http://www.publicpolicypolling.com/pdf/PPP_Florida_Release_012308.pdf
Via:politicalwire.com
PPP Poll: Romney Takes Florida Lead After Thompson Exit
A new Public Policy Polling survey in Florida -- the first taken after Fred Thompson ended his presidential bid -- shows Mitt Romney leading among Republicans with 28%, followed by Sen. John McCain at 25%, Rudy Giuliani at 19% and Mike Huckabee at 15%.
Key finding: "The key to Romney's lead is the immigration issue. 15% of the state's GOP voters listed immigration as their biggest concern and within that group, 50% support Romney compared to just 14% for McCain. It isn't the biggest issue in the state -- the economy and the war in Iraq were listed by more respondents -- but it is the one creating the greatest separation between one candidate and the rest of the pack."
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
McCain: A No Show
January 22, 2008
Read More: Republicans
Jonathon Martin
ABC debate falls through, Romney camp blames McCain
A debate between John McCain, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee that was to be held on ABC's "This Week" Sunday from Florida fell through after McCain declined to come to Miami for the proposed forum, a network source confirms.
The debate was to feature the three GOP candidates who have won either a primary or a caucus so far and would have been their final appearance before what could be a decisive contest on Tuesday.
"We tried to put something together from Miami, but Sen McCain's campaign said he had to be in Tampa," said an ABC source. "We couldn't do it from Tampa."
Romney's campaign seized on McCain's decision to not participate and claimed it was a sign of weakness -- insinuating that the candidate is trying to protect his lead.
"It appears they are concerned about the format and his ability to perform well in that setting," said spokesman Matt Rhoades.
But McCain's camp said it was a mere matter of logistics and that they are focused more on the central part of the state.
"Each candidate has a schedule in various parts of the state," said spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker. "McCain is scheduled to be in Tampa-St. Pete on Sunday, where he had previously agreed to do 'Meet the Press' and has other campaign stops.
"We agreed to the ABC debate, but we asked that they hold it in Tampa because of our previous commitments. ABC decided to go with separate interviews."
McCain will do "Meet the Press" live from Tampa on Sunday, according to the show's executive producer, Betsy Fischer.
The final debate between the GOP contenders in Florida will now take place on MSNBC Thursday night in Boca Raton.
A McCain aide noted that their participation in that forum as well as the Politico/CNN/LA Times debate in California on January 30th and said it was indicative of their willingness to debate Romney. Further, this source pointed out, Romney didn't commit to the original Univision and YouTube debates last fall -- debates they accepted.
The back and forth over debate participation is a reminder of the bad blood between the two camps and serves as a preview of the sort of sniping that will take off should the two finish at the top of Florida next Tuesday.
Read More: Republicans
Jonathon Martin
ABC debate falls through, Romney camp blames McCain
A debate between John McCain, Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee that was to be held on ABC's "This Week" Sunday from Florida fell through after McCain declined to come to Miami for the proposed forum, a network source confirms.
The debate was to feature the three GOP candidates who have won either a primary or a caucus so far and would have been their final appearance before what could be a decisive contest on Tuesday.
"We tried to put something together from Miami, but Sen McCain's campaign said he had to be in Tampa," said an ABC source. "We couldn't do it from Tampa."
Romney's campaign seized on McCain's decision to not participate and claimed it was a sign of weakness -- insinuating that the candidate is trying to protect his lead.
"It appears they are concerned about the format and his ability to perform well in that setting," said spokesman Matt Rhoades.
But McCain's camp said it was a mere matter of logistics and that they are focused more on the central part of the state.
"Each candidate has a schedule in various parts of the state," said spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker. "McCain is scheduled to be in Tampa-St. Pete on Sunday, where he had previously agreed to do 'Meet the Press' and has other campaign stops.
"We agreed to the ABC debate, but we asked that they hold it in Tampa because of our previous commitments. ABC decided to go with separate interviews."
McCain will do "Meet the Press" live from Tampa on Sunday, according to the show's executive producer, Betsy Fischer.
The final debate between the GOP contenders in Florida will now take place on MSNBC Thursday night in Boca Raton.
