Mitt Romney's Quiet Thunder

As anyone who pays attention to national politics knows, the Presidential Primary election season is filled with many ups and downs for all the candidates. A "surge" here, and a "plummet" there. The media loves to take down the leader, and elevate the underdog. We've had the Rudy surge, then the Thompson surge, then the Huckabee surge, and today, as I type this, we're hearing all about the McCain "comeback" surge.

Amongst all the noise, with all the ups and downs, it's interesting to see the quiet, gradual progress Mitt Romney has made in many of the early primary states, and even California and New York. The media has yet to anoint Romney with a "surge," but that's OK, Romney's storm is a quiet, yet powerful one.

Rather than looking at any one poll, or at any one date, if you look at the aggregate of all the polls across the last year, and trend lines, it reveals a very interesting dynamic. Let's look at Iowa, for example:

In Iowa, Romney's trend line started out in 6th place, and is now in 1st.

But, it's not just Iowa, in...

Michigan
Romney's trend line started in 4th and is now in 1st.

South Carolina
Romney's trend line started in 6th and is now in 1st.

Nevada
Romney's trend line started in 6th and is now in 1st.

New Hampshire
Romney's trend line started in 3rd and is now in 1st.

Florida
Romney's trend line started in 6th and is now in 3rd.

California
Romney's trend line started in 6th and is now in 2nd.

New York
Romney's trend line started in 6th and is now in 4th.

Click here to view all the poll trend-line graphs.

Political campaigns are long, and a bit like a stock in the stock market. They go up, they go down, but a solid, fundamentally-sound company will always be trending in the right up, regardless of the temporary market swings. By this measure, I'm feeling pretty good about the chances of my favorite candidate for the Republican party...Mitt Romney.

Romney didn't have the national recognition of Rudy, McCain or Thompson, and he's had to contend with religious bigotry for being a Mormon. In spite of all that, he has done what he does best, quietly turn a long-shot into a success. He's known as the "turnaround" master, in business, the Olympics and in Massachusetts. He's now doing it by his success with his campaign. A clear underdog, he's put an organization together to beat the odds. Washington needs turning around. Romney's the man for the job.

Kevin

The Democrats are Praying for Mike Huckabee

From the below Drudge Report, you get a clear sense of who the Democrats do NOT want to meet in the General Eelection...Mitt Romney. Mike Huckabee, on the other hand, is helping the Democrats get "religion," because they're all praying for him to win the nomination.

Here is the article from the Drudge Report:

DEMS HOLD FIRE ON HUCKABEE; SEE 'EASY KILL' IN GENERAL ELECTION
Tue Dec 11 2007 10:27:53 ET

**Exclusive**

Democrat party officials are avoiding any and all criticism of Republican presidential contender Mike Huckabee, insiders reveal.

The Democratic National Committee has told staffers to hold all fire, until he secures the party's nomination.

The directive has come down from the highest levels within the party, according to a top source.

Within the DNC, Huckabee is known as the "glass jaw -- and they're just waiting to break it."

In the last three weeks since Huckabee's surge kicked in, the DNC hasn't released a single press release criticizing his rising candidacy.

The last DNC press release critical of Huckabee appeared back on March 2nd.

DNC Press Release Attack Summary:

Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) – 37% (99 press releases)
Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) – 28% (74)
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) – 24% (64)
Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) – 8% (20)
Governor Mike Huckabee – 2% (4)

In fact, as the story broke over the weekend that Huckabee said he wanted to isolate AIDS patients back in 1992, the DNC ignored the opportunity to slam the candidate from the left.

"He'll easily be their McGovern, an easy kill," mocked one senior Democrat operative Tuesday morning from Washington.

"His letting out murderers because they shout 'Jesus', his wanting to put 300,000 AIDS patients and Magic Johnson into isolation, ain't even scratching the surface of what we've got on him."

The discipline the Democrats have shown in not engaging Huckabee has earned the praise of one former Republican Party official:

"The Democrats are doing a much better job restraining themselves than the GOP did in 2003 when Howard Dean looked like he was on the brink of winning the nomination."

A close friend to Huckabee explains: "Look, Mike is Hillary Clinton's worst nightmare. They should be squirming."

Developing...

Why do so many people turn to Government to solve problems?

If you think health care is expensive now, just wait until it's "free."

Those who look to government to solve all their problems get exactly what they deserve. So many people criticize government as being completely inept, and yet it tends to be those very same people who then turn around and want that same government to solve all their problems. If history has taught us one thing, it's government doesn't do a very good job at most things. We should only use big, federal, bureaucratic government to do those things it absolutely must do (national defense, etc.).

I'm all for helping our children, but I certainly don't look to the most inefficient entity known to man to do it...government. Those who truly care about children wouldn't either.

A better way.

Kevin

National Review Endorses Mitt Romney

"Our guiding principle has always been to select the most conservative viable candidate. In our judgment, that candidate is Mitt Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts. Unlike some other candidates in the race, Romney is a full-spectrum conservative..."


"Rudolph Giuliani did extraordinary work as mayor of New York and was inspirational on 9/11. But he and Mike Huckabee would pull apart the coalition from opposite ends: Giuliani alienating the social conservatives, and Huckabee the economic (and foreign-policy) conservatives. A Republican party that abandoned either limited government or moral standards would be much diminished in the service it could give the country."

