1. If I were a citizen of Michigan, I might well vote for Romney today. I certainly am rooting for him to win there at this moment. He’s run a decent and serious campaign and would be a good president. So he deserves one significant gold to go with his silvers. Not only that, there’s the real risk that McCain momentum might morph into buyer’s remorse for Republicans.
2. We, at least, need time to absorb Steve Hayward’s thought that McCain would be the weakest Republican nominee. I, for one, have been moved by those who’ve reminded us that John’s domestic record has largely been partnering with Democratic senators to pass really bad bills. (McCain-Feingold is just one example.) Recall the old joke told by the old conservative Stan Evans: The Republicans are the stupid party and the Democrats are the evil party. Sometimes they work together to do something that’s both stupid and evil. The point of the dumb joke concerns how McCain would work with a heavily Democratic Congress.
3. Had our NLT message of hope and CHANGE and love not been interrupted by more "technical difficulties," I would have linked a NYT article that described the evangelical "youth movement" behind Huckabee. What energy there is in our fairly decadent party is with such Praise Music loving kids. The one candidate that turns them off completely is Giuliani. So as weak as McCain might be in some ways, Rudy, in my view, is not the remedy.
4. Huck, so far, has not had much success reaching out beyond his evangelical base. I’m not wasting my time with Fred unless he pulls off the miracle of winning in South Carolina. So we may well be sorry if Michigan causes us not to have Romney to kick around any more.
5. Mitt, as I’ve said before, has had trouble displaying his manly character on the campaign trail. He doesn’t have a cool nickname like John "the Warrior" (or "the Pilot") McCain. 0r "Preacher" Huckabee. We need to give this some thought. "The Technocrat" or "the Expert" won’t work.
I heard Mitt Romney on Hugh Hewitt's show yesterday ( . . . yes, I know, it was on Hewitt's show) but the point is that he was the least technocratic that I'd heard him in a long time. Amazingly, he was talking about the economy and Michigan's own private "one-state" recession. He managed to make this an interesting and compelling discussion about America's greatness. He almost made it an inspiring narrative about how Michigan (and, by implication, America) might pull itself out of a down-ward economic spiral. He appealed to such things as our freedom and stirred our patriotism by pointing out that China really isn't as impressive as the "experts" would have you believe. The fundamental lack of freedom there is always going to pull it back from being the force it could be. We should not, and (he would persuade you) with his leadership we would not, be tempted away from the fundamentals that made America great. It is our freedom, our good people, and our constant looking ahead to what improvements we can make on our workings within this universe that will matter. He did all of that AND he tied it to a convincing and powerful argument about national security. (The automotive industry as a branch of that, etc.) It was the first time that I ever felt moved to consider supporting him. If I were in Michigan today, I certainly would--if only to keep him in the race and keep the debate alive. If I were Romney, I'd work very hard to keep talking this way and stay completely away from all the wonkish, boring, and uninspiring stuff that seems to have characterized him (justly or not) up until now.
If I were Mitt, I would go all patriotism all the time and give good reasons for it. That's what people seem to be starved for at the moment. This would quickly dispel the image of technocrat. And I'd continue to discount very publicly--to the extent that it's true--the opinions of so-called "experts" and not exactly flatter (though a little massaging wouldn't hurt) the common sense and wisdom of the American people as a whole. In the course of doing that, he can say great things about the nature of our Republic and why it is and should be poised to reclaim it's deserved respect and standing in the world.
I agree that people are hungry for that patriotic, here's-what's-great-about-America feeling. I think it's part of what has made the "National Treasure" movie so popular.
I did give Mitt my vote this morning, although I'm still somewhat undecided. McCain and Huckabee are not conservatives, and the rest couldn't be bothered to come here and try to get my vote. Therefore, Mitt Romney.
I can't believe I'm posting this, BUT I TOO am hoping that Romney defeats McCain in Michigan.
There, I said it.
It's as stunning as the Cowboys collapse against a team they were better than, and thus could have AND should have defeated on Sunday, ........ but didn't!
HOWEVER, this doesn't mean I want Romney to win the nomination. But SOMEBODY, ANYBODY must step up and stop McCain, otherwise, we'll be saddled with the worst candidate we've seen since Gerald Ford.
How is it possible that our party, in the wake of an incredible President like Reagan, has chosen a GHWB, a Bob Dole, a GW and now perhaps a John McCain. Is there something in the water in Washington D.C.?
I vote for "Marvelous" Mitt Romney. He could speak in broken rhyme, cohost townhalls with Don King, and throw air punches at press conferences.