The Boston Globe sat down with Scott Brown. Here are some highlights:
First, his comments on Mitt Romney:
“He’s changed, he’s changed. You know, he’s actually — before he was an outsider coming in and he was, you know, kind of, you know, stiff. But he’s actually, like, funny, he’s like — when he was at my events he was cracking jokes, when we were on the bus — I was like, who is this guy? He’s really kind of, I think, settled into his role kind of being the elder statesman of the party and everything he went through as president. It’s kind of, and once again it’s my opinion but he’s really a different guy than I knew when he was here, and I certainly appreciate everything he did for me. And it wasn’t a lot, he was just there as the initial — you know, ‘here’s a check, go get em!’ And that says a lot, you know, when I signed my contract with the team, you know — I worried about, how am I gonna pay for this? And he was one of the first guys that helped me towards that obligation. And I remember those people who took a chance.”
Three things come to mind. First, he is impressed by how much more relaxed and “cool” Mitt is now. Second, his acknowledgment of Mitt’s help. Third, look at all the “you knows”, “likes”, etc. When was the last time you saw such an unedited transcript from the Boston Globe for a Democrat? President Barack “Where’s my teleprompter” Obama is terrible at off-the-cuff remarks, yet the Globe duly cleans up for him. But Senator Elect Brown shouldn’t feel bad. It’s the same treatment or lack thereof that Sarah Palin gets, too. The upside is that it makes him seem all the more “real”.
Second, his response to the question if he had planned to use that “people’s seat” line:
“No, no. The trigger — I had said it before, in passing. Yeah, I had said it before, but I didn’t plan like, ‘OK, how can I work this in?’ But just when I was backstage speaking to him [David Gergen], he didn’t like really even know who I was. It was like, ‘Yeah, I’m here.’ ‘Yeah, OK, thanks Scott, good to meet you.’ I was kinda like, ‘I’m the nominee for the United States Senate!’ And then when he was like, I just felt that he was like, he didn’t know about me, he didn’t know a lot about the issues, and everyone, everyone always says, it’s the Kennedy seat, Kennedy seat, Kennedy seat, and I’m like it’s not, it’s not, it’s not. So that’s it, it just kind of came out. I had used it before but not at length. I didn’t say it much.”
So his most memorable quote was unplanned and essentially off the cuff. Not bad, not bad at all.
And finally, when asked about the friendly, non-partisan reception he has received so far (emphasis mine):
“Yeah, it’s refreshing. People have told me who are down there that there’s a whole new way of thinking now that people know that if they keep doing things like they are they’re vulnerable in the next election. And maybe that’s gonna make them say you know what? OK, we had the 60-40 thing — they’re almost relieved that there’s not the 60-40 thing anymore because now they can kinda just — they don’t have to all be 60 and all be 40 — now once in a while you can be 60, once in a while you can be 40, so it’s a little different.”
Obama may refuse to bow to political reality, but his fellow Democrats who are up for reelection this year are thinking hard about it.
January 29th, 2010 at 11:04 pm
I think, settled into his role kind of being the elder statesman of the party and everything he went through as president.
Is this interview from the future?
January 29th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Is this interview from the future?
January 29th, 2010 at 11:27 pm
@ #1: We can only hope!
January 29th, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Yeah I see a lot of ellipsing out the connecting part of those passages, that doesn’t sound like Brown, even at his most informal
January 30th, 2010 at 12:09 am
I think Brown meant “His run for President.”
January 30th, 2010 at 12:25 am
I really want to give Romney a chance…especially since i would guess huckabee isn’t running…and i doubt my man mitch is running either. Romney may be our best hope.
January 30th, 2010 at 12:43 am
Did I miss something about Huckabee not running?
January 30th, 2010 at 12:43 am
““No, no. The trigger — I had said it before, in passing. Yeah, I had said it before, but I didn’t plan like, ‘OK, how can I work this in?’ But just when I was backstage speaking to him [David Gergen], he didn’t like really even know who I was. It was like, ‘Yeah, I’m here.’ ‘Yeah, OK, thanks Scott, good to meet you.’ I was kinda like, ‘I’m the nominee for the United States Senate!’ And then when he was like, I just felt that he was like, he didn’t know about me, he didn’t know a lot about the issues, and everyone, everyone always says, it’s the Kennedy seat, Kennedy seat, Kennedy seat, and I’m like it’s not, it’s not, it’s not. So that’s it, it just kind of came out. I had used it before but not at length. I didn’t say it much.””