A McCain aide noted that their participation in that forum as well as the Politico/CNN/LA Times debate in California on January 30th and said it was indicative of their willingness to debate Romney. Further, this source pointed out, Romney didn't commit to the original Univision and YouTube debates last fall -- debates they accepted.
The back and forth over debate participation is a reminder of the bad blood between the two camps and serves as a preview of the sort of sniping that will take off should the two finish at the top of Florida next Tuesday.
Will the pattern continue?
With the daily analysis of the front runners this analysis shows Rudy's sleeper strategy in full motion. . .
The Race Is On
via / http://calgarygrit.blogspot.com/
Sure, sure. Romney and Clinton win Nevada, while McCain exorcises his demons in South Carolina. But who cares? The real race, as I see it, is the epic battle shaping up between former "front runner" Rudy Giuliani and...Ron Paul? Here are the results to date:
Iowa - edge Ron
Rudy 4%
Ron 10%
Wyoming - draw
Rudy 0%
Ron 0%
New Hampshire - edge Rudy
Rudy 9%
Ron 8%
Michigan - edge Ron
Rudy 3%
Ron 6%
Nevada - edge Ron
Rudy 4%
Ron 14%
South Carolina - edge Ron
Rudy 2%
Ron 4%
And, in the ever important delegate count, Ron holds down fifth place with 6 pledged delegates, compared to Rudy's...one. Oh, and that only leaves Rudy tied for sixth place on the delegate count with Duncan Hunter who picked up a delegate in Wyoming.
In fairness, Rudy's strategy was always to suck as much as possible at the first few (fifty?) primaries so I'm fairly confident he'll be able to overtake Ron Paul by the end of this thing.
Labels: Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani
The Race Is On
via / http://calgarygrit.blogspot.com/
Sure, sure. Romney and Clinton win Nevada, while McCain exorcises his demons in South Carolina. But who cares? The real race, as I see it, is the epic battle shaping up between former "front runner" Rudy Giuliani and...Ron Paul? Here are the results to date:
Iowa - edge Ron
Rudy 4%
Ron 10%
Wyoming - draw
Rudy 0%
Ron 0%
New Hampshire - edge Rudy
Rudy 9%
Ron 8%
Michigan - edge Ron
Rudy 3%
Ron 6%
Nevada - edge Ron
Rudy 4%
Ron 14%
South Carolina - edge Ron
Rudy 2%
Ron 4%
And, in the ever important delegate count, Ron holds down fifth place with 6 pledged delegates, compared to Rudy's...one. Oh, and that only leaves Rudy tied for sixth place on the delegate count with Duncan Hunter who picked up a delegate in Wyoming.
In fairness, Rudy's strategy was always to suck as much as possible at the first few (fifty?) primaries so I'm fairly confident he'll be able to overtake Ron Paul by the end of this thing.
Labels: Ron Paul, Rudy Giuliani
A View from Up North
Tue, October 23, 2007
U.S. primaries sift out weak
By PAUL JACKSON / Calgary Sun
DALLAS -- It was Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean who talked about a "permanent campaign" in American politics.
That's how it seemingly is down here.
The votes are counted in a presidential election year, and strategists immediately start planning for the midterm election two year later.
That hasn't been the same in Canada, where, like Britain, we generally have six-week campaigns. A government is elected, and, if a majority, runs for four or so years with the prime minister calling a snap election when his advisors feel they can win.
So the dust-up is all over in a handful of weeks.
This may well change with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's fixed election terms, but we have yet to see how that will turn out, and, fixed election terms in the frozen north can mean little in minority government situations.
There's another wrinkle in the American political system. It's the primaries, where potential presidential candidates have to prove they have both staying power and popularity.
The primaries are exhausting for the candidates -- the current campaigns will run for about two years -- but they do sift out candidates who haven't got the royal jelly.
Or who can't raise the money to keep plowing ahead month after month.
Some candidates have been raising $20 million every quarter, so a candidate without the ability to pull in huge globs of cash obviously isn't going to be able to complete.
Perhaps Canadian political spending and donation laws present a fairer system.
Then, again, if candidates can't pull in the greenbacks, maybe they shouldn't be in the race at all.
In many ways, the primaries make the U.S. system more open and democratic than the Canadian system.
