Elections Blog

http://soundpolitics.com/archives/007542.html A Washington state blogger, Eric Earling, has declared for Romney and details his reasons why in part 1 and part 2.

Great that yet another political activist has seen the merits of Mitt!

Jeff

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http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650208386,00.html The Deseret News (out of SLC, Utah) has recently highlighted our friends at E4M (Evangelicals for Mitt).

They’re getting over 5,000 hits per day and it will be surging as things heat up. The article concludes with:

Meanwhile, blogs like EvangelicalsforMitt.org, are going to play a bigger role in the 2008 election than ever before, Corrado said.
“You can’t simply put them aside,” Corrado said. “They have become part of the culture.”

Jeff

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http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=NDI4ZjI2MTg3ZGZkZWQ3N2Q5MmQ3MzQ0YjY2Mjg5NmQ At a 2008 panel, Kate O’Beirne asked for a show of hands from our 450 cruisers on the major GOP presidential candidates. Romney clearly did best with about 2/3 of the crowd supporting him. My impression was that Giuliani was second, and McCain and Gingrich tied in distant third. Fwiw…

If you’re a presidential candidate for 2008 and your name is Mitt Romney, your future is looking great!

Copied from: The Corner on National Review Online
Hat tip to: Evangelicals for Mitt

Kevin Davis Jr.

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney, 2008, Presidential Election, Election 2008.

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http://race42008.com/2006/11/15/governor-mitt-romney-makes-a-key-hire-for-his-2008-presidential-campaign/ From Race 4 2008:

According to sources, Republican media guru Alex Castellanos has been hired by the Governor Mitt Romney 2008 presidential campaign to run their advertising shop.

Castellanos is a veteran of big time Republican campaigns at virtually all levels and someone who is known to be as hard hitting as he is conservative. He is perhaps most famous for his “white hands” television ad during a re-election campaign for United States Senator Jesse Helms in which an employment rejection letter is crumpled up on screen by two white hands as the narrator explains how this person lost a job they needed and were qualified for because of affirmative action. The ad was controversial because the Democrat opponent of Helms in that campaign was black, in addition to being a supporter of racial preferences - former Charlotte Mayor Harvey Gantt. Of course Helms was undefeated in his Senate campaigns and had a first-rate political team - a team that single-handedly revived the presidential campaign of Ronald Reagan in 1976 that was on virtual life support until it won the North Carolina Republican primary againt incumbent President Gerald Ford.

With Castellanos on board, I would expect some very tough ads from the Romney campaign questioning the conservative credentials of primary opponents Giuliani and McCain, who had better be ready to respond in kind and play hardball. Castellanos uses a “take no prisoners” approach and is a tone-setting kind of campaign principal. It ought to be very interesting.

Is this rumor fact or fiction?
Time will tell.

Kevin Davis Jr.

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney, 2008, Presidential Election, Election 2008.

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http://www.article6blog.com/2006/11/13/an-article-v-6-blog-interview-john-mcintyre-of-real-clear-politics/ The Article 6 Blog has an interesting interview with John McIntyre of Real Clear Politics. They discuss Mitt Romney and the possible “Mormon Issue”.

Here are a few excerpts from the interview:

McIntyre:I think the unknown here is the degree to which Mitt Romney’s opponents, maybe not openly but operatives and supporters of his opponents, may try to make the Mormon issue something that could move voters in Republican primary. I think it’s just an open question.

McIntyre:Well, not entirely, but I mean, I should clarify that. I mean, what I’m saying is social conservatives are out there thinking, who’s their guy, and for a while the thinking was maybe Senator Allen was going to be their guy. Well, he stumbled. Okay, so he’s not in the top tier right now, so who are they turning to? They don’t like McCain. They don’t trust McCain, they don’t like him. Giuliani is just liberal across the board on issues that are very important to social conservatives. I mean, in many ways, Romney’s the guy by default.

Kevin Davis Jr.

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney, 2008, Presidential Election, Election 2008.

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http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/flaming_out.php From Evangelicals for Mitt:

From Saturday’s Washington Journal on C-SPAN, via an EFM reader…

C-SPAN: “Who do you fear the most on the Republican side as your 2008 nominee?”

DONNA BRAZILE: “Mitt Romney.”

[MICHAEL STEELE discusses the Democratic side, mentioning Clinton and Gore.]

C-SPAN: “And why Governor Romney?”

