Mitt Romney is absolutely correct

I never would believe that I would agree with Mitt Romney on anything. But, when Romney’s right, he is right.

Quote via Washington Post:


The Trump presidency made a deep descent in December. The departures of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and White House Chief of Staff John F. Kelly, the appointment of senior persons of lesser experience, the abandonment of allies who fight beside us, and the president’s thoughtless claim that America has long been a “sucker” in world affairs all defined his presidency down.


It is well known that Donald Trump was not my choice for the Republican presidential nomination. After he became the nominee, I hoped his campaign would refrain from resentment and name-calling. It did not. When he won the election, I hoped he would rise to the occasion.

His early appointments of Rex Tillerson, Jeff Sessions, Nikki Haley, Gary Cohn, H.R. McMaster, Kelly and Mattis were encouraging. But, on balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions this month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office.

Romney does credit, where it is due:


It is not that all of the president’s policies have been misguided. He was right to align U.S. corporate taxes with those of global competitors, to strip out excessive regulations, to crack down on China’s unfair trade practices, to reform criminal justice and to appoint conservative judges. These are policies mainstream Republicans have promoted for years. But policies and appointments are only a part of a presidency.

Romney goes on to say:


To a great degree, a presidency shapes the public character of the nation. A president should unite us and inspire us to follow “our better angels.” A president should demonstrate the essential qualities of honesty and integrity, and elevate the national discourse with comity and mutual respect. As a nation, we have been blessed with presidents who have called on the greatness of the American spirit. With the nation so divided, resentful and angry, presidential leadership in qualities of character is indispensable. And it is in this province where the incumbent’s shortfall has been most glaring.

The world is also watching. America has long been looked to for leadership. Our economic and military strength was part of that, of course, but our enduring commitment to principled conduct in foreign relations, and to the rights of all people to freedom and equal justice, was even more esteemed. Trump’s words and actions have caused dismay around the world. In a 2016 Pew Research Center poll, 84 percent of people in Germany, Britain, France, Canada and Sweden believed the American president would “do the right thing in world affairs.” One year later, that number had fallen to 16 percent.

This comes at a very unfortunate time. Several allies in Europe are experiencing political upheaval. Several former Soviet satellite states are rethinking their commitment to democracy. Some Asian nations, such as the Philippines, lean increasingly toward China, which advances to rival our economy and our military. The alternative to U.S. world leadership offered by China and Russia is autocratic, corrupt and brutal.


The world needs American leadership, and it is in America’s interest to provide it. A world led by authoritarian regimes is a world — and an America — with less prosperity, less freedom, less peace.


To reassume our leadership in world politics, we must repair failings in our politics at home. That project begins, of course, with the highest office once again acting to inspire and unite us. It includes political parties promoting policies that strengthen us rather than promote tribalism by exploiting fear and resentment. Our leaders must defend our vital institutions despite their inevitable failings: a free press, the rule of law, strong churches, and responsible corporations and unions.

We must repair our fiscal foundation, setting a course to a balanced budget. We must attract the best talent to America’s service and the best innovators to America’s economy.


America is strongest when our arms are linked with other nations. We want a unified and strong Europe, not a disintegrating union. We want stable relationships with the nations of Asia that strengthen our mutual security and prosperity.

I look forward to working on these priorities with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and other senators.


Furthermore, I will act as I would with any president, in or out of my party: I will support policies that I believe are in the best interest of the country and my state, and oppose those that are not. I do not intend to comment on every tweet or fault. But I will speak out against significant statements or actions that are divisive, racist, sexist, anti-immigrant, dishonest or destructive to democratic institutions.


I remain optimistic about our future. In an innovation age, Americans excel. More importantly, noble instincts live in the hearts of Americans. The people of this great land will eschew the politics of anger and fear if they are summoned to the responsibility by leaders in homes, in churches, in schools, in businesses, in government — who raise our sights and respect the dignity of every child of God — the ideal that is the essence of America

I have to agree here, Trump might be good at the deal making and business stuff. But, other than that. I have no use for him at all and I look forward to seeing who runs in the Republican Party in 2020.