They allow rank-and-file Americans to vote in their home states for the Republican or Democratic -- or independent -- candidate they feel is the best one to lead their favoured party.
In our country, only party members or delegates get that chance, and the average Canadian voter is not a member of any political party.
Right now Hillary Clinton is the obvious frontrunner for the Democrats and will almost surely grab the nomination, while it is not quite that sure in the Republican camp.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads the pack, but he has nothing like the hold on GOP reins Clinton has.
Actor and former senator Fred Thompson, he of the TV series Law & Order fame, is often ranked second in the polls, followed by the unfortunately dwindling John McCain.
Yet Thompson's support is very fluid.
For all of his second-ranking poll position he has yet to ignite the GOP elite.
He is nowhere near as solid in second position as is the Democrats' Barack Hussein Obama. Yes, how would you like to have a middle name like Hussein?
The Democrats' John Edwards -- the rich class-action lawyer who seems as smarmy as they come -- is stuck in third and you can pretty much write him off.
Unlike Edwards, one feels sorry for McCain, he's a top-notch fellow, but his time has passed.
The man to really watch in the GOP is former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. It's true, Romney hovers around 10% in national polls, but he's strong in some quite important regional areas.
Romney has overflowing coffers, too, and he's spending his funds strategically.
The presidency, I contend, is Clinton's to lose, and within Romney's grasp to win.
U.S. primaries sift out weak
By PAUL JACKSON / Calgary Sun
DALLAS -- It was Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean who talked about a "permanent campaign" in American politics.
That's how it seemingly is down here.
The votes are counted in a presidential election year, and strategists immediately start planning for the midterm election two year later.
That hasn't been the same in Canada, where, like Britain, we generally have six-week campaigns. A government is elected, and, if a majority, runs for four or so years with the prime minister calling a snap election when his advisors feel they can win.
So the dust-up is all over in a handful of weeks.
This may well change with Prime Minister Stephen Harper's fixed election terms, but we have yet to see how that will turn out, and, fixed election terms in the frozen north can mean little in minority government situations.
There's another wrinkle in the American political system. It's the primaries, where potential presidential candidates have to prove they have both staying power and popularity.
The primaries are exhausting for the candidates -- the current campaigns will run for about two years -- but they do sift out candidates who haven't got the royal jelly.
Or who can't raise the money to keep plowing ahead month after month.
Some candidates have been raising $20 million every quarter, so a candidate without the ability to pull in huge globs of cash obviously isn't going to be able to complete.
Perhaps Canadian political spending and donation laws present a fairer system.
Then, again, if candidates can't pull in the greenbacks, maybe they shouldn't be in the race at all.
In many ways, the primaries make the U.S. system more open and democratic than the Canadian system.
They allow rank-and-file Americans to vote in their home states for the Republican or Democratic -- or independent -- candidate they feel is the best one to lead their favoured party.
In our country, only party members or delegates get that chance, and the average Canadian voter is not a member of any political party.
Right now Hillary Clinton is the obvious frontrunner for the Democrats and will almost surely grab the nomination, while it is not quite that sure in the Republican camp.
Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani leads the pack, but he has nothing like the hold on GOP reins Clinton has.
Actor and former senator Fred Thompson, he of the TV series Law & Order fame, is often ranked second in the polls, followed by the unfortunately dwindling John McCain.
Yet Thompson's support is very fluid.
For all of his second-ranking poll position he has yet to ignite the GOP elite.
He is nowhere near as solid in second position as is the Democrats' Barack Hussein Obama. Yes, how would you like to have a middle name like Hussein?
The Democrats' John Edwards -- the rich class-action lawyer who seems as smarmy as they come -- is stuck in third and you can pretty much write him off.
Unlike Edwards, one feels sorry for McCain, he's a top-notch fellow, but his time has passed.
The man to really watch in the GOP is former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney. It's true, Romney hovers around 10% in national polls, but he's strong in some quite important regional areas.
Romney has overflowing coffers, too, and he's spending his funds strategically.
The presidency, I contend, is Clinton's to lose, and within Romney's grasp to win.
Why they hate Mitt Romney
H/T to ERI2008 reader Ranzel (thanks!)