BRAZILE: “He’s an interesting personality…”

STEELE: “Yeah.”

DONNA BRAZILE: “…he looks the part, and again, in a post-9/11 world I think people will also question his experience, but I think John McCain will flame out before the primaries even begin.”

Kevin Davis Jr.

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney, 2008, Presidential Election, Election 2008.

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http://politicalvine.com/politicalrumors/rumors/2008-gop-presidential-possibilities/#comments Go here and comment in the comments section…

Ann Marie

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http://blog.washingtonpost.com/thefix/2006/11/the_friday_presidential_line.html Here is what the washingtonpost.com’s Politics Blog “The Fix” has to say about Mitt Romney:

Mitt Romney: The Massachusetts governor had a nice year of his own, unfortunately capped off by broad Republican losses in gubernatorial races, including in his home state. While McCain has released the names of his ‘08 supporters in drips and drabs, Romney has gone for shock and awe with his announcements — massive lists in Iowa, New Hampshire and Michigan filled with impressive and influential names. Romney is the best raw candidate in the Republican field and he is the equal of Obama and Edwards when it comes to charisma. He still must answer doubts among conservatives about his time in Massachusetts and seeming flip-flops on some social questions. And then there is the Mormon question to which we have no answer just yet.

By the way, they ranked Mitt Romney #2 among Republicans!

Kevin Davsi Jr.

Technorati Tags: Mitt Romney, 2008, Presidential Election, Election 2008.

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http://blog.beauprezforgovernor.com/2006/10/gov_mitt_romney.html There is a video at the Colorado Governor Candidate Bob Beauprez’s blog that you might be interested in seeing. Click the link, and it’ll take you to it.

Ann Marie

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http://www.redbluechristian.com/?p=491 I found this at RedBlueChristian, and thought it was interesting how the respondant views him as worthy opponent.

MITT ROMNEY FOR PRESIDENT AT GodBlog CONFERENCE
Posted by Andrew Jackson under 2008 Presidential Candidates at 8:58 pm.

At the GodBlog Conference I have been surprised by the push and support verbalized for Mitt Romney by Hugh Hewitt (who is apparently writing a book of Romney) and Dr. John Mark Reynolds the Director of the Torrey Institute at Biola University. At this point, since I believe the global war on terrorism is the primary issue, I will be backing John McCain. However, I will stay open, and see how things unfold.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 27th, 2006 at 8:58 pm and is filed under 2008 Presidential Candidates. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
3 Responses to this post

1. Deborah White Says:
October 27th, 2006 at 10:04 pm

I can understand how Republicans would support Mitt Romney. He’s a traditional conservative with a solid record of working with his state legislature on a bipartisan basis.

His market-based solution to covering all Massachusetts residents with health insurace is clever, smart and working, and doesn’t entail “welfare”… attributes that should appeal to “compassionate conservatism.”

As a Democrat, he makes me nervous for 2008. From a Democratic perspective, I guess I hope Republicans are short-sighted enough to reject him for being a Mormon.
2. Andrew Jackson Says:
October 27th, 2006 at 10:48 pm

Deborah, from what I am seeing right now, I do not think he will be rejected overall for his Mormon faith. Your nervousness interests me.
3. Deborah White Says:
October 28th, 2006 at 8:23 am

Andrew,

He’s an attractive, articulate candidate whose basic conservative philosophy I fundamentally disagree with. And he’s an adult… no childish Karl Rove-style dirty trickster.

He makes me nervous because he’s a respectable, worthy opponent.

Ann Marie

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http://www.evangelicalsformitt.org/front_page/mccains_anklebiting_paid_polit.php Click here for another great article from Nancy French.

Mike

Addendum:

It just goes right along with our post here at Elect Romney in 2008 of October 24. We aren’t going to take this slanderous drivel without a challenge. We Romney supporters aren’t going to be afraid to tell it as it is.

Ann Marie

Addendum #2

Patrick Hynes continues his babbling here…He even stoops to the level of name calling. Sounds like a defensive posture to me.

