“…if you don’t care who gets the credit.”
We are all basking in the win for Scott Brown in Massachusetts. Many people worked long and hard to help bring it about. I would like to mention some fairly big names who pulled in their egos and worked in the shadows away from the limelight in order for Scott to succeed. Their stories can now be better told.
First there was Mitt Romney. Scott Brown came to him very early seeking his help. Mitt provided crucial early aid. He lined him up with members of his staff and others from his campaign. They provided much needed strategic and logistical advice. Mitt also lent Scott his highly-prized fundraiser list, and Mitt helped to get the ball rolling by hosting an early fundraiser for Scott.
Part of the strategy they worked out was to position Scott Brown as a man of the people — a regular guy. A guy who drives an old beat-up pickup truck ala Fred Thompson. He would also be a man not beholden to “The Establishment”. This meant that Mitt Romney would have to remain in the background and not actively campaign for Brown. In his place, Scott would get endorsements from and be seen with such regular Joes as Doug Flutie, the famous Boston College quarterback; Curt Schilling, the famous Red Sox pitcher of “the Bloody Sock” fame; and John Ratzenberger, from the iconic Boston TV series “Cheers”. The only national Republican figure that would actively campaign with Brown would be Rudy Giuliani, “Hizzoner” himself. If there is a national Republican figure with more blue-collar cred than Rudy, I don’t know of him.
Besides Romney, the NRSC and the NRC also stayed in the background. They quietly transferred hundreds of thousands of dollars into the Brown campaign. Some of this happened while they were getting blasted by critics for not doing more to help people like Brown get elected. RNC chairman Steele especially came under scathing criticism at the time for poor leadership as the head of the national committee. Yet while enduring those attacks, they were providing the funds to Brown that allowed him to set up phone banks and do some critical advertising buys. They could have leaked their involvement to defend themselves, yet they kept it quiet. My hats go off to them.
Now ask yourselves, what would have happened if Mitt had selfishly insisted that as part of him helping, he would be allowed to campaign openingly for Scott? Or what would have happened if, as a condition of their cash infusion, the NRSC and the NRC insisted upon public credit? The Democrats would have easily been able to undermine Brown’s carefully crafted image as a regular Joe beholden to nobody.
Did their help ultimately go unacknowledged? No. When asked about the lack of help from the national Republicans, Brown always cagily said that he was receiving everything he asked for. Many people wrote that off as him covering for them, but we now know that he was telling the truth.
And Romney? Brown thanked Romney by name in his victory speech for being there “even when I was a long shot”, and who, “helped show us the way to victory”. John McCain was the only other Republican Scott called out by name in his speech. He said McCain had told him months ago that, “I could win, and gave me confidence for the fight.” From what we now know about the help Mitt provided, I would dearly love to know better the extent of the help that John gave him. I somehow doubt it consisted of just a single meeting and a clap on the back saying “Go for it!”. Hopefully it will all come out some day.
So there you have it. Scott Brown received some crucial help from several people who allowed their reputations to take a hit for supposedly not helping as much as they could, but whose reward was to see the triumphal election of Scott Brown to the United States Senate.
Ronald Reagan had it right all along.
January 20th, 2010 at 4:24 am
Romney’s been a key player, in the three key major victories for Republicans in Virginia, New Jersey, and now Massachusetts.
January 20th, 2010 at 4:30 am
I was waiting for one of you front page folks to post something about this.
If we want to really get this country going back in the right direction, it’s going to take some smart, patient action by unselfish folks, real adults, who put the country ahead of their own egos.
Everybody has a place….from cheerleader to backroom strategy genious…….and we all need to appreciate the contributions of each and work together.
Look what conservatives can do when we are willing to work with other people……..and patiently help them see the light.
January 20th, 2010 at 5:08 am
Its funny how I have gained so much respect from McCain after he lost his Presidential bid. He has really stepped up to the Plate and become a conservative leader. He has work in Congress to slow down the Liberal Agenda has been out standing and now his help behind the scene as well as his endorsement of Scott Brown.
As for Romney, this was a great victory for Romney and Romneyites as well as the Party as a Whole. This has been great leadership by him and the other adults in the Party. Even Palin and Huckabee should be praised for just staying out of it and not trying to suck up any of the lime light.
This has to make all conservatives and Republicans look forward to the elections in 2010 and beyond.
January 20th, 2010 at 6:29 am
If only we had someone like Scott Brown shake things up here in California…Someone with Brown’s energy I think could take Boxer’s seat.
Romney is also working with Meg Whitman behind the scenes as he did with Scott Brown and I think she has an excellent chance of winning.
January 20th, 2010 at 7:55 am
I thought it was funny that the loser democrats were sniping that Romney wasn’t campaigning for Brown, then guess who’s on all the networks the day of the election stumping for Brown.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:06 am
I think its safe to say that Romney will have one more supporter from the U.S. senate when he officially commences his presidential campaign. Last time around, Romney’s biggest senate man was Larry Craig…so yeah, this will be a step in the right direction for Romney.
January 20th, 2010 at 8:26 am
Didn’t Lieberman endorse Brown?
January 20th, 2010 at 9:01 am
Romney is now odds-on for the GOP nomination in 2012!
January 20th, 2010 at 9:01 am
Fred and Jeri Thompson got behind Brown pretty early as well.
Sarah Palin said last night while on Greta, that the Brown campaign did not ask for her endorsement, but if they had, she would have given it. She then commented that she did put out some tweets for her supporters to get behind Brown.
