Friday, March 2, 2007

Romney Takes on McCain's Marriage Amendment Position

The Brody File

David Brody
CBN News Capitol Hill Correspondent

March 1 2007

During the interview, Romney told me that he's the biggest defender of traditional marriage and distanced himself from John McCain on this issue. How is this going to play with grassroots conservative groups and inside the McCain camp? Is Brian Camenker from Mass Resistance running for his heart medication right about now? (it's in the upper left draw in the kitchen) They have taken issue with Romney in the past on this saying he could have done a whole lot more to prevent gay marriage in Massachusetts. The Romney campaign says Governor Romney did as much as he could really do under the law. I can read the emails now. Comments? Watch above, transcription below.

"With regards to same sex marriage, I don't think there's been a bigger defender of traditional marriage among the political world than me over these last several years than me. I fought for a federal amendment to the constitution to establish marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. Senator McCain voted against that."

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Romney's Great Expectations

Former Gov. Mitt Romney took to the airwaves in a series of early voting states last week with an ad aimed at introducing himself to voters. But his campaign distributed a memo over the weekend warning supporters not to expect too much too soon.

The memo, which was penned by the Massachusetts Republican's senior strategist Alex Gage, aims to simultaneously lower expectations for the governor while arguing that he is in a better position at the moment than past governors who have won their party's nomination.

"At this point in the cycle, national polls are entirely a reflection of name identification, not voters' views of candidates," writes Gage, who has earned a reputation as a microtargeting guru. Romney currently is in third or fourth place in most states and national polls behind Sen. John McCain of Arizona, former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and, at times, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia.

Gage notes that three "small state" governors like Romney -- Jimmy Carter of Georgia, Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts and Bill Clinton of Arkansas -- were all lower in polling at a similar point in their races. In 1975, Carter was at a mere 1 percent in a Gallup survey. Dukakis matched that level of support in 1987. Clinton boasted a whopping 2 percent in 1991. Romney, as Gage points out, is at an "impressive" 5 percent in the most recent Gallup poll.

"Gov. Romney is already well-positioned compared to previous candidates who came from similar backgrounds to win their party's nomination, but we should be careful not to expect to see movement in the polls until voters seriously begin to pay attention to the race," wrote Gage in the memo addressed to "Romney for President Leadership."

Gage adds that "observers in the media will inevitably question why our numbers don't immediately rise after being up on the airwaves but we must remain patient."

Dang media.

Gage is right to suggest that national polls at this early stage are far from predictive. And he is right that Romney will not immediately surpass McCain or Giuliani simply because he has begun running television ads in certain states. But Romney must show real movement in places like Iowa and New Hampshire over the next few months if he wants to remain in the first-tier of candidates.

Romney has great potential as a candidate, but turning that potential into real support is his challenge.

Mitt Romney

Party: Republican
Occupation: Businessman
Current Job / Position:Candidate

Biography

Personal:
Birthdate: March 12, 1947 (Detroit, Mich.)
Hometown: Bloomfield Hills, Mich.
Spouse: Ann Romney
Children: Tagg Romney, Matt Romney, Josh Romney, Ben Romney, Craig Romney
Religion: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Education:
Harvard Business School, M.B.A, 1975
Harvard Law School, J.D.
Brigham Young University, B.A., 1971
Cranbrook School

Experience:
Businesses Owned, Past Careers, Board Memberships, Etc.:
Bain Capital, founded by Romney in 1984
Salt Lake Organizing Committee (2002 winter Olympics)
Bain & Co. vice president, 1978-1984

Public Service / Elected Offices:
Governor of Massachusetts, 2003-2007
Chairman, Republican Governors Association

Book(s)
Turnaround: Crisis, Leadership, and the Olympic Games by Mitt Romney

Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Document shows Romney campaign strategies