Ann Marie

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http://nutmeggersformitt.blogspot.com/2006/10/mitt-romney-at-hoover-institution.html Hat Tip to Nutmeggers for Mitt for this one…

Victor Davis Hanson, a Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, a professor emeritus at California University , Fresno , and a nationally syndicated columnist for Tribune Media Services posted this about Mitt Romney yesterday October 25th 2006:

Presidential hopefuls

The Hoover Institution has been hosting Presidential hopefuls. The latest visitor was Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney who spoke to, and received questions from, the Senior Fellows yesterday. For about one hour, he heard some tough inquiries, answered without notes, kept his cool, and talked analytically rather than in platitudes. I was impressed, and came away thinking that being a conservative governor in Massachusetts must have sharpened his debating skills and given him insights about dealing with the therapeutic mindset. I don’t know what he thought of us, but most of us thought him quite impressive.

You can find this at the end of his post.

posted by Lug Nutmegger at 8:59 AM

What was editorialized in this piece I can attest to is 100% correct. He’s an incredible speaker. Like the video showed in the blog Romney vs the Media he really knows how to communicate. He’s quick on his feet, and this is just what our country will need.

Ann Marie

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http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_4540199 This incredibly postitive article from The Salt Lake Tribune shows how much of a draw Governor Romney is in important 2008 Primary States, and also just as importantly his abilities to raise money for Republican candidates. It just goes to show how strong of a leader Governor Romney is. It’s no wonder “Ankle Biting Pundits” feels such trepidation about him.

He might have an eye on the presidency while he helps governors today
By Thomas Burr
The Salt Lake Tribune
Article Last Updated:10/24/2006 09:41:56 AM MDT

WASHINGTON - On a visit to Dubuque, Iowa, recently, Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney delivered a check for $500,000 to Republican Jim Nussle, who’s in a neck-and-neck race to take the governor’s office back for the GOP.
The Iowa race is “our highest priority,” Romney said.
Handing out money to candidates in Iowa, the scene of the nation’s first presidential caucus, is always a good move for a politician gearing up for a presidential bid. But this money came from the Republican Governors Association, which Romney leads and has a clear voice in how campaign donations are divvied up.
Romney, the former head of the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City who now chairs the multimillion-dollar election machine for governors, has used his spot heading the RGA to traverse the country and drop millions into states, helping Republican candidates and, coincidentally, currying favor with conservatives on his way to a potential 2008 presidential bid.
This year, the organization has pumped “far north of $15 million” into campaigns for Republican gubernatorial candidates, according to the organization. Available records show nearly $6 million given directly to candidates or state parties during Romney’s term, from $1.25 million in Iowa to $1 million for Florida.

That’s not unusual from past cycles when the RGA - set up to boost and promote Republican governors and candidates donated to races across the country. But Romney’s near-celebrity status has ramped up contributions to record-setting levels.
Romney’s prominent position also gives him invaluable face time with Republicans across the country he may be relying on in a presidential race.
“It doesn’t hurt,” Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said in a Tribune interview. “It helps him demonstrate his strength as a potential nominee.”
The RGA doles out funds according to where the most impact can be made, according to executive director, Phil Musser, and the decision rests with the group’s executive board, which Romney chairs.
So far in 2006, the RGA has pumped $750,000 into the Oregon campaign for Ron Saxton, who is behind in the polls to incumbent Democrat Ted Kulongoski, but gaining. But it has also tossed $1 million to Florida’s Charlie Crist, who is leading Democrat Jim Davis by 15 to 16 points in recent polls.
And Iowa has seen $800,000 flow directly from the RGA to Nussle and another $450,000 to the Iowa First Foundation, records show.
Jared Young, a spokesman for Romney’s Commonwealth Political Action Committee, says Romney’s “focus at this point is on nothing other than helping Republican candidates at all levels of government . . . have the best election in 2006.”
Across the aisle, though, there’s skepticism.
The RGA has given $1 million to Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos, and nearly $900,000 to Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey, who is running to take Romney’s place. Both candidates are multimillionaires, points out Brian Namey, spokesman for the Democratic Governors Association.
“It makes you wonder where [Romney's] priorities are,” Namey says. It makes you question “whether his focus is on 2006 or 2008.”
Musser, the RGA director, says there’s no question the focus is squarely on 2006. And with Romney’s leadership, the group has raised more money in nine months than in previous full years.
“Functionally, our job here is to make sure that candidates and challengers have the resources they need to compete,” Musser says. “In that regard, the RGA under Mitt Romney’s leadership has outperformed.”
Christopher Arterton, dean of the graduate School of Political Management at George Washington University, says Romney’s heading the RGA would help his presidential aspirations in many ways, especially his ability to meet active party members in various states. It may not cement a vote, he says, but “if you’re impressive, maybe they give you a second look.”
Gillespie also heralds Romney’s celebrity status as boosting Republican contenders and incumbents nationwide.
Romney is an asset, Gillespie says. “There’s star power. He can go in for Republican governors candidates as head of the RGA and not only give him a boost with some financial resources, but give them a boost with energy and buzz and get volunteers fired up. He is a leading figure in the party.”
What’s unknown is whether Romney will carry any baggage for expected losses this November for Republican gubernatorial candidates. Romney conceded on CNN last week Democrats likely will hold a majority of governors’ offices after the election.
“The governors’ races are tough, because Republican governors are - are not running for re-election in nine different states,” Romney told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer. “Only one Democrat isn’t running for re-election. So, the question is, will we lose six or eight governorships, or even more? But we will probably lose quite a few.”
Arterton says that could hurt Romney in some ways, but the position still has plenty of positives. “It’s potentially a two-edge sword,” he says. But “the backswing is considerably duller than the front side.”
Musser notes it is a difficult year for Republican governors, but that Romney has helped draw record coffers. The RGA raised $20 million this year compared to the DGA’s $14 million.
Meanwhile, the RGA also has added to its payroll a few of Romney’s main fundraisers. Since about the time Romney became head of the organization, the RGA has paid some $48,000 to Utah-based Big Cottonwood Group, which is run by Max Farbman, one of Romney’s top fundraisers for his PAC.
The RGA also has paid some $105,000 to Boston-based SJC Consulting.
Musser says the RGA employs fund-raisers across the country and both companies are top-notch in their field. He singled out Farbman, a fundraiser for the previous three Utah governors, as a “well-known Utah political figure.”

