Now that Trump and Gingrich are gone, "who's left"?

[PHILIP SCHNEIDER]

Mit Romney? Tim Pawlenty? Ron Paul? Chris Christy? Sarah Palin? Michele Bachman?

Mitt Romney’s money machine cranks up

By JONATHAN MARTIN | 5/17/11 4:39 AM EDT

LAS VEGAS – Mitt Romney, usually cautious and measured in describing his nascent campaign, allowed himself a minor indulgence in describing to reporters the fundraising call-a-thon that netted his presidential bid $10.25 million here Monday.

“That’s a terrific start,” Romney began, in typical expectation-setting mode, before catching himself: “Actually it’s more than just a start — it really gives us the boost that we need at this early stage in my effort.”

One of his top advisers was even blunter when asked whether any of Romney’s rivals could demonstrate the sort of political muscle-flexing that the former Massachusetts governor staged by convening over 700 supporters to call through their Rolodexes for the better part of eight hours on the floor of the hangar-sized Las Vegas Convention Center.

“No,” said longtime spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom, recalling that Romney held similar events in his last campaign. “Nobody has copied it because it’s hard to do.”

If Romney and his campaign sound confident, or even a little cocky, it’s because they’ve developed a fearsome fundraising machine that is almost certain to be unmatched by any other GOP hopeful. And he’ll need it, judging from the not-good-enough reaction to his healthcare speech last week and the continued pining for more candidates.

Romney’s total haul for this quarter, to be revealed in July, will be revealing. One fundraiser here said assuredly that the Republican would raise $40 million, a sum that could give him a financial advantage so strong that it partly compensates for his considerable weaknesses.

Considering what Romney raised here Monday and that he will, according to a campaign official, hold over 30 fundraisers between now and when the quarter ends in June that figure seems quite possible.

His biggest asset, however, could be the millions in his own bank account. The former venture capitalist plowed $42 million of his own money into his failed 2008 bid for the nomination.

At a press availability following a roundtable with University of Nevada Las Vegas College Republicans, Romney indicated that he was again open to funding his own campaign.

“With regards to my own resources and the campaign, that’s counsel I’m going to keep with Ann and myself,” he said, alluding to his wife.

Pressed if he was ruling it out, Romney said: “No guidance on that.”

If he’s willing to self-fund, Romney could dwarf the competition financially. Jon Huntsman, like Romney a wealthy scion, has said that if he runs he won’t put in his own money. Tim Pawlenty isn’t independently wealthy and may not even raise this quarter what Romney did Monday. Michele Bachmann and Sarah Palin could raise significant cash online and through direct mail, but would have trouble putting together the network of bundlers necessary to put up Romney-level money.

Then there’s Mitch Daniels, who is still mulling whether to run. With the support of some Bush family loyalists and friends he’s made through decades of working in national politics, the Indiana governor could offer some of the stiffest competition to Romney.

And it was clear, in not-for-attribution conversations with donors here, that Daniels is the one Team Mitt is eying.

In fact many said without prompting that Romney’s one-day haul should send a message all the way to Indianapolis.

“Could Mitch do this?” asked one.

“He’s got to ask – could I do this?” said another Romney contributor. “Could I raise even $25 million [for the quarter]?”

Longtime GOP donors said that Daniels still has an opening – but that it won’t last much longer.

“There are individuals across the country who would like to see him get in the race,” said James Huffines, a still-neutral Texas moneyman and former Bush bundler who has been courted by every major campaign. “They are calling him, encouraging him to throw his hat in the ring. And over a 90-day period he could ramp up and create a network. But it won’t be easy.”

Ana Navarro, a Florida Republican contributor who just met with Huntsman last week, voiced what many Republicans are feeling about the hesitance of Daniels and other potential candidates to reveal their intentions.

“I am getting rather impatient with the Hokey-Pokey song and dance,” she said. “They put their right foot in, they put their right foot out and they shake it all about. I’m not going to back anyone until I know he’s ready to be all in and not just one limb at a time.”

After his performance here Monday, there is little doubt as to how financially formidable Romney will be. And as an organizational test, it was an impressive show of strength.

