATE IN THE AMERICAN CULTURAL WAR

The leading Neo-Con strategist, Charles Black; and the desperate endorsement by the leading Neo-Lib, Leiberman; and the powerful Neo-Con news media could not save the Podhoretz Neo-Con, John McCain, from defeat by the leading Conservative, Romney, in Wyoming, Michigan, and Nevada; nor could they save him from defeat in Nevada by the rising popular Libertarian Conservative, Ron Paul; nor from defeat by the Evangelist Conservative, Huckabee, in Iowa. 

For Neo-Con McCain, the designated Neo-Con ideological successor to the notoriously unpopular Neo-Con tyrant, President Bush, to be so successfully defeated by Romney, Paul, and Huckabee suggests that the powerful insidious subversive influence of Israel over the wealth and blood of the American People is finally coming to an end in this escalating American Cultural Rebellion. But his slim victories in New Hampshire and South Carolina, where the majority of the Conservative voters were so cleverly deceived, by Black and the Neo-Con dominated news media, into believing that McCain could be trusted to loyally and competently serve the interests of the American People, indicates that he continues to be a theat.

McCain’s support for his McCain-Feingold restriction of internet freedom of speech, government sponsored child sacrifice by abortion, amnesty for Mexicans illegally occupying America, un-patriotic sacrifice of the precious wealth and priceless blood of the American People in un-constitutional wars to protect Israel are a betrayal of his Christian God and his American Constitution. And if he so dishonors his God and his Country, then how could he ever be trusted to cherish and to honor the American People?

Furthermore, most sensible Americans have observed that Neo-Con McCain, like Neo-Lib Hillary, has never in his long contentious and scandalous governmental career managed to accomplish anything of social or economic significance; and that his McCain-Feingold legislation has had only disastrous effects on campaign finance fairness. When most of the American People come to realize the full extent of his moral depravity and intellectual incompetence, he will become as un-electable as Hillary. 

In every state of the Union, Conservative Republicans are now fighting to defeat desperate Podhoretz Neo-Cons; the outcome of these election battles will determine whether the great change for the American People will be the restoration of their Constitutional Liberties, or many more years of increasing Neo-Con government corruption and tyranny.

Jeugenen on January 24, 2008 at 10:35 am

Jeugenen - with your Neo-Con this and Neo-Lib that and then more of the Neo-Con this, it all gets mind-numbing. Also, PEOPLE DON’T READ YOU MORE WHEN YOU TYPE IN ALL CAPS. IT JUST MAKES YOU LOOK LIKE AN INTERNET NOOB.

Now you have a new word to enter into your limited vocabulary - noob.

likwidshoe on January 24, 2008 at 10:42 am

HUMPTY DUMPTY NEO-CON PIGJOHNNY

NEO-CON PIGJOHNNY SAT ON WALL
NEO-CON PIGJOHNNY HAD A GREAT FALL
ALL THE NEW YORK TIMES NEO-CONS
AND ALL THE NEW YORK TIMES NEO-LIBS
COULD NOT PUT NEO-CON PIGJOHNNY TOGETHER AGAIN

Jeugenen on January 24, 2008 at 10:47 am

Looks like someone is throwing a temper tantrum.

likwidshoe on January 24, 2008 at 10:51 am
Avatar for Bill Mitchell

YOUTUBE VIDEO OF MCCAIN PRAISING ROMNEY TO THE SKIES:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA7JTDjG-Po

Rasmussen has Romney +4 over McCain in Today FL Poll.  However, the poll is missing 11% of the electorate, so I don’t know what happened to them.

Mason-Dixon also has Romney up by 4.

Insider Advantage had Romney ahead by 6 yesterday and McCain ahead by 1 today.  However, in today’s poll, they WILDLY oversampled The Miami area which is strong for McCain (twice as many people sampled there compared to any other area.)

Intrade now gives Romney the lead at 48.5 to 40.0.

Bill Mitchell on January 24, 2008 at 11:02 am
Avatar for Bill Mitchell

Tonight’s debate could have quite an impact.  I hope Romney is on his game.

