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Romney draws contrast with Huckabee

By Foon Rhee, deputy national political editor December 10, 2007 05:50 PM


By Michael Levenson and Sasha Issenberg, Globe Staff

Overtaken by Mike Huckabee in the Iowa polls, Mitt Romney is launching the first side-by-side so-called contrast ad in the state's GOP presidential campaign, a TV spot that directly criticizes Huckabee's record on immigration.

Titled "Choice: The Record," the ad, which will air beginning Tuesday, features stark piano music, photos of Romney and Huckabee and a voice-over calling them "two former governors, two good family men, both pro-life, both support a constitutional amendment protecting traditional marriage."

"The difference?" the announcer asks. Mitt Romney vetoed in-state tuition benefits for illegal immigrants and opposed giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses, the ad says. It says Huckabee, on the other hand, supported giving in-state tuition rates to illegal immigrants and giving them tax-funded scholarships.

"On immigration, the choice matters," the announcer says.

At first glance, the ad is notable for the contrasts Romney tries to draw with Huckabee. But Romney deftly first tries to steal Huckabee's halo by recounting not their differences, but similarities.

It's a clever twist for a negative spot: before Romney, once pro-choice and sympathetic to gay rights, hits Huckabee, he uses his rival's perceived purity on those moral issues to validate Romney where he's vulnerable.

8 comments so far...
  1. That's a dangerous ad for Romney. While I compliment him on his ability to criticize without demonizing he is in for some scrutiny on this one. The polls don't recognize Romney much stronger on Immigration. Romney supported the Immigration Reform Act by McCain, and Huckabee is on the reccord for having not supported it. This hasn't caught the press's attention yet. I think this video bites him. It also falsely accuses Huckabee that he supported Illegal driver's licenses which Huckabee is starkly opposed. It draws attention to every issue that Mitt has flip flopped on. It will be interesting how this plays on the minds of Iowa's "hungry for info," voters.

    Posted by Gabe G. December 10, 07 06:45 PM
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  1. I think that Iowans will find this ad quite distasteful. the reason being that Romney doesn't seem authentic and everyone in the state saw Huckabee slam Romney on this specific issue in the debate. so, the question is, why would Romney use an ad that brings out an issue he already lost on?

    Posted by James Sunshine December 10, 07 07:48 PM
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  1. As Romney continues to lose ground in the early states he will start attacking Gov. Huckabee. He is trying to walk a fine line of making the people believe that him and Gov. Huckabee are the same but different. The problem with Mitt Romney is that he has flip-floped so many times that nobody exactly knows where he stands. Just last week he came out and made his religious beliefs a part of his campaign when he continued to say that he wasnt going to get into that. Gov. Romney needs to do exactly what Mayor Guiliani did, not back down from his true beliefs. The Mayor did not back down from his Pro-Abortion, Pro-Gay, and Anti-Gun beliefs and he was able to lead in the poles. The only problem now is that the Conservative side of the Republican party now has a canidate that they can vote for and it is showing in the national poles. Gov. Huckabee is filling the void that couldnt be filled by Sen. Thompson and when Congressman Hunter has to bow out his pole numbers will go even higher. I think that if Sen. Thompson was to drop out today that you would see at least a 10% bump, nationally, for Gov. Huckabee.
    When everyone is trying to say they are the most like Pres. Reagan the only person acting like it is Gov. Huckabee. Conventional wisdom did not work with Pres. Reagan, everybody said that he didnt have a chance and conventional wisdom will not work for Gov. Huckabee.

    Posted by David Leavins December 10, 07 08:01 PM
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  1. Hey, check out ALL the candidates records and you'll find "flip flops" with all of them.

    Flip flop for one, flip flop for all !!

    Posted by Debrar December 10, 07 08:34 PM
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  1. Go Huckabee!!! Go Ron Paul!!! The only 2 honest grass roots candidates!!!!

    Posted by Don Hannaford December 10, 07 08:54 PM
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  1. Huckabee =has approx. 8 tax increases on record while he was governor.
    Romney= stated he would make the Bush tax cut permanent.
    Neither have an acceptable record on immigration.
    Where do they stand on the second amendment?

    Posted by Richard Osborne December 10, 07 09:32 PM
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  1. ya it will either work or kill him, as it did dean and others in the 2004 primaries when they ran attack ads.
    i think it will kill him because people will react by showing his problems in the same area.
    we'll see.

    Posted by sam December 11, 07 02:13 AM
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  1. Mitt has not flip flopped ever. He is the only one who has not done that. What he says he means and he actually does. Did he learn, grow, and change his position on something? Yes - thank heavens. And that's exactly the direction we want him to go, as republicans. Did he flop back to what he used to do? NOT ONCE. And, did you know that Romney is the ONLY politician who has ever written ALL his own speeches, without anyone else's help in writing it? That says ALOT for him. Romney is the man. We americans are simply too blind and too soured to recognize goodness now-a-days. We are so burnt out from all the politicans in the past 50 years, that we simply do not believe any politician could ever be geniune and 100% honest and up-front. I can promise you, Romney is that way. I know that personally.

    His record prooves who he is. Not once has he gone against what he has voted for or against. Not so with any other GOP presidential runner.

    Posted by Teri December 11, 07 02:32 AM
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About political intelligence Field reports from Boston Globe reporters and editors covering the 2008 presidential campaign and the national maneuvering of Bay State politicians.

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