He held a similar call day in Boston to kick off his 2008 campaign, but the gathering here drew more donors, raised nearly $4 million more and was technologically advanced to the point that the callers could actually take credit card information and record contributions on their iPads.

 

The fundraisers, some clad in blue Romney t-shirts and others sporting blue hats that read “Call Day,” arrived as early as 5:30 AM to begin dialing for dollars on the East Coast. They kept at it until 2 PM. Each paid his or her own way to get here and even had to pick up their own lunch. Donors were, however, treated to a Sunday night reception at Steve Wynn’s Encore casino to get them fired up.

The goals varied, but the general targets were staggered at $10,000, $25,000 and $50,000.

Some, like former Romney business colleague and California gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman, aimed even higher.

“I’ve made hundreds and hundreds of phone calls,” Whitman said, noting that she had begun dialing even before arriving in Las Vegas. “The deadline that I gave people was end of business today.”

Many of the callers pegged their pitches to some of the 30-plus fundraising events on Romney’s calendar over the next month-and-a-half.

So when calls were made to potential givers in Washington, D.C., for example, the request was not just to cut a check but to come see Romney in person at an event at a lobbying firm on June 29th.

Romney officials restricted media access to the cavernous hall where the calls were being made, but did allow reporters to a glass-enclosed room above the floor to observe the process.

Dressed casually in slacks and a button-down shirt, the former governor could be seen making his way around the tables, taking cell phones from fundraisers to make some of the asks personally. He was joined by his wife and four of his five sons.

In a conference call with supporters earlier in the day, he signaled that, even though he’s yet to formally announce his candidacy, the event marked the effective start of his campaign.

“A lot of people have been asking, ‘When is this campaign really going to get going?’” he said. “When do the gears get into place? And the answer is today."

Romney added: “Each person donating sends a statement, I think, across the nation that we’re serious and that this campaign is going to be successful.”

Later in the day, over In’N’Out Cheesburgers with the CRs at the UNLV student union, he expressed his determination more succinctly: “I tried winning, I tried losing – I liked winning better.”

 

Romney sure acts and sounds like a presidential candidate . . . . . but is that what bothers us about him?

If Romney would be all over Obama and his sick administration, I'd feel a lot more comfortable about him.

[Sandra]

Goodness Michael, you sure have the info... All information both good and bad is helpful to make a good choice I hope.... Many know how to play the TP conservatives for sure.

[Sandra]

Ooopppppsssssssssss

[Sandra]

WOW, Allan, you sure have a lot of info... LOL... Guess the debating who one likes best is what is so good about the USA.... We will see who is left after the dust settles.

[Richard Allan Jenni]

Summary: Mitt Romney on Abortion and Stem Cell Research

• Life begins at conception.
• Roe v Wade should be immediately overturned so that states can decide abortion laws.
• Supports the ban on partial birth abortions.
• Should eventually have a constitutional amendment protecting lives of the unborn.
• Federal money should not be used to support abortions.
• Embryo-destructive research should not be supported by taxpayer money.
• Cloning of human embryos is morally wrong.
• Supports using scientific techniques that can produce equivalent research without destroying or cloning embryos.

 

 

Videos: Mitt Romney on Abortion and Stem Cell Research

Mitt Romney Talks About Abortion at National Review Institute Conservative Summit


Mitt Romney on When Life Begins and Abortion


Mitt Romney Endorses Human Life Amendment


Mitt Romney Answers Question about Foreign Aid Going to Fund Abortions

Quotes: Mitt Romney on Abortion and Stem Cell Research

 

Mitt Romney on Repealing Roe v Wade:

 

Chris Matthews: “Would the day that Roe v. Wade is repealed be a good day for America?”
Mitt Romney: “Absolutely.” -- 5/3/07 at Republican debate at Simi Valley, CA

Mitt Romney on Values of American People in Regards to Abortion:

“Well, I think all of us — I believe almost all of us in the room would say that we’d love to have an America that didn’t have abortion. But the truth of the matter is that — (applause) — that’s not what America is right now. That’s not where the American people are right now, and so I’d like to see Roe v. Wade overturned and allow the states and the elected representatives of the people and the people themselves have the ability to put in place pro-life legislation.