I expect the following:

1. Giuliani will attack McCain since he is competing with him for moderates.
2. McCain will try to convince us he is actaully a conservative after all by suddenly being for border-fences and tax cuts (flip-flop anyone?).
3. Huckabee will lay the class-warfare card and point out that Romney’s private equity fund laid off some people.
4. Hopefully. Romney will give specifics on how he will help the countries economic ills, will NOT make any hair jokes, will not say “I know what makes jobs and what makes them go”, and will NOT bother attacking Mccain.

Romney neesd to come across as large and in charge.  If he can repeat his NH Debate, he may win FL large.

Bill Mitchell on January 24, 2008 at 11:07 am
Avatar for Bill Mitchell

Here is the MOST TELLING part of the new Rasmussen Poll:

In Florida, Romney leads among conservative voters, attracting 35% of them. Giuliani is second with 21% while McCain gets 15% of the conservative vote.

Among moderates, McCain dominates with 35% support. Giuliani is second with 22% and Romney is at 17%

Once again, if not for the libs, McCain would be DEAD.  Now in this kind of Primary, Moderates have been less motivated to actually get out and vote than true conservatives.

We’ll see.

Bill Mitchell on January 24, 2008 at 11:12 am

Bill,

Your assumption that true conservative voters see Romney as the a fellow true believer is at best dubious.

I’m not enamored of either McCain or Romney as president, but I don’t see Rudy being able to pull out a win in Florida or the nomination.  Ultimately, all three have shown themselves to be less than conservative and more opportunist than anything else.  Any of the three would likely be a one-term president… assuming he could actually get elected.


“Poverty of goods is easily cured; poverty of the mind is irreparable.”

Bat One on January 24, 2008 at 11:26 am

JOHN JOHN NEO-CON
GONE! GONE! GONE!

“ABORTION!...ABORTION!”
“AMNESTY!...AMNESTY!”
“TAX SPEND!...TAX SPEND!”
“MC-CAIN-FEINGOLD!...MC-CAIN-FEINGOLD!”
“ISRAEL!...ISRAEL!”
“BOMB IRAQ!...BOMB IRAQ!”
“BOMB IRAN!...BOMB IRAN!”
“ROMNEY PIG!...ROMNEY PIG!”
“HA! HA! HA!...HA! HA! HA!”

Jeugenen on January 24, 2008 at 11:33 am

Hoo boy.....someone hasn’t had his nap today.


The future ain’t what it used to be.....

Pilgrim on January 24, 2008 at 11:36 am

Uh oh!

Zsa Zsa on January 24, 2008 at 11:46 am

I have to say there is NOTHING WRONG with a person changing their mind with regard to an issue. It is intellectually honest, demonstrates an ability to re-evaluate ones beliefs and make a heartfelt change.
Romney has made such adjustments in his beliefs with respect to abortion and I believe him to be the better
for admitting it. How many christians heard about Jesus all their lives but never made a committment until well into adulthood. Romney is my choice. He is smart, aggressive, polished, practiced, and knowledgeable.
McCain is a gamble. A great American but a great President?
I don’t think so.

djkrell on January 24, 2008 at 11:55 am

Bill Mitchell: So, tell us: When did a moderate republican become a liberal? ...Other than in your feverish effort to label anyone who isn’t enamored with Mitt Romney a ‘liberal’.

Here’s a disturbing fact for you: the majority of republicnas describe themselves as moderates, and without them, we can never elect a republican president.


"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month… all honor to those who served...

pparets on January 24, 2008 at 01:16 pm

Jeugenen: Know what? We can actually read yours posts without the hysterical CAPS. My recommendation? Get over yourself and engage in some actual dialogue. Some - but not much - of what you say makes sense and we might actually engage in serious debate if you did. Want an audience? Try respect.


"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month… all honor to those who served...

pparets on January 24, 2008 at 01:20 pm

dj,
I have to say there is NOTHING WRONG with a person changing their mind with regard to an issue.

I agree. But you have to question the mindset of individuals whose initial judgement brought them to a different conclusion.


