Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
What were the moments you remember from tonight's debate? For me, it was when Mitt Romney responded to Rick Santorum's rather effective breakdown of some of the flaws in Romneycare. Among other problems that he cited with what became the blueprint for Obamacare was the individual mandate:
“In Massachusetts, everybody is mandated as a condition of breathing to buy health insurance,” Mr. Santorum said. “And if you don’t, you have to pay a fine.”
Mr. Romney sought to brush back his opponent, saying, “It’s not worth getting angry about.”
Up to that point, Romney was having an amazing debate. He recently hired Michele Bachmann's old debate coach and boy did it show. He was passionate and knowledgeable. He was pummeling Newt Gingrich to a bloody pulp. He did say a few things that were incorrect (he said he hadn't put out a particular ad, he said he never voted for a Democrat when he could have voted for a Republican and he said his Fannie and Freddie investments were in a blind trust), but overall he was doing great.
But not only do I know that issues of liberty are worth getting angry about, I want my presidential candidates to know that, too. That Romney doesn't is a huge flaw, even if destroying Obamacare weren't the one issue that unites much of the country.
What were the moments that stuck out for you?
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Comments:
Nov '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
DrewInWisconsin
Oh my lord! He actually did it! How dumb is that? Isn't colluding with Nancy Pelosi against a Republican candidate quite a bit worse than sitting on the couch next to her? · 18 minutes ago
I really don't understand it. Romney supporters seem to be ignoring it - I've posted on it in three different threads, and all I've gotten is silence. I can understand why you would want to ignore it.
Aug '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
Newt getting pummeled and a series of pleasingly buxom Hispanic women?
I nearly regret boycotting these things.
If they hold one on Sabado Gigante I might cave.
Sep '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
EJHill · 1 minute ago
I bow to your graphical omniscience Squire EJHill of Romnos.
May '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
That is what spoiled, for me, what was shaping up to be the best debate Romney has had so far. It's pretty clear that he has no idea why he hasn't managed to win over the Anybody But Mitt Brigade.
Maybe he is playing 3D chess, and understands that winning = winning the GOP primary while stylistically, turning off as few non-GOP voters as possible? It's kind of like heading for a planet at high speed not to reach it or crash into it, but use its gravity to slingshot beyond it. The less like Sarah Palin or Rush Limbaugh Mitt sounds, the better a chance he has at winning in November.
Sep '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
EJHill · 4 minutes ago
That deserves an appreciative post all of its own EJHill: Ricochet's Captain America.
Oct '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
Romney doesn't understand or admit that just because the insurance is issued by a private company doesn't mean that it's not a top down government program.
Dec '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
So many months, so many debates and every time that Romneycare comes up, everybody cringes. I think Romney's making a calculated bet that in the general election, it will be a net-positive in pulling in independents and disillusioned Democrats -- but you'd think that by now, someone on his campaign would have come up with the proper, consistent way to frame this issue for primary voters. It's like the question never comes up in his debate prep.
May '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
I really don't understand it. Romney supporters seem to be ignoring it - I've posted on it in three different threads, and all I've gotten is silence. I can understand why you would want to ignore it.
Guess, as a Romney supporter, I don't hear this dog whistle? What am I missing?
Sep '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
Romney gets more disgusted than angry.
Do you remember when Reagan grabbed the microphone? He broke from the pack in the primary because he showed a flash of his teeth in such a way that they saw he had more spine to him than they thought. Romney has to find something like that to rally the base: we're not asking for much, nor very often, but he has to do it.
To win is a 3 step algorithm: Connect. Fight. Win. -- Romney is still wrestling with Connect.
Edited on January 27, 2012 at 5:26amNov '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
ParisParamus: I really don't understand it. Romney supporters seem to be ignoring it - I've posted on it in three different threads, and all I've gotten is silence. I can understand why you would want to ignore it.
Guess, as a Romney supporter, I don't hear this dog whistle? What am I missing? · 0 minutes ago
Did you watch the commercial and read Bryan Preston's commentary? I'm not sure there's anything to be added.
Apr '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
The Washington Examiner has apparently dug up an old article on Rick Santorum's 1994 Senate run, in which Santorum supported the individual mandate:
http://campaign2012.washingtonexaminer.com/blogs/beltway-confidential/1994-report-santorum-supported-individual-mandate/343086
Nov '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
Mothership_Greg
ParisParamus: I really don't understand it. Romney supporters seem to be ignoring it - I've posted on it in three different threads, and all I've gotten is silence. I can understand why you would want to ignore it.