Romney was very classy throughout all of this. Kudos to him.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:04 am
I hated to see Mitt sit back doing all this work and not get more credit for it, but it may have been beneficial for Brown, which is what counts right now.
Even on this site, those not for Mitt have refused to say anything positive about his contributions, other than Brickley did some yesterday.
If Lieberman did, I didn’t hear about it Dan.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:05 am
Realisticly, though, Romney needed Brown as much as Brown needed Romney. Brown’s victory increases the likelihood that the Senate healthcare bill, and its uncomfortable paralells to Romneycare, never passes. Brown’s win helped Romney tremendously.
Also, and I don’t think anyone noticed this, but Romney is also the reason we even HAD this election in the first place. Had he not been Governor in 2004, the Democrats in the legislature would never have amended the Constitution to take away the President’s power to appoint a successor (since Kerry was just SURE to win in ’04). Yes, the Democrats gamed the system after Kennedy’s death, but to mollify voters they called a special election right away. Under the Constitution as it existed up to ’04, Deval Patrick’s pick wouldn’t have had to stand before voters until November of this year.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:08 am
Brilliant strategy.
Thunder, your comment was spot on. Kudos to all involved and to Huck and Palin. Admittedly, I am not a big fan of them and think they are publicity hounds, it showed me a lot that they stayed out to the extent they did.
I think things like this make Romney out to be not only the most likely candidate to win the nomination, but also shows me he’s the best man for the job. People have painted Romney with the wrong brush as a person who is disingenuous and opportunistic to a fault. It is wholly inaccurate. I am reminded of an incident during the early stages of the primary campaign following a disaster in Southern California (fires probably) where Mitt’s son lived. His son went out with other members of their Church to help clean up the disaster and Mitt was in town and went along. He went out and removed stumps, got his hands dirty and provided service without bringing along the news cameras or ever discussing it. It wasn’t until a few months later that his son posted the story with some pics on that Five Sons blog they ran (or whatever it was called).
Everyone I have talked to that knows Mitt on a personal level say he is the among the most genuine and honest people they have ever met.
Apparently, however, he has had a hard time conveying that on the political stump.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:10 am
And now Texas chirps in…thanks!
January 20th, 2010 at 9:14 am
There is a quirky sense in which Romney deserves credit.
Had Romney not been Governor in 2004 — and had John Kerry not been on his way to the Democratic nomination — this special election would never have been conducted in January 2010 at all, but rather with the other mid-term elections in November 2010. (Just as Ted Kennedy had been first elected in a special election in the November 1962, while the Paul Kirk of that era kept the seat warm.)
The quick special election provision was pushed through by the Democrats when they feared that Governor Romney would get to appoint President Kerry’s successor to that Senate seat.
The Law of Unintended Consequences with a vengeance!
(Further irony if, as I suspect, Romney had vetoed the “quickie” special election law, and the Democrats had had to pass it over his veto.)
January 20th, 2010 at 9:15 am
I was hoping like crazy that Mitt would be given the opportunity to introduce Scott Brown, and sure enough, it happened. That was pretty big. Something not mentioned today is that if it had not been for the Mass. plan, it is unlikely that Scott would have pulled this off. The Rasmussen poll last night showed that it was the single biggest issue, by far. As I have stated before, if other governors would have helped provide individual state plans, we wouldn’t be debating this at the national level.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:19 am
You do know that Brown supported Romney care when Romney was a governor, and part of his appeal was that they had a health care plan that was working well, and they didn’t need a federal one to usurp their system.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:19 am
I say kudos to Brown, he may have had some backstage help but he delivered the message. If you really want to check off a win in anyone’s column, other than his…I guess give it to Romney. It seems weird that they didn’t want anyone to know that Romney was helping him though…would that have been the nail in the coffin? Just honestly asking, I’m sure the usual suspects will try to stomp me into the ground for that question.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:24 am
When the story is finally written on this chapter, I think it will be seen that the organizing of the campaign was not just an important aspect but the decisive one. Establishing Brown as a viable candidate was imperative to the online groundswell that exploded on the scene last week. Without the confidence, the expertise, and the fund raising, it never gets going.
Indicative of how that help was seen at the core of the campaign was this one visual: when Brown called out Romney during his vistory speech for his crucial help, it was Scott’s father who who dramatically motioned for Mitt to come out and take a bow, tenaciously moving the other campaign workers out of the way, until a relctant Romney had no choice but to come forward. Scott’s dad understood the measure of credit and appreciation that was due.
Many will think that the primary benefit to Romney from this personal investment will be the power of a Scott Brown as a surrogate. Certainly, having Brown, Christie, and McDonnell championing you in the coming campaign is invaluable.
But maybe more important is the tuning and refining of the campaign machine and message. This political team is heading immediately to run Lazio’s campaign. A year from now, Romney’s team will have been playing competetively, both privately and publicly, since they launched the campaign in 2007. McCain’s key advisors have already pointed out how much better Romney’s campaign team got before he dropped out in Feb 2008. Imagine where they will be at a year or two from now.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:25 am
Personally, I don’t think it would have hurt them Jersey, but Scott had the momentum, and they saw no reason to take that chance. A few months ago, a poll showed Mitt would beat Duval by a full 19% if he were running against him. However, a poll last week showed none of the current Republicans could beat Duval, although they did come pretty close.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:31 am
The whole appeal of Brown is that he is his own man (which he is), but as the book said, no man is an island. Could Brown had pulled this off without Romney and to some extent McCain’s help, no! Unfortunately, a Candidate needs resources, contacts (and sometimes some advice) to be competitive, and that’s What Romney brought to the table. But that doesn’t mean that Brown doesn’t deserve the lion share of the Credit for running an almost flawless campaign. Some time a great individual must know when to take advice and follow through.
