Mitt Romney | The New York Observer

Pitchfork Sarah

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:35:45 -0400

Sarah Palin, should she decide to run for president in 2012, is on course to become the next Pat Buchanan or Jesse Jackson.

That's the takeaway message from a Rasmussen poll this week, which found the former Alaska governor lagging far behind co-G.O.P. front-runners Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee in head-to-head trial heats.

Against Romney, Palin's deficit was 15 points, 52 to 37 percent. Against Huckabee, the gap swelled to 20, 55 to 35....

The Early Line: Romney in Front, Palin Fading

Tue, 19 May 2009 20:13:00 -0400

It’s Triple Crown season, and time (or just an excuse, maybe) for an early handicapping of the 2012 Republican presidential...

Bad for Jindal, Good for Romney (and Palin, and Huckabee)

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:19:20 -0500

Even Fox News panned it, but at least a handful of Republicans had to be delighted by the Mister Rogers/Kenneth the Page impersonation that Bobby Jindal performed on national television the other night: his fellow 2012 aspirants.

A rising star in the national Republican Party since his near-miss Louisiana gubernatorial bid in 2003, Jindal’s moment in the national sun was supposed to mark his coming out as a national figure—and serious contender...

Jindal Gestures for President

Sun, 22 Feb 2009 20:47:33 -0500

Bobby Jindal is interested in running for president in 2012. We know this not because he has said much about the matter - on Sunday's "Meet the Press," he provided all of the customary non-answers - but because of his words and actions on another subject.

Jindal, who will deliver the Republican response to Barack Obama's address to Congress on Tuesday night, has shrewdly built anticipation for his moment in the sun by announcing...

After Daschle, No Obvious Choices for Obama

Sun, 08 Feb 2009 22:03:44 -0500

In the wake of Tom Daschle's implosion, media speculation on Barack Obama's next nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services has focused mainly on four names. Three of them are (fairly) logical candidates for the job. One is not.

The name that doesn't belong is Howard Dean's. The former DNC chairman remains a beloved figure among his party's grass roots and his background as a physician and as a governor...

Now, It's Palin's Party

Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:29:45 -0500

Shortly after the November election, Newt Gingrich disputed the notion that Sarah Palin had emerged from her losing campaign as the new face of the Republican Party, declaring that "she's going to be one of 20 or 30 significant players. She's not going to be the de facto leader."

A few months later, the former House Speaker seems to have had a change of heart. Discussing the 2012 G.O.P. race at breakfast meeting...

Peeking Out From the McCain Wreckage: Mitt Romney

Thu, 06 Nov 2008 07:56:04 -0500

Facing reporters the day after she and John McCain went down to defeat, Sarah Palin professed not to be thinking much about the next presidential election.

“2012 sounds so far off,” she said.

Of course, that’s exactly the kind of answer that any potential presidential candidate is supposed to give now and for the next two years or so...

Remember When It Was Supposed to Be Clinton Versus Romney?

Sun, 02 Nov 2008 22:20:44 -0500

Determining when the 2008 presidential race actually began is an inexact science, but a strong case can be made for the early summer of 2004. John Kerry and George W. Bush were locked in a tight battle in that year’s election, but several developments back then set in place some of the fundamental dynamics that have defined the campaign that now, nearly four and a half years later, is finally coming to an end.

The...

With Obama Endorsement, Bill Weld Returns to Form

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:21:01 -0400

The Bill Weld who governed Massachusetts from 1991 to 1997 fits the profile of the type of Republican you might expect would jump ship and endorse Barack Obama -- something that Weld is set to do this morning.

In his 1990 campaign, he actually ran to the left of his Democratic opponent, the combative former president of Boston University, John Silber, scoring points with Massachusetts' socially...

A Drubbing the G.O.P. Could Use

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 18:36:53 -0400

As of this moment, this election is shaping up as a thorough beating for the G.O.P. at the presidential and Congressional levels.

The good news for the Republicans, if they are defeated comprehensively this year, is that it will lead to a much-needed overhaul of the party.

The bad news: They could be out in the wilderness for a while. When the G.O.P. lost the House...