tburr@sltrib.com

Ann Marie

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http://www.anklebitingpundits.com/content/?p=970 Patrick Hynes if you need to know more about him you can click here and here. Anyway, after getting that out of the way…he has written this narrative on his blog ankle biting pundits about how evangelicals now all of a sudden are against Romney and that this latest Boston Globe story is going to make that more of an issue.

He writes:
But many evangelical Christians are not. There is growing concern among high-level evangelical leaders that the Romney campaign may have duped them after it was revealed by the Globe that Romney’s team has constructed a Mormon political machine in secret after repeatedly stating in private to them that Romney would not run with the Mormon Church’s backing.

“We talked about this, and Romney’s representatives assured me that he would not run as a tool of the [Mormon] church,” one high-ranking national evangelical leader told me. “It is very troubling to me, not because he is a Mormon or anything like that, but because his campaign lied to me.” [Ann Marie Insert: It's quite remarkable that this "high-ranking national evangelical leader" doesn't have a name...hmmm]

The controversy over the Romney camp’s use of church resources to support his political ambitions has the potential to widen the rift between Romney and the important evangelical bloc of votes he says he is pursuing.

Dr. James Dobson, one of the most recognizable faces on the evangelical scene has stated earlier in the month, “I don’t believe that conservative Christians in large numbers will vote for a Mormon but that remains to be seen, I guess.”

And two weeks ago Ted Haggard, the President of the National Association of Evangelicals called Romney’s religion a “cult”.

“We evangelicals view Mormons as a Christian cult group. A cult group is a group that claims exclusive revelation. And typically, it’s hard to get out of these cult groups. And so Mormonism qualifies as that,” Haggard told the LA Times.

But a bigger hurtle for Romney’s may be convincing Roman Catholics to support his candidacy. Catholics are generally considered to be even more suspicious of Mormons than evangelical Protestants.

“He [Romney] is treading on dangerous territory when he compares himself to John Kennedy, who was the first Catholic president,” one prominent Catholic author and political pundit said to me. “We Catholics recoil when he compares Mormonism to Catholicism in that respect.”

Sounds like the McCain camp is getting scared and trying to rile people up with this.

Ann Marie

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Fledgling Romney Blogs continue to pop up! There’s now North Carolinians for Mitt (run by Peter Wiscombe) , Nuttmeggers for Mitt (A nickname for people from Connecticut; this quippy entry from today is worth a read), President Mitt Romney (looks to be a good source of thoughtful analysis and commentary), and Mothers for Mitt.

Nathan Burd from Americans for Mitt has informed us that there are now people signed on to the Americans for Mitt from all 50 states! Great work Nathan!

