Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
That's the question I ask in the newest installment of my weekly column for the Center for Individual Freedom (note that this was written before Newt Gingrich started making a similar charge). From the opening:
A weak incumbent president — hated by the opposition and experiencing resistance from within his own party — heads into his reelection campaign struggling to keep his political prospects alive. The opposition party fields a colorful cast of potential challengers – a hot-headed candidate prone to grand rhetorical flourishes aimed at stirring up his party’s base; a smooth-talking southerner; a late entrant who looks prone to steal the nomination away before stumbling on the campaign trail. Yet each proves too flawed to obtain the nomination and the party settles on a consensus candidate who generates no enthusiasm from the rank and file. The nominee is a wealthy Massachusetts patrician whose resume seems uniquely attuned to the dominant issue of the day, but he fails to connect with voters and his core beliefs seem to be whatever his pollsters pulled off the fax machine that day. Here’s the challenge: Are we talking about 2012 or 2004?
What say you, Ricochetoise?
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Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
For some reason —I think it must be his stubborn defense of RomneyCare— Mitt Romney has always reminded me of former SF Mayor Gavin Newsom. I can't help but think about this clip whenever I see Romney speak of how splendid his health care plan was for Massachusetts.
Jun '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
Romney got a self-inflicted metal sliver in his arm once, cured with a tweezers and a band-aid, but he didn't demand a Purple Heart for it. That's one difference.
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
I think that's the official slogan of the Romney campaign now, isn't it Diane?
Diane Ellis, Ed.: For some reason —I think it must be his stubborn defense of RomneyCare— Mitt Romney has always reminded me of former SF Mayor Gavin Newsom. I can't help but think about this clip whenever I see Romney speak of how splendid his health care plan was for Massachusetts. · Jan 13 at 11:09am
Mar '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
More like Richard Nixon, I think, without the hardcore Goldwater conservative principles, warmth, or animal magnetism, of course.
May '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
. . .and we can be sure the marginally improved haircut will be what puts the patrician over the top this time.
Apr '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
Thanks for ruining my day Troy. I had almost gotten to the point where I felt a fondness for Romney, and was at peace with myself and the world. Now I am distraught again, because you are probably right....the one glimmer of hope is that Kerry did have a chance to beat Bush, I would say even odds...so maybe this time the coin lands in favor of the damp sponge candidate.
Jul '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
He is not a traitor. Nor has his whole life been scripted to get to this point.
Aug '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
How many pictures are there of Romney smiling with fiends like Bashir Assad , Khatami, Ortega , Omar Bashir of Sudan and the rest ?
Kerry is old money, Skull and Bones, Boston brahmin who marries very well.
Romney is second generation money , his dad make every cent. He has been married once.
One is Republican, the other has never seen a tax he didn't love, a union he wouldn't pander to, or a bureaucracy he wouldn't increase.
I will take the one who didn't sell the Lake Como villa, but might add on to the La Jolla beach house.
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
Before we get too carried away with this, note that I'm comparing Romney and Kerry as presidential candidates, not pitting them against each other on every measure of their lives -- where Romney is obviously preferable.
Sep '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
"I was actually for ObamaCare, before I was against it."
Jan '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
flownover: How many pictures are there of Romney smiling with fiends like Bashir Assad , Khatami, Ortega , Omar Bashir of Sudan and the rest ?
Kerry is old money, Skull and Bones, Boston brahmin who marries very well.
Romney is second generation money , his dad make every cent. He has been married once.
One is Republican, the other has never seen a tax he didn't love, a union he wouldn't pander to, or a bureaucracy he wouldn't increase.
I will take the one who didn't sell the Lake Como villa, but might add on to the La Jolla beach house. · Jan 13 at 11:29am
Well stated. He's not my first (second or third) choice, but I think he is a decent man and 'self-made' to a much greater degree. I'd also credit him with taking on leadership positions (Bain, the Govenorship) vs. being able to hide behind being part of a legislative body where one really isn't on the hook for much.
Sep '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
You are correct about Obama's swift boat headed for Romney. The election will be about Romney's record at Bain not Obama's record in the WH. By October most of the GOP House and Senate candidates will be running away form Romney not with him.
Mar '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
Kowaliczko Tom
Well stated. He's not my first (second or third) choice, but I think he is a decent man and 'self-made' to a much greater degree. I'd also credit him with taking on leadership positions (Bain, the Govenorship) vs. being able to hide behind being part of a legislative body where one really isn't on the hook for much. · Jan 13 at 11:39am
All of what you say is true, although leaving the governorship doesn't seem to have been completely voluntary. The thing that annoys me most is that this -- right now -- is as conservative as Romney is ever going to get. Other than getting Obama out of there (and that is no small thing at all), I'm not confident, or even hopeful, that he will get much of anything accomplished. Instead of bulldozing Obamacare and fixing entitlements, chances are he'll manage Obamacare and tweak entitlements.
All of the rest still running are as bad or worse in one respect or another, thus my continuing funk.
Jan '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
Here's the film (When Mitt Romney Came to Town) that's burning up the Internet - not good news for Mitt Romney. It's just a taste of what Obama and his minions will throw at him, and it's devastating!
http://www.webcasts.com/kingofbain/
Aug '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
It's too bad that Romney isn't running against Kerry then.
Aug '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
King of Bain has a number of Chronology problems.
Mar '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
Politically, yeah, Romney is our John Kerry. I've been making this argument for awhile now. Electoral results will likely be similar as well.
Mar '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
Basically, the people supporting Gingrich spent a lot of money to write the Democratic Party's attack ad for them. Thanks heaps.
Aug '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
I'm just going to give Romney's speechwriters this one quote:
"Yes, I like firing people when they aren't doing a good job. It's the American Way, and this November we have the opportunity to lay off Barack Obama. Let's all enjoy firing him."
Jul '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney the Second Coming of John Kerry?
Shame on all of us and all of US if that is what this election is about.