Romney drops out

[TigerHoya]

insidecharmcity.com/2008/02/07/romney-drops-out-to-endorse-mccain-in-baltimore-tonight/

[Boz]

Wow! As they say in the KFC commercials, "Didn't see that coming."

He's speaking live at C-PAC right now. Just got introduced. We'll see what he has to say.

[theexorcist]

So according to the Salon theory, Louisville's gonna forfeit. Right?

RIGHT?

[DanMcQ]

www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/02/07/romney_to_suspend_presidential_campaign/


www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/02/07/romney146s_address_to_the_conservative_political_action_committee/

[Boz]

Here it comes. . .

Well, he didn't actually say the words, "I endorse John McCain," but for all intents and purposes, that's what he did in casting this as a wartime election.

[EasyEd]

You will not hear many people say out loud what is well known. Romney was unelectable because he is a Mormon, sad as that may be. I know there are other Christian ministers that have openly taken on the Mormon religion, branding it as a cult and saying Mormons are not Christians. I've even had someone tell me they could never vote for a Mormon but could vote for an atheist. And, this is not confined to Evangelicals nor to Republicans. It's widespread. Kinda wierd the country seems to be willing to elect a female or a black person President but have not gotten over the hump on Mormons.

[hifigator]

Feb 7, 2008 13:12:29 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

You will not hear many people say out loud what is well known. Romney was unelectable because he is a Mormon, sad as that may be. I know there are other Christian ministers that have openly taken on the Mormon religion, branding it as a cult and saying Mormons are not Christians. I've even had someone tell me they could never vote for a Mormon but could vote for an atheist. And, this is not confined to Evangelicals nor to Republicans. It's widespread. Kinda wierd the country seems to be willing to elect a female or a black person President but have not gotten over the hump on Mormons.

That is precisely what I have said all along. Although I think he could have a shot against either Hillary or Barack, I think McCain has a much better shot. Now if we could just get McCain back on the right side of several issues.

[theexorcist]

Feb 7, 2008 13:12:29 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

You will not hear many people say out loud what is well known. Romney was unelectable because he is a Mormon, sad as that may be. I know there are other Christian ministers that have openly taken on the Mormon religion, branding it as a cult and saying Mormons are not Christians. I've even had someone tell me they could never vote for a Mormon but could vote for an atheist. And, this is not confined to Evangelicals nor to Republicans. It's widespread. Kinda wierd the country seems to be willing to elect a female or a black person President but have not gotten over the hump on Mormons.

LOOK.

I don't like Romney. I don't like him because he reminds me of a car salesman clashed with John Kerry. He sold himself as a conservative because that was his chance to get elected. He was not remarkably conservative when in Massachusetts. He seems to be all talk and no substance.

There is an all-too prevalent culture in America that wants to blame everything on who we are rather than how we act. I didn't get that recording deal because I'm not a size 0. I didn't get a book deal because I'm gay. I didn't win Iowa because I'm a woman.

Bull. Romney comes across as unlikeable and unelectable. It's not because he's Mormon. It's because he's Mitt Romney.

[rosslynhoya]

Feb 7, 2008 13:12:29 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

You will not hear many people say out loud what is well known. Romney was unelectable because he is a Mormon, sad as that may be. I know there are other Christian ministers that have openly taken on the Mormon religion, branding it as a cult and saying Mormons are not Christians. I've even had someone tell me they could never vote for a Mormon but could vote for an atheist. And, this is not confined to Evangelicals nor to Republicans. It's widespread. Kinda wierd the country seems to be willing to elect a female or a black person President but have not gotten over the hump on Mormons.

I agree with this entirely, but I think it's largely superficial. Many if not most of the people who claim that they'd never vote for a Mormon are liberals who know that "Mormon" means a practicing Christian with conservative cultural values and in particular, meant "Mitt Romney." Unlike the evangelical opposition, the "Mormon" to them is little more than a crutch to say "I don't like that guy in particular and what he stands for." The fact that the Senate Majority Leader is a flaming Mormon doesn't bother any of them in the least.

[Bando]

If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

You stay classy, Mitt Romney.

[AustinHoya03]

Feb 7, 2008 14:46:49 GMT -5 Bando said:

If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

You stay classy, Mitt Romney.

Romney added the standard GOP talking points: "Iraq, al Qaeda, Iraq, 9/11, al Qaeda, 9/11, al Qaeda, Iraq."

Re: ed's points above, while I don't doubt some people out there have an irrational fear of a Mormon President (and ed's personal experience is testament to this), I don't think that's what cost Romney the election. I've been asking for weeks for a Romney supporter to lay out why he supports Mitt and have gotten zero response. Personally, I think Romney didn't get the votes he needed because: a) he takes positions and makes statements mainly based on his campaign's polling data; and 2) unless one is adamantly opposed to McCain's position on immigration, Romney really isn't a much different candidate. Had I voted for McCain in the TX primary election (I'll vote in the Dem. primary now that the R's have virtually selected a nominee), it would have had nothing to do with Romney's religion.

[Boz]

Feb 7, 2008 14:46:49 GMT -5 Bando said:

If I fight on in my campaign, all the way to the convention, I would forestall the launch of a national campaign and make it more likely that Senator Clinton or Obama would win. And in this time of war, I simply cannot let my campaign, be a part of aiding a surrender to terror.

You stay classy, Mitt Romney.

Yeah, don't the leopards hate it when others point out their spots?

