According to focus groups conducted by pollster Peter Hart, an engaging personality and supreme likability among the candidates is fueling Herman Cain’s rise in the polls. However, Cain may have a problem translating his personal appeal into victory:
Pollster Peter Hart moderated the discussion, the first in a series of 2012 focus groups he will conduct for the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Like any focus group, this one did not represent a scientific sample of the electorate. But in the context of recent polls, the participants brought into sharper relief the reasons that Cain has surged, and the obstacles that remain.
Moving at a rapid pace, Hart coaxed from the group of Republicans, Democrats and independents their feelings about the state of the country (gloomy), their view of Washington (totally negative), their assessment of President Obama (generally disappointed, even among most of those who backed him) and what they are looking for in 2012.
What was most striking was the genuine interest expressed in Cain and his candidacy. Time and again he rose to the top of the conversation about the Republican candidates. He was described in far more positive terms than either Perry or Romney. When Hart asked the group who intrigued them most right now, no one came close to Cain in the number of mentions.
Confirming Gallup polls, Cain was viewed as the most likable of the candidates, a people person, a hard-working businessman, a potential problem-solver and someone who many said would be a good neighbor. “He’s Main Street,” said Becky Leighty, a Republican. “He’s not Wall Street, and he’s not a politician.”
At one point, Hart asked the participants to think back to fifth grade and the types of students they had encountered. From a list that included descriptions such as “teacher’s pet,” “loner,” “hard worker,” “nerd” and “know it all,” Hart asked them to write down which most applied to Cain, to Romney, to Perry and to Obama.
The majority described Cain as the classmate who was the “hard worker,” with others saying he was the “all-American kid” or “the kid everyone respects.”
~snip~
Toward the end of the evening, Hart sat down at the table and braced the group with perhaps the most telling question of the night for Cain’s candidacy. “Here’s what I don’t get,” he began. He noted that Cain had been described as down to Earth and a good neighbor, but he also recalled how the group had described the country as being in terrible shape and noted that Cain is running a campaign with little staff or infrastructure.
“Do you think this person could be president of the United States?” he asked. “Is anybody willing to raise your hand and say, ‘I would be comfortable if he became the next president of the United States?’?”
Not a hand went up. Two people said they would want to know who Cain’s vice presidential running mate would be. Four said they would feel as comfortable with Cain as with Obama, but they were all Republicans eager to see an end to the Obama presidency.
For all the good impressions Cain has made, he still must cross a threshold in the minds of rank-and-file Republicans — and, if he were to become the nominee, in the minds of the many undecided independents.
Be sure to read the rest of the article, which includes the conclusions of focus groups regarding Mitt Romney and Rick Perry.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:05 am
I said it in the last post; Herman Cain and the other “not Romney” clowns are destroying the Republican party. This crap needs to stop. As was stated on Lawrence O’Donnell, NONE of these morons are serious about being President.
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/lawrence-odonnell-mocks-herman-cain-do-not-speak-unless-spoken-to-rule/
Donald Trump flirted with it to get ratings, Sarah Palin flirted with it to sell books, Rick Perry was PUSHED into running to defeat the Mormon, Ron Paul is simply pushing Libertarianism, and now Herman Cain is trying to sell his own book.
NONE OF THESE PEOPLE EVER HAD ANY INTENTION OF BEING PRESIDENT. Seriously, you RomNots need to stop, you’re destroying the party and our credibility. There’s been only one guy up there who has been serious about not only running for President, but actually doing the job once he got there, and that’s Mitt Romney.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:11 am
My wife told me the same thing this morning after she watched Cain’s latest couple of “ads”. She rarely follows politics, and I was surprised to hear her comment on it. Even she admitted, “What is up with Herman Cain? He’s a joke. What is wrong with people that rally around him?”
I like to hear from people who are not “plugged-in” to politics like we are. They provide a clear, unbiased voice of reason about the candidates. When THEY are the ones calling these people “jokes”, you have to take them seriously because -they- are the ones who decide elections.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:19 am
CF,
I agree with your premise but do you think Newt is all about selling Calista’s videos? I tend to think of him as more serious but then I read that he only makes appearances where he can promote his products and I am not so sure.
Maybe Huntsman is serious about it and Santorum. I don’t see an ulterior motive for either of them but I truly do not think Herman Cain really wants to be President and has a plan for what’d he’d do once seated behind The Resolute Desk. Same goes for the others you mention.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:21 am
The Tea Party started out as a great thing and it did a lot of good for a while, but it’s time for you people still on the wagon to get off. I did that months ago when I realized the Tea Party train had run well past the station of common sense and sanity.