Look Out Mitt and Mike: Palin Can Do This

Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:37:22 -0400

Before tonight's proceedings in St. Paul, the venerable National Journal released its latest poll of Republican "insiders," in which several dozen party establishment figures were asked -- with a guarantee of anonymity -- to handicap the 2012 G.O.P. presidential field (contingent on a John McCain defeat this fall).

Their consensus: Mitt Romney is the runaway front-runner, favored by 55 percent, with "nobody" finishing a distant second, at 15 percent. For a party that is...

Um, Mitt?

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 21:31:42 -0400

In the first speech of the 2012 presidential campaign that he's been running since exiting this year's race, Mitt Romney used his convention address to castigate Barack Obama and the Democratic Party as a band of out-of-touch leftists -- part of Romney's ongoing effort to corner the market on the conservative establishment. "Is it liberal or conservative?" he asked over and over near the top of his speech, as he reeled off a list...

Now or Never for G.O.P. Attacks on Obama

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 18:53:40 -0400

The main strategic knock on the last night's primetime G.O.P. convention session was its decided lack of red meat-attacks on Barack Obama. Instead, the evening was given over to building John McCain's biography and to framing his campaign as a principled crusade that rises above partisan politics.

Good enough, but with Sarah Palin slated to speak tonight and John McCain on tap for tomorrow night, when will the Republicans showcase the kind of bare-knuckled...

Romney Already Tossing McCain Aside

Wed, 03 Sep 2008 16:19:45 -0400

Sarah Palin may or may not have been the right choice for him, but at least John McCain must be feeling good today about his decision to pass on Mitt Romney as his running-mate.

Romney badly wanted the spot and devoted the last six months—after dropping out of the presidential race in February—to pursuing it, using countless television and radio appearances to trash Barack Obama and herald McCain as an unusually capable, qualified and principled...

No Way to Pick a Running Mate: From Lieberman to Romney to Palin

Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:45:15 -0400

ST. PAUL—Word that Sarah Palin’s 17-year-old daughter, Bristol, is five months pregnant was easily the biggest bit of non-Gustav-related news to emerge from the opening day of the Republican convention.

It’s doubtful that this revelation will end up hurting the G.O.P. ticket in the fall—Ms. Palin’s statement made it clear that her daughter plans to keep the child and marry the father, the least politically explosive denouement for such a dicey...

Intrade Loves Pawlenty's Chances

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:45:31 -0400

What kind of day has Tim Pawlenty had? The kind where your value on the Intrade Republican vice-presidential future markets shoots up by more than 50 points -- while your chief opponent's stock plummets by 31. The Minnesota governor is now trading roughly where Joe Biden was just before word of his selection by Barack Obama...

Is Karl Rove Ruining Romney's VP Chances?

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:00:44 -0400

Karl Rove apparently phoned Joe Lieberman last week and demanded that he withdraw his name from consideration as John McCain’s running mate, a request that the Connecticut senator ignored. (For what it’s worth, Rove – as is his wont – denies this.) This prompts the question: If McCain ultimately decides not to pick Mitt Romney for VP, might Rove’s intervention be the reason?

Rove has...

Inside the Fox News Green Room in Denver, Close Quarters, Big Stars, and Observer Clumsiness

Wed, 27 Aug 2008 14:55:22 -0400

On Tuesday evening, inside the Pepsi Center in Denver, the Media Mob had a moment of clumsiness, involving Karl Rove's laptop computer.

It was a few short hours before Hillary Clinton was to address the delegates. The green room of the Fox News sky box inside the arena was buzzing with activity. Energy was high. The quarters were close.

The Media Mob was sitting on smallish couch conducting an...

On How Much We Should Care That Mitt Romney's Here

Tue, 26 Aug 2008 21:49:54 -0400

tomscocca (9:40:01 PM): How come Mitt Romney showing up in Denver means GOP Serious About Attacking Obama rather than Despised Has-Been Begs for...

Howard Fineman, Market Manipulator

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:46:03 -0400

For most of the summer, Biden contracts were trading at around 10 on the Intrade political market, while Evan Bayh contracts traded much higher – peaking at 40 about 10 days ago. But look at what’s happened in just the last day, as the media has begun portraying Biden as the most likely selection.

Other notable values on the Democratic V.P. market: Tim Kaine is...

Huckabee's VP Choice: Anybody But Romney

Thu, 14 Aug 2008 17:17:03 -0400

In an interview on Fox News today, Mike Huckabee registered his objection to the idea of Mitt Romney joining this year’s Republican ticket.

