He cannot stand it: always the bridesmaid never the bride. The wedding bells are becoming a more faint chime. He’s 68. This is really his last hurrah.
In 2002 he came into fickle Massachusetts, where recently Donald Trump got almost 50% of the Republican votes, to run for governor. His opponent in that race was the unpopular and hardly well-known Shannon O’Brien who only got 32% of the votes in the Democratic primary beating out – if you can believe it – Robert Reich (25%) and other lesser luminaries. Even with that he would end up winning the election for governor by beating O’Brien by less than 5% — 49.77 to 44.94.
He served one term. He came to Massachusetts with one goal in mind – he wanted to use it as a launching pad to accomplish something his father never did. In a sense that’s a Republican thing because we saw how George W. Bush brought us to war in Iraq to show that he could upstage his father by ousting Saddam Hussein. Mitt’s goal was to show that even though his dad George failed in his attempt to win the presidency he would not.
George when he first floated his name was favored by 39% of the Republicans. He led both his Republican rival Richard Nixon and the president LBJ. George’s problem was like Massachusetts he was fickle, a trait his son would inherit. He originally called the Vietnam war “morally right and necessary.” He went to Vietnam with a group of governors and came back claiming he was “brainwashed” and now opposed the war.
One governor who traveled with him said his remarks about the trip were “outrageous, kind of stinking … Either he’s a most naïve man or he lacks judgment.” A congressman would add: “If you’re running for the presidency, you are supposed to have too much on the ball to be brainwashed.” He went from being the favorite to 14% when he officially announced his candidacy and when he withdrew three months later was down to 7%.
Mitt was determined to be president. A little over a month after leaving the governor’s job in February 2007 he announced for president in 2008. He took on Elizabeth Cheney as his senior foreign policy adviser. He lasted until a few days after the Super Tuesday in 2008 when he withdrew saying a protracted battle between him and his GOP rivals would weaken the party so he would “…stand aside, for our party and our country.” He could wait four years and know he’d get the nomination then.
He did in 2012 and he solicited the support of others. This site has a video of Mitt Romney standing in front of Donald Trump a mere four years ago. The occasion was Trump’s endorsement of Romney. As you know yesterday Romney made a speech in which he said some unfavorable things about Trump. The obvious reason for the speech is that he wants to undermine Trump and insert himself back into the presidential race. Like Teddy Roosevelt who always regretted his pledge not to run for re-election; Romney rues the day he took himself out of his quest for the presidency.
Yesterday he said about Trump: “Isn’t he a huge business success? Doesn’t he know what he’s talking about? No, he isn’t and no he doesn’t.”
Here is what he said about Trump four years ago.
“Donald Trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works to create jobs for American people. He’s done it here in Nevada, he’s done it across the country. He understands our country is facing threats from abroad. He’s one of the few people who stood up and said you know what China has been cheating – they’ve taken jobs from Americans – they haven’t played fair. We have to have a president who will stand up to cheaters. We believe in free trade or free enterprise. We don’t believe in allowing people to cheat day in and day out.
I spent my life in the private sector, you know, not quite as successful as this guy but sufficiently successful to understand what it takes to make America the most attractive place in the world for innovators, entrepreneurs, business, and job creators.
I think we have to recognize we can’t keep going down the road we are on. We have to dramatically change course. So I want to say thank you to Donald Trump and look forward to seeing you on the trail.”
To understand what makes Romney into Romney and why he has been a loser on the national stage is that today he says the totally opposite about Trump than he said then.
He called Trump a fraud and phony. Perhaps he should look in the mirror.
The apple does not fall far from the tree. Like his father Mitt is “a most naïve man or he lacks judgment.” Mitt’s open attack on Trump was totally unnecessary and self-serving. Eight years ago he was concerned about weakening the party; yesterday he destroyed it. Does he not see that by destroying Trump he destroys any chance of a Republican victory over Hillary.
Trump made this clear. He said: “But I’m not being treated the right way. I am not being treated properly. I’ve brought in millions and millions of people to the Republican Party, and they’re gonna throw those people away. And I’ll be honest — whether I ran as an independent or not — those people will never go out and vote for another candidate.”