“To love is not to stare steadfast at one another...it is to look forward, in the same direction.”
Saint-Exupéry

laydownSally on January 24, 2008 at 01:27 pm

Juengenen, lay off the Red Bull & Mountain Dew, OK?

Bike Bubba on January 24, 2008 at 01:33 pm
Avatar for Dan

Even in politics, the basics and the normal still apply: Everyone hates the person with - LOOKS, BRAINS and MONEY! ....why would it be different with Romney?  He has all three - more than any candidate on both sides.  Hate is an offspring of envy and jealousy!  Go Romney!

Dan on January 24, 2008 at 04:00 pm

Dan: “Everyone”??  No.  not even many, not even most.


"Here lies, in honored glory, an American soldier, known but to God.”

The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month… all honor to those who served...

pparets on January 24, 2008 at 04:07 pm
Avatar for Bill Mitchell

pparets and all my other beloved Republicans:

Romney is not perfect.  He does tend to pander a bit and his history has not been perfectly conservative.  However, America is like a huge Corporation that needs some management changes, some better strategy behind its long-term decisions and a generally more “competent” face to the world.

In John McCain we have pretty much the Anti-Conservative to the Republican Party.  Throughout the years, I cannot tell you how many times I would look with disgust at the voting rolls on important Conservative Legislation, only to see that John McCain, along with the likes of Olympia Snowe, had voted with the Democrats yet again.

Mitt Romney’s flip-flops compared to John McCain’s are like shop-lifting compared to armed bank-robbery.  Although Mitt Romney may have been more moderate in his earlier positions, he was NEVER a traitor to the party as John McCain has been.

Mike Huckabee?  He has no chance.

Giuliani?  If he runs the WH like he has run his campaign we are doomed.

So it comes down to an imperfect Romney (who has many pluses in all the right areas) and an abject traitor who is changing his stripes just to win the WH.

From a practical standpoint, if you are at all Conservative, you have to consider Romney.

Bill Mitchell on January 24, 2008 at 04:52 pm
Avatar for Bill Mitchell

For what it’s worth, Romney lead on INTRADE has expanded to 20 points.

Bill Mitchell on January 24, 2008 at 05:02 pm
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Romney now leads McCain in FL 46 to 40 on Intrade.  It’s called momentum. -BM

Real Clear Politics has McCain over Romney by over ten points (26.5 to 16.2) in their average of five polls from 1/11-1/22. Zogby had McCain by 22 over Romney. Is that called momentum, too?



Barack Obama: All hat and no cattle since 1997!


Proof on January 24, 2008 at 05:08 pm
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Romney… does tend to pander…
his history has not been… conservative

. Damned by faint praise from his biggest fan! smile


Barack Obama: All hat and no cattle since 1997!


Proof on January 24, 2008 at 05:16 pm

Mitt Romney’s flip-flops compared to John McCain’s are like shop-lifting compared to armed bank-robbery.  Although Mitt Romney may have been more moderate in his earlier positions, he was NEVER a traitor to the party as John McCain has been.

Good analogy.  I actually began to rethink about Romney for a little.  But, these sort of switches seem characteristic of his pretty-boy image.

yes, dreadfully, I ask in more abstract terms.  Is Romney a pretty-boy only on the outside or is that what he is actually like on the inside?

He’ll be an intersting run if he becomes president.

dirl126 on January 24, 2008 at 09:13 pm

Essentially, what I am saying is, that if Romney is only a pretty-boy on the outside, because, despite what Dan says, brains, looks, and money DO attract voters, than he is just as much of a maverick as McCain is if not more.

dirl126 on January 24, 2008 at 09:20 pm
Avatar for Osama Obama

“Nobody Loves Mitt Romney”

As of January 21, 2008 528,265 voters “loved” him enough to vote for him in the the IA, NH, MI, NV, & SC primaries (not counting WY which he won).  If the WY votes were included, I’d wager that Mitt may still have retained the highest total votes overcoming McCain’s approximate 2000 vote advantage.  Why the hyperbole?

Osama Obama on January 25, 2008 at 05:11 am
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