“Mitt Romney has had very definite swings of positions— not just one or two little things, but on many of the issues,” Huckabee said. He later added: “I think that there are better choices for Senator McCain, that would have the approval of values voters.”

If Not Romney, Who?

Thu, 17 Jul 2008 15:49:22 -0400

Last week, I pretty much wrote off the idea that John McCain will offer his running-mate slot to Mitt Romney. I probably shouldn't have. (Talk about a flip-flop ...)

My reason for dismissing Romney was simple: The political style he exhibited in his own presidential campaign -- abandoning just about all previously held principles in an effort to hew to every conservative interest group's issues checklist -- fundamentally violated McCain's sense of propriety and honor....

The Problem With V.P. Romney

Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:43:38 -0400

The case for Mitt Romney as John McCain’s running mate is strong and very easy to make.

He’s well known, popular with the party base, a strong performer on television, and would bring big bucks, vigor and youth (or at least the appearance of it – he is 61, after all) to a Republican ticket that desperately needs all three. Plus, Romney’s corporate background would offer badly needed cover to McCain on the economy,...

McCain and Romney in Utah, Today!

Thu, 27 Mar 2008 12:37:24 -0400

This just came in from the McCain campaign:ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today announced that John McCain and Governor Mitt Romney will hold a media availability in Utah on Thursday, March 27th. ...

Romney to Endorse McCain

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 13:54:48 -0500

CNN is reporting that Mitt Romney will endorse John McCain at an event in Boston at 3:30, and that he is going to ask his delegates to support McCain as well.

This is a bit of a boon to McCain, who is struggling to get conservative approval of his inevitable candidacy. Romney, while a recent conservative, has been embraced as the candidate of the more conservative wing of the Republican Party. At the...

Gary Bauer Endorses McCain

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:09:15 -0500

The McCain campaign just announced that Gary Bauer has endorsed John McCain. Bauer is the onetime president of the Family Research Council, founder of the Campaign for Working Families PAC, former presidential candidate, and an enthusiastic supporter of traditional marriage and turning over Roe v. Wade.

His endorsement should help soothe some of the conservative rebellion against what seems like McCain’s inevitable path to the Republican presidential nomination. It also seems like a bit of...

The Long Game: Mitt Vs. Huck in 2012

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:20:20 -0500

The race for the 2012 Republican nomination is on, with the two early leaders—Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee—using this year’s campaign, in very different ways, to position themselves for what many in the party privately believe will be an open nomination.

Granted, it’s somewhat premature to discuss the 2012 race when John McCain, who is now the presumptive nominee, actually leads Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama (slightly) in some polls. If McCain wins in the...

Is There a Bloomberg Scenario With No Romney?

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:10:10 -0500

OK, so let's assume for the sake of this exercise—or maybe just because we feel like it—that Michael Bloomberg is still actively considering a run for president.

Conventional wisdom was that Bloomberg would be more likely to run if Romney, who had fashioned himself the conventional, party-line conservative in the race, became the nominee, leaving moderate Republicans and Republican-leaning independents up for grabs. So now that he's not around to stand in the way of...

Log Cabin Republicans Not Sad to See Romney Go

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:43:44 -0500

The Log Cabin Republicans just sent out a gleeful email (subject: We Did It!) saying they "led the way" in pushing Mitt Romney out of the G.O.P. race and today "a great day for the Republican Party."

Here's the text of the email:

"Mitt Romney's decision to withdraw from the Presidential race was a smart one. After Super Tuesday, it became clear that Mitt Romney had no chance to win the GOP nomination. Governor...

Romney Keeps Future Options Open

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 14:12:30 -0500

In part, Mitt Romney was simply accepting reality—rather than spending millions more from his own pocket to fight it—when he suspended his campaign today.

With John McCain's delegate lead, the G.O.P.'s delegate distribution rules, and the lingering presence of Mike Huckabee, there was simply no plausible way for Romney to beat out McCain for the nomination.

But his move, which he couched in terms of party unity, could also be seen an effort to preserve his...

Bloomberg on Romney's Departure

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:48:24 -0500

After hearing that Mitt Romney would likely drop out of the Republican primary, Michael Bloomberg told reporters at a press conference in Midtown this morning that he felt "sorry" for him, and hoped he would stay active in public life.

