Paul Weyrich Comes Unglued [Updated and bumped]
By Erick Posted in 2008 — Comments (27) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I feel comfortable saying, based on conversations with NRLC members, that Jim Bopp's attack on Sam Brownback did not help the Romney team with the NRLC.
Paul Weyrich coming unglued and accusing Thompson of bribing NRLC for their endorsement is really not going to help Romney at the grassroots level.
Weyrich can say what he wants, but (a) it's not true and (b) it's not helpful. I would suggest that if they don't think Thompson is a threat, the Romney camp might not want to get bogged down on this. The latest poll numbers in Iowa and South Carolina are certainly not painting a pretty picture for the Thompson camp. But, this endorsement just might help.
[UPDATED:] I just got this punch thrown from the Thompson campaign into my inbox:
"Gov. Romney is new to the pro-life movement and his campaign clearly has a few things to learn about it. First, they should understand that despite their campaign's every effort, groups like the National Right to Life Committee's PAC (NRLC-PAC) cannot be bought. NRLC-PAC is supporting Fred Thompson because of Fred's 100% pro-life voting record. They know he stood with them yesterday, he stands with them today, and he will stand with them tomorrow. It is unseemly for the Romney campaign and its supporters to suggest that NRLC-PAC's coveted endorsement is based on a bribe. Second, this unfounded accusation is as outrageou s as it is ironic, given the Romney campaign's long history of spreading money around to anyone who will take it.
[Emphasis added]
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Paul Weyrich Comes Unglued [Updated and bumped] 27 Comments (0 topical, 27 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
for sure. The real question is what will the chapter in Iowa do. They have not endorsed anyone. Their endorsement would mean everything to any of the candidates for sure. Fred needs some good news out of Iowa or N.H., or he might be cooked.
The day after Jim Bopp endorsed Mitt Romney, a letter was sent to all NRLC state chapters saying that they would be dechartered if they endorsed separately from NRLC.
The question is whether the bodies move.
They have made the comment that they very well might leave it at that. They are not happy with the endorsement in the Iowa Chapter. Unless my cousin is all wet. I have secretly wondered.
You've gotta read the Weyrich remarks to get a sense of how insane they are.
You know, I think that maybe Romney would already be running away with this thing were it not for his supporters. However, it is apparent that it has nothing to do with the people who are naturally drawn to Romney being irritating, it's an actual function of *supporting Romney*, since I can't recall either Bopp or Weyrich going off the rails like this before they became Romney supporters.
Sheesh.
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The Red Sox Republican: Burkeanism, Baseball, and Sundries.
Here's what this tells me - Romney was stung by the NRLC endorsement of Fred! a heck of a lot more than, well, he has a right to be.
It also tells me that he might very well be misunderestimating the Huckester (who has every right to feel shived by the endorsement, by the way) - to the great peril of his Grand Strategery™, IMHO.
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Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.
I've thought Weyrich has been a little unhinged for a while frankly.
Anyhow, it's because the wheels are coming off the Romney campaign, frankly. Huckabee is rapidly closing in on him in Iowa, McCain and Giuliani are closing in in New Hampshire, and he realizes that he must not only win both of those, but win big, to have a realistic chance.
He wouldn't be in this position if his campaign hadn't been so insultingly stupid. This is just another example of how Mitt's campaign would rather try for the "More Republican then thou," tactic, which is silly when it's true and 10X worse when it's obviously not, then actually sell him on his strong points, i.e. his ability to win in a very blue state and his incredibly strong business record.
I was about this close to deciding Mitt was my guy eight months ago. But frankly, I decided about four months ago he's probably my LAST choice of the big 5 now. His campaign has been an insult to my intelligence, and frankly, I can put up with a lot of stupid campaign BS, but attacking your opponents for not having positions you just flipped on (abortion), or have a non-existent record on (i.e. immigration), is just too much.
John Bolton for President
"FEAR THE 'STACH!!!"
Little early to suggest "the wheels have come off" the Romney, erm, Station Wagon - or that anyone seems to be catching him in NH (the cart seems to indicate, rather, that he might be pulling away there - again).
But yes, the "I'm more conservative than the other guys" bit is a little worn - and I really, truly, honestly wish he (and his campaign) would get off it. Fine. Granted.
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Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.
There was a poll a couple of days ago that showed him less then 10pts ahead of Rudy, (I think it was seven) and not too much more ahead of McCain. And frankly, I think his numbers will fold like a house of cards when McCain, Giuliani, Huckabee and the like really start in on him. He's spent millions in NH, the others considerably less so.
I also think his numbers have been inflated somewhat because he's from Massachusetts. Being from Vermont didn't help Howard Dean when it actually came time to vote, I wouldn't be surprised to see it isn't much different for Romney, especially if he loses, or comes close to losing Iowa.
John Bolton for President
"FEAR THE 'STACH!!!"