Via David Kim / http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/index.php
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/why_they_hate_mitt_romney.html
January 23, 2008
Why they Hate Mitt Romney
By Amy D. Goldstein
Have you noticed how all of the Republican candidates can barely conceal their contempt for Governor Mitt Romney? It goes way beyond the typical good-natured competition that usually is the hallmark of Republican contests. Senator McCain has snarled at Governor Romney in debates and Gov. Huckabee has tried to paint Romney as cold and uncaring, while Sen. Fred Thompson attacked Governor Romney right out of the box. This display of hatred usually is the hallmark of the Democrats.
So, why do the other candidates hate Mitt Romney? Several reasons:
1. He can win. Governor Romney appeals to economic conservatives and could appeal to foreign policy conservatives based upon his understanding of the issues. Most non-partisan foreign policy wonks who have briefed the major candidates tell me that Romney “gets it” better than any other candidate — even better than those who have held high profile office for decades. Moreover, he is the candidate that the Democrats most fear.
2. Jealousy — from his hair to his appearance to his family to his money - these are all reasons for deep seeded, if unseemly, jealousy. This green-eyed monster makes its appearance in almost every speech or presentation, in the form of a joke, a jab or a veiled reference.
3. He isn’t beholden to interest groups. Governor Romney’s wealth frees him from any influence that interest groups could apply to others - especially those who lack funds or who are Washington insiders. He doesn’t need them, and that scares the interest groups and their allies. He is not of the game and wants to change it - and his personal wealth allows him to do so. He really can change Washington.
4. His brains - not only is he one of the smartest people ever to seek the presidency (having earned a Harvard MBA and JD simultaneously), but he understands the complexities of the issues that America faces and is able to devise workable solutions. Just look at his proposal for an economic stimulus and compare it to what the other candidates are proposing. Romney clearly can lead this country through economic challenges.
5. His wealth — again. While he has raised more than any other candidate, Governor Romney doesn’t need to raise the money in order to continue. Nevertheless, he understands that successful candidates must have people invested in their candidacy in order to succeed. He has learned the lessons of past wealthy businessmen who make vanity runs for the White House. The other candidates have to constantly raise money in order to continue their campaigns.
6. His experience. The rest of the Republican field has been in politics in one form or another for most of their adult lives. Governor Romney came to public service after having a successful career in which he directly created jobs, saved jobs, invested in new companies and turned around failed businesses. He even fixed both the Olympics and the failing state of Massachusetts. More than any other candidate, Governor Romney’s experience is most directly applicable to the average American’s situation.
7. He believes that America’s best days are ahead of it, and not a memory. Governor Romney is a man of the future, not of the past. He sees America as a beacon of freedom for the entire world, and not a country limping toward its last days. His infectious optimism is informed by his business experience, his love of country and his family values. His can-do spirit is the antidote to defeatism masked as “straight talk” or “reality.”
8. His beliefs. When all else fails, Governor Romney’s opponents attack his religion in the hopes of sowing fear and loathing. Not only is this unseemly, but it is dangerous. We have seen this type of rhetoric before - in the 1920’s and 1930’s - from the likes of Henry Ford and Father Caughlin and others who sought to disenfranchise whole segments of the American population. Governor Romney believes in the common American faith of democracy and religious freedom, as he so eloquently stated in his speech “Faith in America.” These are the values our Founding Fathers codified in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Why do the Republican candidates hate him? Because they don’t have any answers to his challenges. They seek to undermine him by using personal attacks more worthy of a middle school playground than a presidential contest. This is politics and Washington as usual, and choosing any candidate that employs these tactics will only get us more of the same. One would hope that Americans could see beyond these base attacks and choose the candidate who is best for the country - Governor Mitt Romney.
Amy D. Goldstein is an occasional contributor to American Thinker.
Via David Kim / http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/index.php
http://www.americanthinker.com/2008/01/why_they_hate_mitt_romney.html
January 23, 2008
Why they Hate Mitt Romney
By Amy D. Goldstein
Have you noticed how all of the Republican candidates can barely conceal their contempt for Governor Mitt Romney? It goes way beyond the typical good-natured competition that usually is the hallmark of Republican contests. Senator McCain has snarled at Governor Romney in debates and Gov. Huckabee has tried to paint Romney as cold and uncaring, while Sen. Fred Thompson attacked Governor Romney right out of the box. This display of hatred usually is the hallmark of the Democrats.
