Romney uses real people to hit McCain
Mitt Romney is using surrogates to criticize John McCain, his main rival in Tuesday's New Hampshire primary.
But instead of elected officials, a new TV ad uses real people.
One man starts out praising McCain's war record in Vietnam, but then others quickly follow with a litany of criticisms: His record in the US Senate leaves "a lot to be desired." He voted against tax cuts. He supported "amnesty" for illegal immigrants. He didn't listen to the American people. He's had his chance in Washington.
The ad marks a departure for Romney's campaign, which has attacked McCain in New Hampshire and Mike Huckabee in Iowa with TV ads where an announcer contrasts their records with Romney's.
Romney, meanwhile, isn't getting a whole lot of love from newspapers. The New Hampshire Union Leader, which endorsed McCain, had another editorial today blasting Romney, this time on his deficiencies on foreign policy experience.
And McCain also won the endorsement today of the Detroit News, a major newspaper in Michigan, where Romney was born and raised. Michigan Republicans vote on Jan. 15.
The endorsement editorial says the next president needs to deal with terrorism without destroying civil liberties, needs to rein in spending, and needs to find bipartisan solutions to immigration, healthcare, and other issues. It says that McCain is the "candidate who is best qualified to lead the nation. ... McCain's long-time presidential ambitions are at last aligned with the needs of the nation."
The News calls Romney "an appealing candidate with considerable depth on key issues. He has Michigan roots and the best understanding of the automotive industry of any candidate. He brings an analytical bent and a business executive's tools to politics, admirable traits that would bring advantage to governing.
"Unfortunately, Romney hasn't campaigned hard enough on those strengths," the editorial says. "Instead, he has panted after the GOP's most conservative values voters, taking hard-line stands on gay marriage and abortion in conflict to his earlier positions as governor of Massachusetts. The result is that many voters will wonder if they're seeing the real Romney."
Today, McCain also launched a new TV ad in Michigan in which he brags about fighting lobbyists and special interests on campaign finance reform, battling with the Pentagon on US strategy in Iraq, and upsetting his own colleagues by railing against pork barrel spending.
"I don't like the business as usual crowd in Washington," he says in the spot, similar to one he has run in New Hampshire. "But I love America. I love her enough to make some people angry."
In the most recent Michigan poll, published by the Detroit News last month, Romney led with 21 percent and McCain was in fourth with 10 percent, behind Rudy Giuliani and Fred Thompson.
The numerous endorsements of Senator McCain by newspapers suggest literacy counts among Presidential candidates. Though McCain finished is formal schooling "5th from the bottom of his class", he made up for it during his mature years. When he returned from Vietnam, he read aggressively. He later published several books, and he now consistently recommends relevant texts for voters to read if they wish to learn more about a topic. Amazingly enough, his recommendations are not all centered on business. At a recent town hall discussion with a voter, for example, he yielded to the temptation to talk baseball - and of course a relevant book (called Teammates - about Ted Williams) came up. At another town hall, the discussion moved toward national security, and he recommeded The Looming Tower (this book won a Pulitzer, by the way). I now attend town halls with pen in hand to write down recommendations. Most of the books have been informative, on target, and relevant. An experienced, well-rounded, literate candidate counts. Take the time to check out Senator McCain's website - and read his own book Why Courage Matters (a short, powerful book). It helps one understand his perspective on living a brave life.
It is sad that a newspaper would miss the right choice by so much!. They obviously know that Romney is very qualified "admirable traits that would bring advantage to governing" isn't THIS WHAT WE WANT?? some one that can lead and GOVERN this country? I think you know him better than you think "He brings an analytical bent and a business executive's tools to politics" DON'T WE KNOW THAT OUR ECONOMIC HEALTH needs HELP? and wouldn't some one with "ANALYTICAL BENT" be what we need?
We will never get someone that is an expert on everything. What matters is someone that can assemble a WINNING team that is what Romney can do. McCain's failed bipartisan attempt is just that a failure, if he new anythings about national security he would have never sponsored that with the democrats.
To Endorse McCain because Romney hasn't spent the time in MI is like sating well I guess we'll take him because no one else is here. The president will be in DC not in MI! You admitted that Romney is what the car state needs "He has Michigan roots and the best understanding of the automotive industry of any candidate"
Michigan you know that Romney is who you need to get back YOU to the top of the auto industry! and AMERICA back on track.
Jim, we heard you.
Jim, we heard you.
Jim, we heard you.
Oh, and you're dead wrong. John McCain is the guy most equipped to lead this nation, and is the most trustworthy of the candidates on either side. Romney is a lying phony, and hopefully as we speak, the good people of Iowa are showing him that panderers should not win the presidency.
I just can't understand why so many newspapers are endorsing Mccain. Aren't they supposed to be neutral on these issues? Its also interesting to know that there seems to be a lot of governors endorsing Romney. The people who's opinions should matter the most. What is it about Romney that people don't like? His main criticism seems to be that he is a flip flopper, that he changed he view on abortion and gay marriage. Everything else about him, people seem to agree that he has all the talent, and the most qualified to be president. I have heard his view on abortion, and I truly believe he has always been against it. I also admire him for not trying to pry is personal religious views into politics, especially in a democratic state such as Massachusetts, where they were not going to agree with such a stance. I feel this has been the same issue for his view on gay marriage. So when he voices his opinion and runs on a anti abortion ticket to the white house, and this is what you want in a president, what is wrong with changing his stance and fighting for something he believes in a little harder, rather than fighting in vain in a Massachusetts?
I just can't understand why so many newspapers are endorsing Mccain. Aren't they supposed to be neutral on these issues? Its also interesting to know that there seems to be a lot of governors endorsing Romney. The people who's opinions should matter the most. What is it about Romney that people don't like? His main criticism seems to be that he is a flip flopper, that he changed he view on abortion and gay marriage. Everything else about him, people seem to agree that he has all the talent, and the most qualified to be president. I have heard his view on abortion, and I truly believe he has always been against it. I also admire him for not trying to pry is personal religious views into politics, especially in a democratic state such as Massachusetts, where they were not going to agree with such a stance. I feel this has been the same issue for his view on gay marriage. So when he voices his opinion and runs on a anti abortion ticket to the white house, and this is what you want in a president, what is wrong with changing his stance and fighting for something he believes in a little harder, rather than fighting in vain in a Massachusetts?
I think we need to step up and admit what the real problem is. Take 'Religious bias' out of the picture and vote for the best man to keep us economically and politically safe in the coming years. Romney is our best choice - no doubt about it.
I think we need to step up and admit what the real problem is. Take 'Religious bias' out of the picture and vote for the best man to keep us economically and politically safe in the coming years. Romney is our best choice - no doubt about it.
Boycott! To those newspapers who are being biased...Let's stop our subscription and just read the news online or on TV...
Stop all your subscription asap!
McCain's temperment seems to be overlooked by all these papers. Any who has worked closely with him knows how unbelievably volatile he is. He drops the f-bomb on unsuspecting people who cross his path without hesitation. I'm a Republican but I could not vote to put McCain within 100 feet of the nuclear suitcase.
Billy,
to answer your question, many people consider lying off-putting. When Romney says "I saw my father march with MLK" and his father never ACTUALLY march with MLK what does that tell you? There is reality, historical facts that are out there, when someone makes statements as if these do not exists, people find this offensive.
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