Romney News Round Up

Here are a few interesting articles related to Mitt Romney's campaign that I've run across over the past few days:

Mitt Romney

• A Mormon President? I Don't Think So (Boston Globe): The Globe asks the question "Can a Mormon be elected president in 2008?" and answers it "No." Ostensibly because "most Americans would view [Mormon doctrines and practices] as strange."
  

• Who's The Real Mitt Romney (CBN): The Christian Broadcasting Network looks into Romney's candidacy with an extended piece that can be seen via this link.
  

• Romney Resurrects A Passe Strategy (Boston Globe): The Globe looks into Romney's "leaked" strategy targeting France. "Romney's campaign still sees political gain in whipping up anger toward France. It's similar to Romney's decision last year to refuse State Police protection for Iran's moderate former president, who was speaking at Harvard, as a protest against Iran's current hard-line president. The common thread is that Romney seems to believe that presidential voters will respond only to the gesture, not the facts behind it."

• Romneys Highlight Their "Family Values (Hearst Newspapers): "Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney on Friday showcased his "family values" before an influential audience of conservative Republicans by pointedly introducing his wife of 37 years just hours after thrice-married Rudolph Giuliani made a pitch for support from the same audience."

• To Romney Strategist, Questions On Faith Fair Game (Boston Globe): "It's appropriate for the public to ask questions about Mitt Romney's Mormon faith as he pursues his presidential campaign, a top Romney campaign strategist said yesterday."

• What Romney Could Do For Mormons (Providence Journal): Regent University President Charles Dunn writes "Can Romney do for Mormons what Kennedy did for Catholics? To do so, Romney must negate America's anti-Mormon prejudice, especially among evangelical Christians. Some parallels suggest that he could."

• Romney Picks Up Jason Roe (Politico): "The Politico has learned that [Capitol Hill veteran Jason] Roe will head north to become Romney's deputy campaign manager, assisting Beth Myers, the manager, in day-to-day operations there.... Roe has been Rep. Tom Feeney's Chief of Staff since 2003, but has considerable campaign experience.
  

• Mitt Romney Starts So. Florida Ads In Spanish (CBS4): Romney's running Spanish ads in Florida targeting Cuban-American voters. The full text of his ad is on his website.
  

Republican Competitors

• Giuliani Doesn't Worry Romney Campaign (Standard Examiner): "Republican Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign says it is unfazed by former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani’s recent surge in the polls and insists there is plenty of time to catch up with such better–known rivals."

• CPAC Embraces Steele, Gingrich (Washington Times): The Washington Times writes that Steele and Gingrich were CPAC's biggest stars (while barely mentioning Romney).
  

• As Others Look Vulnerable, Brownback Gets A Look (Kansas City Star): Is Brownback "the most interesting and foolishly overlooked candidate in the crowded presidential field"?

• Master of Disaster (Newsweek): Newsweek has an in depth piece this week on Giuliani and his candidacy.

Miscellaneous

• An Open Letter To CPAC (American Mind): A who's who of conservative bloggers call for a Coulter boycott in the wake of her recent controversial remarks.

Romney News Round Up

Several articles on Mitt Romney worth noting as well as some endorsements and a few other interesting tidbits:

New Articles

• This week's issue of Newsweek reviews the concerns on Romney's policy shifts and faith (). Although it's hashing through some very already hashed through ground, it has some a few new stories and quotes that make it worth the read. Overall I think it's pretty fair:
  "Romney may ultimately win over doubters on the right. 'There is a subtle prejudice in that flip-flop charge,' says Richard Land of the Southern Baptist Convention. "People who are liberal can't understand why someone might move from a more-liberal position to a more-conservative position. Conservatives don't see it that way. They see it as someone who has seen the light.' Christian media strategist DeMoss notes that evangelism is all about conversion, so, he says, 'we accept an evangelical's conversion if he told us it happened this morning.' Romney's reputation as a family man with a wife of 37 years and five proud sons will also help with conservatives. Among top-tier candidates, Romney is more appealing to the Christian right than John McCain or Rudy Giuliani. Romney is beginning to get some important backers, too: he has the political machine of former Florida governor Jeb Bush behind him, an immensely important asset if, as predicted, Florida moves up its primary. (Bush's parents, George H.W. and Barbara, are said to be fond of Romney.)"

• The New Republic yesterday mused over whether Romney could win the a Republican Primary. In a pretty odd article, it brands Romney "a ghost of Republicanism past: a moderate," and wonders whether Romney's announcement at Henry Ford's museum in Dearborn last week was some sort of strategic move to invite condemnations of Ford's anti-semitic views and get lambasted by the "liberal" press. "Get branded such a villain by our liberal elites, and you also might win a Republican primary. Mitt Romney may wish to bestow on us an America of hybrid cars, and, as he said in his speech, one 'defined not only in terms of our might, but also by our willingness to lead, to serve, and to share.' But, to get there he'll have to first prove he's part of the conservative tribe--whatever it takes."

• On the stump in Iowa on Monday, Romney reiterated his view that we should continue to push diplomatic isolation with Iran. "I do not believe that formal engagement and negotiation at this time with Iran would do anything other than give (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad an enormous win. And it's the last thing we should be considering."

Endorsements

• Romney held a fundraiser in Utah on Tuesday and was warmly received as Utah's "adopted son." "People [in Utah] don't heckle the Massachusetts Mormon about 'knowing the Lord.' They don't consider the presidential candidate a pretender. They don't even mind that his primary goal is to charm the checkbooks off of them." Romney has the overwhelming support of most of Utah's Republican politicians. In conjunction with his fundraiser, Romney also issued a press release announcing the endorsement of a lopsided majority of Utah's legislature (40 Representatives and 16 Senators) as well as that of Lt. Governor Herbert.
  

• Romney also announced his Georgia leadership team on Tuesday, it includes several congressmen and other prominent state officials .

Other Tidbits

• When asked about Mitt Romney and his faith on CNN's Late Edition on Sunday, fellow Latter-day Saint and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said: "I've never met Mitt Romney. But I say, religion should not have anything to do with who's going to be president or not be president."
  

• At the Utah fundraiser on Tuesday, Senator Orrin Hatch said of Romney: "He's the one the Democrats fear the most. He's articulate, he's smart, he's attractive." Hatch also said that said if Romney could win the presidency if he could get past those who are prejudiced against Mormons.
  

• This is a little old, but last week Pat Robertson announced that Romney will be the commencement speaker at Robertson's Regent University's this May.