Long before the news broke, and by shear accident, I stumbled upon a tip by Byron York over at The Corner. He was reporting from CPAC this morning that rumor had it Mitt Romney was suspending his campaign for President. I reread the post three times, and with hands shaking, immediately shared the news via email with another ardent supporter of Mitts, Vic Lundquist, over at ElectRomney2008. Thankfully, Vic must have been in his office to receive my email and sent a quick response back stating that he hoped it wasn’t true, and thanked me. I’m sure I rocked his world, but Vic’s a pretty level headed guy, and I’m sure he’s heard rumors before. This rumor, however, by Byron York, had an air of credibility to it for some reason. Perhaps because the reason given for Mitt’s resignation was one of selflessness, and that rung true of the man I have come to know, admire and support …. He was doing it for the good of the country, the party, and the war.
I quickly settled down to watch the coverage of CPAC where they cut in late on Laura Ingrahams introduction of Mitt. She looked pale. She appeared shaken, but like the strong lady that she is, she got on with it. As always, Laura spoke with conviction laced with humor, got some great jabs in at McCain by way of her “just calm down” references, and proudly introduced Mitt Romney as the “Conservatives Conservative.”
One wouldn’t have guessed that Mitt had made a life changing decision by his approach to the podium, or the greeting he gave to his faithful supporters. As always, he was cheerful, strong in voice, and warm in facial expression. And then, once again, Mitt Romney delivered a speech that was clear and concise of message, optimistic and visionary in presentation, factual and moving in understanding the challenges of our time. By itself, it was a fantastic speech. The crowd was applauding enthusiastically. I kept waiting for the lead in, where one sentence would lead into the beginning of the announcement of his decision to end his bid for the White House…..and then, like a freight train in the dead of a cold winter’s night, I could hear it coming. If my ears hadn’t been waiting for it, I wouldn’t have recognized it for what it was. But it was there. He was transitioning from what he envisioned, to what was reality, and in an instant he spoke the words I was dreading.
Mitt Romney, Governor, businessman, father, husband, son, leader, man of extraordinary faith & a hero to me, resigned today from his long, hard fought battle for the Presidency of the United States. I’ve been following and working at the grass roots level since Mitt’s announcement to run, and so of course, I cried. My hope & dreams that he was the one man that could bring this country back from the brink…. culturally, economically, and militarily, would be no more. My heart broke for Ann; they gave so very much of themselves to this campaign. As a resident of Iowa, I personally witnessed the amount of time, work, energy and dedication that this family gave to get his campaign off the ground. He came so close, and to my great bewilderment and frustration, the country seemed to be realizing, too little too late, that Mitt Romney would have brought us one step closer to greatness, if only he had been given the chance, been viewed with a more open mind, listened to with less bias, and embraced with a purer heart. And now, it’s too late.
I’m sure I will cry again between now and the election; in frustration, aggravation, and definite sadness for what might have been if we had been smart enough as a nation to not let slip through our fingers the opportunity to have given this wonderful man, Mitt Romney, the chance to lead the greatest nation on earth. In the meantime, like many of the Romney faithful, I will have to ask myself again and again…..”Who am I, if I am not the girl touting Mitt Romney for President?” His reasoning for suspending his campaign gives me pause to realize I will need to reassess my commitment to the party, and more importantly, our conservative cause, and that while it may not be with Mitt as President, the stakes are just too high to sit this one out (as I had recently vowed if Mitt Romney was not elected as the GOP nominee.)
And so it is, that in one final ironic twist of fate, and overpowering the shadow of cynicism and criticalness that was raised about Governor Romney’s service to this country, Mitt Romney DID indeed ultimately make a truly unselfish sacrifice on behalf of this country, the war, and the military for whom he holds in such high regard. It was just his destiny to do it in a different sort of way. Watch his wonderful speech in it’s entirety, and you will begin to understand this too.
Like so many other Romney supporters, it has taken me all day to process the events of Governor Romney’s announcement. I would be remiss to not make a final post, and although it’s somewhat windy, like everything that I have ever done on Governor Romney’s behalf, it is done so with a heartfelt passion that few have ever inspired in me………..for that reason, among many, I will miss his presence and his candidacy. He will, however, forever be an inspiration and driving force in me to speak up, say and do what I believe and know is right.
The tide toward Mitt Romney is definitely turning and the poll numbers coming out of California are currently very favorable showing the Rally for Romney is quickly changing what the MSM is touting as a foregone conclusion that Senator John McCain will sweep the country on Super Tuesday.