You’ve been hoodwinked by some of these people running and representing the movement. When you start looking behind the curtains and identifying the reasons why these candidates are running, you see its about the $$$ and power. They are charlatans, riding on the backs of a legitimate movement to pump themselves up.
Even Bachmann’s campaign is starting to stink
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20126929-503544/tea-party-activist-ned-ryun-wants-michele-bachmann-to-drop-out/
October 28th, 2011 at 11:24 am
3
I don’t know about Gingrich, Huntsman, and Santorum. On the surface they do seem sincere, but then again, we haven’t seen them taken seriously yet or get “top-tier” treatment. Didn’t we say the same about Cain before he became top tier? “Oh he’s such an honest, funny man”.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:30 am
Ron Brownstein’s article in The National Journal on the Two Campaigns explains the vectors operative in the race. Polling data suggest that about half of the Party identifies with the Tea Party, while half don’t. Romney’s rise in the latter half has taken him from 16% support in the group in late August to 35% support in mid-October, with each successive poll showing greater coalescence.
It’s the tea party half that’s been super volatile. For the moment, they’re predominantly in the Cain camp, but this group is looking for a True Believer, and Cain’s gaffes will produce cognitive dissonance….which is death in this demographic.
As an official in one of the Tea Party groups indicated, tea partiers are about policy….they could care less about winning elections. Romney’s a pragmatist, and tea party members don’t trust pragmatists.
Based on Brownstein’s data, I predict that the non-Tea Party half will continue to coalesce behind Romney, while the Tea Party half will split into various factions, leaving the nomination for Mitt.
BTW, Romney is currently running 2nd AMONG the tea part half.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:34 am
I use my wife to gauge these kinds of things as well. She doesn’t follow politics at all (she studies like 14 hours a day), so I can show her clips of politicians knowing that she has never heard of or seen the candidate before.
When she first saw Herman Cain, she used words to describe him that are similar to those used by the focus groups: smart, likable, friendly, genuine, managerial, etc… So IMHO, there really is something to the idea that Cain’s personality is driving his rise. People just flat-out like him.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:38 am
7
It’s usually those kind of people that get quickly swayed though. My wife thought the same thing of Cain when she first heard him in a debate. Then she saw his ads and did a 180.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:41 am
So is the take away from this that the polls are still just popularity polls and not a serious look at how people will vote?
October 28th, 2011 at 11:44 am
Did you see the 5th-grade description the focus group used for Perry?
October 28th, 2011 at 11:45 am
So he’s a curiosity. well we knew that. The problem isn’t that people are intrigued by him, or curious about him, or anything like that.
The problem is that so many people are willing to throw their support behind a candidate so blatantly unprepared and unqualified to be President as Cain.
October 28th, 2011 at 11:45 am
#9,
Perhaps…
October 28th, 2011 at 11:54 am
I read the article.
Romney has come a long way toward becoming more himself this time around.
But he has a ways to go. I read that as people think he is snooty. He might well be snooty. But I think he is also a nice guy. When you are that good looking, you get hangers on. Sometimes you have to be a little stuck up just to survive.
I would like to see some of those good neighbor stories and some of his impulses to help others, like when that daughter of a friend was missing and he had the whole company stop working and look for her.
Or when he got a call from a stranger on Christmas Day, because he was running for office and she got his number somehow… but anyway she didn’t have wood for her fire place and no heat and was cold. Apparently, he took his sons, and lots of wood from his own wood pile and drove like 2 hours, built her a fire and stacked her a wood pile. He spent half of Christmas day making a total stranger warm.
There are tons of good neighbor stories about Mitt. Maybe the fact that I have heard them, makes me like him more.
Maybe those parts of his life are what is missing from his campaign.
Okay…. Romney Campaign… I’m trying to help you here…. re-introduce Romney… the good neighbor to the American public!!!!
We know he is smart, now show us he is also kind!
October 28th, 2011 at 12:04 pm
1. CF, there’s not need to call the other candidates names. How do you expect others to treat our candidate with respect if you won’t do the same for theirs. We can express our differences and disagreements without throwing around names like, “clown” and “moron”.
Secondly, they’re not doing any damage, imo.
Perry, Cain, and Newt are all causing a good and valuable discussion. AND, they’re making it impossible for the anti-Romney crowd to coalesce behind one candidate.
AND, last year at this time the national polls showed:
Rudy 28
Fred 18
McCain 14
Mitt 11
So, everything is still fluid.
