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September 06, 2011 09:34 PM UTC

Will Romney "Pawlentify" Before Perry?

  • 28 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

With contested GOP presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney headed for an important debate this week, and a fundraiser in Denver Friday featuring a who’s-who of Colorado Republican luminaries, conservative columnist Mark Thiessen of the Washington Post asks some pointed questions–for starters, can Romney summon up the courage to take on Rick Perry in person?

Romney advisers told me recently that he was planning to stay above the fray and leave the attacks on Perry to the other candidates. But with his precipitous slide in the polls, Romney may no longer have that luxury – assuming the wildfires in Texas are under control enough to allow Perry to attend the debate. Perry has pulled ahead of him in Iowa, South Carolina, Ohio and Nevada (a state Romney’s team had taken as a given), has tied him in California, and holds a double-digit lead over Romney in three national polls.

Perry’s lead not only is wide, it is deep. According to NPR, Perry “has substantial leads over Romney among men and women and across all age groups. He leads in all geographical regions save for one, the East, where Perry is tied. And, ominously for Romney, Perry is just four points behind Romney with liberal to moderate voters and [Romney] trails Perry with rare or non-church-goers. That is remarkable.”

Faced with this juggernaut, Romney appears to be shifting strategy – and has begun taking shots at Perry on the campaign trail…[t]he question is: Will Romney repeat these jabs when Perry is standing next to him on the debate stage? He may not have a choice. Romney will almost certainly be asked about his stepped-up attacks on Perry. If he passes on the chance to repeat them, he risks “pulling a Pawlenty” – ducking the chance to confront his opponent in person after attacking him before other audiences. This proved to be the death blow to Pawlenty’s campaign. Romney cannot afford to repeat Pawlenty’s mistake.

To be clear, there are lots of dissimilarities between the campaigns of former Govs. Romney and Tim Pawlenty, most obviously the huge difference in fundraising–not to mention the laughably uninspiring campaign style that doomed the latter almost from the start. But it was Pawlenty’s unwillingness to stand up to Romney in a debate, given a wide-open shot and after days of hitting Romney in stump speeches, that convinced Republicans he didn’t have what it takes.

And in that respect, Romney’s first head-to-head confrontation with Perry this week is a similar dilemma to the challenge Pawlenty faced–and failed. With the “Tea Party” readying an “Anybody But Romney” campaign, and Perry fast eclipsing Romney’s once-solid frontrunner status, Wednesday’s debate could well be Romney’s last best chance to reassert himself.

Who knows? Perhaps Marc Holtzman and Scott McInnis, who helped Perry raise big bucks in Aspen last month, will be on the phone RSVP’ing for Romney’s fundraiser after a command performance Wednesday night. Or, as Perry’s Colorado money men, maybe Holtzman and McInnis will be the ones taking phone calls on Thursday morning? Stay tuned…

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28 thoughts on “Will Romney “Pawlentify” Before Perry?”

  1. Regardless of who the Repubs put up, you can’t beat the face plant that the Obama administration has orchestrated.

    You know the source: http://www.rasmussenreports.com

    The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Tuesday shows that 22% of the nation’s voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as president. Forty-four percent (44%) Strongly Disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -22 (see trends).

    Republicans hold a seven-point advantage on the Generic Congressional Ballot.

    Consumer confidence has fallenВ  four points since Friday’s jobs report.

    Most Americans believe that solar activity plays a role in global warming.В  However, a plurality believes human activity plays a bigger role.

    Fifty-seven percent (57%) of voters favor repeal of the health care law passed by Congress last year. Fifty-four percent (54%) believe repeal is at least somewhat likely to happen.

    1. Several Republicans have an opportunity to introduce themselves to the country and gain support. Perry and Perry at least have plenty of time and room to make their case.

      Not so Obama. Obama is a known quantity to the voters. And they are rejecting him in Carter-like numbers.

      What this does mean is Republicans, since we’re basically empowered to select the next President in our primary process, need to make the right choice. Rick Perry is a strong leader and a job creator. So is Romney, but conservatives need to know he can be trusted. Either one can still win me over though, unlike Obama with most of America.