Time: Donald Trump’s Son Receives Threatening Letter in the Mail

Looks like some of the establishment is upset a bit:

Via Time:

Authorities in New York are investigating a threat Donald Trump’s son, Eric Trump, received in the mail.

Eric Trump’s wife opened the letter Thursday night at their Manhattan apartment and discovered a powdery substance inside, according to the Washington Post.

The letter had a Massachusetts postmark and a warning that if Donald Trump did not drop out of the presidential race soon, harm could come to the family’s children, according to an unnamed source cited by CBS News.

A preliminary test of the substance inside the envelope indicated that it was not hazardous, but it has been sent to a lab for testing, CBS reported.

Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, has been running an anti-establishment campaign with outspoken views on everything from immigration to the economy.

Anyone know the whereabouts of Mitt Romney? Sounds like something he would do. Or maybe even Michelle Malkin? After all, she did make this video:

After all, she is not a Trump fan and neither is Romney; they both should be questioned.

Others: New York Post, CBS New York, Washington Post, NBC News, Mediaite, Allen B. West, Western Journalism, The Gateway Pundit, Talking Points Memo, Gothamist, Fox News Insider, The Week, New York Magazine and Scared Monkeys (Via Memeorandum)

Anti-Trump Super PAC founded by former Mitt Romney deputy campaign manager Katy Parker in 2012, runs ad accusing Trump of Sexism and Misogyny

The Ad via Talking Points Memo:

https://youtu.be/OkSRJSUY0vs

About Our Principles PAC, via BallotPedia:

Established on January 14, 2016, Our Principles was created by Katie Packer as an anti-Donald Trump super PAC. Packer was Mitt Romney‘s deputy campaign manager in 2012.[4] Packer is also a founding member of Burning Glass, an Alexandria-based Republican consulting firm.[5] According to FEC documents, Jamie Jodoin is listed as the treasurer and custodian of records. Jodoin is a political accounting specialist for the Tampa-based accounting firm, Robert Watkins & Company.[6][7]

A week after being established, Our Principles sent out mailers opposing Trump’s candidacy for president. The super PAC spent nearly $45,000 with DDC Advocacy to send the mailers to Iowa voters.[1][8] At the same time, Our Principles spent $88,000 on media placements and $36,000 on the national distribution of online ads opposing Trump.[9] On January 26, 2016, the super PAC recorded spending over $1 million for ad space through GCW Media Services.[10] As of January 29, 2016, the FEC records indicate that Our Principles PAC has spent over $1.5 million in opposing Trump’s candidacy. It is unclear, at this point, how much the super PAC has raised in contributions.

The super PAC also operates TrumpQuestions.com, a site that criticizes Trump’s policies on health care, immigration, taxes, abortion and his stance on the Supreme Court. The site uses excerpts from previous communications made by Trump and compares them with his campaign trail statements. The site also hosts a number of video ads opposing Trump.[11]

In late February 2016, Our Principles released an ad entitled “Big Money”, which accuses Trump of hiring illegal immigrants for the construction of Trump Tower. The ad alleges that Trump had paid “a million-dollar fine” for having hired illegal immigrants. The ad, according to Politico, will air nationally.[12]

In March 2016, Tim Miller, former Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush‘s spokesman, was hired by Our Principles as the super PAC’s communications director. Miller described his role thusly: “I’m working to ensure that Donald Trump is not the nominee. I made an effort for Jeb to be the nominee, and my focus is now on ensuring it’s not Donald Trump.”[13]

Just another establishment hit job on the forerunner in the election. It will do nothing at all. Nice try though! I guess Mittens and the establishment are worried; sort of like the Democrats; but then again, I repeat myself. 😆

Video: Romney Rips Trump, Ryan Ducks

My video comments on this, but first the stories:

On Romney’s ripping on Trump, Politico reports:

Mitt Romney opened a new front in the Republican Party’s civil war on Thursday, going after Donald Trump in a scorched-earth speech that eviscerated the Republican front-runner as lacking the temperament, business record and substantive policies to occupy the White House.