By Scott Helman The Boston Globe Here are some views of Mitt Romney causing concern inside his campaign: His hair looks too perfect, he's not a tough wartime leader, and he has earned a reputation as "Slick Dancing Mitt" or "Flip-Flop Mitt." Romney and his advisers have identified those perceptions as threats to his bid for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination, according to an exhaustive internal campaign document obtained by the Globe. The 77-slide PowerPoint presentation offers a revealing look at Romney's pursuit of the White House, outlining a plan for branding himself, framing his competitors, and allaying voter concerns about his record, his Mormon faith, and his shifts on key issues like abortion. Dated Dec. 11, the blueprint is wide-ranging and analyzes in detail the strengths and weaknesses of Romney and his two main Republican rivals, Senator John McCain of Arizona and Rudolph W. Giuliani, former mayor of New York. The plan, which top Romney strategist Alex Castellanos helped to draft, charts a course for Romney to emerge as the nominee, but acknowledges that the "electorate is not where it needs to be for us to succeed." It is unclear how the campaign is using the document. However, its expansiveness, level of detail and the involvement of Castellanos suggest that it is a significant strategic blueprint. On the campaign trail, Romney is sounding some of the themes outlined in it. Romney spokesman Kevin Madden would not confirm or deny the plan's authenticity, saying only that the former governor has received an "overly abundant" amount of input on how to run his campaign. Asked specifically about the contents, Madden said: "If anything, it's a compilation of political conventional wisdom." "We're obviously very, very focused on introducing Mitt Romney and his vision for leading the country into the future," Madden said. "And everybody recognizes that he's somebody with a lot of energy and a lot of ideas." Campaign blueprints analyzing a candidate and the competition are not unusual; earlier this year, the New York Daily News obtained and wrote about a similar dossier from Giuliani's campaign. And the Romney presentation lacks any big bombshells. Still, it provides a window into the challenges and opportunities Romney and his advisors envision as he tries to win the Republican primary. The plan, for instance, indicates that Romney will define himself in part by focusing on and highlighting enemies and adversaries, such common political targets as "jihadism," the "Washington establishment," and taxes, but also Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, "European-style socialism," and, specifically, France. Even Massachusetts, where Romney has lived for almost 40 years, is listed as one of those "bogeymen," alongside liberalism and Hollywood values. Indeed, a page titled "Primal Code for Brand Romney" said that Romney should define himself as a foil to Bay State Democrats such as Senators Edward M. Kennedy and John Kerry and former governor Michael Dukakis. Romney should position himself as "the anti-Kerry," the presentation says. But elsewhere in the plan, it's clear that Romney and his aides are aware he's open to the same charge that helped derail Kerry's presidential campaign in 2004: that he is a flip-flopper who has changed positions out of political expediency. Because he is attempting to capture the conservative vote, Romney is facing persistent questions about his relatively recent shifts to more conservative positions on issues such as abortion, gay rights, and gun control. One page of the plan cites Kerry and says Romney doesn't want to spend 2007 facing skepticism about his conservative message. The blueprint also describes political assets and vulnerabilities of McCain and Giuliani, who lead Romney in the polls. McCain is described as a war hero and maverick with a compelling narrative and a reputation for wit, authenticity, and straight talk. But he's also seen as "too Washington," "too close to Democratic Left," an "uncertain, erratic, unreliable leader in uncertain times." "Does he fit The Big Chair?" the document asks. The plan calls McCain, 70, a "mature brand" and raises questions about whether he could handle the rigors of leading the free world. Giuliani is called an outside-the-Beltway rock star and truth teller who earned the nation's trust for his leadership of New York City's response to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. But he is described as a one-dimensional Lone Ranger whose social views - he supports abortion rights and civil unions for gay couples - could destroy the "GOP brand." "We can't disqualify Dems like Hillary on social issues ever again" if Giuliani is the nominee, the document states. The plan also touches on what it calls Giuliani's ethical issues, including his relationship with Bernard Kerik, former New York police commissioner who withdrew from consideration to become US homeland security secretary amid allegations of improprieties. It raises Giuliani's "personal political liabilities," an apparent reference to his three marriages and bitter public divorce from his second wife, Donna Hanover. It is clear that Romney's campaign operatives plan to make sure that voters are familiar with the perceived weaknesses of McCain and Giuliani and conduct opposition research on the candidates. But the campaign, according to the blueprint, also wants to avoid attacking either man too directly or harshly, in part because Romney wants their supporters to ultimately shift to him. At a campaign stop in New Hampshire last week, he called McCain and Giuliani friends and national heroes. The plan concedes that, with McCain and Giuliani in the race, Romney is unlikely to be the top pick for those voters looking for a "war/strong leader." His goal appears to be establishing himself as a credible second choice for those voters, but the first pick for voters looking for an energetic, optimistic, and innovative chief executive. (A page titled "Own the future" dubs McCain the past, Giuliani the present, and Romney the future.) The case for Romney, according to the plan, is this: "Mitt Romney, tested, intelligent, get-it-done, turnaround CEO Governor and strong leader from outside Washington, is a better candidate than McCain & Giuliani to ensure that America's strength is maintained so we can meet a new generation of global challenges." The document underscores Romney's aim to become the "only electable choice" for socially conservative voters. But the plan anticipates that Romney could face a serious threat if Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker who is considered one of the GOP's leading conservative intellectuals, decides to enter the race. Romney's sensitivity to his Mormon faith as a campaign issue is apparent throughout the plan. It acknowledges that some view Mormonism as weird and lists ways Romney should defend his faith, from highlighting the way he has lived his life, rather than which church he attends, to acknowledging theological differences with mainline Christian denominations while refusing to be drawn into an extensive discussion of Mormon doctrine and practices. It also suggests Romney might soon need to address the issue head-on, perhaps as John F. Kennedy did in a 1960 speech amid concerns about his relationship to the Catholic Church. The document appears to raise the possibility of Romney delivering such an address at George H.W. Bush's presidential library outside Houston, the same city where Kennedy gave his. Enmity toward France, where Romney did his Mormon mission during college, is a recurring theme of the document. The European Union, it says at one point, wants to "drag America down to Europe's standards," adding: "That's where Hillary and Dems would take us. Hillary France." The plan even envisions "First, not France" bumper stickers. In addition, the document provides a Romney roadmap for the early primaries, suggesting that he hopes to emerge as a credible "alternative to frontrunner" in Iowa, win New Hampshire, show strength in South Carolina, and be dominant in states, such as Michigan, that are eyeing early primary dates. The plan suggests Romney make full use of new media to reach voters, from feeding videos to YouTube to perhaps creating his own radio programming. Like every Republican in the race, Romney faces the delicate task of how to talk about President Bush, whom the country gives low job-approval ratings. But the plan lists two ways Romney can set himself apart from Bush. The first says, simply, "Intelligence." Scott Helman can be reached at shelmanglobe.com.