But no matter how good a candidate an individual is, without the necessary backing and resources, he is never heard. Also, give credit to Romney for recognizing Scott Browns potential, giving him the nudge he needed to run. The two go back to the days of Romney’s term as governor.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:37 am
#17…..They were trying to remove an excuse the Dems would use to portray Brown as a GOP establishment tool….McCain also was working behind the lines and Palin and Huckabee, etc., also were not asked to oome. Rudy was called in to help with the blue-collar folks and the campaign in the Italian section. The RNC and RNCC also showed overt restraint as reported in the FPP.
That was just plain smart of the GOP, which had better operate more like this throughout the country if it wants to convert the independents and moderate DEMs to more conservative government.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:37 am
You know, you bring up a very good point. Team Romney which is going out and helping other candidates, is picking up very valuable experience. This can only benefit Romney, when he brings all back for his eventual run for the nomination. Right now, I don’t see any other potential candidate to challenge Romney for the nomination. Pawlenty is not picking up (its still early), Huckabee looks to stay on as a Broadcaster for FOX, where he is doing an excellent job, and Palin is likely to follow Huckabee’s path.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:41 am
22 – I look forward to Team Romney’s help when Palin is the nominee…they will be invaluable!!!
January 20th, 2010 at 9:44 am
Not funny jersey!
January 20th, 2010 at 9:44 am
17. Running a campaign is very much like making a movie. First you have a concept and then a script. You have producers, directors and you choose a actor to be lead, around whom the story is told. You assemble a team of cinematographers and editors, etc. And then you cast the rest of the parts.
In this movie, in spite of Romney’s roll in putting together the project and helping come up with the money and the “behind the camera” talent, there was no role in the movie that fit him. There was no part in the movie for whom he was the right actor. It has nothing to do with how good an actor he might be, there was nothing more than a bit part. But then Hitchcock rarely placed himself in more than bit parts on his films.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:44 am
And the moon is made up of Blue Cheese. If you haven’t figured it out yet, she isn’t running, and if she does, she will get slaughtered. No, she is headed to TV land, where following is enough to make for a good career (ala Huckabee).
January 20th, 2010 at 9:47 am
Not even a little? I was being a little snarky but I believe it. Romney did a great job for Brown and I think he may have found his niche’ – help other Republicans win, stay behind the scenes and use his connections and his organizational skills to help better frontmen and women win. That’s an admirable position and one he seems to very good at.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:48 am
Lets leave no doubt, Romney will be President in 2013.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:49 am
#23…..Jersey…..Actually I think Sarah is going to be great help for Mitt in providing him support to counter the angery onslaught that is sure to come Mitt’s way from Huckabee & Army…….whether or not Huck runs.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:52 am
26 – First, she wasn’t running for President because resigned as Governor, then when that was obviously not the case, it was because she can make more money writing books and doing speaking tours, then that didn’t stick and now it’s because she got a job on FOX as an analyst? When will you guys be convinced that none of these moves prove that she is not going to run for President? But keep trying to convinve yourselves. Continue to underestimate her…please! If you haven’t figured it out yet, that is where she thrives.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:55 am
28 – Romney may be the nominee in 2012 but he cannot beat Obama. He doesn’t have a platform if the issues stay the same. When MTV rocks the vote, Romney is classical…Obama is modern. And no pondering about Who Let the Dogs Out will change that.
January 20th, 2010 at 9:58 am
Romney will absolutely CREAM Obama!
January 20th, 2010 at 10:00 am
How can someone underestimate someone who really hasn’t accomplished anything. In early 2011, she will either have to quit her job for Fox and stop making money, or she will have to elect to continue to go for the Money. It is un-realistic to think someone who was governor just over a year, has the experience to run a national campaign and then get elected President, your just fooling yourself. In the end, if she got the nomination, she would be worse than McCain, as their are many who just don’t see Presidential Material in her (maybe if she got more experience).
While she is not as dumb as the left try to make her out to be, she is not the brightest bulb out there, and the left will have no trouble touting out her many flubs.
If Palin really wants to play on the national scale, she should go back to Alaska and run for Stevenson’s old Senate seat, which should be easy pickings for any Republican. Then after she gains some experience, she might be ready for a run for the Presidency.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:03 am
Man, are you out of touch, Romney’s experience dwarfs almost all others, and his expertise on the economy is unrivaled. If anything, it would be Palin who doesn’t have a platform.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:05 am
#31…..You are assuming that manufactured celebrity, no experience (now bad experience), and platitudes read off a teleprompter, not to mention getting dope slapped in the debates, will still have currency in 2012.
You state that some folks are underestimating Palin (and you are probably right) but you have been underestimating Romney for years.
I think it’s time to work together and throw the liberals out!
Let them do the underestimating and bad mouthing…
January 20th, 2010 at 10:07 am
http://www.bermanpost.com/2010/01/browns-victory-speech-video.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
You can see the full Brown speech there. The shout out to Romney is at the 12 minute mark. I would just like say I feel Romney shows a distinct amount of humility and coolness(think awesomeness) standing in the very back, having to be dragged practically forward for the recognition, and then going back out of the limelight for brown. Not something you expect to see from someone of his political stature on either side of the aisle.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Jersey……Maybe this will give you a hint about Romney’s platform….this is an exerpt from an analyst…notice that the 3 races his names have Romney’s fingerprints all over them…
“And the Republican Party should be taking notes, analysts say, to try to replicate his strategy in races across the country in a year when GOP candidates are thought to be starting out with the upper hand.