    2. I notice the presidential posts here at Colorado Pols aren’t getting as much enthusiasm from the lefty echo chamber, except for the one Friday about Obama “Sister Souljahing the air.”

      Pretty soon Obama’s going to have the 12% of Democrats who are actually socialists in his corner, the authors of Colorado Pols, and nobody else.

    3. nothing in this post has to do with Obama but your pathetic trolling knows no bounds

      is that a fucking parrot typing at your keyboard or do you just got it hot-keyed?  obama … polls … obama … polls … obama … polls …

       

      1. Hey it’s tough knowing that your base won’t be showing up to vote for Barry O because they feel 100% abandoned.

        I think ArapaGOP is right, Obama has even lost the 100,000 GE employees he was counting on to be is faux business front.

    1. when you don’t believe in anything. You and Libertad agree that a black man shouldn’t be President and otherwise don’t particularly care about any individual issue. Little surprise the two of you never disagree.

        1. It’s that you’re a racist. Comparing Obama to Flavor Flav on the basis of literally nothing other than the color of their skin is hardcore, unapologetic, let-it-all-hang-out racism. Waiting for your apology for that and the great variety of other racist comments you’ve made over the last few weeks.  

          1. It gets tossed around more often than it should and not just at this site. Unfortunately, in Libertad’s case, your accusation seems dead on to me. I’ve been noticing for awhile that he is always skating right on the edge of that very thin line and for me, he’s gone over it enough times.

            If he dislikes Obama’s policies, fine. Take a fucking number. But his sometimes insightful comments are too often tinged with racism for me to bother replying to him or taking him seriously anymore.

            I don’t care if he apologizes, denies, spins or twists in the wind. The truth is the truth. His comments are racist.  

          2. I suspected it was a single man entertainer, so after being called a racist I looked it up on Wikipedia. Low and behold he was a musician who had fallen from power and was last known for being arrested for having the crack monkey on his back.

            Just like lyndar skyndar (sp?), when I was a teenager I thought he was a guy, low and behold it was a rock band who’s plane crashed.

            Get over it big boy.

            1. you’re really just a moron who talks about stuff you know nothing about?  Sorry ‘tad.  That was just one of your many racist remarks.  And  no reason why it has to be either or.  Plenty of people are racists and morons.  In fact being the latter is pretty much a requirement for being the former.  

  3. Romney posted an op-ed in today’s USA Today titled, “My plan to turn around the US economy”.  Here’s the link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/o…

    One of his first ideas is for “taxes on interest, dividends and capital gains for middle-income taxpayers should be eliminated.”

    What a joke.  First, how much interest has anyone earned lately on their 0.01% money market accounts?  Answer: zero.

    Next, how many middle-income taxpayers report dividend and capital gains income?  Answer: virtually zero.  I’ll save morons like ArapaGOoP the embarrassment of protesting that most Americans own stock and, therefore, would benefit from this proposal.  No, they wouldn’t.  Those investments are predominantly in retirement accounts.  Retirement accounts are only taxable upon withdrawal, and they are taxed at ordinary rates.  Most middle class households simply don’t have investments that generate dividends and capital gains.  Oh, and if they do, then long-term capital gains rates are already zero for those in the 15% ordinary income tax bracket.  And, they are zero if you sell your principal residence (up to $500k in gain).

    So, it seems to me the uber-wealthy Mr. Romney may not be in touch with real middle class Americans.  Someone needs to ask him who he considers middle class, and how many would benefit from his number one plan to “turn around the economy”.    

          1. “I will fight against measures that deprive workers of basic rights, such as the secret ballot.”

            Willard “Thurston” Romney: watching out for workers rights.

    2. Once again, capital investment equals jobs. Free up capital, create jobs. It absolutely will have that direct effect. It’s very simple and the fact that you people refuse to get this after repeated patient explanation means you are willfully ignorant.

