Romney: The Message Candidate
As Sen. John McCain today delivers a major policy address on energy and the environment, we're reminded that rival Mitt Romney is unabashadly presenting himself as the '08 race's prime message/issue candidate. Normally, when a campaign claims to run a "message" campaign, they're usually covering for the characterological deficits of the candidate. And generally, presidential races -- even primaries -- are contests of attributes, not ideas.
But Romney's relentless focus on messages strikes us as necessary Aside from the hippety-hop flip-floppery -- that's still a real problem -- Romney is a great attribute candidate. The man is the message: a reformer, who, by the way, has detailed proposals to reform X, Y, and Z.
Importantly, it allows him to into next week's debate and be ready with an answer to questions about his past positions. Instead of answering why he believed in some silly liberal idea back when, he can respond by pulling out a sheaf of new proposals.
Also, there's no reason to compete in a popularity contest with Rudy Giuliani and John McCain right now. At this juncture, Romney will not win a battle of ideas with these guys. McCain is too strong on Iraq -- or too closely identified with it, now, and Giuliani's anti-terrorism credentials are seen as impregnable.
Romney has so far given speeches on taxes (where Giuliani arguably is not terribly strong, and where McCain has some explaining to do), energy (where Romney is trying to set his stake down in the free market space), and the military, where he's focused on future threats, not past battles. The positioning is creative.
The pitfalls: Romney's policy proposals often sound as if they were ripped from the Heritage Foundation's Guidebook For A Conservative Presidential Candidate. His speeches aren't nearly as elegant as John McCain's, and if the discussed remains focused on the Iraq war, Romney faces the Hobson's choice of trying to distance himself from the administration, thereby earning the activists' disapproval, or out-supporting John McCain, which is next to impossible. Or, Newt Gingrich gets in and blows Romney out of the water. [MARC AMBINDER]
Are you kidding? The guy, Mitt, who can't keep his positions straight from one year to the next is a Message candidate?? Mitt is know as a flipflopper for some good reasons. Even his rival republican camps call him flipflopper. Mitt, neither has a message nor is he a true conservative. He is just a "I look pretty" empty suite. Eventually a real conservative like Gingrich or Brownback or Hunter will take it all.
ROMNEY! ROMNEY! ROMNEY! When all the dust is settled and cleared, Romney will be the ONLY one standing - Democrat or Republican. The best qualified and the most competent candidate for POTUS!
Romney is a solid candidate with legitimate ideas. He has a plan for America. Whatever you think you know about him, changes as soon as you hear him speak and are around him. He has my support.
For all the skeptics in here, this is now the high-time for you to think well, ROMNEY IS THE BEST CANDIDATE IN THE FIELD FOR PRESIDENT! In both parties! No matter what you say against him, his message is resonating well among millions and millions of Americans. Watch out!
The only montra that Romney antagonists can get out of there lips is flip flop but when you look at his record he is right on and they are silenced. Thank goodness a talented and gifted leader who has a proved positive record of turning bad situations into good, has changed his direction(a big difference then flip-flop)on social issues and shows it is not just talk. No candidate has fought harder in a majority liberal state of opposition and won conservative direction then Mitt Romney. Imagine what this guy could do for the country! Get real, your montra is all wind, Romneys actions are substantial and proven.
To the comment at the end of the article "Newt will blow Romney out of the water..."
like he blew out Kerry in that debate? He caved in and embraced Kerry.
Mitt is the real deal. The flip-flopping accusation is all the media and left have because they fear him, and can't beat him on the issues. He has not changed his stance any more than other candidates, republican or democrat. You want a flip flopper, look at Hillary or McCain whose views on the war change depending on the time of day.
Go Mitt!
Romey's speeches are not "nearly as elegant" as McCain's??? You have got to be kidding me.
The mantra being espoused against Mitt Romney is that he has changed his positions on important issues.
What about Democrat-turned-Republican former pro-abortion icon Ronald Reagan? George Bush senior used to be pro-abortion.
If one cannot reflect and change positions because of new insight and understandings, then why try to change anyone?
There are MILLIONS of Americans who start out on the left ideologically only to move radically to the right after many years.
Mitt Romney has conservative credentials that can be seen in his Governance in Mass. He wouldn't give a former high ranking official from Iran state police protection when he came to Mass. He told his state police to enforce immigration laws. He fought to erase a billion dollar deficit, changing it into a three billion dollar surplus. He fought against cloning.
But, it doesn't stop there. Mr Romney has EXCELLENT ideas on how to fight Islamofacism, reform government through innovation, help the U.S. extricate itself from dependency on foreign sources of energy and has many other important ideas about issues, problems and challenges that face America.
Quite simply, Mitt Romney is a visionary, innovative thinker with great abilities and strengths, who has a track record of demonstrating his ability to LEAD.
I haven't been this excited about a candidate for president since Ronald Reagan ran against Jimmy Hamasmas Carter.
Go Mitt Go!
Here's the thing about Mitt:
Besides having the right positions on all the issues (these are the positions that will win a GOP nomination. McCain and Giuliani have to fall soon), he has more charisma in his little finger than either of those. You can't help but agree with him when you hear him speak and even more so, see him in a very difficult interview.
Watch his interview with George Stephanopolous, and you will see that he is unbeatable in answering hard questions that would make anyone sweat.
Imagine him in the debates in the general election!
He has my vote
Here is the thing about Mitt
It is all a smoke and Mirrors show. Seth, you put it perfectly when you said that his positions are the positions that will win a GOP nomination, they are designed too. When he needed different positions to win the governorship of Massachusetts, he had them. Now that he needs to win the GOP nomination he has new positions.
Have you read his Web site?? He is anti-bad things and pro-good things. Nowhere on his Web site does he state what he would do with the War in Iraq ... nowhere!!
I am a lifelong conservative and a supporter of the war in Iraq (although not of how the peace was managed) but to run for the most powerful position in the world, and not let the electorate know what you would do on the preeminent issue of our times is criminal (and before I get one million e-mails with links to press releases - his saying that we need to win, and a plan for winning are two different things).
The strategy is to avoid taking a position for as long as possible. This is politics as usual and should be shunned by our party in a time of war. I am not a McCain man by any means but watched him on the Daily Show last night and have to respect him for at least taking a stand on an issue and having the fortitude to back it up (by the way Seth, saying that Stephanopolous is a tough interviewer is like saying that Islam is a religion of Peace - untrue)
Romney is not the man, he never will be - He is the GOP's combination of John Kerry and John Edwards, an elitist MA flip-flopper who will say anything to get elected, and he is pretty.
We are better than this, our party is worth more than a smooth talking snake oil salesman.
The part about Romney's speeches not as articulate as McCains was suprising.
That is definetely not my take. Just the opposite.
Mitt will keep getting stronger as the year plays out. Superior ground organization, stamina, charisma, values, success, and is Reaganesque. I'll take my chances on a recent conservative convert to what I know about the other top tier candidates.