Look, I love the guy for taking Kennedy’s seat, but man, if I ever spoke this vapidly in public, I’d be ashamed of myself. “He was like”? I managed to purge that from my vernacular when I was 15. It’s embarrassing that a Senator-elect in his 40s speaks this way.
January 30th, 2010 at 1:12 am
Oh good grief he doesn’t talk like that, they just had Megan McCain editing the piece, no doubt.
January 30th, 2010 at 1:16 am
Man, a year and half, and you can’t recognize an attempted sandbagging by the Globe
January 30th, 2010 at 4:33 am
Apparently your not paying attention. All signs point to Huckabee staying at Fox. He loves his Show, he is doing well, and a large segment of the Republican Party will never accept him (at least for now) as the nominee. Huckabee has too many negatives from his past. From all the clemencies to the Religious attacks on the Mormon faith. Running as the “Christian Leader” and “Don’t Mormon’s believe Satan and Christ are brothers” remark has killed any hope he had from getting most LDS to ever vote for him under any circumstance. While LDS is not over whelming in any state (except Utah), they are enough to make the difference in Key states out west.
January 30th, 2010 at 10:25 am
David Shedlock:“Did I miss something about Huckabee not running?”
The biggest indication that he won’t is an interview he gave back in November where he said a 2012 run for him was “less than likely”. He said he really liked his Fox News gig.
This interview happened just hours before it came out that a man who killed four cops in Tacoma, WA was a man to whom he had granted clemency. Here’s one link of many.
Now Huckabee supporters claim he was just telling a “little white lie”. Me, I tend to take people at their word. Lies, no matter how small or what color they are, tend to come back and haunt you, especially when the camera is rolling.
January 30th, 2010 at 10:41 am
I don’t think that Huckabee supporters said that Huckabee was telling a little white lie. Because I am sure that Gov. Huckabee does not know yet if he is going to run. He is setting up a grassroots system to be ready for 2012.
1. If the economy is doing well and Obama’s poll numbers have rebounded, then Huckabee will probably decide not to run. Because yes, why give up the great Foxnews gig just to lose to Obama.
2. If the establishment and the moneymen of the party tell Huckabee that they will not support him and help in his efforts, then he will not run. Because as we knew the last time, the establishment blocked Huckabee in a concerted effort. So again, why give up a great Foxnews gig just to have the establishment work behind your back to pull the rug out from under you.
Huckabee is a very smart, savy politician. He can read the mood of the nation and see where things are going. Just like he read 2007 and saw an opening and got into the race.
If the economy still stinks, if the people are sick of the establishment in Washington and in their own home states, if his popularity amongst the voters continues to be positive and grows, and if the moneymen see that Huckabee can beat Obama, then Huckabee will be a yes.
Huckabee is probably one of the few 2012 prospects who is actually being honest about it. He really does not know if he is going to run. You can call that a little white lie but his supporters see it as commonsense.
January 30th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Back to the main point, that doesn’t anything like Brown, which you would realize if attention were being paid. Huckabee is culpable but Gregoire is more so, I think is showing up as collateral damage
with Patty Murray’s poll ratings. She’s the media approved mom in tennis shoes, with brilliant rejoinders like all the schools Osama was building
January 30th, 2010 at 12:46 pm
Scott Brown made clear in the interview that Romney played a minor role in his campaign.
Pretty much just wrote a check, which is Mittens’ specialty.
January 30th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
15,
He meant, “PHYSICALLY” (meaning, what Brown SAW). His 2008 Presidential Campaign Staff/Supporters/Ward Leaders are a DIFFERENT STORY. They (WE) were very much involved.
Sorry, NO LINKS, you’ll just have to take my word on it
I’ve always liked Charles Krauthhammer. He seems to have a great feel for the way things REALLY ARE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdVEWqXxAo4&feature=player_embedded
January 30th, 2010 at 2:33 pm
15. 16. I think Scott Brown has to walk a fine line in how much he quantifies Mitt’s help. If he makes it sound like he couldn’t have been elected without the role Mitt played, it could begin to reflect poorly on Scott and his own capabilities.
January 30th, 2010 at 4:08 pm
Scott Brown and Bob McDonnell to endorse Mitt in the 2012 primary?