With his victory Tuesday, the Massachusetts state senator proved that a Republican can be competitive in the bluest of states or districts.
“Every Republican long shot in America — for House seats, Senate seats, gubernatorial contests, is going to shout in unison, Remember Scott Brown,” said Larry Sabato, director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics.
Surely the GOP state senator benefited from some unique circumstances. Democrat Martha Coakley made missteps in the closing weeks of the race and has been criticized for not being pro-active enough in protecting what was once her substantial lead. The race also generated tremendous national interest because of Brown’s ability to break the Democrats’ supermajority should he win.
But Brown practiced a certain practical conservatism in his campaign which appealed to voters, not unlike Chris Christie in the race for New Jersey governor and Bob McDonnell in the race for Virginia governor.
By concentrating on fiscal issues and focusing his criticism on the national Obama administration agenda, Republicans said, Brown brought himself to the verge of an upset.”
January 20th, 2010 at 10:17 am
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
January 20th, 2010 at 10:18 am
33. Sarah will not have to stay at FOX to make money, and I doubt that is the reason she signed the contract. (She will net out more than $5 million on the book, is making good money for speaking gigs, etc.) She is there for the exposure and to continue to assimilate influence with the grassroots.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:22 am
Poll after poll has shown that she has net negatives and I don’t see that going away. Yes, she has a large following, but not enough to make a run for the Nomination, and she knows it.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:30 am
Hey guys, this is celebrate Brown’s victory day……not pick on Sarah Palin day…
January 20th, 2010 at 10:30 am
34 – okay Thunder?!? I understand you are really into politics and you obviousky follow it daily but the huge majority of voting Americans do not. They will not see how brilliant Romney is in economics or the business world. They will not care about how he turned around the Salt Lake Olympics…a dubious credit if you ask me.
But I digress.
Average American voters will see the Romney that is corporate America. The Wall Street Romney…a member of the club that helped bring on one of the biggest economic downturns in American history.
Although Romney had nothing to do with the downturn, it will not be difficult to paint him as the type of guy that did.
Populism will be a tool of both sides of the aisle and a tool that Romney does not have and cannot use to his advantage but can be used against him…fair or not.
If healthcare is raised, which it should be since it shows how out of touch Obama really is with the American public and how much he doesn’t care about the opinions of the American public as much as he does about his own leftist agenda…unfortunately Romney cannot sincerely use health care reform against Obama. If he does, Obama will say his plan was modeled after the Massachussetts plan that Romney signed into law. Then you will hear crickets from Romney…or at least that’s what the people will hear. You may see many differences but the average American will not.
Then if all of this fails…you can guarantee they will use his religion as a tool against him.
Then there’s Romney’s inability to convey himself as a likeable guy and not a salesman…Obama has his listeners eating out of his hands.
Romney may seem like the perfect candidate to you guys but I see him as an absolute guarantee that Democrats, the Far Left Democrats, hold the White House until 2016…at least.
Just My Opinion.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:36 am
#42……Jersey states in arger at Thunder (thundering at Thunder?
) “They will not care about how he turned around the Salt Lake Olympics…a dubious credit if you ask me. ”
Actually there is nothing dubious about it. It’s a great story. Google it sometime. Put aside the Mitt vs. Sarah thing and you will enjoy it.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:39 am
37 – Jerald, 1. that has nothing to do with his platform and 2. nothing that you copied and pasted mentioned anything about Romney…not even a footnote. I know Romney’s organization helped Brown but a comment at the 12 minute mark in Brown’s speech isn’t going to help Romney all that much. If he isn’t getting credit for it…Romney’s accomplishment barely exists.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:42 am
I didn’t comment on the thread yesterday because of hijacking rules…and warnings against. Anyone that knows me, knows I’m not a Romney fan. But, I do give credit where credit is do. He also earned some respect for not trying to steal the lime light on Brown’s night.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:42 am
Jersey,“I look forward to Team Romney’s help when Palin is the nominee…they will be invaluable!!!”
Thanks, and I look forward to Palin’s help when Mitt is the nominee. Any one who thinks she wouldn’t be invaluable are only fooling themselves.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:44 am
43 – again I think you misunderstood what I was saying. 1. I’m not angry at Thunder…I don’t even know Thunder…I reserve my anger for people I know, who deserve it. 2. I didn’t mean “dubious” in the sense that Romney didn’t do anything to help “save” the Salt Lake Olympics, I just don’t think it’s an accomplishment worth mentioning. It’s akin to saving the Girl Scout’s Cookie Drive. I don’t mean to belittle the Olympics or Romney’s involvement in Salt Lake, I just think that almost any executive or mid-level management could have attained the same results. JMO.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:47 am
46 – haha, that’s the right attitude…give it right back to me. In the end what we say on this little forum does not matter all that much save for fueling our own ego’s…no reason to get mad at one another over it.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:53 am
33 – ask the people of Alaska about how much she accomplished as Governor. Or maybe take some time and do some research about her many accomplishments. Or, maybe you have already done that but you realize the quitter meme is a better narrative? I think I already know the answer.
January 20th, 2010 at 10:59 am
40 – actually she has risen in almost every recent poll. Tommy just explained the ridiculousness of the CBS poll and even that she has better numbers now then she did in November…in parts of it anyway. Tommy also linked many similarities that other politicians have had at the same exact time.
