DonBradley wrote:This news puzzles me. I know that Romney's delegates have cost dearly, in financial terms; but he's still been the most obvious rival to McCain, and polls quite well with his party's staunch-conservative base. I didn't expect him to win the Republican nomination, but it seemed like a significant possibility. What might he hope to accomplish by dropping out?
Unifying the party so they can concentrate on winning in the fall.
He also gets to go out in a blaze of glory by speaking at CPAC today. And he gets to quit bleeding his own money into a hopeless campaign.
The road is beautiful, treacherous, and full of twists and turns.
Just finished listening to his final speech. Good ridance, jackass.
WK: "Joseph Smith asserted that the Book of Mormon peoples were the original inhabitants of the americas"
Will Schryver: "No, he didn’t." 3/19/08
Still waiting for Will to back this up...
DonBradley wrote:This news puzzles me. I know that Romney's delegates have cost dearly, in financial terms; but he's still been the most obvious rival to McCain, and polls quite well with his party's staunch-conservative base. I didn't expect him to win the Republican nomination, but it seemed like a significant possibility. What might he hope to accomplish by dropping out?
The most selfless reason I can think of is that he sees how his party is fracturing over the divide between himself and McCain. If Fox News and the like continue to were to continue over the coming months to tout Romney as a true conservative while bashing McCain as a Hillary Clinton doppelganger, it would threaten the party's cohesiveness going into the November elections, should McCain (as is quite likely) get the nomination. Dropping out would help the party more likely win the presidency. It would also have two up-sides for Romney. He would be spared the expense and frustration of a likely losing bid, and he would avoid being seen as a spoiler of the general election for the Republicans, making him a much more vialble candidate for future primary elections.
Or...does Romney expect his supporters to now line up behind Huckabee, which would actually strengthen the conservative-moderate divide in his party?
Has anyone talked to Mitt about this lately? Could we get him on here for comment? After all, this is Mormon Discussions, and he is the Mormon candidate....
Don
At this point, Romney winning was bordering on a mathematical impossibility. It was highly, highly unlikely he was going to win. So the campaign had to ask themselves what staying in the race would buy him. I guess whatever their answer was to that question wasn't worth the perceived costs. I like how he said he was dropping out for national security reasons, thus implying that a win for Obama or Clinton is a blow to our national security.
I'm glad that Mitt is out. I would not have wanted him as president. While I have no doubt that he is capable, and believe that he is a decent person, I've been uneasy all along about his vacillations over a period of some years.
I've never known what to make of him, even as a senate candidate (eons ago) or a governor--never known how much of what he said was what he believed, and how much was what he said to get elected as a Republican in a liberal state. His presidential campaign has only confused things more. Is Mitt a die-hard conservative? I doubt it, but this was his latest makeover. Not knowing where he really stands, and having him publicly stand far to the right, were both major turn-offs for me.
Had he campaigned for president in the way he campaigned for Massachusetts governor--as a moderate Republican--I'd have found him much more interesting. And believable.
My only (and quite minor) regret at the early end to his campaign is that he could have (inadvertantly) drummed up greater interest in Mormon studies.
<sigh>
A small price to pay for, I believe, a more reliable president.
This is a glorious day folks. The constitution, hanging by a thread can finally be cut out.
There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. I can't wait to see if there is fingerpointing towards the elephant in the room wearing a green apron.
Setting aside your hatred and bigotry towards Mormons, yes merc, you are a bigot towards Mormons, this really is politically this is disappointing. Of course, that depends on your politics. But Romney was the smartest republican candidate and more likely than not the best one to meet the challenges the nation faces. He is articulate as well and appears to have the ability to lead well and turn things around. Romney was moderately conservative but not so much so that he could not work within the framework of the party. McCain is far to lineral for much of the republican base. I guess they will just have to hold their nose like John's mommy suggested.
EAllusion wrote:I like how he said he was dropping out for national security reasons, thus implying that a win for Obama or Clinton is a blow to our national security.
??? I don't see the connection.
Anyhow, this news really aggravates me. I really wanted a financial wizard in office who had the smarts and know-how to clean up our financial mess, rather than yet another Washington insider.
"Finally, for your rather strange idea that miracles are somehow linked to the amount of gay sexual gratification that is taking place would require that primitive Christianity was launched by gay sex, would it not?"
I can't read the fine print...does it say "We'd like to be exed" in there somewhere? ;)
"Whatever appears to be against the Book of Mormon is going to be overturned at some time in the future. So we can be pretty open minded."-charity 3/7/07
EAllusion wrote:I like how he said he was dropping out for national security reasons, thus implying that a win for Obama or Clinton is a blow to our national security.
??? I don't see the connection.
Anyhow, this news really aggravates me. I really wanted a financial wizard in office who had the smarts and know-how to clean up our financial mess, rather than yet another Washington insider.
Implying a vote for a Democrat is a vote for helping the terrorists has been a mainstay of Republican rhetoric for some time now. Romney was just continuing the trend in front of a group most likely to agree with the sentiment.
I never quite got the vague, largely empty idea that private sector business success will translate into government-engineered economic success and/or fixing our budget. I think this was a very sucessful campaign strategic point for Romney, but it only works so far as it depends on people not thinking about connecting any dots. As far as the budget goes, the executive needs to use its power to curtail spending and/or raise revenue sources. The analogy between running a business in the black and our government is mainly on the surface. In any case, you have to look at who their economic advisors are and their political priorities to get a sense of how they will respond to these issues. In the case of the presumptive nominee, mcCain is a legit budget hawk, but wants to fund a fantastically expensive war/defense program. That has either tax-hike or domestic cuts written all over it.
EAllusion wrote:I like how he said he was dropping out for national security reasons, thus implying that a win for Obama or Clinton is a blow to our national security.
??? I don't see the connection.
Anyhow, this news really aggravates me. I really wanted a financial wizard in office who had the smarts and know-how to clean up our financial mess, rather than yet another Washington insider.
Implying a vote for a Democrat is a vote for helping the terrorists has been a mainstay of Republican rhetoric for some time now. Romney was just continuing the trend in front of a group most likely to agree with the sentiment.
This is what he said:
Mitt Romney the Loser wrote: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.
I assume that means that my Democratic vote is in support of terror? Dumbass. Good riddance.
I may be going to hell in a bucket, babe / But at least I'm enjoying the ride.
-Grateful Dead (lyrics by John Perry Barlow)