2008 Presidential Race Gets Its First Cattle Call

Visitors in the Metro Center area this weekend might hear some mooing coming from the JW Marriott Hotel, site of the first cattle call of the 2008 presidential campaign.
Technically, this first '08 campaign event is the bipartisan meeting of the National Governors Association. But as many as 15 of the nation's 50 governors are considering a bid for the presidency, and both parties have learned the benefits of nominating a governor.

The defeat last year of Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) extended a losing streak for sitting legislators that has been going since John F. Kennedy's 1960 election. As Kerry, Robert J. Dole (R-Kan.) and others know, those decades-long voting records can be hard to explain.
So here's a scouting report on the guvs of 2005 -- and the would-be presidents of 2008:
Republicans
Arnold Schwarzenegger (Calif): Needs constitutional amendment -- quickly.
Mitt Romney (Mass.): Prettier than John Edwards.
George E. Pataki (N.Y.) : He'll have to outfox Rudy.
Jeb Bush (Fla.): Many hope he'll break his promise not to run.
Haley Barbour (Miss.): Deep ties to Washington steakhouse of dubious value.
Mike Huckabee (Ark.): Recent weight loss increases speculation.
Mark Sanford (S.C.): Can't run if his friend John McCain does.
Bill Owens (Colo.): Embarrassed by Democratic victories in his state in '04.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Romney Declares ’08 Candidacy in Michigan

DEARBORN, Mich., Feb. 13 — Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, came to the state where he was born this morning to declare his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination, and became the latest presidential candidate to position himself as an outsider running against Washington.

