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December 27, 2007

Mitt's Missteps (A.B. Stoddard)

@ 1:52 pm

Today and yesterday, two key final days before the first primary contest of the '08 presidential election, were awful for Mitt Romney. He was once the front-runner in Iowa and New Hampshire — states he hoped would provide him victories and a bounce to the nomination — but now Romney is fighting for survival with Hawkeye voters polling for Mike Huckabee and Granite State voters choosing John McCain in even numbers.

This morning Robert Novak predicted McCain would be the last man standing since all the other candidates are faltering and referred to Romney as plastic." Yesterday Huckabee dressed up in orange hunting gear, complete with goofy hat, to contrast himself in the Iowa snow as a real hunter who had indeed hunted varmint, hunted everything, his whole life. Huckabee embarrassed himself by straining a macho posture — "See, that's what happens when you get in my way," he said, displaying three dead birds. It was painful but the deed was done, the media reminded everyone who read about it that Romney pretended to be a lifelong hunter and had to take it back, that he thought the National Rifle Association had endorsed him when in fact it had not. "Mitt Romney won't own up to his own words, but he wants to challenge everyone else's," Huckabee said, holding his dead. You get the picture.

New Hampshire publications won't lay off Romney, with editorial boards of two papers there not only NOT endorsing him but picking on him in recent weeks. The conservative Manchester Union Leader wrote that the more Romney talks "the less believable he becomes." Ouch.

Romney, now having to fend off a pesky McCain resurgence in New Hampshire, continued attacking the formerly written-off McCain this week for failing "Reagan 101″ by not supporting Bush's tax cuts. McCain, in a response that conveniently reminded everyone of his Navy fighter pilot experience, said: "I know something about tailspins, and it's pretty clear to me Mitt Romney is in one."

Huckabee and McCain are practically laughing at Romney. The problem is, between the illegals working at his house and the incorrect memory about his father and Martin Luther King Jr., many other people have started laughing at Romney too.

***
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7 Comments »

The Hill welcomes comment from anyone and will almost always post it whether it is favorable or critical, as long as it is substantive and advances debate.

  1. […] The Hill’s Pundit Blog put an intriguing blog post on Mitt’s MisstepsHere's a quick excerpt […]

    Pingback by Democrats @ 2008 Presidential Election » Mitt’s Missteps — December 27, 2007 @ 2:25 pm

  2. It is hard for me to conceal my delight at the direction that the Republican primaries are taking. Despite his presidential appearance and his straight laced morals which still appeals to many Americans of both genders, Mitt Romney's negatives like his flip-flopping and for some evangelical Christians, his Mormon background seem to be taking its toll on his campaign. McCain of course has fallen a long ways down from his front runner status a year ago and this is not a bad thing in my opinion. Giuliani sadly appears to be fading but Ron Paul has picked up a lot of support from enthusiastic supporters despite his oddball status as the only Republican candidate to oppose the Iraq war. Perhaps the most satisfactory result of Paul's candidacy is the possibility that he may run as an independent, thereby draining votes from the libertarian fringe of the party which seems to be growing in disenchantment from the mainstream Republican party.

    Comment by Ralph — December 27, 2007 @ 4:25 pm

  3. When liberal newspapers bash you that's considered an endorsement in some circles.

    Comment by Robert Rosencrans — December 28, 2007 @ 4:37 pm

  4. As time passes, we will not only see more fallout, but we will also see more focusing on the nitty gritty of the issues. This is because nature is speaking in the loudest voice she has: in storms, hurricanes, drought, and famine and depletion of fossil fuels. It will happen as 2008 rolls along. Hide and watch. Any candidate worth his or her wight in gold knows this. Just be patient and let all the flack fall by the wayside. Nature will call up the strong and the dilligent, whther it be Democrat or Republican, it will happen. The problems our species faces are just too huge for it not to happen.
    Judy Wilken MS

    Comment by Judy Wilken MS — December 30, 2007 @ 2:51 pm

  5. RR;

    There are no liberal newspapers anymore. On Romney, it was the Union Leader, a conservative newspaper that flat out called Mitt a phoney. It was a conservative newspaper that stated that the more you hear from Rudy, the less you like him. RR all the liberal newspapers are owned by corporate giants and they takes their cues from them. Print something bad and we won't advertise anymore, that's how you keep them in line.

    Comment by Mike Coleman — December 31, 2007 @ 2:16 pm

  6. Mike: That's the most ridiculous post you have ever made. Almost all major newspapers, who by the way are losing their readership, are liberal. Where have you been hiding?

    Comment by Robert Rosencrans — December 31, 2007 @ 6:04 pm

  7. RR;

    Which papers do you consider liberal? Let us know so we can laugh at your ignorance.

    Comment by Mike Coleman — January 2, 2008 @ 10:51 am

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