"John McCain is not as conservative as Romney. He sponsored and still champions a campaign-finance law that impinged on fundamental rights of political speech; he voted against the Bush tax cuts; he supported this year’s amnesty bill...McCain ran an ineffectual campaign for most of the year and is still paying for it. ..Thompson has never run any large enterprise — and he has not run his campaign well, either."

"Romney is an intelligent, articulate, and accomplished former businessman and governor. At a time when voters yearn for competence and have soured on Washington because too often the Bush administration has not demonstrated it, Romney offers proven executive skill. He has demonstrated it in everything he has done in his professional life, and his tightly organized, disciplined campaign is no exception. He himself has shown impressive focus and energy."

"More than the other primary candidates, Romney has President Bush’s virtues and avoids his flaws. His moral positions, and his instincts on taxes and foreign policy, are the same. But he is less inclined to federal activism, less tolerant of overspending, better able to defend conservative positions in debate, and more likely to demand performance from his subordinates. A winning combination, by our lights. In this most fluid and unpredictable Republican field, we vote for Mitt Romney."

Read their full endorsement here.

Kevin

Mitt Romney: A Man for All Seasons

Mitt Romney has consistently tried to keep his belief in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ("Mormons") out of his campaign. However, others seemed insistent on making it an issue, so today, in a much-anticipated speech, he addressed the topic of "Faith in America."

You can view it here. If you haven't already, I would encourage you to spend a few minutes and watch it.

It was a risky move, and the attention and expectations were high, but Romney delivered one of the most moving speeches I've ever heard from any politician. I believe it will be one for the history books.

Here is what a few others said after his speech:

"For the first time in this campaign and it has been long already, I heard greatness this morning. If Mitt Romney is elected president of the United States, it began here today."
-- Chris Matthews - MSNBC

"It was a magnificent speech, splendidly delivered, it was moving… I don't know how he could have done it better. I mean I was very moved."
-- Pat Buchanan - MSNBC

"...he hit it out of the park."
-- Joe Scarborough - MSNBC

"Frankly, I thought what we saw today, folks, was a Republican candidate for president giving an inspiring speech. It was an inspiring speech about American values..."
-- Rush Limbaugh

"Mitt Romney, who sure looked presidential, explained effectively that he is a man of faith who is committed to America's values."
-- Kate O’Beirne - National Review’s The Corner

"Gov. Romney’s speech was a magnificent reminder of the role religious faith must play in government and public policy. His delivery was passionate and his message was inspirational."
-- James C. Dobson, PH.D. - Focus on the Family Action founder and chairman

"How did he do? Very, very well. He made himself some history. The words he said will likely have a real and positive impact on his fortunes."
-- Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal

"He transcended the Mormon issue and he spoke to the nation, something that was desperately needing. It was even more so, a moment in American history and for America's posterity and future generations."
-- Rev. Lou Sheldon, Chairman - Traditional Values Coalition

"I knew it would be powerful, I just didn't know how powerful it was going to be. It was very moving. That's a president. That's a leader."
-- Dedee Brown, wife of Rev. Jeffrey Brown

"This is, frankly, precisely the sort of clarity and courage Americans expect of a presidential candidate."
-- Michael Medved

"Romney's speech may turn out to be very historic, because he is the first politician to publicly confront the assault against religion, which has particularly been driven by the courts and by a stunningly small number of atheists and secularists."
-- Newt Gingrich - This Week with George Stephanopoulos

For those who have accused Mitt Romney of "flip flopping" on abortion to win the Presidency, this speech will show that Romney is not the sort of man to compromise on his beliefs to win office. (Off topic...not only did Ronald Reagan flip flop on abortion, but he flipped from the DEMOCRATS to the REPUBLICANS! Good thing he never became President! Whew! ;-)

I am proud to be a Mitt Romney supporter. Not only do I believe he is the best candidate running for office in '08, but I truly believe he will go down in history as one of America's best Presidents EVER.

Kevin

San Diego Union-Tribune: "Meet The Huckster"

"Meet The Huckster"
San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial
December 3, 2007

"Unfortunately for Huckabee, the positive first impression he often makes fades when you learn more about him. He may have been a solid steward in his 14 years as lieutenant governor and governor in Arkansas. But he also showed an enthusiasm for parlaying his public office into a cushy lifestyle that makes Fabian Nuñez, California's similarly inclined Assembly speaker, look like a Boy Scout.

"Over the years, Huckabee has:

"Used campaign funds to pay himself $14,000 for being his own media consultant.

"Used campaign funds to pay himself $43,000 for use of his private plane while attempting to hide what the payment was actually in return for.

"Used an account set up to cover operational costs of the governor's mansion to pay such obviously personal expenses as fast-food and dry-cleaning bills.

"Set up a nonprofit organization that paid him $23,500 without disclosing the source of the money.

"Attempted to take $70,000 of furniture with him when moving out of the governor's mansion.

"Took more than 130 gifts worth more than $300,000 – while suing to overturn a law that made him disclose the gifts.

"We could go on in this vein, but space is limited. The bottom line: Mike Huckabee has an awful lot of explaining to do."

To read the full editorial, click here .

BYU 48 - SDSU 27

...the Cougars demonstrated why they are the class of the league...

Scoreboard!

Kevin