"It's sad because I know how much they've tried and they put their heart and their soul, and in many cases, their personal wealth into it," Bloomberg said. "They believe they can make a difference.

"I've...

Romney Decries Democrats, 'Evil Extremism' in Withdrawal Speech

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 13:12:03 -0500

Mitt Romney just withdrew from the race for the Republican presidential nomination after a poor showing in the Super Tuesday primaries—he won the states he has lived in and a series of not particularly contested caucuses.

In his speech to the Conservative Political Action Conference, Romney noted that he "hates to lose" but is withdrawing because "If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of...

Romney Out

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:21:22 -0500

Mark Halperin is reporting that Romney will drop out of the race, possibly making his announcement at Conservative Political Action Conference today.

UPDATE: CNN is now reporting that Romney will suspend his campaign....

Voters Reject Romney ... and Limbaugh and Coulter and Dobson

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 13:00:00 -0500

Following John McCain’s victory in Florida last week the chorus of McCain-hatred grew louder on talk radio shows and on many conservative blogs.

Rush Limbaugh declared that McCain was not conservative and unacceptable as a candidate. Formerly respectable conservative figures took delight in criticizing McCain’s war record—yes, his war record—by tallying up the number of planes he had lost in combat. Ann Coulter and James Dobson, a social conservative leader and head of the Focus...

Super Tuesday Reshapes the G.O.P. Race

Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:33:41 -0500

Each of the Republicans can claim some kind of victory tonight, but the big winner is clearly John McCain-–with a major assist from Mike Huckabee.

John McCain won the most delegates today, with a tally that could reach as high as 600, depending on how California shakes out (it has more than half of the number needed to clinch the nomination). McCain did win the most states, but his delegate total was additionally padded by...

Current Delegate Count: Obama by a Little, McCain by a Lot

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:30:01 -0500

With tallies still outstanding from California and a few other states, NBC has Barack Obama leading the day's pledged delegate county, 594-546. (Slightly closer than the Obama campaign’s reported estimate.)

On the Republican side, the numbers are less clear, but NBC is predicting that John McCain will receive between 400 and 600 today, while Mitt Romney will grab between 150 and 400, and Mike Huckabee will finish with about 200.

...

Romney Proud of All His Home-State Wins

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:41:39 -0500

To raucous cheers, Mitt Romney just boasted that he's now won all of the states in which he has lived: "Michigan, Massachusetts and Utah." He didn't mention New Hampshire, where he is a part-time resident (a summer home in Wolfeboro) and where he lost the Republican primary to John...

The Next Contests for the G.O.P. Candidates

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:23:57 -0500

With John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney all moving on after Super Tuesday, the next contests will be this Saturday in Louisiana, Washington State and Kansas.

With the strength he has shown in his home region tonight, Huckabee could parlay his strong Super Tuesday performance into Louisiana and Kansas. Washington would be a more natural fit for McCain, although Romney has been trying to pitch himself as a "western" candidate. (This Saturday's contest...

Pending California, Romney Set to Make the Most of Not Much

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:17:19 -0500

Mitt Romney is expected to speak shortly. Notably, he is doing so before California's results come in. Delegates are awarded proportionally there, but Romney could very much use a win. This has not been a very good night for Romney, since he was blocked out of contention across the South by Mike Huckabee. But it has not been nearly as disastrous as some had forecasted, since McCain's victories (outside of Oklahoma, perhaps) might...

Huckabee Undermines Romney All Across the South

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:50:13 -0500

As a fuller picture of the results in Southern states emerges, it now appears that Mike Huckabee has undermined Mitt Romney's campaign. Romney, whose last-ditch strategy involves trying to rally the party's conservative base around him in opposition to John McCain and his supposed crimes against conservatism, badly needs a handful of wins in states like Georgia, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Missouri -- places where his new message should most resonate. But Huckabee's regional and...

Why the Massachusetts Win Matters for Romney

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 20:10:51 -0500

The biggest news for Republicans at 8:00 is that Massachusetts has been won -- decisively -- by Mitt Romney. John McCain has campaigned in the Bay State, hoping to capitalize of disaffection with Romney from Republicans who feel he abandoned them as governor to pursue his national ambitions. McCain had the backing of two former Republican governors -- Paul Cellucci and Jane Swift (who was pushed out of the corner office by Romney in...