Relax. Mitt’s doing all the right things with the organization and endorsements and message.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:05 pm
1. The “don’t talk to Cain” claim has not been verified, as far as I know.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
Where other people see snooty and stiff I have seen old fashioned – Ward Cleaver type of personality. I see my dad – who is kind of a non-exciting but still likeable guy. He isn’t really a go to the bar and enjoy a night on the town kind of personality ( I leave that to Clinton & Obama ). The shifting of society towards the night club livin’ & instant media we look for eye candy and not a whole lot of depth. I’d prefer to take depth as we, as a country, have fallen into a whole lot of trouble and we need somebody that doesn’t just want to talk about the problems over a beer.
So people have a hard time warming to him regardless of his clean cut lifestyle & intelligence. I personally appreciate what he’s done with his life, between family, business, & politics. Some others see that as “too perfect” but at one point in time we all appreciated the image of the Ward Cleavers, the Charles Ingals, & Mike Bradys. Now society wants to look at them as old fuddy duddies – but that doesn’t detract from the fact that they were upstanding people that were used as examples of fatherhood/leadership.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:08 pm
4. I don’t think you can generalize the Tea Party like that (or in any way). It’s not a single, cohesive group. There are no real leaders. There’s no formal agenda.
The crazy extreme nature of the TP is mostly vaunted up by the media and, imo, does not represent the majority of those who claim to be affiliated with them.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:12 pm
13. My neighbor used to babysit for Mitt and said he’s one of the nicest and friendliest guys she’s ever met.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:13 pm
petunia –
some examples of “likeable”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNJZrJVDpbY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wv7HoPpKthI&feature=related
October 28th, 2011 at 12:14 pm
I honestly think that if Romney were the clear front-runner right now people would start getting “Romney Fatigue” and there’d be no passion come voting day.
By keeping it a horse race, Mitt can keep (or create for the first time) enthusiasm just before the primaries and then build it with successive contents toward ultimate victory.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:16 pm
Rush alert: He is now trying to diminish the importance of debates in the case of Perry. What a fool!!!
October 28th, 2011 at 12:17 pm
If you’re not articulate in a particular format, get out of it. – Rush Limbaugh
How about you’re not articulate period. No reason to try and find reasons to vote for a candidate other than Rush has anointed them as “conservative”.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
4 – You are correct. Conservative media, little politicians who want to be big, religious right…they all lined up for a share of crumpets at the tea party and now there is no more. The tea is souring and getting cold. I dare them to go third party, please do it. They need cover for the way they’re treating Romney right now.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:27 pm
Take Cain, take Bachmann, take anyone else you want to label “conservative” and have Rush run the campaign. Hooray for the tea party.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:33 pm
Craig for Losers hardest hit.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Yeah Romney is likeable…..likeable to Conservatives….really he is. I loved it when he ran away from Reagan in his 1994 Senate race.
Yeah that gets my heart all warmed up.
Everytime he defends Romneycare it gets my heart all a flutter.
Mitt gets my heart pumping when he trys to conncect with e when discussing his life long love of hunting.
Yeah Mitt is likeable….like Tofu.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:34 pm
Question: I think I have heard that people vote with their emotion. If this is so, then Cain has a good chance of winning the emotional vote. The people in this focus group were asked a logical question, and Cain is not the logical choice. What do you all think?
Another thing, not necessarily having to do with this topic. The Tea Partiers and other groups are calling Mitt the mainstream choice. He wasn’t until the mainstream had exhausted ALL other opportunities. And, besides, I would consider FoxNews, Rush Limbaugh, and other talking heads part of that mainstream, establishment Republican sector. They are definitively NOT for Mitt Romney. (They cry, why let the MSM choose our candidate… vote for *my* guy. My answer is, “why should I let you chose my candidate?”)
October 28th, 2011 at 12:41 pm
23, I’d almost be willing to lose this election by virtue of tea party going third party, because the tea party is now nothing more than unreasonable social conservatives, aging, dying, and unpopular, trying, videogame boss style, to assert themselves with one last, loud gasp.
If them going third party cost us an election, but delivered us a party free from religious zealots, bigots with megaphones, and islamophobes, I could get behind it.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
Jon Huntsman calls Romney a “perfectly lubricated weathervane”.
Beautiful!
October 28th, 2011 at 12:42 pm
CF,
I may wrong here but it sounds like you want to rid the GOP party of anyone that doesn’t think like or support Romney. This is a political party, not country club. I’m glad we have such diversity of ideas in our party. And I’m glad we are having a primary and seeing such a diverse field of candidates. I keep repeating this over over here, but, I want to hear them all out and let the primary process take its course. I may wrong this too, but, it feels like or some on this site want to hand Romney the nomination on a silver platter without going thru the primary process.