In the meantime, there’s an interesting article in the Boston Globe written by veteran campaigner Professor David Sparks that gives clear insight to what may be a likely scenario AFTER tomorrow in which he predicts “THE FAT LADY WON’T SING ON SUPER TUESDAY”
By David Sparks
February 2, 2008 THERE’S A side of me that resists giving career advice to rich successful guys with good hair. That said, there’s still hope, Mitt Romney.
There’s a big difference between the Super Bowl and Super Tuesday. At the end of the Super Bowl, the champion is crowned and the season is over. At the end of Super Tuesday, only half the delegates will have been chosen, with 16 weeks to go.
To be sure, John McCain has the momentum. If the national media could award the nomination today, McCain would be their man. But, there are several factors working against a McCain coronation.
Super Tuesday is a mix of all kinds of states across the country with a mix of winner-take-all and proportional allocation of delegates as well as open (independents welcome) and closed (Republicans only) contests. Western state Mormons could give Romney pockets of strength, as could Northeastern states. Mike Huckabee could be a factor in some Southern states, including Georgia. While McCain’s momentum is a big advantage, the results will likely be mixed instead of a landslide victory.
McCain now has 93 delegates, Romney 59, and Huckabee 40. With Super Tuesday, the delegates will have been selected in the first five weeks at a rate of 238 delegates per week. Afterward, delegates will be squeezed out at a rate of only 64 per week over four months.
At this point, the pace and the dynamics of the campaign change dramatically.
This slowdown will create a huge drought with the political cognoscenti, and the race may begin to lose its national attention, hurting the candidate riding on momentum. The focus of the race will turn more and more to delegate counts. The Republican delegates, those already selected and those yet named, will become very popular.
After a series of “semifinals” in the first five weeks, Romney is where he has wanted to be, in a virtual one-on-one contest against a candidate to the left of him in a nominating process dominated by conservatives. I helped run the primary campaign for George H.W. Bush against Ronald Reagan in 1980. It’s no fun being to the left of your opponent in a Republican race.
McCain presents a political cognitive dissonance to Republican activists. Traditionally, Republicans love the heir apparent and the front-runner status that McCain enjoys. On the other hand, McCain is the piñata of the conservative talk shows and websites across the country, important opinion leaders with the Republican base. There will not be a comfortable coalescing around McCain as the presumptive nominee.
Romney is still sitting on a pot of money. With the contests drawn out and with McCain scrambling with conservative donors, Romney will be able to use his money strategically, cherry-picking in delegate-rich contests.
After Tuesday, the media will target the states they consider important. Tops on their list will be Ohio on March 4. Next to Michigan, which Romney won and which has a similar economy, the Buckeye State will probably be friendly to Romney.
Romney is still due his “Comeback Kid” moment with the voters. McCain was struggling for campaign money and lost members of his staff last summer but made his comeback. Hillary Clinton lost Iowa and battled back in New Hampshire. The media will have second thoughts about ending this race too early. A new-look Romney, perhaps with more humility and a sharpened message, might give his campaign a second wind.
Huckabee looks like the Pat Robertson of this cycle, not a good thing if you are trying to build a broad coalition, but seemingly able to attract a 10 percent to 20 percent niche in most contests.
As the candidate to the right of Romney, Huckabee’s votes might go Romney’s way if he leaves the race. The problem will be the stretch for Huckabee’s base from Conservative Christian to Mormon. It’s still worth seeing how “Romney-Huckabee” looks on a sign.
To be sure, it’s more fun this week in McCain’s headquarters than in Romney’s. But Mitt might have a quarter or two left in his game.
David Sparks is assistant to the dean of the McCormack School of Policy Studies at UMass-Boston. He held senior positions on the 1980 and 1988 Bush for President campaigns.
Contrast McCain’s open borders backers and staffers with Gov. Mitt Romney’s new immigration enforcement adviser–one of the brightest minds and experienced architects of homeland security:
Boston, MA – Today, Kris Kobach, noted immigration policy expert and head of the Kansas Republican Party, announced his endorsement of Governor Mitt Romney. Kobach will serve as an adviser to Governor Romney on border security and immigration reform issues.
“For years, Kris Kobach has distinguished himself in his work to ensure that our immigration system respects the rule of law and ends illegal immigration while protecting the legal immigration that has made our country great. He knows firsthand how important it is that we protect our country by securing our borders and rejecting amnesty proposals. I look forward to working with Kris as we tackle this critical challenge,” said Governor Romney.