K:
Not all get the Dr. Zhivago ref , but that is a great scene in a greater movie. Strelnikov, the idealistic lamb of Lara’s youth and innocent dreams, outraged by history, become the wolf. His appetite for revenge is voracious. His ocular intensity on eschatological triumph is absolutely terrible … in the ” Old Sense ” of terrible.
I pulled 2 tape vhs of Zhivago out of my collections a couple of weeks ago and it is readied for viewing atop vcr right now. So, was amused by the … synchronicity … of your allusion.
Democratic Socialism (DS) vs. National Socialism (NS). Bernie against Trump. Clinton and, the rest of the Republicrats: Cruz, Kasich, and, Rubio, are, ideologically, bourgeois fascists. Their message stresses conformity to the system, and, resignation to a future of diminished economic expectations. Glorious Leader Trump pledges to dispel the dark, and, ominous, cloud that hangs over the nation. Like a great helmsman, he’ll take the wheel of our fate, and, give it a spin. Do you think he’s had time to envision a national uniform?
If you want change, regardless of consequence, Trump is the man. Bernie is my first pick, but, Trump comes in a strong second. A vote for either of these candidates is a vote for the revolution. Bernie is a rather Fabian Socialist, so, with him, one can’t be too impatient, no wine before its’ time, whereas, Glorious Leader could bring on a general revolt, and, possible civil war, very quickly.
Bristling with ideological cannon, bellowing rhetorical steam, Comrade Strelnikov’s blood-red train will once more roar down the tracks of history. Imagine Bernie as the avuncular conductor, welcoming you aboard.
( NO NEWS 🙂 ) …. news/appeals-court-upholds-ex-fbi-agents-murder-conviction/ …. July 29, 2015 … John Connolly We Hardly Knew Ye !!!!!!!! … Welcome to Trance … Bulger Appeal being denied is a tribute, rather than a repudiation .
Whitey’s appeal REJECTED by federal court!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ugh,ugh!
occurencesforeigndomestic.com
ugh!
http://www.thesullenbell.com
Romney made a great speech portraying Trump for what he is. The only chance the Repubs have is to jettison this crude, vulgar media creation. Trump has a 60% unfavorable rating. How does he win? No Black votes, no Latino votes, no young voters, few female votes and millions of Conservatives staying home. He is eight points behind Hillary in the latest polls even before the Romney speech. The other contenders beat her. Trump claims he is going to order the military to kill innocent relatives of terrorists. He is going to order them to torture people and they will follow his orders. He is completely delusional about what CIC can do. No one is going to follow an illegal order and commit a war crime. The military command is more likely to arrest him than obey his lawless and inhumane orders. 2. You were right about the Clinton Trump connection yesterday but to claim he is the only winner over Hillary is nonsense. He is a guaranteed loser. 3. Trump’s 60% unfavorable is longstanding and unrelated to Romney.
3. I would not go by the favoriblity ratings – they prove nothing. Ben Carson’s unfavoribility is 24%.
2. Unfortunately, they are all going to be losers to Hillary. If Trump doesn’t get the nomination his people will sit or their hands or vote for Hillary.
1.Romney’s speech was nonsense. He was throwing his hat into the ring. If he had courage he would have backed one candidate and asked the others to withdraw. At best he set the Republicans against each other; the great part of it was he also buried himself for being a traitor to the party and trashing Ronald Reagan’s diktat that you don’t do such things. Romney’s a con artist.
Rather,
Connolly keeps swingin’ … I respect his Cross 🙂
John,
I think both you and Matt Connolly are right on the money on this one.
ps. Elbows……meet Doc.
Mitt’s church includes Cruz, the anointed, but ineffectual hothouse flower Rubio, and the unenviable Kasich. The GOP is imploding ; Donald Trump is the fuse. Mitt is in high dudgeon for certain. It’s just all too unorthodox politically for his self-righteous, albeit morally grounded, political sensibility. He has a serious envying hair across his ass.