Texans for Mitt Romney keeps going strong with NINE different bloggers and some great entries like “Evangelicals Need Not Fear Romney” Parts One and Two, and “Romney is Articulate”

Washingtonians for Mitt also continues to keep going strong as well.

Nancy French is taking Evangelicals for Mitt in a whole different direction the last couple of days.

Sarcastic commentary is running strong at the Run Mitt Run Blog

Andru at South Carolinians for Romney had a great blog entry about the dangers of mixing religion and politics . . . it puts a new perspective about why Romney may not activly seek to discuss the details of his personal faith in a public setting. Also, there’s a link to a piece claiming that Newt Gingrich is not going to be running for President, but is positioning himself to take over as the RNC chairman in 2008–could be (probably is) just speculation.

Jason at Illinoisians for Mitt has a couple of interesting blog entries recently. These two (here and here) are about him meeting Romney at the Chicago event (Cool shirt Jason . . . where have I heard of that before?). Also, he reports that Laura Ingraham was giving Mitt “some love” again (don’t take that the wrong way) on her radio show and even seemed to bring Pat Buchanan along a bit. Jason also runs My Man Mitt.

Romney was on CNN’s “The Situation Room” hosted by Wolf Blitzer last week and you can read the transcript here (scroll down about halfway). My favorit quote after Blitzer tried to grill Romney on the Gay marriage issue:

BLITZER: You know, Mary Cheney, when she was here — and she is a lesbian…

ROMNEY: Yes.

BLITZER: … she said that you — she didn’t know what your position was, but those who support what you — you want a constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage — are on the wrong side of history, sort of like the old laws that would prevent African-Americans from marrying white people.

ROMNEY: I’m afraid that’s not quite a good comparison.

It’s not the wrong side of history, because, actually, in the whole history of the world, from the very beginning of recorded history, marriage has always meant a relationship between a man and a woman.

Look, if two people of the same gender want to live together and enter into a contract with each other, so be it. But don’t pretend that it’s marriage. And society, as a whole, will benefit by having its children, on the average, raised by moms and dads.

Blitzer, defeated, then changed the subject. Great stuff from Romney!

Jeff

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http://www.article6blog.com/2006/10/19/the-boston-globe I know this link is available below . . . but the coverage of the article6blog. today was excellent and deserved it’s own entry.

Jeff

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http://dawgandponyshow.blogspot.com/2006/10/political-rambling.html Another Evangelical for Romney…Who said that he had a “Mormon Problem”?

All that being said, when I vote in November’s elections, I will probably vote overwhelmingly Republican for the simple fact that there is an alignment of thought on the issues mentioned above. I could not vote in good conscious for someone who advocates abortion or any other sin in the name of “freedom”. This is not to say I endorse everything that the Republican candidates do or say. If Mitt Romney were the presidential candidate in 2008, I would probably vote for him because of his views on abortion and marriage, despite the fact that he’s a Mormon.

Ann Marie

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http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-mitt10oct10,1,6805742.story?coll=la-headlines-nation (Apologies to Paul Harvey for stealing his line.)

It wasn’t enough for the LA Times to sponsor and publicize a misleading poll thay many have thought casts doubts on Romney’s chances of becoming POTUS because he’s LDS (That’s the one that says that 37% don’t want a Mormon POTUS–see the link above for why I think that’s a poorly conducted and highly misleading poll).

Well, now the LA Times has run another story titled “Romney’s 2008 Bid Faces Issue of Faith: Massachusetts’ GOP governor has political promise, but voters may not embrace a Mormon.”.

As is becoming a common theme with articles about Romney they essentially say that he’s the PERFECT candidate . . . except for that darn religion that he ascribes to.

DES MOINES — In seeking a presidential candidate for 2008, why would Republicans look further than the governor of Massachusetts?

Tall and urbane, Mitt Romney has a prime political pedigree, an unblemished personal life and the cool confidence of a CEO. He is a conservative Republican who won easy election in a fiercely liberal state — then streamlined Massachusetts’ government and enacted the country’s most sweeping healthcare overhaul.

He is a passionate defender of states’ rights and recently has embraced strong views against stem cell research and abortion — a reversal of earlier positions. He never swears, and his sole vice is Diet Coke. Not incidentally, the 59-year-old governor boasts Ivy League credentials and movie-star looks.

OK . . . they could have stopped the article there; but they go on to quote folks who seem to think Romney’s Mormonism will be a BIG hurdle (some even think insurmountable).