Honestly I wish she had better numbers…I’m not deluding myself, but I also see that it is really early and all the rumors and lies that she had to endure over the past year plus is going to take some time to recover from. If I were you and I truly felt the way you do about Palin, then I would really question the candidate I support because Palin is usually within the margin of error of Romney…except in PPP favorables, where she beats him by 20 points or so.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:00 am
Romney can absolutely campaign on Romneycare. Scott Brown just did. The national plan is a one size fits all plan that works for us here in MA, but not the nation as a whole. Why in the world would we want universal healthcare when we already have it? Why would we want to pay extra taxes and hurt our own plan for the sake of Obama? We won’t and resoundingly said so in the election of Scott Brown.
If Romney runs in 2012 it will be because he has accomplished what Obama hasn’t. Romney has created a universal healthcare plan, he’s created jobs during in a recession in his state, he’s turned around company after company. If the climate is the same in as it is today in 2012; Romney would win. Also, Romney was not a Wall Street guy.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:02 am
#47…..Jersey…..you sound upset so I’ll leave you alone……however…….you downplay the “saving the olympics” because you don’t know the story…..it was a big enough deal that it got Romney on the front of lots of serious magazines and more than a handful of special features……so your diss bespeaks your intent to remain uninformed……thus allowing you to remain unimpressed.
However, if Palin had done it instead of Romney….well……that would be a whole different story now wouldn’t it?
Let the hero worship begin…
Good grief
January 20th, 2010 at 11:07 am
51 – I think I am speaking plain english and yet you still just proved my over-arching point…IT’S A NARRATIVE. Romney cannot win in Massachussetts where the details of the differences in the plans are well known…so that doesn’t help him. AND, I thought MassCare wasn’t Universal Healthcare…that’s what Romeny and his hordes of supporters are trying to sell? Which is it?
Anyway, he didn’t have to work on Wall Street to receive that moniker.
IT’S ABOUT NARRATIVE and the Dems will be the narrator.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:10 am
#16: I do know that, but I don’t know what that has to do with my argument that Romney’s electoral viability at the Presidential level (especially during the Primaries) was threatened with the Senate Obamacare bill.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:10 am
You sound like a liberal democrat with those talking points. You sure you in the right party? Those same talking points really helped Cockly defeaut brown! or wait, she lost~! This elitism crap is ridicules, and not worthy of Converatism or the republican party.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:15 am
[...] list of Republicans who selflessly kept out of the Massachusetts campaign for the good of the team would be incomplete [...]
January 20th, 2010 at 11:16 am
Two things, first you took the conversation out of context, the talk was about how Brown would save Romney when it came to Health Care.
Second, Romney will come out as the most knowledge on the Subject and how to fix it. Remember, ObamaCare was not popular in Massachutes, but Romney Care is very popular. And those who try to tie one to the other really don’t understand the two plans.
Finally, who is out there that is a real challenge to Romney at this time. Not Huckabee, not Palin, and so far, not Pawlenty.
Romney, slowly but surely is coming out as a leader of the Republican party. Right now, his work is behind the scenes, but later all that will pay dividends.
While others are working to benefit their own pocket book (ala Huckabee and Palin — which I don’t have a problem with), Romney is out their restructuring the Republican Party, one candidate at a time.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:16 am
52 – if I sound upset, then I’m not sure where you’re getting it from? I thought we were having a discussion? If anybody is upset, the title would go to you and Thunder but I guess it’s easier to paint me as the irrational, upset guy then it is to rebutt my points.
I know the story of Romney’s involvement in the Olympics…he even got out of his limo and helped wave on traffic…this little, old lady does it 5 times a week down the street from me. I’ll give him his credit…a pat on the shoulder, but to say it is worthy of praise is a bit much…IN MY OPINION…which is all I ever said from the beginning. If you find it praise worthy…then awesome…it just doesn’t do it for me.
I could be bias, but I think I am one of the honest Palin supporters, on this site. I acknowledge her flaws and readily admit that she has an uphill battle to the nomination.
And BTW, I’ve seen the magazine covers…I read all of ‘em…
January 20th, 2010 at 11:21 am
55 – I wish you had included my next sentence…but that doesn’t help your narrative, does it? And unless you have a reading comprehension problem, then I really don’t know what you’re talking about. Not once did I mention elitism, I was merely answering your question, in a rhetorical way, about what will most likely happen if Romney is the nominee…which I’m sure he will be.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:25 am
Jersey – You’re right about the races being a narrative. However, the Democrats will NEVER attack Romneycare. They constantly use it as a model for healthcare reform. Could Mitt Romney have won this Senate race as himself being the candidate? It’s probable. He was voted as the most respected politician in our state second to Teddy Kennedy. MA residents have been polled and prefer Romney to Deval Patrick as our current governor. These are undeniable facts. I live here and I know my state. I’m also a benificiary of Romneycare that has provided me with health insurance at a third of the cost less than what I had received from my employer. We like our healthcare plan and we are smart enough to know the differences between the seedy plan in D.C. vs what we have here. We have 98% of our citizens enrolled in PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE. Anyone who wants it can get it.
If Sarah Palin were to win, what’s her narrative? That she quit as governor before her first term was up? When things get hard will she quit as president? I seem to remember George W. Bush being attacked so much that his second term was essentially ungovernable. Narrative is what you make of it as a candidate. The candidate needs to make their own narrative. Not have their opponents do it for them.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:26 am
One thing I take away from this is the old adage, “Amateurs talk strategy. Generals talk logistics.”
There is a whole lot more to running a successful campaign than just what the public sees. Winning campaigns have winning organizations. Losing campaigns have little or no organization. Why? It’s very hard to run a campaign without the logistical infrastructure necessary to win. It can be done, but the bigger the campaign, the harder it is to win without a well-run organization.