Georgia: Big for Obama, Maybe for Romney Too

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 19:29:01 -0500

That Barack Obama has won Georgia is no surprise. That he apparently has won it by such a large margin -- perhaps exceeding 70 percent of the statewide vote, if early reports are true -- is a shock, and could portend trouble for Hillary Clinton nationwide tonight. Georgia's Democratic electorate, like South Carolina's, is about 50 percent black, and Obama has apparently won this constituency overwhelmingly. But if his statewide advantage over Hillary is...

In W. Va., Huckabee Blocks for McCain

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 15:25:43 -0500

Another example of the enduring John McCain-Mike Huckabee alliance and its consequences for Mitt Romney: Huckabee just won the West Virginia State Republican Convention thanks to an assist from McCain.

Romney targeted West Virginia, where a vote of the 1,100 delegates at the state G.O.P. convention determines which presidential candidate will receive all 18 of West Virginia's delegates to the national convention.

On the first ballot, Romney led with 41 percent to Huckabee's 33 percent, with...

Why Romney Has Risen in California

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 14:31:55 -0500

John McCain has been steadily rising in the polls for many weeks. But today, it looks like he may be on the verge of losing California--even though just one week ago he led the state. Here are a few points that could help make sense out the Golden State Republican primary.

1) Immigration. A Field Poll, the gold standard for California polling, released two weeks ago found that 40 percent of G.O.P. primary voters pegged...

When Romney Attacks, McCain Comes to Bob Dole's Defense

Tue, 05 Feb 2008 10:16:21 -0500

Yesterday Bob Dole came to the defense of John McCain in a letter to Rush Limbaugh that hailed McCain as a "mainstream conservative."

In a television appearance this morning on Fox & Friends Mitt Romney told the host, Dole is "the last person I would want to write a letter for me."

Now, McCain is returning the favor. His campaign just issued the following statement:

"Governor Romney's attack on Bob Dole is disgraceful, and Governor Romney should...

The Super Tuesday Stakes

Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:02:28 -0500

Democrats

Barack Obama:

At a minimum, Obama needs to keep the overall delegate count relatively close, so that even if he falls behind Hillary, he won’t be in a position where he needs to sweep the rest of the primaries and caucuses to catch up. Even though delegates are given out proportionally at the district level, Obama also needs to win multiple states in different regions to make a statement about his national viability.

A good day...

The Many Gifts of Mike Huckabee (to John McCain)

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 22:15:38 -0500

When John McCain and Mike Huckabee forged an informal alliance just before the Iowa caucuses, skeptics called it a fleeting marriage of convenience.

With an assist from McCain, Huckabee would fend off Mitt Romney in Iowa, thereby wounding Romney and creating an opening for McCain in New Hampshire. Then, with Romney marginalized, McCain and Huckabee would call off their truce and tear into each other in a one-on-one battle for the nomination.

That’s not quite how...

Why Romney May Lose Massachusetts

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 15:44:04 -0500

Mitt Romney is in danger of losing his home state next Tuesday.

The former Massachusetts governor is on bad terms with numerous rank-and-file Republican voters in his own state, the result of the widely-held perception that Romney essentially abandoned them halfway through his governorship.

The Massachusetts Republican universe is small -- less than 15 percent of voters are party members -- and turnout in next Tuesday's primary could be comparatively microscopic, particularly...

In Defense of McCain's Attacks

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:27:57 -0500

Let’s start by stipulating the obvious: Mitt Romney is absolutely correct when he complains—as he did repeatedly throughout last night’s final pre-Super Tuesday Republican debate—that John McCain has intentionally and maliciously misrepresented Romney’s publicly stated views on the Iraq war.

It was in the closing days of the Florida campaign that McCain threw Romney on the defensive with charges that the former Massachusetts governor had favored a troop withdrawal—or “surrender,” as McCain prefers—last year at...

A Sleeper for Romney

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:40:17 -0500

As my delayed plane waits for a green light to take off from Orlando, this Mitt Romney supporter is currently snoring on my shoulder. His t-shirt says "Woodstock Coalition of Aggressive...