So, why do the other candidates hate Mitt Romney? Several reasons:
1. He can win. Governor Romney appeals to economic conservatives and could appeal to foreign policy conservatives based upon his understanding of the issues. Most non-partisan foreign policy wonks who have briefed the major candidates tell me that Romney “gets it” better than any other candidate — even better than those who have held high profile office for decades. Moreover, he is the candidate that the Democrats most fear.
2. Jealousy — from his hair to his appearance to his family to his money - these are all reasons for deep seeded, if unseemly, jealousy. This green-eyed monster makes its appearance in almost every speech or presentation, in the form of a joke, a jab or a veiled reference.
3. He isn’t beholden to interest groups. Governor Romney’s wealth frees him from any influence that interest groups could apply to others - especially those who lack funds or who are Washington insiders. He doesn’t need them, and that scares the interest groups and their allies. He is not of the game and wants to change it - and his personal wealth allows him to do so. He really can change Washington.
4. His brains - not only is he one of the smartest people ever to seek the presidency (having earned a Harvard MBA and JD simultaneously), but he understands the complexities of the issues that America faces and is able to devise workable solutions. Just look at his proposal for an economic stimulus and compare it to what the other candidates are proposing. Romney clearly can lead this country through economic challenges.
5. His wealth — again. While he has raised more than any other candidate, Governor Romney doesn’t need to raise the money in order to continue. Nevertheless, he understands that successful candidates must have people invested in their candidacy in order to succeed. He has learned the lessons of past wealthy businessmen who make vanity runs for the White House. The other candidates have to constantly raise money in order to continue their campaigns.
6. His experience. The rest of the Republican field has been in politics in one form or another for most of their adult lives. Governor Romney came to public service after having a successful career in which he directly created jobs, saved jobs, invested in new companies and turned around failed businesses. He even fixed both the Olympics and the failing state of Massachusetts. More than any other candidate, Governor Romney’s experience is most directly applicable to the average American’s situation.
7. He believes that America’s best days are ahead of it, and not a memory. Governor Romney is a man of the future, not of the past. He sees America as a beacon of freedom for the entire world, and not a country limping toward its last days. His infectious optimism is informed by his business experience, his love of country and his family values. His can-do spirit is the antidote to defeatism masked as “straight talk” or “reality.”
8. His beliefs. When all else fails, Governor Romney’s opponents attack his religion in the hopes of sowing fear and loathing. Not only is this unseemly, but it is dangerous. We have seen this type of rhetoric before - in the 1920’s and 1930’s - from the likes of Henry Ford and Father Caughlin and others who sought to disenfranchise whole segments of the American population. Governor Romney believes in the common American faith of democracy and religious freedom, as he so eloquently stated in his speech “Faith in America.” These are the values our Founding Fathers codified in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
Why do the Republican candidates hate him? Because they don’t have any answers to his challenges. They seek to undermine him by using personal attacks more worthy of a middle school playground than a presidential contest. This is politics and Washington as usual, and choosing any candidate that employs these tactics will only get us more of the same. One would hope that Americans could see beyond these base attacks and choose the candidate who is best for the country - Governor Mitt Romney.
Amy D. Goldstein is an occasional contributor to American Thinker.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Romney Value
Monday, January 21, 2008
Romney Value
As parts of the economy unfold and the presidential primary season meanders on to Florida it appears that some things have changed and other things, well, continue to stay the same. The mainstream media’s narrative of Mitt Romney continues to be the new #1 rated reality TV series.
Even though the TV writers are on strike, each week brings America a new episode of “Primary 08” where attempts to dismantle the most qualified Presidential candidate continues non-stop. The series is there for your viewing in prime time or 24/7 on the cable networks.