As a devout Mormon — and a onetime bishop of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — Romney adheres to a faith that makes many Americans uncomfortable.

They quote their own lousy poll as evidence of their point and then quote a Poli Sci prof from Emory, Merel Black:

“He starts out with a deck stacked against him,”

Then it gets interesting:

[Romney's] reluctance to delve deeper into his beliefs, only add to the mystery of a faith that many Americans associate with polygamy — although that practice has long been outlawed by the church — and with customs such as marrying people after they have died and converting the dead.

“Evangelicals are appalled by all that,” said Pastor Ted Haggard, president of the National Assn. of Evangelicals in Colorado Springs, Colo. “We evangelicals view Mormons as a Christian cult group. A cult group is a group that claims exclusive revelation. And typically, it’s hard to get out of these cult groups. And so Mormonism qualifies as that.”

In addition, Haggard said, evangelicals do not accept Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith as a prophet. “And we do not believe that the Book of Mormon has the same level of authority as the Bible,” he said.

Boy, sounds like this Haggard guy is going to be leading the charge against a Romney presidency, right?

WRONG!

That same Pastor Ted Haggard, just one month ago spoke with a reporter from the Salt Lake Tribune and he didn’t seem to be such an obstacle to a President Romney:

The Rev. Ted Haggard, president of the National Association of Evangelicals, said Friday he would have no problem voting for a Mormon for U.S. president. . . .

“We rejected an Evangelical [Harriet Meiers] for the Supreme Court and accepted a Catholic [Samuel Alito],” said Haggard, who was in Salt Lake City to address the Religion Newswriters Association’s annual convention. “It’s a question of competence.” Evangelical Christians are more interested “in good government,” than in religious affiliation, . . .
But it’s not all so rosy for Haggard:
“We believe Mormonism is a Christian cult,” [Haggard] said after his speech. “But we have the same positions on many social issues, pro-life and so on.” He said that Evangelicals and Catholics have long joined forces on these social issues and a similar dialogue about them between Evangelicals and Mormons is “in the early stages.” “We are in search for areas where we can stand together,” Haggard said.

At least the Salt Lake Tribune carried both sides of Haggard’s comments . . . The LA Times wasn’t quite so honest, eh?

But it’s not just Haggard that they hold up as an obstacle to Romney. They quote a South Carolinian GOP County Chairman, Rick Beltram, about how much work Romney has to do to make any headway in that Bible Belt State:

But as he campaigns in South Carolina, “the biggest weakness for Romney is that he is a Mormon,” said Spartanburg County Republican Party Chairman Rick Beltram.

“He’s got to convince the rank and file that Mormonism isn’t some strange cult religion, and persuade people that the beliefs he holds are very much mainstream USA.”

Starting with Romney’s first exploratory trip to Spartanburg, S.C., in February 2005, Beltram said, “Everyone said, ‘Oh boy, what does a Mormon believe in?’ ”

Wait though, this the same Rick Beltram who was quoted just a few days ago in a South Carolina paper, The State:

“Romney has moved up the fastest,” said Spartanburg County Republican chairman Rick Beltram.

Obviously, Beltram isn’t painting a picture of an insurmountable challenge (which seems to be the whole point of the LA Times article.) Very shady journalism, if you ask me.

Well, I just thought every one deserved to hear . . . “The Rest of the Story.” One sided reporting of issues is something we’ve come to expect from liberal rags like the LA Times. But that doesn’t mean that we have to take the trash they’re trying to shove down our throats.

Jeff

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http://notincalifornia.blogspot.com/2006/10/political-junkie.html This comes from James @ Not In California. Seems that he really is impressed with Governor Romney, he also mentions reading this blog several times a day so to him I say Hello James. Thanks for your blog post.

so, normally I hate talking about politics, mainly becuase it tends to lead to arguements. but i can’t help but be excited about the possibility of Mitt Romney getting the GOP nomination for 2008. I am a junkie. I check evangelicalsformitt.org and http://blog.electromneyin2008.com several times a day for the latest news. It seems like he’s building good momentum. Most conservatives can’t stand McCain or Rudy, and there aren’t too many other viable options in the republican party right now. The other “other” canidate was supposed to be George Allen, but it turns out he says too many racist things in the news and is too wrapped up in scandal to get the nomination now. And then there’s Mitt’s awesome record as governor and before that a succesful venture capitalist and CEO of one of the most prestigious consulting firms around. harvard MBA and JD, BYU undergrad. anyway, I’m all for him. and it looks like more and more people are thinking that way these days. just my 2 cents and perhaps the only politcal commentary you will get out of me all year.

