Tancredo and Mitt
By Erick Posted in 2008 — Comments (15) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
Republicans should take note of this lesson relating to how you don't flood the internet with stuff bashing a candidate and then endorse that candidate.
It tends to cause your supporters to think you don't really mean what you say:
Then there is this one put out by the Tancredo campaign itself.
And don't forget Tancredo's question in the YouTube debate.
The word on the street is that a lot of Tancredo's major supporters are, after all of this, scratching their heads.
[UPDATE:] So Tancredo goes with Romney and his staffers are going Thompson.
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(I know this was more in response to your RedHot but comments are open here...)
Well, there are a couple of possibilities:
1) TT believes Romney has "seen the light"
2) Even if TT doesn't think Romney is a true believer, Romney has pledged to TT (to the extent that someone who's not even close to being the nominee is able) that they would be best pals on this issue
3) TT looked at the rest of the field, decided JMac and Mike were non-starters, that he differed with Rudy on too many other issues, and that he saw enough up-close-and-personal with Fred (on whom I would have put money down on receiving TT's endorsement) to come to the conclusion that he wasn't going anywhere - and decided to throw-in with Romney (with whom he agrees pretty closely on other issues)
4) Some combination of the above.
So yeah, if I were a Tancredo-ite I admit I would probably be scratching my head as well - but I don't think it's nearly as far-fetched as some are making it out to be.
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Diplomacy is the art of saying 'Nice doggie' until you can find a rock.
QUESTION: ... where you have pointedly criticized Mitt Romney, questioning many times whether he has flip-flopped on other issues, and also questioning whether his rhetoric on this issue (OFF-MIKE).
TANCREDO: Well, it is undeniably the fact that we have met, that we have talked, and that, you know, you've got to do this. Again, go through the criteria, establish exactly what it is that you are looking for in a president. And as I say, I am convinced that he will do the things he said he will do in the areas that I -- specifically in the areas that I pointed out.
And there are things that we still disagree on. But you know what? There are things that I wish I could have gotten all the candidates to agree with me on, and that's not there.
I mean, if you look at it the way I presented it; if you go through the criteria, I think you come to the conclusion -- certainly, I have -- that I believe he will now -- I believe that he'll do what he says he'll do.
I'm not asking him to do more. I'm not asking him to do things that he is opposed to. I'm just asking him, and I believe he will do the things that I have laid out here.
And remember that the last part of that criteria is very important -- "and go the distance."
I mean, somebody's going to win this race. You know, somebody's going to be the president of the United States. It's not going to be me. So, really, what you're looking for is that person that you can hope and pray that will carry on -- and I do that. I put my faith there.
Maybe, you know, sometimes we're all in the position that, you know, later on, we think, gee, you know, if he didn't do it exactly the way I told him, then we're disappointed.
I know all those things are possible. But the reality is this. At this point in time, he is the best hope for our cause. And it is the cause. That's what motivates me. It is. It's not Tom Tancredo. It's all the things that we worked so hard for.
Now that doesn't particularly make me feel warm and fuzzy, since I don't like Tancredo's philosophy. Actually I am hoping that Mitt disagrees quite a bit.
Anyway, you can look for data to support your theories in his words.
And he's not naive enough to think his endorsment would put Thompson over the top.
He knows that McCain and Huckabee will not secure the border and that Giuliani is unacceptable on social issues.
Who does that leave? Mitt.
And the big plus here for Romney was never that all Tancredo's people would go out to the caucuses to support him. It was that Tancredo's endorsement is the mother of all endorsements when it comes to border security conservatives.
...and I'm also not naive enough to think that this will move the needle more than a point or so.
I guess this would be similar to a lot of the Minutemen scratching their heads when Jim Gilchrest endorsed the Huckster.
“.....women and minorities hardest hit”
Kinda funny how the single issue candidates drop out then endorse someone who is not the next strongest person on their pet issue. Brownback spends all his time attacking everybody elses abortion purity then drops out and endorses McCain over Huckabee who one would assume would be the candidate next most passionate on the pro-life issue. Then Tancredo hits everyone over the head with the illegal issue for months then drops out and endorses Romney? I realize that other issues matter also, but given the way these two candidates acted like their pet issues trumped everything else their endorsements leave people scratching their heads.
I didn't think TT's endorsment would help Mitt any and this is why. What it does do is damage Fred Thompson. Most people were expecting him to throw in behind Fred. By not doing so, everyone wonders why and comes to the obvious conclusion - TT doesn't think Fred can win. That damages Fred and that little spark of fire that is keeping his hopes alive cannot take too many puffs of wind.
put out by "Team Tancredo" which pretty well illustrates why I personally want nothing to do with Tancredo:
I mean, I understand why Mitt isn't gonna turn down the endorsement and all, but still: ugh. Not the message the GOP should be associated with.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
if Tommy Thompson said anything negative about Rudy.
Field was still too big then. Really the only guy going negative at the time was Mitt, and to some extent Brownback going after Mitt.
Of course, McCain campaigned for Bush after some bruising fights, Newt supported Dole after calling him "the tax collector for the welfare state" and GHW Bush ran as Reagan's running mate after calling his tax cuts "voodoo economics". It's hardly unheard-of.
"No compromise with the main purpose, no peace till victory, no pact with unrepentant wrong." - Winston Churchill
...about the candidates. I've certainly been impressed with Governors Romney I am withdrawing from the race and I'm endorsing Governor Romney for president of the United States." That's Tancredo's money quote right there.
Sure, Tancredo may have criticized Romney, but, he was running against him and he, like many others, didn't really know Romney. That's always been Romney's biggest challenge - the lack of national name recognition and being defined by his opponents. The loads and loads of crap written about Romney were more likely to hold sway if you knew nothing of him.
That's what campaigns are for. Tancredo "learned" throughout the campaign. His position now is clearly not the same as before. Spending time immersed in the race has clearly changed Tnacredo's mind about Romney as it should.
that none of the top reir candidates have a perfect record on immigration. This idea that Fred somehow is a savior of all things immigration is really a myth. His report card for his time in office is a definite mixed bag.
Tancredo, a purist on the issue, realized he needed to fine the guy who can best carry his cause and be viable. He found that in Romney. Fred is basically done. The guy has about 14 days till the caucus, btu he is taking 3 days off for Christmas. The guy is not presidential material.
It's time to come to grips that Fred isn't winning, and if you want someone to carry the immigration banner then Mitt is your guy, not Rudy, not McCain, not Huckabee.
what cabinet position did Romney offer Tancrendo should Romney win the nomination and then the Presidency?
R.J.