The overarching series theme is a combination of the following plot points:
1. Mitt is a flip flopper,
2. Mitt is too good looking,
3. Mitt spends a lot on his campaign (he is too rich)
4. Mitt is not likeable (most in the media don’t like him)
5. Mitt is still married to the same wife, and
6. Mitt, he is just too good to be true.
These are just a few of the points for tag lines written by aspiring writers who now pose as journalists. Facts are immutable, of course, when declared by the select few, especially the better-known "fiction" writers of the mainstream media. In addition, facts as Stephen Glass will tell you, always have a knack for getting in the way of a good story. How else do journalists help the Democrats and establishment from keeping out interlopers, such as Romney, from the taxpayer funded party going on in Washington?
Perhaps, this is part of the media’s problem with Romney. He is just too successful in too many areas of his life and not beholden to journalists or insiders. In others words a threat to the status quo. So, how do many in the media set out to discredit the very successful Mr. Romney?
Just as movie critics tend to pile on and blast very successful movie producers and actors, with regular frequency, likewise the pundits sharpen their pencils and loosen their vocal chords in anticipation of writing or repeating the favored word or phrase of the day. In the 1990’s, the media would use neat catch phrases as well, however the story line was a bit different.
Picture a humble southern man who rose from despair and fought against the odds to go on and become educated at Yale and Oxford: a Rhodes scholar. Bill Clinton, the man, admired by many in the media and frequently given a free pass for some of the lackluster stuff he did because people, it was said, could relate to him. Yeah, as if the masses can relate to what it is like to be a Rhode scholar, anyways you get the drift.
“Gravitas” was the operative word bandied about to describe President William Jefferson Clinton. “His gravitas” or “the Presidents gravitas” was the daily mantra. Other words or phrases were occasionally substituted to describe the President, however, at the end of the news cycle you would be dammed if you didn’t find yourself inserting the G word into a sentence or two to a describe a situation, the official renaming of a burger in honor of the President, or yourself if you were so inclined.
Of course, Clinton’s lack of judgment flew in the face of such a label like gravitas. Yet, pundits would declare that his gravitas trumped all and we are all just human so get over it. Moreover, he was an Oxford Rhode Scholar, in case you had forgotten.
The level of latitude provided by the majority in the press, for the President was immeasurable. In 2008, however things are a bit different. The turnaround being bandied about is occurring in the media. On one hand, you have a successful executive with a model American family, wealth, and impeccable education, business, volunteer, and government credentials. The problem for some in the media is that the candidate who fits this description is a Republican, and a real Republican to boot.
Well, now that is a big, yes very big, problem for the media and Democrats. The other problem is that this Republican candidate MR could defeat Hillary whose qualifications for the President of the United States of America are, well, lets just say found in her husband.
Even the other Democrat candidates are found wanting when compared to Romney, with the exception of John McCain because he is so good at talking straight, right. In fact, McCain is the defacto go to Democrat guy should Plan Hillary / Obama go awry. The problem though is how do you deal with a guy that is like Superman, to many in the media? Are reality shows really supposed to go as scripted? What happens if people actually start to pay attention?
Lets just assume as this nation may decide to slip into a recession it is worth noting that Mitt Romney has helped to create over 100,000 new jobs in the private sector. That fact alone is worth repeating again: 100,000 + new jobs, in contradistinction to other candidates who add jobs to a government agency via your tax dollars. Mitt worked with others to create new jobs through various corporate enterprises just as people did in the old days and still do this day.
Maybe, this is why many in the inside crowd of Washington are fearful of Mitt because he offers substantive change. In other words,he does not fit into the script many in the media and establishment would like him to follow.
Another reason why Mitt Romney stands out, as a candidate, is that he does not merely repeat parts of a political philosophy, or pull facts out of thin air. Romney's magic comes through years of disciplined analysis, being teachable and doing the heavy lifting, as required.
Romney stands out because he offers substantive change, the type of change that has turned around corporations, international games, and a bloated Massachusetts government stained by red ink. Just imagine, for a moment, what Mitt could do with Washington. Now that would be a reality show that most people would like to stay up and watch.
Posted by Stephen at 3:19 PM
Romney Value
As parts of the economy unfold and the presidential primary season meanders on to Florida it appears that some things have changed and other things, well, continue to stay the same. The mainstream media’s narrative of Mitt Romney continues to be the new #1 rated reality TV series.
Even though the TV writers are on strike, each week brings America a new episode of “Primary 08” where attempts to dismantle the most qualified Presidential candidate continues non-stop. The series is there for your viewing in prime time or 24/7 on the cable networks.