Ann Marie

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Apologies to those not versed in 1980’s alternative Rock music for the title. Essentially, this post is inspired by the recent praise and positive prognostication Romney’s received from political pundits. Some almost seem like endorsements, some just predictions; but all may be helping Romney rise to near “frontrunner” status and will help to increase his still poor name recognition among the general populus. I’ll put these down somewhat in order of influence on helping Romney secure the GOP nomination.

#1 Rush Limbaugh:
Jason Branham at South Carolinians for Romney reported that he heard an interesting exchange on Rush’s radio show last week:

In other news, I know Rush Limbaugh has almost completely withheld commentary on the ‘08 race. But today he called George Allen the most truly conservative potential ‘08 candidate, then quickly said that Mitt Romney was a CLOSE second. I hope that’s a quick peak into Rush’s mind and an indication that Romney could receive Rush’s backing come campaign time. One thing’s for sure, after his daily McCain bashing, we know Rush isn’t going to be getting behind the senator from Arizona any time soon!

I’d say that’s a dang positive sign . . . especially since, despite his solid conservative credentials, Allen has proven to be gaffe-prone (”Macaca-gate” and Jewish ancestry issues). Also, with his controversial history on race-relations he’s someone that doesn’t stand a very strong chance in a general election . . . imagine the attack ads that the Dems and 527s would be hurling at Allen ad nauseum.

#2 Bill O’Reilly:
(ranked behind Rush only because Limbaugh probably has more influence among staunch conservative Republicans than O’Reilly–who has much more of an independent/libertarian streak)

A couple of weeks ago, O’Reilly said that Mitt Romney is his early favorite. to win the 2008 presidential election over Hillary Clinton
(TRAVERSE CITY) — Fox News commentator Bill O’REILLY told a gathering here today that Massachusetts Gov. and former Michigander Mitt ROMNEY is his early favorite to win the 2008 presidential election over U.S. Sen. Hillary CLINTON (D-N.Y.) in what he sees now as the likely head-to-head race.

Speaking at the Michigan Future Forum, sponsored by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, O’Reilly said former frontrunner U.S. Sen. John McCAIN (R-Ariz.) will be hurt for his “soft” positions on the terrorist interrogation and border security issues.

The host of the “No Spin Zone” and the “O’Reilly Factor” added that another top-tier Republican candidate, Rudolph GUILIANI, the former New York City mayor, is being hurt by his inability to handle the press and his mushy positions on issues. Former U.S. House Speaker Newt GINGRICH and U.S. Sen. George ALLEN (R-Va.) round out the top five candidates on the GOP side.

But in the last two weeks, O’Reilly said he’s seeing a lot of reasons to give Romney an edge.

“He’s photogenic. He’s articulate. He’s got money. New Hampshire likes him. This guy . . . you watch him,” O’Reilly said.

That’s as close to an endorsement as I’ve seen from a pundit at this point of the game.

Further, when Bill O’Reilly interviewed Ann Coulter last week on “The Factor” the following exchange occurred: O’REILLY: Is there anything that could make you vote Democrat? Is there any scenario that you could envision you supporting the Democrat candidate for president?

COULTER: If Zell Miller were running against John McCain.

O’REILLY: You’re not a big McCain fan, are you?

COULTER: No. Actually, I don’t really like any of our front-runners.

O’REILLY: Really?

COULTER: I think it’s going to be somebody else.

O’REILLY: I think it’s going to be Mitt Romney.

COULTER: Actually, of the ones they talk about…he’s my favorite. It’s somebody out of the blue.

O’REILLY: I think Mitt Romney is the guy on the inside track that very few people know about.

We know about him Bill!

#3 Ann Coulter:
. . . see just above. A conservative “shock jock” (even though she doesn’t have her own show). Not the most tactful pundit, but does carry a lot of weight among staunch conservatives. Also, Coulter helps run an influential conservative news source and website–Human Events Online (which in the past hasn’t been too friendly to Romney though one of there editors, Ivy Sellers, is a BYU alumnus-that can’t hurt)

THE NEXT TIER (hard to rank these):

Mort Kondracke:
Frequent pundit (a proclaimed Moderate) on Fox News and Executive Editor of “Roll Call” has frequently had good things to say about Romney. In an opinion piece not too long ago Kondracke liked Romney’s policy stances quite a bit.