      1. What’s stopping capital investment today?  A 15% capital gains tax rate?  I don’t think so, and neither do you.  

        So, you better define “free up capital” or you have no argument.

      2. so with their record profits many fortune 500 companies are hiring like crazy.  Wait, they aren’t.  Many have found ways to automate and use IT more efficiently during the downturn,  and take new employees, and thus new jobs out of the picture.  So, wait, oh yeah,  that must mean that your theory is a meaningless steaming pile of shit.  I’m glad we could walk through this together.

      3. Speaking as a business owner, and the owner of the type of company that creates jobs (small growing high-tech company), I know a lot more about this than you do. So speaking from the real world and not a fantasy land constructed from talking points…

        The number on thing business needs is increased demand. This is true for 99% of the business out there of all sizes. It’s not a lack of supply. It’s not a lack of cash. It’s a lack of demand.

        And the number two thing many business need (mine included) is additional people with the knowledge, skills, and smarts we need for our open positions. We are constantly limited by open positions we cannot fill.

        So offer to cut my tax bill in half, or to increase it 10% and address the above two problems – and I’ll take the 10% increase in a heartbeat. Because with increased demand and qualified people to fill our open slots I’ll make a lot more money by growing my company.

        So please stop spewing out stupid shit when it comes to creating jobs. I create jobs and you don’t.

      4. and making record profits. So that’s not the problem.  If that’s not the problem, then none of Romney’s bright ideas are the solution. Especially his supposedly one time repatriation idea.  Did it already in 2004. Job creation didn’t follow. His ideas are all strictly Lucy with the football stuff. Only an idiot would continue to buy any of it. None of it is for purpose of creating jobs.  At least not well paying American ones.  

        Don’t expect us to forget that Romney’s personal area of business expertise is   taking over companies and firing employees, while pocketing multi- millions for himself in the process. That’s who he is and what he does. But you knew that, right?

        1. It’s amazing how shallow conservative thinking is, isn’t it?  I mean the only thing the guy has is “free up capital”.  I mean, that’s just pathetic.

          I especially like David’s comment about whether he’d take a large tax cut, or an increase in demand.  If you can make a gross profit from what you’re selling, of course you’d take an increase in demand and make a ton more money.

          But, conservatives are not good businessmen/women.  They are merely lazy and greedy who see tax cuts (preferably down to zero) as their only solution.  

          Just pathetic.  

          1. we’ve “enjoyed” over the past decade due to making so much less money but it’s hard to appreciate what with the change from doing so much better than we ever had before, saving, no debt besides the mortgage, with those high Clinton tax rates (we were also in a higher tax bracket in those days) to where we are now; pretty much up a creek with no hope of retiring any time soon. But hey, we’re paying much less in income taxes. Isn’t that the only thing that matters?

            Wouldn’t it be just great to be among the bottom 50% that doesn’t make enough to pay any income taxes? Not that most of them they don’t pay taxes, just not income taxes and isn’t that the American dream?

            Alternately, I suppose you could argue that feeling forced to upgrade to a 12 million dollar or so house along with the Romney’s might be the American dream but at least we can all aspire to paying little to no income taxes just like those big corporations/people, currently sitting on trillions and begging for lower rates to pay 0% of.  Paying 0% of those higher rates (most corporations loophole their way out of paying anything regardless of the rate) must be a bitch.    

          2. but its always edifying to receive a lecture on how business investment works from an economic illiterate like ArapaGOP.  Guess he left the building anyway to receive further instruction from party hack central.

  4. in the GOP debate.  If he does not, under the guise of “rising above the fray,” he’ll rise right on out of contention.

    None of the other GOP candidates appear able to go toe to toe with Perry – Bachmann appears to be winning the “I’m crazier than everyone else!” contest, the others are just bad polling jokes.  This is Mitt’s chance–possibly his one and only chance.  

    And I think he CAN–he’s smart enough, etc., but whether he has the WILL to do so remains to be seen.  And Perry is, as even a cursory review of his actual record reveals, nothing more than the “Man Behind The Curtain,” as other commentators have shown.

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