And there ain’t no bigger campaign than that of running for President of the United States.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:27 am
SED:“However, the Democrats will NEVER attack Romneycare.”
Never say “never”.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:27 am
55 – furthermore…I don’t think you can compare a senate seat in Massachussetts, where you have already said that the people are against ObamaCare…because they have MassCare, to a national election. Not to mention my point was that ObamaCare was a mess…the American people don’t want it but Romney will not be able to use that as an example of Obama’s out of touch ways when Obama can just rebutt with…it was modeled after MassCare…that you signed into law. The whole issue will be voided…it’s too important of an issue to not have in our arsenal come 2012.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:34 am
60 & 62 – the Democrats won’t attack RomneyCare…in fact they will want the entire healthcare fiasco to go unnoticed come 2012 and if Romney is our nominee then they will get their wish because Romney will not be able to use ObamaCare as a criticism of Obama. SED, I understand your point and I agree with you about MassCare but like you said, you understand the ins and outs of it…the rest of the Nation do not and they will digest whatever the liberal MSM feeds them. Since there is little likelihood of Romney winning Mass. in a general against Obama…it really does not help the Republican cause.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:36 am
I love to hear to hear non-Romney fans panics. Last night was the best thing that could have happened to Romney.
1. We won because the people of Mass preferred Romneycare over Obamacare.
2. Which takes away the insane narrative that they are both the same.
3. Being from Massachusetts doesn’t seem so bad anymore.
4. We found a winning formula — Republicans can win on ideas, not angry populism. We won b/c Romneycare beat Obamacare. Just plain better ideas.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:37 am
Jersey,
I think you overestimate the difficulties in Mitt’s using MassCare to beat Obama’s ObamaCare with.
(1)Romney succeeded, Obama failed.
(2)MassCare was passed with the majority of Republicans, Democrats, and Independents behind it. ObamaCare?
(3)MassCare was passed to 70% approval rate of the electorate. ObamaCare’s numbers are in the forties and below.
(4)MassCare was about 70 pages long. The Senate bill is over 2000 pages long.
(5)MassCare was conceived out in the open. All sides: Industry, Democrats, Republicans, were consulted. ObamaCare was conceived in backrooms as far away from the public eye as possible. It was rammed through without anybody getting the opportunity to read it.
(6)70 pages of MassCare took over two years of negotiations to arrive at its final form. 2000 pages of ObamaCare is getting cobbled together in less than six months.
Do you still think that Mitt won’t be able to attack ObamaCare because of MassCare?
January 20th, 2010 at 11:38 am
I see where your coming from Jersey. You’re concerned that we will lose a critical attack point towards Obama in 2012. You want to hang it around his neck as another one of his failures.
However, even though may Obama try to say that his plan was modeled after our plan; we can refute it. Scott Brown’s election just did. I am watching Scott Brown on Fox News right now doing a press conference. Brown is stating these very things right now. He just said it. We have universal healthcare. We don’t want the national plan, because it hurts our plan and is not the right way to produce healthcare reform. It has to be done on a state by state basis. Each state can come up with their own plans that benefit their own states.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:39 am
64. Your dead wrong. Scott Brown effectively distinguished Romneycare from Obamacare. He defended Romneycare on Neil Cavuto on over again in MA. His main campaign slogan was, Why subsidize other’s states health care when we already got a good system here. Look at the polling my friend. Romneycare is popular, Obamacare is not in MA. They are not the same.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:39 am
60 – you make good points, Palin has an uphill battle to the nomination. The MSM and the Democrats will certainly attemp to create a narrative for her, one involving quitting and stupidity…etc, etc, etc. She will have to prove herself but she also has populism on her side and it could help in the end.
My discussion here today had little to do with Sarah Palin and nothing to do with converting Romney supporters to Palin supporters. I just honestly think Romney cannot win against Obama and I just hope other people see what I see and put their support toward a different candidate…any candidate – you choose. All of this is just MY HUMBLE OPINION.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:43 am
68 – Pablo, see 64 again and reread it…twice if you have to…
January 20th, 2010 at 11:43 am
I could not be more proud of Romney and what he has done behind the scenes to help Scott Brown. I can’t imagine anyone else as President in 2012 than Mitt Romney!! The most qualified and knowledgable candidate out there!
Romney in 2012!!
January 20th, 2010 at 11:46 am
Jersey – I appreciate your opinion. I think this is why we are all here. We like to discuss our potential candidates. We want to ultimately field a great campaign in 2012. Nothing here should ever be personal, but informative. Be it Romney, Palin, Huckabee as our nominee in 2012; we have to respect each others candidates and points of view. I’m sure we Romney supporters will continue to make our case for him. I for one love to hear differing opinions on our candidate to better understand how to overcome their objections over him. I’m sure you feel the same way about Palin.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:46 am
68 – I know they’re not the same but I, like you, follow politics daily. Average American voters do not. The Democrats know this. The Liberal Main Stream Media know this. They can create any narrative they want and the average voter will probably believe it. So, unless, it becomes cool to be a Republican by 2012 then the narrative will stick with a huge portion of the electorate. And in Massachussetts…we will lose either way in 2012.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:49 am
70. I reread and realized that I did not read it right the first time. Sorry about that.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:51 am
71. MK – where in AZ do you live?
January 20th, 2010 at 11:53 am
Actually, I see the Opposite, I don’t see how Obama could beat Romney in a heads up match. By 2012, at the Current rate, Obama will be very unpopular and the Nation will want someone with solutions not platitudes. (which leaves Palin out)
January 20th, 2010 at 11:53 am
“I love to hear to hear non-Romney fans panics. Last night was the best thing that could have happened to Romney.” First of all, as a non-Romneyite, I am not paniced, rather I am celebrating the fact that capitalism is coming back to America. As for yesterday being a good day for Mr. Romney, yes it was a very good day for him; I do not blame him for celebrating and I tip my cap to him. However, it was also a good day for the country in general, the rest of us are celebrating as well. When I told my son that Mr. Brown had won, he asked if we could go to Disneyland to celebrate. In short, many of us are glad that America is finally moving to the right again and re-embracing capitalism.