Hugh Hewitt:
Conservative Radio Talk show host has long been hosting Romney on his show. He’s not “on the record” as endorsing Romney . . . but he sure seems to be quite praiseworthy. It was at Hewitt’s suggestion/request that Lowell and John started the Article6Blog.

Michael Medved:
Just yesterday, Michael Medved (Conservative talk Radio host) was inteviewing John Halpern about his book, “The Way to Win”, and Medved had this to say about Romney:

“We’re talking with Mark Halpern, the author of “The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008” and political director of ABC News. One thing about your book that I mentioned, I was struck by something that isn’t in there. You talked about the likely Hillary Rodham Clinton race for the Presidency in 2008, but nowhere in your book, and I checked the index, do you mention the name of the gentleman I believe to be the most likely next President, and I’m wondering if that’s a conscious omission. I happen to believe that…it’s obviously a long way to 2008, but I think that Mitt Romney, Governor of Massachusetts, is a likely Republican nominee and winner.”

Glenn Beck:
Prominent Talk Radio host (3rd most listened to talk show in America among Adults 25-54) and has a nightly show TV show on CNN’s Headline News.

On his TV show he recently opined:

Well, today the real story is that someone with actual power and intelligence agrees with me. Mitt Romney, the governor of Massachusetts. He issued a statement saying, quote, “State taxpayers should not be providing special treatment to an individual who supports violent jihad and the destruction of Israel. For him to lecture Americans about tolerance and violence is propaganda, pure and simple.”

Thank you, Mitt Romney. Finally someone besides a radio talk show — a clown basically saying what the rest of America is thinking. If you want to know the truth, don`t listen to Harvard which calls the speech quote, “a free exchange of ideas.”

Listen to Mitt Romney who says that Khatami is nothing more, quote, “than a wolf in sheep`s clothing,” end quote. A wolf that we are allowing to walk right into the hen house. Mitt Romney will be on my radio program tomorrow morning to talk about this, and we`ll of course keep our eye on the rest of the Khatami visit and update you as things develop.

Also, it probably doesn’t hurt that Beck is LDS (converted and baptized in 2000)

Laura Ingraham (and Bob Novak?):

As reported at the Article6Blog . . .

I happened to be listening Laura Ingraham’s show this morning during the second hour, about 40 minutes ago. In an interview with Robert Novak, Laura brought up Dobson’s comments yesterday [that he thinks many Evangelicals may not end up voting for Romney because he's Mormon]. Going from memory, here’s what I recall:

Laura expressed shock at Dobson’s comments. She said she had received a great deal of e-mail from conservative Christians expressing strong disagreement with Dobson, saying “we love Romney.”

She mentioned Novak’s column. Novak said that there were a number of “respectable,” well-known, and prominent evangelical leaders who are privately telling him the same thing Dobson was saying. I do not recall if he said those evangelicals told him that they personally would have trouble supporting Romney. Nor did he say if those statement were recent, or dated back to his April 27 column. I believe he used the present tense, as in, “they are telling me.” Novak said those people “would blow your head off” if you revealed what they had privately said about evangelical support for Romney. Novak said rather forcefully that he thinks this is “un-American.”

Novak also opined that Romney needs to address this issue– something we have also said many times.

Laura said that “we can’t have this,” or words to that effect. Novak said that with George Allen faltering, Romney was shaping up to be the conservative Republican standard-bearer for 2008, and that the campaign must not be a “theological debate.” Laura heartily agreed.

Others that keep saying nice things about Romney are K-Lo (Kathrine Lopez–the editor of National Review Online–including “The Corner” href=”http://www.davidfrum.com/aboutfrum.htm”>David Frum (Former GW Bush Speechwriter and the guy who apparently came up with the “Axis of Evil” title/strategy for Bush) here and here, and Doug Wilson, the CHAIRMAN of Townhall.com (great conservative site where he recently wrote an Op/Ed titled “Mitt Romney for President?” that is pretty darn praiseworthy of our favorite candidate!)

In a different vein, two influential MSM political reporters for presidential races, David Yepsen (here and here) and David Broder, seem to be pretty high on Romney’s chances.

Any others I missed?

Jeff

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