This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
Perhaps because I'm not a big fan of the Republican Party or most of its candidates, I'm able to watch its campaigns with a bit of distance. Even if I didn't find Sen. John McCain to be a horrible politician, I'd say his campaign was the worst. It was like he and his strategists could be counted on to always pick the wrong the thing to do.
And I find many other Republican campaigns to be similarly unwise -- too timid or too reactive. So I have been watching this Romney campaign with interest. Byron York has highlighted a few examples of how this campaign is doing things differently.
Item 1: Team Romney: Not Gonna Play Repudiation Game
In this piece from earlier this week, we learn that Team Romney is passing on calls for it to repudiate outlandish statements made by any of its supporters. They see this as a complete waste of precious time and a one-sided game to boot. In other words, they'll get on denouncing Trump right after the media is done forcing Obama to denounce Maher or the media denounces its own incendiary members.
Item 2: Combative Romney team hits Obama coast-to-coast
Here we learn that Team Romney got wind of a super-secret Team Obama press conference that was supposed to denounce Romney from the steps of the Massachusetts State House and pre-empted it with one of their own an hour prior. And for added measure, 100 or so Romney supporters stuck around and heckled David Axelrod as payback for all of the protest groups he's organized at their events. But by doing it bigger and badder, there was a message being sent that they wouldn't just sit around and be victims to his strategy.
And then, while President Obama was going for a photo opportunity at a bipartisan unveiling of Presidential portraits, Mitt Romney held a press conference at little old Solyndra, the bankrupt solar energy company that received $535 million in loan guarantees from the Obama administration. This was a secret event and the campaign was able to keep a lid on it until reporters were on the bus there. York sums it up:
The bottom line is, Thursday marked a new escalation in the day-to-day fighting between the Obama and Romney campaigns. And Team Romney hopes it has sent a very clear message that it will punch, and counter-punch, as hard as is necessary.
It doesn't hurt that the Obama campaign has had an inept few weeks. But if these stories are any indication, Team Romney is very different from Team McCain.
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Comments:
Apr '12
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
My Mormon friends love to talk about how nice Romney is, but honestly, he often does seem kind of mean to me. Mean might not be bad, of course. Getting down and dirty can make a candidate look less presidential (that's supposed to be the veep's job, right?), but Obama is such a silly, vain little person, and you have to be able to point that out. Obama is all about image. If you can take that away, he's got nothing.
Dec '10
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
So he's as good as or better a campaigner than Obama. That still tells me little about how he will govern. This level of political competency married to some right principles and ideology would be a fantastic boon to the nation. Cue JamesofEngland to assure me of Romney's steadfast conservative principles...
Jul '11
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
Seeing Axelrod being heckled was just priceless and I want more. Good show old boy, blast him amidships.
Apr '11
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
Why the surprise? Wasn't it Mike Murphy who said Mitt Romney is a good campaigner who "kicked Democrats around like a Jackie Chan movie". Turns out the experts do know something.
PS: Quote from Ricochet Podcast 1/25/12
Edited on June 1, 2012 at 6:10pmJul '11
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
Romney needs to fight against the entire main stream media. I don't know anyone since Reagan that understood they were in the presence of an enemy every time a microphone was present. Reagan charmed them but stood his ground. Romney won't be able to charm them, yet, but hopefully he remembers that they're the enemy. No SNL, no Daily Show or other ridiculous venue hosted by vipers.
Nov '11
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
I've thought for a few years now that Romney plays the game better. He's sharp and rational like that.
Jul '11
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
It's great that Romney has a Crack Back Committee. He won't let himself be pummeled by his political opponents without responding. I admire President Bush, but he and his team did nothing while people said horrible things about his anti-terrorism policies and the Iraq War. There is nothing "mean" about setting the record straight.
Apr '12
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
The Solyndra press conference was very satisfying to watch and this week's podcast talks about private equity and public equity, which a clever turn of phrase. The private equity business model is hard to understand but Romney is making it easier. This speech makes it very clear about the scandal of this story and it was on CNN. http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/05/31/romney-makes-surprise-visit-to-solyndra/
Dec '10
Re: This Is Not Your Father's Republican Campaign
The only assurance you should need is that he is not Barack Obama.