1. The guy with a billion dollars (or whatever) who is spending $85,000 a day on ads has a supporter who thinks somebody else is buying endorsements.
2. Mitt's campaign is supposed to be the disciplined one, right? Can he not control his surrogates/supporters? And isn't Fred's campaign supposed to be unorganized and slow? They sure did respond to Erik quickly, didn't they?
He can slam someone to the mat without even getting excited! He doesn't get angry and he doesn't play the game set up by his opponents. This response reminds me of the response to Michael Moore "insane asylum, think about it Mike".
"Mitt is new to the movement and just doesn't know any better" is the best possible reply.
Socialism doesn't work. It looks nice on paper, but it's been tried and it's failed miserably every time (usually accompanied by widespread death and suffering).
Proud member of the V.R.W.C.
I'm with Fred!
“Instead of talking to each other, leaders need to be speaking more to the American people”.
This one quote sums up the 2006 elections and the immigration debate. This one quote is why I became a Fred supporter and why I will vote for him. It gets to the root of the underlying problem in Washington D.C. Many of our leaders do not speak or listen to us. That will change under a Fred Thompson Presidency.
....are you going to add a "donate now" button for Fred too?
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Are you aware of any instance in which the Romney campaign sent us a response to a story, and we didn't print it? Because if you are, I'd love to hear about it.
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The Red Sox Republican: Burkeanism, Baseball, and Sundries.
...ha! Really, I like Fred, I do - I just like to poke fun at the FredStaters 'round here.
"....women and minorities hardest hit”
Honestly, I think that Mitt should just ignore Fred. His candidacy is sinking like a ton of bricks and he's going to throttle Fred in Iowa and New Hampshire - which will probably allow him to overcome Giuliani in Michigan and crush the rest in South Carolina.
The Romney Campaign should just realize that the NRLC made a terrible strategic and possibly even substantive error in selecting Fred Thompson and let it be. After all, they're going to come groveling to Romney once he sews up the nomination and no one has understood better than Mitt Romney in this campaign that all corners of the GOP need to be united in order to knock down the Democrats in 2008.
My guess is that NRTL need not grovel. They will be on Mitt's side IF he's the nominee, but I doubt they will go out of their way if he spends the rest of the campaign season making their endorsement out to be pointless and mistaken.
The simple fact is, Romney was pro-life, then wasn't, then was. The endorsement of a group llike NRTL is not about who is the strongest candidate - it is who is the best person on their issue(s). Thompson clearly has a long voting record, as well as rhetorical record, in favor of NRTL's position on their issue. Romney has less of a record, and his rhetoric over the years has been all over the place.
The endorsement also signals, to me, that significant players in Republican politics do not believe that Romney is quite as "inevitable" as Banana is trying to make us think.
I believe the National Right to Life Committe knows what it is doing.. If they were supported as the expert and major supporter of RTL then why not now.
"The TRUTH WILL OUT" SEnator Thompson is the PRO-LIFE Candidate. There is NO discussion about it.
That's one of the reasnos I'm supporting Fred'sgivingDay on November 21st. The unborn can't vote yet so I'll speak my piece NOW.
GoTo blogsforfredthompson.com/ Make a pledge [sorry for the tech problems, but it's up now] THEN go to Fred08.com on the 21st of Vovember and make your contribution. Pledging IS NOT required to contribute.
Grant H. Lynn, CSA
They have every right to endorse Thompson - although Romney is clearly the stronger candidate who is also pro-life - but in the end, the NRLC just can't save Fred Thompson's campaign because they can't transform him into a more dynamic candidate.
We need him to formulate a posting shorthand for BananaRepublican, like he did for Anteater. It'll save us all time.
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The Red Sox Republican: Burkeanism, Baseball, and Sundries.
Yall think that since Weyrich endorsed Romney, he's automatically a spokesman for Romney himself? If we played this game with Pat Robertson, Giuliani would have tanked in the polls already. Give me a break. This is ridiculous.
"The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter."
-Winston Churchill
...then Weyrich is the only one talking. He becomes a defacto spokesman. How often do we rail against this guy or that for not denouncing attacks like this?
Really, this is so silly. It probably won't help Fred, and it hurts Mitt.
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The endorsement is a big coup. Otherwise there wouldn't be this gnashing and wailing. As far as the poll numbers, since I'm obviously with Fred, past performance does not necessarily indicate (or predict) future results. I've seen the new ad up at fred08, and the policy papers released. Much that is not obvious is always happening with any campaign.
The endorsement is a function of Fred's record on life issues, commitments on life issues and ability to win.
I'm surprised about the Weyrich thing. But then I never heard of him 'til he endorsed a rival.
www.fredsgivingday.com
Redneck Hippie
just get behind Fred, save the country and Western civilization, and all this nonsense would go away!
Larry