Romney immediately said at the outset of his remarks he would neither endorse a candidate nor announce a third presidential bid of his own. Instead, he focused nearly the entirety of his speech on the urgency of stopping Trump.

 “If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, the prospects for a safe and prosperous future are greatly diminished,” Romney warned, speaking at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

Trump’s economic policies would lead to a sustained recession, Romney charged. “Isn’t he a huge business success and doesn’t he know what he’s talking about?” Romney asked mockingly. “No, he isn’t, and no he doesn’t.”

“He inherited his business. He didn’t create it,” Romney said. “And what ever happened to Trump Airlines? How about Trump University? And then there’s Trump Magazine and Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks and Trump Mortgage? A business genius he is not.”

On Ryan Ducking, Politico reports:

Mitt Romney’s running mate is staying out of the 2012 nominee’s slugfest with Donald Trump.

Paul Ryan told reporters Thursday that he hadn’t even seen a copy of Romney’s speech denouncing Trump before Romney went public. The speaker said House Republicans would work with “whoever the nominee is.”

Ryan, however, did say he “laughed out loud” when Trump said Ryan would “pay a big price” if he couldn’t get along with the billionaire businessman, if he becomes the GOP presidential nominee.

“Sometimes reality is stranger than fiction these days. I don’t really think anything of it,” Ryan said. “I’m a good-natured guy. I get along with everybody.”

“Mitt and I are very close friends. We have talked about lots of things over the days and weeks,” Ryan added. “But I am not sure exactly what he is going to say. He feels the need to speak out on behalf of the Republican Party.”

My thoughts on these two:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7KSuFxRSW0?rel=0

By the way, I am listening to Chris Christie’s presser. He didn’t resign or withdraw support. He called the presser to answer questions and respond to calls for his resignation. He isn’t resigning.

Mitt Romney not running in 2016

This news comes via Hugh Hewitt and it is Mitt Romney’s Full Statement:

Let me begin by letting you know who else is on this call, besides Ann and me. There are a large number of people who signed on to be leaders of our 2016 finance effort. In addition, state political leadership from several of the early primary states are on the line. And here in New York City, and on the phone, are people who have been helping me think through how to build a new team, as well as supporters from the past who have all been kind enough to volunteer their time during this deliberation stage. Welcome, and thank you. Your loyalty and friendship, and your desire to see the country with new, competent and conservative leadership warms my heart.

After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the Party the opportunity to become our next nominee.

Let me give you some of my thinking. First, I am convinced that with the help of the people on this call, we could win the nomination. Our finance calls made it clear that we would have enough funding to be more than competitive. With few exceptions, our field political leadership is ready and enthusiastic about a new race. And the reaction of Republican voters across the country was both surprising and heartening. I know that early poll numbers move up and down a great deal during a campaign, but we would have no doubt started in a strong position. One poll out just today shows me gaining support and leading the next closest contender by nearly two to one. I also am leading in all of the four early states. So I am convinced that we could win the nomination, but fully realize it would have been difficult test and a hard fight.

I also believe with the message of making the world safer, providing opportunity to every American regardless of the neighborhood they live in, and working to break the grip of poverty, I would have the best chance of beating the eventual Democrat nominee, but that is before the other contenders have had the opportunity to take their message to the voters.

I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee. In fact, I expect and hope that to be the case.

I feel that it is critical that America elect a conservative leader to become our next president. You know that I have wanted to be that president. But I do not want to make it more difficult for someone else to emerge who may have a better chance of becoming that president. You can’t imagine how hard it is for Ann and me to step aside, especially knowing of your support and the support of so many people across the country.   But we believe it is for the best of the Party and the nation.