I, myself, welcome tea partiers, conservatives, moderates, libertarians, evangelicals, and any and every group that wants to join the GOP. I think each group has an important and (some) influential voice in our party that must be heard. Each group can have an influence, and some may be more influental than others but the trick is not to let one group hi-jack the party the way those damn liberals have hi-jacked the democratic party.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Candidates not seriously wanting to be President(i.e., too cold):
* Newt
* Bachmann
* Cain
* Johnson
Candidates who want to be President too badly (i.e., too hot):
* Mitt
Candidates who want to be President just enough (i.e., just right):
* Huntsman
* Santorum
* Paul
Non-serious candidates:
* Perry
October 28th, 2011 at 12:43 pm
Smack,
Tofu is good for you, and you can train yourself to like what’s good for you. Seriously, your problem with Mitt is tone, not substance.
Get over it.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
26. Now don’t get testy on me. The subject was brought up about his “plastic” image and how that made him unlikeable. It had nothing to do with his stances from 17 years ago.
That was my only purpose of my post re: imagery. Mitt is old fashioned – and personally I like that. Old school family life – old school business prowess, not song and dance “look at me” type of attention getting.
I know you don’t like his stances from 17 years ago. You also hate Romneycare now that Obamacare is in place. I get it – nothing is going to change that. Although, I’d be curious to know if you would have fallen out with the Herritage Foundation 6 years ago – or if you would have fallen in line with the “ultra consertative” think tank that they are at the time that they were back slapping Mitt during the signing.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
On Intrade — winning the Iowa Caucus
Romney — 34%
Cain — 24.5%
Perry — 20%
October 28th, 2011 at 12:45 pm
26. I like tofu. Mitt, not so much.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Conservative Gladiator and Booyeah,
Well, I’m not gonna repeat myself again. Just read my message (#30) to CF. I believe what I said to him can imply to you guys as well.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
Tone & Substance.
Tone, in that he has never fought on the frontlines of a Conservative cause…never.
Substance, The man’s record of Governor in MASS was nothing short of pure Rockefeller BS!
Gingrich/Blackburn 2012!
Conservative Leaders for a Conservative Nation!
October 28th, 2011 at 12:47 pm
“23, I’d almost be willing to lose this election by virtue of tea party going third party, because the tea party is now nothing more than unreasonable social conservatives, aging, dying, and unpopular, trying, videogame boss style, to assert themselves with one last, loud gasp.
If them going third party cost us an election, but delivered us a party free from religious zealots, bigots with megaphones, and islamophobes, I could get behind it.”
America already has one political party that kowtows to homosexuals, abortionists, and seculars. We sure as hell don’t need another one. You pick any 75% of the problems this country is facing, and I can make a strong case a good part of the cause can be taced back to social decay. SOMEONE has to stand for traditional values, traditional families, and the things that actually made this country strong…rather than, you know, a bunch of people chasing physical gratification without consequence or responsibility
October 28th, 2011 at 12:49 pm
On Intrade — winning the New Hampshire primary
Romney — 83.5%
Paul — 5%
Huntsman — 5%
Cain – 3%
Perry – 2.2%
October 28th, 2011 at 12:50 pm
Come on smack and be nice. It isn’t like your boy Newt didn’t warm up to Pelosi and Hillary Clinton in the past few years, after he was warming up to healthcare mandates, global warming, and other liberal positions. What is it that they say about glass houses?
I think team Romney feels like he is a known commodity and therefore, he doesn’t have to run ads about himself to the general public. But I disagree. He needs to get out there and run a few radio and TV spots about himself and his record, what he believes in, etc. If he has the money I know he does (including his own wealth)- he ought to start using it and reminding the voters who Mitt Romney is.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
Firecracker- Please more
for Craig. And can you throw some out there with sunglasses.
Remember people
:):):):):):):):):):):)
Iowa + New Hampshire + South Carolina = Florida = GOP nomination…
That was for you Craig for losers.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
However they want to gratify themselves, or who they choose to marry, or how they like to worship has NOTHING to do with me. NOTHING.
And ozzy, it’s not about Romney. If they were ditching Romney for Daniels, Ryan, Jeb, Newt, Christie…I could understand that.
But these Cain polls just show that this isn’t a serious party at the moment, and that they’re beholden to cultural cues. Who is like me? Who do I like? Who is a regular person? Who hates homosexuality as much as me? Who is as Christian as me?
I want those people out of the party. That’s the only way we’re EVER going to be able to ultimately expand it to include the young, the educated, and minorities. In short, ditching SoCons is the ONLY way to survive.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:52 pm
October 28th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
similar to the weathervane comment….
With finger in the air, Romney isn’t showing he’s No. 1:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/ct-met-kass-1027-20111027,0,2605315,full.column
“The gut feeling about Romney is that he’ll say what he needs to say to gain favor, that there is no central philosophical core to the man.”
