Part of Romney’s closing argument in Florida centers on a pair of TV ads about Newt Gingrich’s House ethics reprimand. One of the ads uses newscast footage of NBC’s Tom Brokaw reporting on the charge at the time. NBC wants the Brokaw footage removed from the ad. This ad follows the ad featuring Pelosi’s threat to “out” some hideous Gingrich secret, also from the days of his House reprimand. Pelosi’s staff have admitted that she doesn’t actually know anything, which may be true or may be cover for the time when whatever she might know does come out in a way that’s difficult to tie to her.
But set Pelosi’s threat aside for second. Romney has two ads up in Florida that remind voters there of Newt’s reprimand. The substance of the reprimand is less than meets the eye according to Byron York. One of the ads has started a donnybrook between the Romney campaign and NBC. Gingrich has publicly and successfully battled with ABC of late, and now here’s Romney battling with NBC. The other ad takes advantage of Pelosi’s threat to show footage of that notorious ad that Gingrich did with her on the couch to tout government solutions to global warming. That ad was, by Gingrich’s own admission, one of the most foolish moments of his political life, but nevertheless, he did the ad and using it against him is fair game. Both ads together bring up the ethics charge one more time, and remind voters of one of Gingrich’s questionable reliability.
Romney is reportedly outspending Gingrich five to one on TV and 15 to 1 overall in Florida. There are no debates between now and Tuesday’s primary. Gingrich won’t be able to mount an effective counter to these ads.
In one way it doesn’t matter. Romney is counting on conservatives and the Tea Party lining up like good little Republicans and sweeping him into the White House. That is his big mistake. It’s the 21st century and Conservatives ARE NOT going to vote for somebody just because they sport a (R) after their name. So the general election will be independents vs liberals.
That is OK, the Tea Party is focused on the Senate and is positioning itself to thwart Mitt or Barak, which ever leftest wins the Oval office. It is sort of sad really but the GOP establishment had it’s chance to leave quietly with dignity.
Mitt equals 4 more years of Berry. That is because 4 more years of OBama is not as bad as 8 more years of Romney.
Maybe after Romney gets shot down in flames the GOP establishment will get the message. The party is over. Time to get your coat and go.
I wouldn’t bet on 8 years of Romney. No, his time in office would reveal the establishment GOP even more than their pathetic attacks on Gingrich. But in the end, most will vote for not-the-Obama.
But in 2016, the Tea Party will be stronger, the populace will have lost all hope for the establishment, GOP or Dem. We may see one or both of the main parties die. Remember, the Tea Party is running a ground game, working up from the school boards and state houses. It will appear sudden but the change will have come from long hard work.
When the alternative is Vladimir Ilyich Obama, yes they will.
You think Willard Mussolini is any better?
If Mitt’s history at Bain is any indicator, his administration will be riddled with Solyndra-type scandals.
As long as we don’t have any more Gunwalker-type scandals, that’s an improvement.
However, given that, Mittens should be smart enough to realize that the Dinosaur Media isn’t gonna give a Romney Administration the same pass they’ve been giving Baracky. He should, therefore, be somewhat more careful than Baracky has been.
(Please note, this is NOT an endorsement of Mittens.)
Maybe I’m setting the bar too low, but I’m hoping that at the very least 4 or 8 years of Romney means 4 or 8 years of the President not grossly violating the constitution — for example, through recess appointments that aren’t — and daring the rest of us to do something about it if we can. The press is so much in the tank for Obama that they refuse to object to even the most egregious constitutional violations — this is not just political hyperbole, as both Republicans and Democrats in Congress will tell you off the record. Much more of this sort of thing and we will be living with the political system of a banana republic as well as the finances of a banana republic.
Romney won’t repeal Obamacare, he’ll “fix” it. He may repeal the laws and then re-institute it differently, but it won’t be gone. Romney will fail the constitution.
If he has a chance, he will ignore the 2nd amendment. He will veto any nationwide concealed carry that hits his desk, and he’ll use the proscutorial discretion to vitiate Heller as much as he can. Romney will fail the constitution.
Romney will continue to bailout Wall Street as bonuses require, national debt be damned. He will not permit big business institutions to fail, regardless of their balance sheets. Romney will fail the constitution.
It may be the abject vacuity of AGW will be clear enough that it prevents him from pushing any carbon controls, and he may well permit the oil sands pipeline to go forward. The over-reach of the EPA will not be returned to pre-Obama levels. Romney will fail the constitution.