I’ve been asked, and will certainly be asked again if there are any circumstances whatsoever that might develop that could change my mind. That seems unlikely. Accordingly, I’m not organizing a PAC or taking donations; I’m not hiring a campaign team.

I encourage all of you on this call to stay engaged in the critical process of selecting a Republican nominee for President. Please feel free to sign up on a campaign for a person who you believe may become our best nominee.

I believe a Republican winning back the White House is essential for our country, and I will do whatever I can to make that happen.

To all my supporters, friends and family who worked both tirelessly and loyally to support my campaigns in the past, I will always be deeply appreciative. What you have already done is a tribute to your patriotism. We are overwhelmed and humbled by your loyalty to us, by your generosity of spirit, and by your friendship. God bless you all.

I am glad to see that Mitt Romney decided to face reality and know that he could not get elected in this new field for 2016. I wish him and Ann the best.

Others: Washington Monthly, Weekly Standard, Washington Post, Hit & Run, The Moderate Voice, LifeNews.com, Hot Air, The Daily Caller, Mediaite, Business Insider,Booman Tribune, NPR, RedState, National Review and New York Magazine

 

I have to agree with Rand Paul on this one about Mitt Romney.

As much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with Rand Paul here.

The Video:


World News Videos | ABC World News

The Story:

As recently as October, Ann Romney was poo-pooing the notion of a third Mitt Romney candidacy. After two failed presidential bids, in 2008 and 2012, she and her husband had “moved on,” she told ABC News.

Though sources close to Mitt Romney recently announced he’s once again “thinking about” another bid for the White House, at least one of Romney’s GOP colleagues thinks Ann Romney had the right idea.

“I’m with Ann Romney on this one: No, no, no, no, never,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., told ABC News’ Jonathan Karl at a forum of three likely 2016 presidential candidates in Palm Springs, California, Sunday night.

Romney “would have made a great president,” added Paul, rumored to be considering his own White House bid. “But to win the presidency you have the reach out and appeal to new constituencies. And I just don’t think it’s possible.”

“And if he thinks, ‘Well, I’m just going to change a few themes and next time I’ll reach out to more people,’ I think it’s a little more visceral than that,” the libertarian lawmaker said of Romney

via Rand Paul on Possible Mitt Romney Run: ‘No, No, No, No’ – ABC News.

Of course, Rand Paul has his own set of issues; namely one, his Father. Rand Paul has to prove to the hawkish side of the GOP, the Neocons; that he will not be an Anti-Israel, bigoted person like his Father is accused of being by those on the marxist Right and Left.

As for his comments about Romney, I happen to agree. Romney, the last time he ran, came off to the majority of America as some rich guy, who really did not care about the middle class in this Country. Now, does Rand Paul strike me as that type of a person? In some ways yes, he seems like a very nice man. Not only this, Romney was a mormon, and as I have written here many times; most evangelical Christians and most all Fundamentalist Christians have a deep distrust of the mormons and their so-called “Church.” This is truly why Mitt Romney lost the election, because the evangelical and Fundamentalist Christians, a very large voting bloc in the Republican Party and within the Conservative Base simply stayed home.

Furthermore, most Republicans and Christian Conservatives simply felt that Mitt Romney was too moderate, they also felt that he was too squishy on issues important to the Republican and Conservative Christian base. Not only that, Mitt Romney simply would not fight in the last election. There were times when, I felt that, Mitt Romney should have come out swinging on Obama and could have easily deep sixed Obama’s chances of winning; but, because he was simply too nice of a guy, he would not do it. This, my friends, is how elections are NOT won. If you are going to play the political game, you have to fight. The Democrats fight and they fight dirty and you have to beat them at their game. This is how Reagan won, this is how Bush 41 won and this is how Bush 44 won.