October 28th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
October 28th, 2011 at 12:53 pm
On Intrade — winning the South Carolina primary
Romney — 40.5%
Perry – 35%
Cain – 14%
October 28th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
Ryan,
Romney wants to be President so he can get to work to fix what’s wrong with America. Making things better is what his whole life has been about. He’s not in it for gain. He didn’t take any salary as Governor, and when he ran the Olympics, he not only didn’t benefit from it, he donated $1 Million to them. When he finally received his not inconsiderable inheritance, he donated it to charity. And he will donate his salary as President to deficit reduction.
What you characterize as wanting the Presidency too much I would characterize as being SERIOUS about running for President. That’s something I demand from anyone I support for ANY office.
BTW, Huntsman, Santorum, and Paul, collectively, will wind up with less than 10% of the vote, and most of THAT will be for Paul.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:54 pm
I don’t know how to do sunglasses.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Smack –
I’m about a week out from paying no attention to Huntsman in anything he has to say. He is the spoiled brat that lost the game at his house and now he is lashing out at the one that beat him. And according to most (if not all) polls out there I’m not the only one that has tuned him out.
October 28th, 2011 at 12:55 pm
Firecracker 8 and then )
October 28th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
Ben – Husky,
If Mitt would look into the camera and tell the American people the truth about Romneycare then I would forgive. But Mitt thinks it’s still good policy for MASS.
Stupid.
My Fed tax dollars goes to help MASS pay for this monster. That is the truth.
Romneycare sucks Bullocks.
As for Newt, imperfect as he is, he led the fight for Contract of America in 1994 and implemented it when Romney was doing all he can to run away from it.
We need a imperfect Movement Conservative over a perfect Rockefeller any day.
NEWT 2012!!
October 28th, 2011 at 12:57 pm
On Intrade — winning the Florida primary
:-) 
Romney — 50%
Perry – 41.7%
Palin – 15% ?????????
Cain – 14%
October 28th, 2011 at 12:58 pm
On Intrade — winning the Nevada Caucus
8)
Romney — 75%
Perry – 13%
Paul– 7%
Cain – 5%
October 28th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
Iowa + New Hampshire + South Carolina + Florida + Nevada = GOP NOMINATION
New Hampshire + Florida + Nevada (still) = GOP NOMINATION!!!!
October 28th, 2011 at 1:01 pm
the rise of herman cain is the tea party. the same poeple who gave rise to bachman, and then perry, and now cain. they are not happy with mitt and are looking for a legitimate candidate that they like.
My prediction, the new anti mitt flavor of the month will be newt. we could see newt gain some real steam here in the future.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
I love you Smack in a way only a brother can do – even in your smoke & mirror promoting ways.
Has Newt yet said he was wrong to support a Mandate? Has he said why he thought it was right at the time?
How about his current stances on global warming curbing and couch sharing w/ Pelosi?
Pot meet Kettle!
October 28th, 2011 at 1:02 pm
36 – I appreciate your willingness to listen to all sides. My problem is that not all sides are being 100% truthful. I would ask anyone to point out anything slightly beyond the truth or fact that Romney’s campaign has put out there. If you want to count negatives go ahead. Contrast that with everyone else attacking the single candidate – Romney most importantly within our own party. Romney is an American capitalist conservative nothing more nothing less.
I would rather go down fighting honestly than to win through misrepresentations and spinning of the truth about one of my own. If you want to misrepresent the truth and spin and spin, then spin your way out and create another party that is okay with that. It’s time to weed out the conservatives who think they’re right regardless of what others think and to bludgeon you with it. We’re a free people damnit. You can only persuade. It doesn’t work any other way, look at what’s happening to liberalism under Obama. We have a chance to advance the conservative movement by speaking soft and carrying a big stick. The problem is that there are too many that want to scream and bitch and moan and flail unceasingly and want someone to lead them. Well there you go – Rush Limbaugh is ready to run your campaign with Cain, Perry, Bachmann, and Santorum all fighting for your vote.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:07 pm
42.Booyeah Says:
But these Cain polls just show that this isn’t a serious party at the moment, and that they’re beholden to cultural cues. Who is like me? Who do I like? Who is a regular person? Who hates homosexuality as much as me? Who is as Christian as me?
I want those people out of the party. That’s the only way we’re EVER going to be able to ultimately expand it to include the young, the educated, and minorities. In short, ditching SoCons is the ONLY way to survive.
