It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Diane Ellis, Ed. ·
Apr 11, 2011 at 2:05pm
Today, Mitt Romney announced the formation of his exploratory committee, making him the second candidate alongside Tim Pawlenty (or third, if you count Michele Bachmann) to toss his hat into the 2012 presidential ring.
Here's the announcement:
Conspicuously absent in his list of achievements, you'll note, is any mention of the signature health care legislature that he enacted while governor of Massachusetts. But Romney's motto -- "I believe in America" -- indicates that he understands what Marc Ambinder meant when he said that "this election will hinge on who best harnesses the gut fear that America is in decline -- and turns it into real optimism."
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Oct '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Even if you count Bachmann, Romney is still only the second candidate to toss his hat into the ring.
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Pawlenty has also announced the formation of an exploratory committee. Which only makes them semi-official candidates, I suppose. Bachmann has announced her intention of forming an exploratory committee, which makes her a semi-unofficial candidate.
Jul '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
On the 2008 National Review cruise, folks flocked to meet Fred Thompson and Pat Toomey. Mitt Romney, on the other hand, was like the homely wallflower at a high-school dance.
Something tells me he ain't going to be the belle of the ball this time around, either.
Jun '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
I find these announcements of "exploratory committees" hilarious. I've been following politics for over 40 years and I've never seen such timid gestures of dinking little toes in the water.
Give me a candidate who says emphatically, "I am running for President of the United States. I don't need an exploratory committee to tell me whether this is something I need to do! I'm running!"
Isn't that what leadership is all about? Isn't that how a leader who is confident in himself or herself speaks? One wonders if there was a pre-exploratory committee to choose the final exploratory committee that scheduled meetings to discuss scheduling more meetings. Good grief!
Jun '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Romney could benefit from some of Trump's brashness, but I don't know if Romney could pull it off. Trump is able to be forceful and brash without looking mean. I think it's something you learn growing up around New York City. But if you could just mix the two, I you'd have a Chris Christie with lots and lots of business experience.
Dec '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
yuck!
Jun '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Romney is more finessed and polished than Trump...the hair on each is a clue.
Jun '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Brian Watt
Romney is more finessed and polished than Trump...the hair on each is a clue. · Apr 11 at 2:50pm
Yeah, I know. It's a problem.
Jun '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
As a human being, I genuinely like Mitt Romney. As a politician and potential leader of the free world there is something missing and I think it's the old fire in the belly. He is articulate, poised, polished yet passionless. I have never seen him exhibit any intensity and sometimes in a debate that can be a useful skill to exhibit, especially given the dire financial straits that the country is in. If his exploration leads to a run and the run leads to his nomination, I will, of course, vote for him. Maybe he can play Ronald Reagan's "Time For Choosing" speech over and over again until he gets it - articulate, poised, polished AND passionate!
Aug '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
I'm lucky there was a defibrillator and a quick-thinking colleague nearby when I read this as I nearly died of excitement.
Oct '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Pawlenty has also announced the formation of an exploratory committee. Which only makes them semi-official candidates, I suppose. Bachmann has announced her intention of forming an exploratory committee, which makes her a semi-unofficial candidate. · Apr 11 at 2:25pm
Actually Diane, you're way too kind. You might have called me out on some obscure code of conduct violation for distinguishing between "his" hat and "her" hat. Instead, you offered clarifying information that proved helpful to my undestanding of the current field. Thank you.
Jun '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Mitt was so-so. S.O.-S.O. as in "same old, same old." Emphasis on the "old."
Jun '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
AngloCon
Diane Ellis, Ed.
Pawlenty has also announced the formation of an exploratory committee. Which only makes them semi-official candidates, I suppose. Bachmann has announced her intention of forming an exploratory committee, which makes her a semi-unofficial candidate. · Apr 11 at 2:25pm
Actually Diane, you're way too kind. You might have called me out on some obscure code of conduct violation for distinguishing between "his" hat and "her" hat. Instead, you offered clarifying information that proved helpful to my undestanding of the current field. Thank you. · Apr 11 at 3:55pm
Poke AngloCon with the soft cushions!
May '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Romney/West 2012!
Jun '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Your ticket is backwards.
Jul '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Has an "exploratory committee" ever discovered that a person shouldn't run and then actually told them?
Mar '11
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
I heartily concur with the critique of this "exploratory committee" non-sense.
I understand there might be legal reasons for it--but that seems to confirm that our electoral process and campaign finance laws need an overhaul.
Statesmen don't create committees to determine whether its okay to lead now or not.
Just one man's opinion.
May '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
One word that makes me squeamish: Romneycare.
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
Little things like electability and personal reactions aside, how do you think he'd govern?
Aug '10
Re: It's Official: Romney Announces His 2012 Exploratory Committee
So...who here is having some identity problems besides me ?
I just don't feel like a republican much anymore. How about you ?
It's hell to have to wonder.
Lileks is right though, best exec and that's what we need for the big corp that we are.
Edited on Apr 11, 2011 at 6:32pm