Simply put: Mitt Romney cannot win. Neither can the rest of the moderate squishes who are running. The Republican Party is no longer a moderate party and the Conservative base is not a moderate base any longer. The are plugged in, and they are wanting real people, who share their convictions.

Others: Patterico’s Pontifications, OnPolitics, The PJ Tatler,Yahoo! News and abc7.com

No, not Romney again

No, not him again. 🙄

Mitt Romney forcefully declared his interest in a third presidential run to a room full of powerful Republican donors Friday, disrupting the fluid 2016 GOP field as would-be rival Jeb Bush was moving swiftly to consolidate establishment support.

Romney, the 2012 Republican nominee, has been mulling another campaign for several months, but his comments Friday marked a clear step forward in his thinking and come amid mounting tensions between the Romney and Bush camps.

“I want to be president,” Romney told about 30 donors in New York. He said that his wife, Ann — who last fall said she was emphatically against a run — had changed her mind and was now “very encouraging,” although their five sons remain split, according to multiple attendees.

via Romney to GOP donors: ‘I want to be president.’ – The Washington Post.

The last time around, I supported Mitt Romney and his quest to be President. This time around, not so much. If the GOP selects this guy to be their choice for President of the United States; then they deserve to get trounced in the election again in 2016. The middle working class in this Country simply do not want some rich guy telling them what is wrong with the Country. Mitt Romney might have saved the Olympics and he might have been a good business person; but that is not the only need for being a politician. The person has to be likeable. Mitt Romney comes off to middle class working people as stiff, arrogant, and aloof.

Also too, let’s just be real here. Mitt Romney is nothing more than a mushy moderate. The GOP needs someone who will stand in clear contrast to the big spending, big Government, socialist idiocy of the Democratic Party. We need someone in the GOP, who will, rather forcefully, assert that the Democrats under Obama have basically screwed this Country into the ground and that under his leadership, under his leadership that America’s standing in the world has slipped greatly.

I just do not feel that Mitt Romney has that ability; not only that, but, Romney simply refuses to take the gloves off and fight for White House. He would not do it in the last election with Obama, for fear of being called a racist. Which now, is a major handicap.

Put simply: The GOP can do better than Romney, Jeb Bush or Chris Christie. There a bunch of contenders who would far better than them three knuckleheads.

 

Others: Washington Post, BostonGlobe.com, FiveThirtyEight, BuzzFeed,Business Insider, Outside the Beltway, Mashable, Lawyers, Guns & Money,American Spectator, The Huffington Post, Hit & Run, Mediaite and The Daily CallerAddicting Info and The Hugh Hewitt ShowThe Hugh Hewitt Show, Daily Signal and Weasel ZippersWall Street Journal, Washington Post, No More Mister Nice Blog, Joe. My. God., Politico and National Review

Mitt Romney was not the problem, Republicans and Conservatives were the problem

I hate to be the one to say it, but, sadly, it is true:

It was two weeks before Election Day when Mitt Romney’s political ­director signed a memo that all but ridiculed the notion that the Republican presidential nominee, with his “better ground game,” could lose the key state of Ohio or the election. The race is “unmistakably moving in Mitt Romney’s direction,” the memo said.

But the claims proved wildly off the mark, a fact embarrassingly underscored when the high-tech voter turnout system that Romney himself called “state of the art” crashed at the worst moment, on Election Day.

To this day, Romney’s aides wonder how it all went so wrong.

They console each other with claims that the election was much closer than realized, saying that Romney would be president if roughly 370,000 people in swing states had voted differently. Romney himself blamed demographic shifts and Obama’s “gifts”: ­federal largesse targeted to Democratic constituencies.