Let me see if I got this straight. You want to expand the party by decreasing it. And everyone in the party is old, uneducated, white people? Yeah you’re right, old, dumb white folks like Bobby Jindal, Alan West, Nikki Haley, Brian Sandoval, Eric Cantor, Marco Rubio & Herman Cain to name a few are killing the party. IMO, the differences of opinion in the party between conservatives and moderates in our party is a healthy thing. We can expand the party by getting our message out more to the young, and minorities. And by combatting the lies the dems say about us. We can grow without excluding anyone. To do so, makes us democrats not republicans.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
Romney’s not the guy you would call to come over for the late-night drinking party, but he’s the kind of guy you’d call to pick you up when it’s all over at 3:00 AM.
That’s the kind of guy I want as President.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:08 pm
37
You’ll have to back THAT claim up with specifics. He was a remarkably conservative governor of a very liberal state.
Check out his score card on Fundamental Issue in MassDems’ Party Platform:
http://www.ontheissues.org/MA-Gov/Mitt_Romney.htm
Out of TWENTY-TWO issues deemed fundamental to the Democrat party, Romney was AGAINST TWENTY-ONE of them.
His Democrat score? F
So, if you’re going to spout some claim that he was a liberal governor, you’re going to need to back that up.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:09 pm
Smack1968: We’ve been over this before. Ya’ll don’t like him because of RomneyCare. So, he should say that it was a bad idea and should never have been done. Then ya’ll won’t like him because he’s a “flip-flopper” and a “goes with the wind” kind of guy. Frankly, the ideas that Romney setup, using the Heritage Foundation for reference, are great, conservative ideas. The items he vetoed were not conservative, but liberal, were implemented because his veto was overturned.
But you will not be convinced, so I don’t know why I bothered.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
Smackdaddy calls out to all Mainstream Conservatives,
The energy and success of the Arab Spring is being hijacked by the Islamist in the Middle East.
The energy and success of the Tea Party is being hijacked by the ROMBOT Rockefellers in the GOP party.
We conservatives must band together and unite behind one candidate who can go toe-to-toe with the perfect lubricated weathervane in our party debates.
That one man is the imperfect Movement Consevative, Newt Gingrich!!!!
October 28th, 2011 at 1:10 pm
40. He will. He’s saving his strength for the long race and the sprint at the end.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:14 pm
44
Yeah, that’s the chosen smear campaign that both the left and the far right have chosen to spread like manure everywhere.
But, the facts don’t bear that out. It scares me, though, because a lot of people only casually following this will probably just accept it as fact. I’m sure that’s what they’re counting on. Tell a lie long enough and people will believe it.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:19 pm
Keith Price,
It happens to be the truth. When I was fighting for conservtive causes in 1988….I find myself yelling at the TV in 1994 when Romney pissed all over the era of Reagan in those debates with Kennedy.
In 2004 I watch the TV as Mitt signs this monster..this horrible Romneycare with Teddy slapping him on the back.
Romney has only acted in ways to gain favor….he has not fought the Conservative fight.
Romney has no poltical/philosophical core except what is good for Mitt is good for the nation BS!
October 28th, 2011 at 1:20 pm
51. MassCare TODAY has a lot of crap in it that wasn’t there when Mitt signed it. There were also several provisions that he vetoed but got overridden.
AND, it’s a GOVERNOR’S job to try to get as much federal money for his state as he can.
You take a look at ANY republican governor and you’ll see they take lots and lots of your tax dollars for various purposes — many of which I’m sure you wouldn’t agree with.
Mitt has said MassCare wasn’t and isn’t perfect, but it was a good first step for the state.
He has said it would be bad for the country and has promised to do whatever he can to get ObamaCare repealed.
Why let that one issue sour you on everything else that’s great about Romney?
October 28th, 2011 at 1:24 pm
Joe the Not-Plumber endorses Cain.
It’s hard being as right as me all the time.
We ARE the GOP! We are uneducated! We like flags! Yay God!
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1011/67080.html
October 28th, 2011 at 1:25 pm
“Why let that one issue sour you on everything else that’s great about Romney?” Ah, because it is an important issue.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:27 pm
65. I’ve objectively clarified Romney’s history but you are firm in your denial.
You have a point in Mitt’s 1994 rookie efforts. But, from his governor run and on, he’s been rock solid. And as has been pointed out, AT THE TIME the key elements of MassCare were being touted by the top conservative think tanks. Why you insist on screaming that it’s liberal is beyond me and beyond reason.
I’ve posted my replies in hopes you could see reason. Instead, I’ll just hope that others who may feel as you do but are not blinded by rage will see the truth, instead.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:28 pm
68. But that one issue is not what he claims it is. See 69.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:29 pm
65. You do know that the same Kennedy hand that was slapping his back had just finished shaking hands with all of the Herritage Foundation leadership – right?
Dirty double crosser!