Guess, as a Romney supporter, I don't hear this dog whistle? What am I missing? · 0 minutes ago
Did you watch the commercial and read Bryan Preston's commentary? I'm not sure there's anything to be added. · 0 minutes ago
I'll just go ahead and link to it again:
May '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
So many months, so many debates and every time that Romneycare comes up, everybody cringes. I think Romney's making a calculated bet that in the general election.
Given that Romney has VOWED to repeal Obamacare, it will be a net asset to him in the general election. Why? Because it will makes it harder for the Democrats to demonize him as an uncaring Republican and businessman. Because "he cares about the healthcare issue."
Romney doesn't play checkers. He plays 3D chess.
Edited on January 27, 2012 at 5:52amMay '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
I'll just go ahead and link to it again:
I watched, I read, I disagree. The ad implies that if Newt is allowed to become the nominee, Pelosi will be able to either blackmail Newt, or sink his campaign. Now, you may challenge the truthfulness of this claim by Pelosi, or the effect such disclosures would have, but this is clearly a negative that doesn't apply to Romney.
So what am I missing?
Jan '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
Good Lord, what a bunch of nitpickers. Romney was obviously pointing out that getting hotheaded doesn't win arguments. It happens to be a smart point. They say in politics you shouldn't get mad, unless its on purpose. Newt used this rule to great effect to open the second South Carolina debate. Its a rule Santorum can't grasp. The reason he isn't a major contender is because he constantly seems outraged and looks like someone just peed in his cheerios. The ABR crowd can spin that weakness of Santorum as a positive all you want, it won't make it true. Rick Santorum's anger isn't a boon for the cause of liberty, it just a plain liability. I realize that the anti-Romnet crowd just can't stand that he had a brilliant night and likely just sewed the Florida primary up, but making a big deal of this one line in a strained effort to blunt the fact that Mitt was great tonight is really lame.
Edited on January 27, 2012 at 5:36amDec '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
Personally, I think Ron Paul consistently stood out as the adult on the stage, calmly explaining his principles while resisting Wolf Blitzer's goading to pile on the other candidates.
Dec '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
ParisParamus: If Mitt Romney can't get angry about any of these, what WILL he get angry about?
Romney gets more disgusted than angry. If you think overt anger is going to win in November, you are mistaken. This is going to be a Big Team election. You'll get plenty of anger from Senators and Congressmen, and some from the VP Romney picks (hopefully, Rubio or West). But you don't want an angry President, and you don't want an angry candidate for President. · 18 minutes ago
Not sure what you mean by 'overt anger' (or 'disgust') as a campaign strategy. Certainly not recommending pistols at dawn.
Do agree with Mollie that some things ARE worth getting angry about.
Think "It's not worth getting angry about" is a dumb response, in a presidential debate with a national audience, when Romney had clearly lost on points the discussion about his state's individual mandate.
Think he pretty clearly implied that he thought Santorum was 'angry,' which makes me wonder how Romney views and handles disagreements when he's not winning. (Oh, wait, I do know--"Fire the Guy.")
I didn't think Santorum was angry. That's all.
Mar '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
ParisParamus: That is what spoiled, for me, what was shaping up to be the best debate Romney has had so far. It's pretty clear that he has no idea why he hasn't managed to win over the Anybody But Mitt Brigade.
Maybe he is playing 3D chess, and understands that winning = winning the GOP primary while stylistically, turning off as few non-GOP voters as possible? It's kind of like heading for a planet at high speed not to reach it or crash into it, but use its gravity to slingshot beyond it. The less like Sarah Palin or Rush Limbaugh Mitt sounds, the better a chance he has at winning in November. · 8 minutes ago
The less he sounds like Palin or Limbaugh, the more he sounds like Obama. The more he sounds like Obama, the less I care whether or not he beats Obama.
But then, my vote doesn't count as much as an Independent vote does.
Gotcha. Thanks for clearing that up for me.
Nov '11
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
ParisParamus: I'll just go ahead and link to it again:
I watched, I read, I disagree. The ad implies that if Newt is allowed to become the nominee, Pelosi will be able to either blackmail Newt, or sink his campaign. Now, you may challenge the truthfulness of this claim by Pelosi, or the effect such disclosures would have, but this is clearly a negative that doesn't apply to Romney.
So what am I missing? · 1 minute ago
Romney says we should listen to Nancy Pelosi. I can't imagine any primary voters seeing this ad and being affected by it, given how deeply Pelosi is despised; if anything, it will help Newt. I think "idiotic" is the correct word to describe it. Again: Romney says we should listen to Nancy Pelosi. I find that completely unacceptable for anyone claiming to be a conservative to do. Is it worse than "anti-immigrant" or the Bain propaganda video? I can't decide. Santorum 2012!
May '10
Re: Actually, Some Things Are Worth Getting Angry About
I'm with Rich Lowry, and North Star: Santorum should be the ABR.