But a reconstruction by the Globe of how the campaign unfolded shows that Romney’s problems went deeper than is widely understood. His campaign made a series of costly financial, strategic, and political mistakes that, in retrospect, all but assured the candidate’s defeat, given the revolutionary turnout tactics and tactical smarts of President Obama’s operation.

via The story behind Mitt Romney’s loss in the presidential campaign to President Obama – News – Boston.com.

You see, there used to be a time in this Country, when the Republican Party and the Conservative movement actually stood for something; and that is a Constitutional Republic.  A Constitutional Republic is what The United States of America was founded as, and not a Democracy as is parroted by some of the idiots on the left and some of the idiots on the so-called “Right” as well.

The Republican Party and the Conservative movement in this Country used to stand for social, economic and military restraint. Nowadays, the Republican Party and the Democratic Party both stand for unlimited spending, hippy-style social policy, high taxes, totally ignoring the United States Constitution and runaway military. This is why the American people did not vote for Mitt Romney or any of the so-called Republican “Players” during this election.  Because all they saw was Democratic Party, and Democratic Party Lite.

American’s economy is in shatters, and the Republican Party and the Democratic Party are both to blame for it. Instead of being adults and making the tough calls, on what needs to be done. Like ripping out the so-called “free trade” agreements and putting back in place the tariffs that would pay down our debt, and fund our social safety net — the Republicans are refusing to allow taxes to be raised on anyone making over a million dollars a year and the Democrats are squabbling over any and all cuts made to the social system.

As for Americas economy, why it is totally in shambles is because of the idiot transformation that took place during the Nixon years. America essentially ended the The Bretton Woods system and began a system of Keynesian economics. This caused America to print more money, than they had to back it up in gold. Which causes inflation and devaluing of the US dollar. Again, this was done, by both parties and is why we are where we are today.

Instead of actually fixing Americans problems through sound policy; the Republican Party would rather pick a fight with AFL-CIO and the UAW to try to crush the labor movement in this Country. After doing this, they really actually expect to be elected in those Union friendly states. My friends, something is horribly wrong the Republican Party.

Mitt Romney lost the 2012 election for one simple reason: Romney allowed himself to be framed by the liberal media as a rich, out of touch, elitist who could have honestly cared less about the middle class in this Country. Mitt Romney might actually be a very moral person and a very capable leader. But, when you have the money he has, you get painted in that fashion.

Another thing that is wrong with the Republican Party and the Conservative movement was written about by Patrick J. Buchanan in his 2005 book, “Where the Right went Wrong.” Since that time, the Bush Presidency has ended and it was thought for a time that the neoconservatives in this Country would be relegated to the backwoods of politics for a very long time.

However, Kristol, Podhoretz and the rest of that neoconservative clan had other ideas.  They spend a good deal of money in foolhardy plans to try to bolster Mitt Romney’s bid for the White House. Which ultimately caused Mitt Romney’s loss in the election. Which makes one wonder if possibly the neoconservatives were a bit worried that Mitt Romney was not the defense hawk that they truly wanted in the White House and actually were trying to kneecap his Presidency.

The war in Iraq should have been a wakeup call to the media, to Americans and to the Conservative movement that unilateral war without proper constitutional authority was a disaster. Instead the Conservative movement and the Republican Party just buried Bush and his failures and are now making the case for all out war with Iran.

In closing: My friends, Mitt Romney was not the problem; the problem is that the Conservative movement that was, and the Republican that was, of long ago; has been replaced with a Democratic Party Lite. This is not an American Conservative movement. But, rather a horrible fraud. This is why the Republicans lost the election of 2012 — nothing more, nothing less.

Anyone who tells you otherwise, is a highly misinformed.

Others:  Balloon JuiceAddicting InfoThe ImpoliticFiredoglakePERRspectivesThe Political CarnivalLawyers, Guns & MoneyPoliticusUSAThe Moderate VoiceWashington ExaminerThe Hill,Booman TribuneGawkerThe National MemoThe Other McCainMediaiteEschaton and Outside the Beltway (Via Memeorandum)