October 28th, 2011 at 1:30 pm
64. If Romney is willing to say whatever he needs to say to get himself elected, why doesn’t he denounce his religion, why doesn’t he denounce MassCare?
The inconsistency and hypocrisy of his detractors is annoying at best.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:37 pm
72
The fact is that Romney’s been the most consistent candidate in this race and probably since he was Governor. He’s held firm on health care, foreign policy, immigration reform, and everything else in between. It’s Cain who changes his stance on abortion with each interview (a couple times per interview), and Perry who changes his mind on illegal immigration, gay marriage, and health care mandates at the drop of a hat.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:45 pm
“64. If Romney is willing to say whatever he needs to say to get himself elected, why doesn’t he denounce his religion, why doesn’t he denounce MassCare?” With regards to MAcare, you have a point. However, if you think that Mr. Romney can win point by changing his religion, I do not think you are seeing the picture correctly.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:48 pm
64.
“The gut feeling about Romney is that he’ll say what he needs to say to gain favor, that there is no central philosophical core to the man.
But, the facts don’t bear that out.”
Romney attempted to demonize Perry for his stance on Social Security shortly before and after the Florida debate. Was he pandering to the Florida retirees to gain favor, or does philosophically believe that SS should be maintained in its current form?
October 28th, 2011 at 1:51 pm
Romney = Consistency?
BBRRAAWWWAAAHHHHAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
In shift, Romney says the cause of climate change is unknown
By Andrew Restuccia – 10/28/11 02:11 PM ET
Republican White House hopeful Mitt Romney is trying to cement his status as a skeptic of man-made global warming after coming under fire from conservatives for saying that humans contribute to climate change.
During a fundraising event in Pittsburgh Thursday, Romney cast doubt on climate science, bringing his position on global warming closer to that of his rivals for the GOP nomination.
“My view is that we don’t know what’s causing climate change on this planet,” Romney said during a speech, a clip of which was posted by the liberal blog Think Progress. “And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us.”
A couple of months ago the ROMBOTS here were defending Romney for saying that Humans contributed to climate change…
….and now…….Mitt says he has no idea…
…
….hhehhehhhheheeeee.
The man has no core.
October 28th, 2011 at 1:55 pm
72. If someone told Mitt Romney that he would be guaranteed the White House if only he would become Presbyterian, you don’t think he would consider it? I’m sure he would be able to rationalize the decision somehow (after all they’re both Christian faiths, right? and such a small change — err, evolution — in philosophy would enable him to do such great things as President)
October 28th, 2011 at 1:59 pm
75
Interesting wording. You make it sound like it’s one or the other when in reality it’s neither.
Perry stated an extreme position on SS. He called it a Ponze Scheme and in his book he suggested it was unconstitutional and constituted slavery and hinted it should be abolished.
Romney stated that was too extreme and using words like Ponze Scheme is frightening to seniors.
He also stated clearly that we can’t keep SS the way it is. There needs to be significant changes. But, he announced his support of the intent of SS.
Can you point to any pandering there?
October 28th, 2011 at 2:03 pm
76. Come ON, Smack. Even you must admit there’s a difference between CAUSE and CONTRIBUTING.
Mitt clearly said he believes man CONTRIBUTES, but doesn’t know how much. He also said AT THAT TIME (not later as trying to back away from it), that he does not support creating regulations on US business to reduce CO2.
What he said in the article you posted does not conflict with that stance in the slightest.
He does not know what’s CAUSING it and believes man is contributing to it in some way. Is there any proof that man’s existence on earth has ZERO influence on climate?
Again, Smack, you’re grasping.
October 28th, 2011 at 2:04 pm
77. No. Good grief!
October 28th, 2011 at 2:10 pm
We humans have zero effect on climate change.
Mars ice has melted in the last 30 years on their poles and they have no humans.
Mars ice will come back…so will ours.
Mitt was playing nice with the liberals and now nice with us.
Mitt’s head must rest on a swivel.
October 28th, 2011 at 2:14 pm
79
Agreed. And Romney’s been absolutely firm on what matters most: NO FEDERAL DOLLARS SPENT TO CURB CO2.
October 28th, 2011 at 2:16 pm
Smack –
Again I will repeat – your bickering points over Romney are things that shoot holes in the new toy you are jumping ship for.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi6n_-wB154
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O94kBmpz5ns
I am starting to wonder if you weren’t being dragged behind the Mitt bus the last few weeks and if I shouldn’t just get you a spot on the trailer that is being drug behind.