The overarching series theme is a combination of the following plot points:
1. Mitt is a flip flopper,
2. Mitt is too good looking,
3. Mitt spends a lot on his campaign (he is too rich)
4. Mitt is not likeable (most in the media don’t like him)
5. Mitt is still married to the same wife, and
6. Mitt, he is just too good to be true.
These are just a few of the points for tag lines written by aspiring writers who now pose as journalists. Facts are immutable, of course, when declared by the select few, especially the better-known "fiction" writers of the mainstream media. In addition, facts as Stephen Glass will tell you, always have a knack for getting in the way of a good story. How else do journalists help the Democrats and establishment from keeping out interlopers, such as Romney, from the taxpayer funded party going on in Washington?
Perhaps, this is part of the media’s problem with Romney. He is just too successful in too many areas of his life and not beholden to journalists or insiders. In others words a threat to the status quo. So, how do many in the media set out to discredit the very successful Mr. Romney?
Just as movie critics tend to pile on and blast very successful movie producers and actors, with regular frequency, likewise the pundits sharpen their pencils and loosen their vocal chords in anticipation of writing or repeating the favored word or phrase of the day. In the 1990’s, the media would use neat catch phrases as well, however the story line was a bit different.
Picture a humble southern man who rose from despair and fought against the odds to go on and become educated at Yale and Oxford: a Rhodes scholar. Bill Clinton, the man, admired by many in the media and frequently given a free pass for some of the lackluster stuff he did because people, it was said, could relate to him. Yeah, as if the masses can relate to what it is like to be a Rhode scholar, anyways you get the drift.
“Gravitas” was the operative word bandied about to describe President William Jefferson Clinton. “His gravitas” or “the Presidents gravitas” was the daily mantra. Other words or phrases were occasionally substituted to describe the President, however, at the end of the news cycle you would be dammed if you didn’t find yourself inserting the G word into a sentence or two to a describe a situation, the official renaming of a burger in honor of the President, or yourself if you were so inclined.
Of course, Clinton’s lack of judgment flew in the face of such a label like gravitas. Yet, pundits would declare that his gravitas trumped all and we are all just human so get over it. Moreover, he was an Oxford Rhode Scholar, in case you had forgotten.
The level of latitude provided by the majority in the press, for the President was immeasurable. In 2008, however things are a bit different. The turnaround being bandied about is occurring in the media. On one hand, you have a successful executive with a model American family, wealth, and impeccable education, business, volunteer, and government credentials. The problem for some in the media is that the candidate who fits this description is a Republican, and a real Republican to boot.
Well, now that is a big, yes very big, problem for the media and Democrats. The other problem is that this Republican candidate MR could defeat Hillary whose qualifications for the President of the United States of America are, well, lets just say found in her husband.
Even the other Democrat candidates are found wanting when compared to Romney, with the exception of John McCain because he is so good at talking straight, right. In fact, McCain is the defacto go to Democrat guy should Plan Hillary / Obama go awry. The problem though is how do you deal with a guy that is like Superman, to many in the media? Are reality shows really supposed to go as scripted? What happens if people actually start to pay attention?
Lets just assume as this nation may decide to slip into a recession it is worth noting that Mitt Romney has helped to create over 100,000 new jobs in the private sector. That fact alone is worth repeating again: 100,000 + new jobs, in contradistinction to other candidates who add jobs to a government agency via your tax dollars. Mitt worked with others to create new jobs through various corporate enterprises just as people did in the old days and still do this day.
Maybe, this is why many in the inside crowd of Washington are fearful of Mitt because he offers substantive change. In other words,he does not fit into the script many in the media and establishment would like him to follow.
Another reason why Mitt Romney stands out, as a candidate, is that he does not merely repeat parts of a political philosophy, or pull facts out of thin air. Romney's magic comes through years of disciplined analysis, being teachable and doing the heavy lifting, as required.
Romney stands out because he offers substantive change, the type of change that has turned around corporations, international games, and a bloated Massachusetts government stained by red ink. Just imagine, for a moment, what Mitt could do with Washington. Now that would be a reality show that most people would like to stay up and watch.
Posted by Stephen at 3:19 PM
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