Needless to say, I do not think it was a good day for Mr. Romney for the same reason that the Romneyites think, but I will refrain from getting into that contest. Good Day.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:57 am
74 – no worries. I blather on a bit…so I am probably a little at fault as well.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:57 am
I have to disagree with us losing Massachusetts in 2012. There is nothing more we care about in our state other than the Red Sox, which is to send another man from Massachusetts back to the White House. The memories and legend of JFK has sustained us for decades. Time and time again we have fielded candidates to run for POTUS.
We know Mitt. We like Mitt. I’m pretty sure we would vote for Mitt in 2012. Also, Romney and his team have now won two state wide elections in this state. They just plain know how to win in Massachusetts. We take care of own as has been well documented in the Kennedy dynasty that placed us on our blue path in the first place. It’s time for us to begin a new chapter. It began to a certain extent with the death of the last Kennedy brother.
January 20th, 2010 at 11:58 am
Fair enough Thunder…we’ll have to agree to disagree. Good day.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Well said SED…ha. I will pretty much support whoever our nominee is…some more than others but I will vote Republican on Election Day, 2012 and since our nominee may very well be Romney then I hope your analysis rings true.
Not sure how long you have been around the site. I have been taking it easy here since, and before, the New Year but I welcome you aboard and I look forward to reading more of your analysis.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:04 pm
Jersey said about Palin: “I acknowledge her flaws and readily admit that she has an uphill battle to the nomination.”
Which ones do you acknowledge? I don’t recall you listing them.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:06 pm
O.J. almost thou persuadest me that thou art objective. You did much better than others who throw their tripe on the wall and dont stand around to take responsibility for it when it starts to stink. I am specifically thinking of the chicken shots of ” I wonder why Romney is not helping brown” “You know others would” etc.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
Thanks jersey. I haven’t been here in a year. Took a year away from politics after 2008 debacle. The Scott Brown race has me re-energized and ready to contribute.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:20 pm
82 – this thread was about Romney. But, I guess it’s only fair that I mention some of Palin’s flaws she must work on. Like many have said before me, she must get better at off the cuff comments. She’s in the right place but she has to sell them better. She also has to do more speeches…where she thrives. To some she seems opportunistic, I guess those people would want more humility…I don’t see that but others do so I can recognize that as a flaw. By the end of this year, or the very latest early next, Palin has to do some harder interviews.
I think she’s ready to, but she’s still a little guarded in the question/answer arena.
Most of all, she has to, like SED mentioned, control her narrative. She’s the only, potential, candidate that is consistently being attacked by the Democrats and the MSM…so far she is doing good foundational work in that area…by going around the media with her FACEBOOK page and twitter page, her successful book tour and now her new job as a political analyst with FOX News. All are good steps in the right direction.
Unlike other candidates, she cannot afford many missteps, because the MSM and the Democrats will call her on them. Like I said, I feel she is doing pretty well, so far, and has really conducted herself, almost pristinely, since her resignation…but she still has many hurdles to jump and many steps to climb before the nation, would consider her for President. BUT, if she can accomplish all of those tasks…I think she could be the next President.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:22 pm
85 – oh yeah…and obviously keep studying the issues of the day. I think she does do that but it is still a valid suggestion that I would recommend to any candidate.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:23 pm
Mr. Zeeks, I do not pretend to be more objective than anybody else. The fact is that Mr. Romney does deserve credit for the victory and other elements in the party also deserve some credit. Shhhhh, there are other elements in the party (neither Pro nor anti-Romney) that are trying to take credit, but for today I am among those who is excited that Mr. Brown won. I for one am in the best mood that I have been in for months, so I do not begrude others celebrating. And speaking of celebrating, others are celebrating as well.
I am not in the business of picking up hitch-hikers, but on my way home from a meeting last night, I was listening to short wave radio from Boston in my vehicle. I saw a clean cut young man (University student) walking home, so I open the window and offered him a ride home. When he got into the vehicle, I told him that Mr. Brown was about to give his victory speech. I kid you not, the young gentleman let out a loud scream of excitement. He did not even have an MA accent. So in short, the whole country is celebrating. Even if Mr. Brown had lost, America would still be the best country in the world, but now we can even be more proud of our country. I am keeping my fingers crossed that we may have turned the corner and we are coming away from flirting with socialism and we are on our way back to capitalism.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:25 pm
Well said Ohio.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:37 pm
Thanks, good to see you Jersey. BTW, I think your Governor in NJ is off to a good start.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
I skipped most of the arguing in this thread. I just wanted to say to jersey that if Palin won the nomination, I am sure that he and his team would her out 100%, just like they did for McCain.