October 28th, 2011 at 2:21 pm
81, if you’re so big on global warming denial and down on cap and trade laws……why do you support Newt?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qi6n_-wB154
October 28th, 2011 at 2:22 pm
81. That’s a very strongly stated OPINION. Got any irefutable facts to back it up?
October 28th, 2011 at 2:29 pm
[...] What's Behind the Rise of Herman Cain? | Race 4 2012 According to focus groups conducted by pollster Peter Hart, an engaging personality and supreme likability among the candidates is fueling Herman Cain's rise in. http://race42012.com/ — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:59:23 -0700 [...]
October 28th, 2011 at 2:34 pm
83# I now support Newt because even though he has many flaws, he has fought some major Conservative battles and have won. Mitt has fought for none.
84#. Well, I do not have a picture of Mitt’s head resting on a swivel?…no. But Mitt’s neck can not be resting on an ordinary neck…that neck would suffer severe backlash if it were.
…oh…were you talking about Cliimate Change?
The cycle of the Sun, the Earth, and the Solar System in which they rest in crush any effects that we humans might have on climate change without the other variables.
Enviroment we have effect on….I throw garbage on the street I have made my enviroment change. Climate change?……..nope.
But it does not surprise me that Rockfellers see this issue differently. The only difference between a Rockefeller and a liberal is that Rockefellers believe they can mangage Government better because they are business men…while Liberals believe thay can manage Government better because they believe in big Government.
NEWT 2012!!!
October 28th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Mitt on Thursday:
“My view is that we don’t know what’s causing climate change on this planet,” Romney said during a speech in Pittsburgh Thursday “And the idea of spending trillions and trillions of dollars to try to reduce CO2 emissions is not the right course for us.”
Mitt in June:
“It’s important for us to reduce our emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases that may be significant contributors,” I believe the world is getting warmer, and I believe that humans have contributed to that.”
Romney as Governor presided over plans to regulate carbon dioxide as a pollutant.
So Smackdaddy’s question is this, and has always been this:
Is it real, or is it a Romney?
October 28th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
“Perry stated an extreme position on SS” That is because SS is extreme.
October 28th, 2011 at 2:51 pm
Cain Underscores Romney’s Authenticity Gap
October 28, 2011 | 9:27 AM
October 28th, 2011 at 2:55 pm
87, you might want to include the rest of his June comments, where he says the government shouldn’t force such reductions using cap and trade…
October 28th, 2011 at 2:58 pm
88. Maybe. But, if you want to get elected, you can’t be trashing what most Americans have come to accept as their right — and their need.
So, you have to FIX it, not abolish it.
October 28th, 2011 at 3:19 pm
That’s the problem, though. The statement strikes Romney skeptics as another wide-open hedge. He says he’s against cap and trade, sure. But what about a carbon tax? What about non-revenue forms of taxation such as withheld leases and permits? What about a stricter regulatory framework?
All that stuff has the same effect: artificially constricting energy supply which will raise everyone’s household energy costs — and costs for practically everything else.
October 28th, 2011 at 3:24 pm
89 – Cain’s a wanna be politician no different from Romney. Cain’s recent gaffes are just as important to his credibility on issues as well as the question of whether he is an authentically competent candidate ready to be president. He like everyone else adds to the fake charge that Romney is anything more than an American capitalist conservative who happens to be a politician second. Challenge his authenticity all you want, the actions are there and that bears out the truth. He is no less authentic than any of the other muddy politician or wanna be politicians out there. Fling mud, throw stones all you want.
October 28th, 2011 at 4:25 pm
92
I think Mitt has been pretty clear that he wants to free US businesses from unnecessary burdens, even if he may not have listed every single one of them.
October 28th, 2011 at 4:56 pm
Smack #51,
I don’t come here too much and have even less time to comment but I thought you were a Romney guy now. We all waited with great anticipation after T-Paw fled to see who’d you’d be supporting after your week of mourning and I distinctly remember it was Mitt.
What happened? Have you flipped?
October 28th, 2011 at 5:08 pm
Keith Price, #64 in response to #44,
See, I don’t buy that line about “Mitt will say anything to get elected” because his biggest impediment to winning, according to many sources, is his religion. A man devoid of character who’ll say or do anything to win would do the politically expedient thing and simply renounce his religion. He’d simply convert to a benign faith like Methodist. We all know T-Paw was a Catholic but converted to Baptist and Newt was a Baptist but converted to Catholicism so there’s precedent for it. Mitt could easily do it and if he were as spineless as some allege, he simply renounce his faith and watch his poll numbers climb.
October 28th, 2011 at 6:07 pm
96. Or, he might do what Huntsman did and just say, “Yeah, but I don’t really attend.”
Just to be clear, my post in 64 is agreeing with your post in 96.
October 28th, 2011 at 10:05 pm
#49 Ben, I ‘m already there.
#59- That’s the kind of president I want too!
January 5th, 2012 at 7:52 am
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