[hifigator]

Feb 7, 2008 13:41:27 GMT -5 theexorcist said:

Feb 7, 2008 13:12:29 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

You will not hear many people say out loud what is well known. Romney was unelectable because he is a Mormon, sad as that may be. I know there are other Christian ministers that have openly taken on the Mormon religion, branding it as a cult and saying Mormons are not Christians. I've even had someone tell me they could never vote for a Mormon but could vote for an atheist. And, this is not confined to Evangelicals nor to Republicans. It's widespread. Kinda wierd the country seems to be willing to elect a female or a black person President but have not gotten over the hump on Mormons.

LOOK.

I don't like Romney. I don't like him because he reminds me of a car salesman clashed with John Kerry. He sold himself as a conservative because that was his chance to get elected. He was not remarkably conservative when in Massachusetts. He seems to be all talk and no substance.

There is an all-too prevalent culture in America that wants to blame everything on who we are rather than how we act. I didn't get that recording deal because I'm not a size 0. I didn't get a book deal because I'm gay. I didn't win Iowa because I'm a woman.

Bull. Romney comes across as unlikeable and unelectable. It's not because he's Mormon. It's because he's Mitt Romney.

I agree 100%. I had the exact same impression of him. It was hard to put my finger on, but I have said on more than one occasion, that I just don't trust the guy. "Car salesman" is a very aprepos description.

[bubbrubbhoya]

Say what you will about his perceived slimeyness, but you can't deny that this was an extremely selfless act, something almost entirely absent in the world of politics. Romney put everything he had into the campaign and almost pulled it off, and it must have killed him to pull out now. Ironically, it shows the kind of solid judgment and ability to frankly assess events that would be good to have in the Oval Office. He saw the need for the party to portray strength rather than tear itself apart primary-by-primary, and he did what he knew was best for everyone. You won't see that again by your politicians any time soon.

[SFHoya99]

Romney lost because there really wasn't much demand for him versus the other products. Part of that is his Mormonism, but I think that could have been overcome if the Religious Right wasn't firmly in Huckabee's corner. Once that happened, the more centrist Republicans -- people that focus on the economy/security -- were more likely to swing to a centrist McCain.

Who's left for Romney? Sure there's a good number of folks more conservative than McCain but not as religious as Huckabee, but it isn't the giant block Romney was looking for pre-Huckabee, which was everything right of McCain.

Anyway, I dislike Romney because he's slimy and changes his values based on what state he's campaigning in.

[SDHoya]

I suppose Mormonism played a role, but only because Huckabee was a safer bet for the religious conservatives. The real reason why he lost is because he was a centrist governor in Massachusets, and then changed all his positions in order to run for president. Unless the Mormon faith causes you to every few years change just about every one of your core beliefs (ie., health care, abortion, taxation, immigration, etc.), I kinda think he lost because people saw him as being phony, not because they were religiously biggoted.

And selfless? I'm not so sure about that. I think it more had to do with the fact that after putting $35 million of his own money into the campaign and still getting destroyed, he decided even someone as rich as he is has a limit.

[theexorcist]

Feb 7, 2008 16:11:54 GMT -5 bubbrubbhoya said:

Say what you will about his perceived slimeyness, but you can't deny that this was an extremely selfless act, something almost entirely absent in the world of politics. Romney put everything he had into the campaign and almost pulled it off, and it must have killed him to pull out now. Ironically, it shows the kind of solid judgment and ability to frankly assess events that would be good to have in the Oval Office. He saw the need for the party to portray strength rather than tear itself apart primary-by-primary, and he did what he knew was best for everyone. You won't see that again by your politicians any time soon.

I kind of think this, but I also think that Romney cut a deal. Maybe a VP slot (though I really doubt it), maybe some other nice job if McCain wins.

A partisan fight that was just gonna suck money from Romney's money was a bad idea, especially since the Republicans start down at least a touchdown. Romney made a smart business decision to accept defeat rather than fight and lose.

EDIT - even if McCain loses, Romney's political future seems relatively bright. He can always go back and say "I did what was best for the party".

[Bando]

Feb 7, 2008 15:08:38 GMT -5 Boz said:

Feb 7, 2008 14:46:49 GMT -5 Bando said:

You stay classy, Mitt Romney.

Yeah, don't the leopards hate it when others point out their spots?

You're a dick. Are you really saying that I and every other Democrat is anxiously awaiting the day where sharia is implemented, we all convert to Islam, and we're subsumed within the caliphate? Go Edited yourself.

[TBird41]

Feb 7, 2008 18:02:26 GMT -5 Bando said:

Feb 7, 2008 15:08:38 GMT -5 Boz said:

Yeah, don't the leopards hate it when others point out their spots?

You're a dick. Are you really saying that I and every other Democrat is anxiously awaiting the day where sharia is implemented, we all convert to Islam, and we're subsumed within the caliphate? Go Edited yourself.

I think he may have been talking about your class...or lack thereof. If he was, well...

[Jack]

Ah, but is Mitt really just positioning himself for 2012?

abcnews.go.com/Politics/Vote2008/Story?id=4257908&page=1

It certainly would not surprise me, but it also seems to me he needs to do something to strengthen his resume in the interim- even without any young GOP stars (like Obama for the Dems), Romney must see that John Edwards' path did not work out so well. Elected office is probably out of the question (certainly so long as he claims to be from MA), and plotting for 2012 presupposes a Clinton or Obama administration (unless he figures McCain is too old to be a 2-termer) so he is not going to be in any cabinet. What could he possibly do to shore up his credentials?

I am mostly just pleased that he went down spectacularly this time around, despite his enormous financial advantage. Once Huckabee drops out I can at least feel safe in the knowledge that I will not be embarrassed by our next President. I do fear what McCain will do in terms of foreign policy and judges, but at least I respect him as a man.