Romney is a leftist, a self-avowed Progressive. He has not one recognizable conservative, small government, classical liberal principle he actually believes in and would respect of his own will.
I predict that if elected his performance will not forestall, only postpone, a financial reckoning that will be the worse for the delay.
Every erstwhile substantive criticism of Gingrich I have heard save one, that he–Newt–changes his mind too much, is a criticism better leveled at Romney.
Romney’s never really changed his mind.
He’s still the liberal who actually opposed Reagan, and who thought Newts’ successful Contract with America was a wild radical idea he couldn’t support.
Romney will oppose actual progress to limited government if he is President.
This is plain ol’ political dog-eat-dog, but in the context of the moment there’s a subtitle to it, and that is “screw the Republic.”
I will continue to vote Republican, but I’m done with giving money to the national Party. 2008 and this campaign have convinced me that a majority of the GOP Establishment is, in essence, corrupt.
Did PJM management have a little chat with Bryan Preston? Here he is actually giving a balance report. There must be an explanation.
Yes, the ruling class republicans will buy a victory in Florida for their vile creature who has never won a discussion, no matter a debate, by talking about the issues. But he gets a lot of votes by smearing his opponents: specifically Giuliani, Fred Thompson, Huckabee, McCain, Perry, Cain, and now Gingrich.
Nobody likes him. Nobody agrees with his politics. Nobody finds him persuasive. Nobody believes him.
Yet he inches closer to being the nominee of the people.
The question may come down to whether you want to be ruled by the snake who brought Massachusetts Romneycare, or the snake who brought the country Romneycare.
They just don’t see it that way.
They see it as Mitt Romney being safe for business as usual. They don’t see business as usual was going to get us into this mess sooner or later, and that getting there slower isn’t really a fix.
They honestly believe the polls that show anyone but Romney losing to Obama, when in fact he may the liberal the general public decides not to rill the dice on–and they stick with the devil they know.
Newt v Barack will be like Ronnie v Jimmy, where the pollsters can’t figure how they blew it.
Romney would likely still win, but it will be an opportunity lost.
We may not have the ludicrousness of the leftist viewpoint laid quite so bare for another generation, and the consequences of going along to get along–like Romney will, reaching out across the aisle–will come to visit before that.
I agree they want Romney to be the business-as-usual candidate.
But I doubt they believe polls ten months in advance. They know those are meaningless.
And they prefer obama over Newt. Look how well THEY have done in the three years under Obama. The only ones who have suffered are the people.
There are three sides in the battle: the leftists, the Republican Ruling Class, and the people. The first two are allies and the enemies of the third.
I believe there are enough constituencies they have been unable to serve under Obama, that they would be quite happy for “their” guy to be in the Oval Office, especially when they are looking for cover and aid in obviating the Tea Party aligned newcomers from ’10 and those coming in in ’12.
I have no idea what is wrong with some of you. I’m with Rush Limbaugh in the sense that I would vote for Elmer Fudd against Barack Obama. I’d vote for Gingrich, I’d vote for Santorum, and yes, of course I would vote for Romney. I truly don’t get some many of these posters beef with Romney versus very legitimate beefs with both Gingrich and Santorum. ALL have problems, Gingrich is the very corpulent embodiment of “establishment Republicans” and yet some of you defend him and are so indignant as if he were the Manifest Tea Party God! Santorum is the most staunchly conservative, the least RINO. Some of the posters ridiculous doom and gloom about Romney are insane- I don’t get it. I must read more factual information. I like ALL three candidates, love Christie and Daniels, but guess what? Christie and Daniels aren’t my choices. Of the 3 candidates, Gingrich is the worst one- shocking he really thinks he could be elected in a general election. I find the man fascinating but there’s no skirting history with his shameless womanizing, self-righteous defensiveness, and flagrant lying. So, HOW can Gingrich be such a superior choice to Romney? Why are you all not rooting for Santorum? man, I wonder why I even read PJ. it’s Dr. Hanson. He keeps me coming to this site. crazy comments are driving me away.
What would the situation be today if Newt had 15 times the money to spend as Romney?
What if the money was even?
Is Pajamas Media supporting the candidate that just promised to build a trillion dollar moon base by 2012? I thought the TEA Party was supposed to be about cutting spending and an end to pandering politicians that promise to spend tax payer money on dumb projects to help them gain power? Isn’t that how we got in to this mess in the first place?