“We are weary of the bickering and bombast, we’re fatigued by the posturing and self-promotion,” Mr. Romney said, standing at the Henry Ford Museum here. “For even as America faces a new generation of challenges, the halls of government are clogged with petty politics and stuffed with peddlers of influence.”
“I do not believe Washington can be transformed from within by a lifelong politician,” he said. “There have been too many deals, too many favors, too many entanglements and too little real world experience managing, guiding, leading.”

Romney stresses family values

By: Jason Spencer
Spartanburg Herald-Journal
Friday, Feb 23, 2007
"People, not government, are the source of America's strength, Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney told a crowded room in Spartanburg late Thursday. "'There is no place that is more important to the future strength of America than the American home,' Romney told a crowd of more than 600 people at the Spartanburg County Republican Party's annual Presidents Day Banquet. "'The work that goes on within the walls of a home is the most important work that is ever done in America. ... And if we want to strengthen America, we need to strengthen the American family.' "Romney's speech stressed family values, the need to cut off investments in businesses linked to the Iranian regime and the Republican belief in less government."

An Excerpt from Governor Romney's "Turnaround"

An Excerpt from Governor Romney's "Turnaround"
By: Mitt Romney
"When I moved into my new role in Utah and met with Olympic champions, I often asked them to recount the most powerful and meaningful moment of their experience. Mike Eruzione, captain of the 1980 "Miracle on ice" hockey team, gave a surprising answer. He said that people always assume that it was when he scored the decisive goal against the Russians, but that wasn't it. Next, they guess that it must have been winning against the Finns for the gold medal. That wasn't it either. For Mike, the most powerful and meaningful moment was walking into the stadium during the opening ceremonies as part of the American delegation, representing his country. That was the most moving moment to Mike Eruzione.

Monday, February 26, 2007

Is America ripe for a Mormon president?

Hot drink dilemma
I gave them 10 minutes on a Monday morning and promptly forgot all about it until two middle-aged men in grey suits - Michael and Ken - turned up at our office reception.

I offered them coffee and began a learning process.
You may already know that Mormons do not drink coffee or alcohol but what you might not know is that their religious ban is on "hot drinks".
And that cocoa has been decreed "not hot". And, furthermore, that Coke and Pepsi and the like exist at the moment in a doctrinal grey area.
All these things I learned that morning.
But as 10 minutes became half an hour and an hour and more, I made a much more profound discovery about this faith: that its adherents are bright and intellectually open, and have a sense of humour, of humanity, that is sadly lacking in other strands of American religious life.
Forget for a moment the old stereotype of the Mormon in rural Utah - the multiple wives - of which the Church has not approved for 100 years.
Mormons are social conservatives - hugely keen on the promotion of family life.

The Narrowing Field, A number of presidential contenders leave the race.

Saturday, December 23, 2006; Page A20
IN THEORY, this should be the most wide-open presidential contest in decades. In reality, more than a year before the first vote, the field seems to be narrowing awfully fast. On the Democratic side, former Virginia governor Mark Warner, Wisconsin Sen. Russ Feingold, former South Dakota senator Tom Daschle and, this week, Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh have announced they won't be running. On the Republican side, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee is leaving not just the Senate but the presidential race, and Virginia Sen. George Allen, once a leading contender, seems unlikely to toss his hat into the ring.
To be honest, we'll miss some of these candidates more than others. It's not unheard of to have such early dropouts: Former vice president Al Gore emerged from the "Saturday Night Live" hot tub at this time four years ago to announce he wouldn't be a candidate in 2004. And the field of announced candidates will certainly grow. North Carolina's John Edwards, the former Democratic vice presidential nominee, is set to make his announcement next week, joining Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack in the Democratic field.

Mitt Romney For President News