” Damn Jack, I was in Star Market in Central Square this afternoon ” sez ‘ Doc, a black friend and chess genius, ” And this Blaaaaccckkkk guy in the line just starts hollerin’ Trump …. Trump … Trump !!! … A Black dude Jack … Goddamn !!!!!! ” … Doc also loves ” The Donald. ” Mitt is certainly not hip, and he is too old to hop on down the bunny trail. Trump is one wild ‘Wabbit’ ” with a genius for ” The Common Touch. ” …”Errrr’ … What’s Up Doc ??? ” 🙂
Matt:
Well said – so true.
Mitt Romney is a complete embarrassment to America and the reason we have been burdened with the Obama Administration and the continued policies of “President Cheney.”
Romney and all of the other “insiders” have a vested interest in the status quo.
Trump’s message is reaching working class Americans who are tired of the corrupt and criminal Democrat – Republican con game played by the government, subsidized with billions of taxpayer dollars.
We owe 19 trillion dollars and counting.
The fraud, waste and abuse is staggering. Trump’s “message” and Trump’s numbers prove that he is waking up the American people to what is going on. His message is resonating, as it should. He’s got skin in the game: His children and his grandchildren.
The failed (well planned?) policies of George Bush and Barack Obama have led to the destruction of the American way. Many Americans have turned into lambs, watching and waiting to be slaughtered in one form or another.
Americans seem to be unable to put into perspective what has been going on over the past approximate 15 years.
Here is how some of this broken government lines up:
We had a phony baloney war declared by “President Cheney” with his stooge, Little Georgie Bush, following so they and their cronies could be the beneficiaries of stuffing their bank accounts with millions of Halliburton oil dollars. It’s a rigged game of no bid and secretive contracts. We all paid and are still paying.
Obama has continued the phony baloney war game and the most vicious assault on Americans under the guise of “terrorism”: The Patriot Act.
Just a few statistics for those who need to decide:
1. American innocent soldiers murdered for oil dollars totaled 4,497.
2. American veterans wounded for those same oil dollars: 32,021.
3. American veterans with brain injuries, again, for oil dollars: 320,000.
4. American suicides daily: 18.
5. More than 300,000 veterans died while waiting for medical services from the Veterans Administration during Bush and Obama Administrations.
6. Iraqi deaths (many women and children): 500,000.
The collateral damage cannot be quantified.
The destruction to America by a pair of con artists will take decades to fix, if at all.
As the saying goes: “I’d rather live one day as a lion than a lifetime as a lamb.”
[email protected]
Government Advocate
Doug:
Good points. I’ve been against a volunteer army because it takes in most people from a distinct part of our population who are mostly down and outers looking to get their act together and unable to go to college. This is a small voiceless group who go off to fight and get killed and wounded all in the idea they are doing something for America, which they are, but also thinking they are appreciated, which they are not. That is shown by the lack of attention which they receive after they get home outside of their small communities.
No country can be great while the overwhelming majority of the people are not affected by its war actions. We have been fighting wars since 1973 with less than one percent of our population involved. We now have candidates for the presidency none of whom have worn a uniform; our supreme court has no one on it who has seen any combat and only one or two who have seen some light stateside service. The Americans who serve are like the Hessians used by the British in the Revolutionary war – hired mercenaries with no real connection to the rest of us. I’m not even sure Trump could change that even if he was aware of it.
” I’ve brought in millions and millions of people to the Republican Party…” – Trump
Unfortunately, those who have switched from either the Democratic Party or Independent or No Party Affiliation to vote in this primary appear to have as much commitment to the Republican Party as those casting votes for contestants of “American Idol” or “So You Think You Can Dance”. It will be interesting to see how many change again to Independent or No Party Affiliation after this election cycle.
Since many in the Democratic Party perceive that Hillary Clinton’s candidacy as the Democratic Party nominee is in the bag (see the New Hampshire primary results), there may have been intentional party switching to vote for a Republican Party candidate that will increase the odds of her winning the final election.
Ed:
True – those changing to Republican to vote for Trump are not really joining the party – they are just mad and frustrated and doing whatever they can to show that. I agree if you mean in the second paragraph that some Hillary voters are pulling the lever for Trump knowing she can easily beat him; other than that the best way they could increase her odds is by voting for her rather than switching.
Agree. In my anyone-but-Obama mode in 2012, I just couldn’t bring myself to put up a Romney sign on our front yard.
GOK:
Many people felt the same way.