Texasconserv, it was good to see you post again, I’ve missed reading your comments.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
89 – Thanks, yeah I’m pretty excited Ohio. It’s like the air is different now…
January 20th, 2010 at 12:54 pm
I am glad that you have a difference in the air Jersey. My wife and I got going to sign nomination paper for Mr. Portman and other statewide candidates for our county BOE so I am hoping we get better air in Ohio as well.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:56 pm
90 – Dan, I wasn’t arguing…I was discussing. You left out a very important word in your comment…I must assume it is “help” her out? And I assume you’re talking about Romney and his team? If we’re on the same page then I totally agree with you. He has set up some great organization and like I said before, I think he found his niche’…I’m not trying to say anything bad about him but I think he might be better at campaigning for others than he is at campaigning for himself…all in all a good guy to have on our Repuublican team…no matter who the nominee is. BUT, I actually think Romney will probably be the nominee. I hope it’s Palin but as of now I’d say the safe bet is Romney.
January 20th, 2010 at 12:57 pm
Ohio, it’s cool to see you’re so personally involved on a local level. I tend to like to bitch and moan about it in my rantings.
January 20th, 2010 at 1:23 pm
A glorious day after for ALL of our phenomenal Republican candidates!
January 20th, 2010 at 1:56 pm
Congrats Scott Brown!
You rock Romney!
Romney 2012!!!
January 20th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
Reply to 87 Ohio Joe. For one day only, I am naming you an Honorary Romneyite. You can go back to Palin tomorrow (and bash Romney), but today we celebrate the Brown – Romney victory!
January 20th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
97. Yes! Kaboom!
January 20th, 2010 at 2:23 pm
“Reply to 87 Ohio Joe. For one day only, I am naming you an Honorary Romneyite.” Oh darn, haha, I hope my fellow Palinites do not throw me under the bus. Anyway, thank you Thunder and congradulations to your camp for the role that they played.
January 20th, 2010 at 2:27 pm
As I said in another Thread, its Romney 3, Obama 0 (NJ, Virgina, and now MA). The silent hand of Romney.
January 20th, 2010 at 2:40 pm
“its Romney 3, Obama 0″ Fine, I won’t get into a contest per se, but it is also GOP 3, Dems (Obama) 0.
January 20th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Absolutely! But their is no dening that Romney is a force in the Party even if he doesn’t get all the recognition. But there are others who get the credit also, its not a one man show. But I do have to crow a bit, especially after yesterday where we had a truce on the Romney/Brown connection.
January 20th, 2010 at 2:54 pm
Fair enough Thunder, your candidate is a force in our party. Shhhhhh, one can say Romney 3 Obama o or Tea Party 3 Obama O, but it is not correct to say RINOs 3 Obama 0.
January 20th, 2010 at 2:58 pm
Haha, I love the picture at http://mittromneycentral.com/2010/01/20/mitt-romney-continues-his-golden-streak/ Mitt 3, Obama 0
January 20th, 2010 at 3:02 pm
#31,are you a democrate? if so why you are shaking now; how you can say that Mr.NObama is moderate and better than Mitt.we can’t compare Obama experience with Mitt,just look at what happened to Obama girl there,educated boy.
#42,friend,just look at Ma is your blue state,now change to half red and it will continue change all over the country in November and even in 2012,so the American people will be better off than today,please open your mind and prepare for the change America need,is not for the change America never known the Obama goal that do not fit America’s life style.
Mitt is the right leader for the right country,the right man for the right job,and he is the hope of America dream in 2012.
January 20th, 2010 at 3:03 pm
There is plenty of room for credit, and I agree with you.
However, I am not really sure what is the Tea Party. I certainly agree with large parts of it, but when they invited Palin to speak at their event and no one else, I began to wonder who is considered part of the Tea Party?
January 20th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
105 – I have been on this site for almost 2 years. I have voted Republican my entire voting life. Go back and reread all of my comments on this thread and maybe you will understand what I am talking about…or don’t…whatever…
January 20th, 2010 at 3:13 pm
105 – the funny thing is I said none of the things you accuse me of…my point was totally missed by you but go ahead…whatever…again…I’m done now.
January 20th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
If there is any doubt about the impact the Romney campaign team had on this election, re-watch the acceptance speech about the time Scott suggests naughtily that his daughters are available. In one of the first really unscripted, un-prepped moments of the campaign, Scott begins freestyle riff on accomplishing the rest of his bucket list, like getting his daughters married off. He certainly knew this was a little on the naughty side. Look at the look on his face. He knows his daughters are blushing and his wife is cringing. But he can’t let it go. He’s had his tie on straight for 6 months and it is time to let loose a bit. So he goes on to clarify that Ariana isn’t really available, but he wasn’t kidding about Ayla, the daughter who is obviously his kindred spirit. (Watch her body language during the whole speech.)
To this point in the campaign, the team had kept Brown virtually error free. Imagine that this had happened 3 weeks earlier. All of a sudden, Coakley can demolish the carefully crafted image of Mr. everyguy, wholesome, dad and family guy. Give Coakley 2 days to get an ad up targeting him as a sexist pig who objectifies women – IN MASSACHUSETTS! I guarantee you the wheels would have come off. There would have been no favorable polls, no money bombs, no Mass Miracle.
Three cheers for the Eric, Pat, and the others not only for calling a perfect game, but also doing an impecable job of coaching.
January 20th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
I was Able to sneak into the Brown Party Yesterday and saw a GLOWING and VERY PRESIDENTIAL and VERY Reaganesque looking Former Governor of Massachusetts. He, his personal staff and 2008 campaign team had SOMEHOW managed to garner ALL OF THE BETTER SEATS. I WONDER WHY? None the less, I managed to say my hellos to the Senator elect and FORMER GOVERNOR. I asked The Former Governor if he had any future plans. He SMILED and WINKED
February 3rd, 2010 at 5:55 am
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