Published: Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2009
The following editorial was published recently by the Boston Globe:
(And believe it or not, it’s pretty good! haha)
Mitt Romney isn’t openly running for president yet, but he’s clearly focused like a laser on 2012. And seldom has a noncandidate done so well by doing so little. That’s mostly because an astonishing number of his putative 2012 rivals have obliged Romney by systematically stumbling.
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal’s stock sank like a stone after his amateurish, underwhelming response to President Barack Obama’s February address to Congress. Sarah Palin’s decision to resign as governor of Alaska has only exacerbated doubts about her abilities. South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford and Nevada Sen. John Ensign have been badly embarrassed by soap opera affairs, which have made a mockery of their pious public pronouncements.
By contrast, the polished Romney, who is the very picture of a devoted husband, has gotten taller just by keeping his head relatively low. But something equally important seems to be happening inside his camp. According to Sasha Issenberg’s story in the Boston Globe Magazine, Romney’s team has come to think that the former venture capitalist and governor’s best route to the White House will come by stressing economic and fiscal issues and managerial competence rather than by pushing conservative social and cultural hot buttons.
That makes good sense. And yet, close political observers can be forgiven for thinking that this epiphany has come rather late. After all, Romney spent much of the 2008 campaign cycle pandering to the right wing on issues like gay marriage, immigration, and guns, let alone fear of, gulp, Massachusetts. And who can forget his effort to portray himself as the voice of the “Republican wing of the Republican Party” — and to cast rival John McCain as outside the conservative mainstream? Meanwhile, it’s hard to recall a sillier speech in the entire last cycle than the one Romney gave to the Conservative Political Action Conference. There, Romney told conservative activists that he was ending his campaign because a protracted primary race might hurt the GOP’s fall prospects and thus make him complicit in “aiding a surrender to terror.”
Still, if there’s to be yet another new Romney, we hope the 2012 campaign model will be closer to the man we briefly knew as governor than to the candidate who played such an aggressive game of panderama last time out. Which is to say, Romney should adopt the counsel Polonius would undoubtedly have given had he been a political consultant rather than a royal counselor: To thine own strengths be true.
Please consider joining our Moms4Mitt group over at SmartGirlPolitics.com
Another group for a former Presidential Candidate (who will remain unnamed on this site) has doubled in size in a short time! We need to show support for Governor Romney! Thanks!
Romney Leads Anti-EFCA Charge, Spurs Presidential Discussion
April 13, 2009 at 02:20 PM
Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney hosted a conference call with the Workforce Fairness Institute on Monday in an attempt to drum up opposition to the Employee Free Choice Act. Ideologically, it was an obvious position for the 2008 Republican presidential candidate to take. Politically, lending his voice to a cause dear to the conservative movement’s heart will undoubtedly spur additional speculation that Romney is gearing up for another run at the Oval Office in 2012.
The former governor has been building the institutional base within the Republican Party that he lacked during the ‘08 primary. While not in elected office, he has lent his voice to various other candidates and committees, either through speeches or fundraising. His appearance at the CPAC convention was one of the most widely attended and crested with him winning the conservative group’s informal presidential straw poll for the third year in a row. One highly respected Republican strategist said he was incredibly impressed with the path Romney was taking. “He’s building relationships and staying relevant,” said the strategist, who added that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin would be well suited to follow such an example.
“This is not just a matter of ‘oh, let’s help the working folks,’” he declared during Monday’s conference call. “That’s not what this is. This is a matter of: ‘let’s get the money for the unions.’ This is really targeted at small business as well as big business. Take something like Wal-Mart, 1.4 million U.S employees at Wal-Mart. If unions were able to get, you know, $400 in union dues annually from each one of those folks, you are talking a half a billion dollars in revenues to unions. And a hundred million dollars would go into elections in this country, their favorite politicians. This is about money and about politics and it is sacrificing the rights and freedoms of the American worker to be able to get big bucks for the unions bosses.”
Mitt Romney is an innovator! He brings new, WINNING concepts to the table at every opportunity - in business and the Olympics and now elections!
I had the chance to participate in his ingenious concepts during the last election cycle. As the Chairman of the Republican Governor’s Association, Mitt Romney implemented the Volunteer Deployment Team. Folks volunteered from all over the country to go to five key states to campaign on behalf of the Republican gubernatorial candidate. We were flown to our destination with airfare, travel and per diem paid by the RGA. It was an awesome opportunity! I took one of my children with me and she was cared for by church members in the area I worked in. Even as a mother, Mitt gave me the chance to make a difference!
Here is a piece from Fox News about Mitt Romney’s latest innovation:
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
WASHINGTON —
Imagine getting a summer job with Mitt Romney’s 2008 presidential campaign and getting 10 percent of the money that comes in. Sound crazy? It may be, but it’s an offer now on the table for college students.
The Romney campaign is piloting the first-of-its-kind program around the country in which students are given a percentage commission of any funds they raise for the former Massachusetts governor in his bid for the White House.
Spokeswoman Carolyn Weyforth said nothing like this has ever been attempted. She sent out an e-mail to college students followed by a link to a sign-up page.
“Imagine getting a summer job with the campaign and getting 10% of the money that comes in! - Sounds CRAZY?! -… we bring you innovation #323 … Students for Mitt. It goes something like this: If you are currently a student and want to earn from cash … spend your summer touting Mitt Romney instead of selling Pesticide. For everything to raise over $1000 you will get 10% back! So if you raise $50,000 you get $5000 back. If you raise $100,000 you get $10,000 back! That’s serious money for a college student and for a great cause! Legal has vetted this,” the e-mail reads.
The students are then given the Web site address to sign up.
Romney has already demonstrated success in fundraising. On the day he announced he was forming an exploratory committee in January, he launched a marathon fundraising effort that raised $6.5 million in 24 hours.
Last week, Romney said he’s been very pleased with the fundraising pace since then. His campaign raised about $1.4 million over the Internet in its first month, and he has had about 20 fundraising events scheduled in the month of March.
Romney is running a distant third in the GOP nominating race, but keeping his name on people’s lips. That puts him in the top tier with candidates John McCain and Rudy Giuliani.
First quarter fundraising figures for all the presidential candidates are due on March 31.
If you know a student who might be interested in this awesome opportunity, My Man Mitt has provided easy access information on how to get started:
Students For Mitt
A unique Mitt Romney for President website. Here on M4M you can follow and share day to day progress on Mitt Romney's run for the White House as well as get to know other MOMS who support Mitt Romney! By sharing this unique network of Mothers, we feel that we will make a major impact on Mitt's campaign - right from our own homes! Thanks so much for joining us !