Joining Romney for President, Kobach said, “Of all the Republican presidential candidates, Governor Romney has outlined the clearest vision for how we are going to end illegal immigration in this country. More importantly, he has the record to back up his words. When he was Governor, he vetoed a bill that would have rewarded illegal aliens with in-state tuition rates, and he also increased cooperation between state and federal law enforcement. In one of our country’s most liberal states, he stood up for the enforcement of immigration laws. He will do the same as President.”
Background On Kris Kobach:
Kris Kobach Is A Noted Immigration Expert, Professor Of Law And Head Of The Kansas Republican Party. In 1996, Professor Kobach joined the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law (UMKC) faculty. In 2001, he was awarded a White House Fellowship serving in the office of U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft. There he would serve as the Attorney General’s chief adviser on immigration law and border security. After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Kobach was charged with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) efforts to tighten border security and implement the National Security Entry-Exit Registration System. Before leaving DOJ in 2003, he led the reform of the immigration court system. Professor Kobach has litigated a number of high-profile immigration lawsuits including representing the city of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. He is a Senior Counsel at the Immigration Reform Law Institute. At the Law School, he teaches Constitutional law and immigration law.
Another stellar legal mind and counterterrorism expert who successfully prosecuted the 1993 WTC jihadists, Andrew McCarthy, signs on to the Romney campaign.
Today, Governor Mitt Romney announced that Andrew C. McCarthy will be joining his Advisory Committee on the Constitution and the Courts, which is co-chaired by Professor Douglas W. Kmiec, former constitutional legal counsel to President Ronald Reagan, and former Congressman David McIntosh who co-founded the Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies.
Making today’s announcement, Governor Romney said, “Throughout his distinguished legal career, including his 18 years of service as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, during which he led the fight against radical jihadists, Andrew McCarthy has been a champion for protecting the American people. With his experience, Andy’s counsel on national security and related legal matters will be invaluable in my campaign for our nation’s highest office. I am greatly honored to have his wise counsel and deep experience in my campaign.”
With today’s announcement, McCarthy said, “Governor Mitt Romney embodies the American ideal: success through talent, hard work and faith. He’s a committed conservative. As president, I believe he’ll bring out the best of America, which means Americans, not government. He’ll unite us, not divide us with class-warfare rhetoric that scorns the American dream of self-reliance and value creation – as if it were somehow different from patriotism rather than the engine of patriotism. Mitt understands how the economy works because he’s worked in it, not just regulated it from Washington down to the last light-bulb. He understands we’re in a global war that demands not just a strategy for Iraq but a strategy for repelling jihadism. He’ll push to give our agents the tools they need to gather the intelligence vital to protecting American lives. And he can be trusted to appoint solid judges who will interpret the law – not re-invent it in a way that narrows fundamental rights like political speech while expanding the lawfare rights of terrorists.
“I supported, Rudy Giuliani, who hired me as a young prosecutor, because of his intelligence, executive competence, and commitment to our national security. I see in Governor Romney those same qualities. They are the qualities we need to face our nation’s challenges, and they are why I am so proud to support him.”
Background On Andrew C. McCarthy:
Andrew C. McCarthy Directs The Center For Law & Counterterrorism At The Foundation For Defense Of Democracies. He is also a contributing editor at National Review Online and a member of the Committee on the Present Danger. His book, Willful Blindness: A Memoir of the Jihad, will be released on March 10 by Encounter Books.
For 18 years, Mr. McCarthy was an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. From 1993 through 1995, he led the terrorism prosecution against Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman and eleven others in connection with the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and a plot to bomb New York City landmarks. He served for several years as the Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District’s satellite office in White Plains, and, following the 9/11 attacks, supervised the Office’s Command Post near Ground Zero in New York City.
In 2004, Mr. McCarthy served at the Pentagon as a Special Assistant to the Deputy Secretary of Defense. He has also been an Adjunct Professor at both Fordham University’s School of Law and New York Law School, as well as a Deputy United States Marshal in the federal Witness Protection Program.
Mr. McCarthy is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Justice Department’s highest honors: the Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award (1996) and Distinguished Service Award (1988). In addition to being featured regularly in National Review, Mr. McCarthy’s articles have also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Commentary, The New Criterion, The Weekly Standard, USA Today and many other publications. He is frequently featured as a commentator on television and nationally syndicated radio broadcasts.