And of course it’s our aspiration that at some point we’ll see a nation that doesn’t have abortion. But until that time, I certainly believe that allowing states and citizens and their representatives to fashion their own laws to protect the sanctity of life is very, very important.

I recognize that for many people, that is considered an act of murder, to have an abortion. It is without question the taking of a human life, and I believe that a civilized society must respect the sanctity of a human life. But we have two lives involved here: A mom and unborn child. We have to have concern for both lives. And so the expression of our compassion and our consideration — and work to change hearts and minds — and that’s the way, in my view, we’ll ultimately have a society without abortion.” -- 8/5/07 at Des Moines, IA debate

Mitt Romney on Abortion as Taking a Human Life:

“Abortion is taking human life. There’s no question but that human life begins when all the DNA is there necessary for cells to divide and become a human being. Is it alive? Yes. Is it human? Yes. And, therefore, when we abort a fetus, we are taking a life at its infancy, at its very, very beginning roots, and a civilized society, I believe, respects the sanctity of human life.” -- 2/18/07 on “This Week” with George Stephanopolous

Mitt Romney on When Life Begins:

“I believe from a political perspective that life begins at conception. I don’t pretend to know, if you will, from a theological standpoint when life begins. I’d committed to the people of Massachusetts that I would not change the laws one way or the other, and I honored that commitment. But each law that was brought to my desk attempted to expand abortion rights and, in each case, I vetoed that effort. I also promoted abstinence education in our schools. I vetoed an effort, for instance, to give young women a morning after pill who did not have prescriptions. So I took action to preserve the sanctity of life.” -- 2/16/07 on Meet the Press

[Sandra]

Allan; You all ready know zero has never held a real job and has NO experiece in anythig except rebel rousing aka community organizer! He had to turn his law license in to the state of Illinois and so did MUCHELE! One can only imagine what he did to have them ask for it or possibly them facing some charges? Romney ahs baggage with that failed HC. I am with you, Allan West would be great!  You can bet the media will spin and trash the challenges and still fail to put any light on our illegal president! They failed in 2008 and they will again! Of course now that he stole the WH they will have to tread softer... Too early to see how these will all shake down in the end.

[Richard Allan Jenni]

So Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump are history! Good riddance. Mitt Romney, as Dick Morris points out, is the big winner there. Moreover, both Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul seem to have chronic cases of Foot in Mouth, so count them out as well. Yes, Allen West still tops my wish list, but I’d be happy with Mitt. For starters, he’s rich, intelligent, honest and God-fearing- the importance of those attributes being placed in ascending order.
I wonder if Obama, on the other hand, has ever made an honest dollar in his life- and compared to Romney and West, Barry’s challenged innate intelligence requires the constant assistance of a teleprompter and canned speeches. His legendary dishonesty is appalling- and his behavior patterns do not, at least in my estimation, indicate a close relationship with Jesus Christ. He seems more at home with the Koran than the Bible…
Anyway, in view of this weeks political developments, a Romney-West ticket seems plausible. Most importantly, I am glad to see the GOP field of Presidential hopefuls is thinning- hopefully sparing us a repeat of the 2008 debacle.

[Sandra]

Cain, is not the one we should be looking at, that I agree with Michael..Cain has baggage, and it is obummer care, not sure right no, but I will remember, lol.  Nor Newey, the Globalist RINO. Not to many yet in worth while we will see how they shake out, follow the  money, and who is supporting them.

[Sandra]

Newet didn't drop out, talk radio said today, he already knows he can't win and has something else he is thinking of? Whatever that meant, I suppose a future deal..

[okpatriot]

So why are candidates dropping out of the race right after they have announced they are going to run?  I say the opposition is running them of, just like he did in all of his other campaigns/elections. 

[okpatriot]

Romney.....Romneycare (aka: Obamacare), pro-homosexual, pro-abortion.

 

When did Newt drop out?  He just announced he was running.  I am not and was not for Newt...he seems to have come out in favor of Obamacare, and he has been married three times, and he and his current sife were having an affair while he was still married, and she is 22 years his junior!!!!!!!