Washingtonians for Mitt Romney

Evergreen state GOP'ers overwhelmingly support Mitt

2007-04-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

Check this article out, it shows that in the first quarter this year, Mitt has raised more money in our state than twice Rudy and John's like amounts combined! Seems Washingtonians have largely made up their mind who they would like to see on the GOP front next year. At least your money is telling that story anyhow.

If you have not already done so, or if you would like to donate more, go to www.mittromney.com and continue to show our financial support for the most intelligent choice for our vote in '08.

Delay in writing

2007-03-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

I have been fortunate to be blessed with a new baby girl in my family who will be a month old tommorrow. This has caused me to slack off from posting to this site lately. I am ready to change that and start posting much more regularly.

As the weeks have gone by since my last post, I have checked this site hoping that others who are authorized contributors would chime in as well. My hope is that I can reactivate some of them into the dialogue once again.

Since Mitchell moved to Utah he gave me a user passsword to manage this site, although I am not quite sure if there is somebody else out there who is inactive yet still retains that right, since Mitchell was not the originator of this blog. So while I figure that out as well as a way to put links on here, I ask for your patience and to not give up on this site.

Once I figure out some kinks, I will invite others who have desire to blog here that opportunity as well.

More to come soon.....

Keep on supporting the ascendency of Mitt!

Hoping Mitt will clarify on oil

2007-02-20T15:15:00.000-08:00

I have heard Mitt say that we are using "too much oil" in this country, and this is also a statement he makes on the new campiagn commercial which he will be airing in select states shortly.

I am one who would like to see him alter this statement somewhat. He ought to say "We are using too much FOREIGN oil", and/or "We are not using oil efficiently enough, our utilization of technology to capture maximal energy output from each gallon can improve."

Maybe the distinction is subtle, but I feel it is significant. Americans need to know Mitt understands and will act on the principle that until other fuel sources are devoloped, we must have an affordable and abundant flow of oil, as our economic engines as currently tooled would stop without it. That would be devastating to our economy and people would suffer and go hungry. Since a retooling will take decades, once an acceptable alternative is found, hardship must not ensue in the interim.

So in the short term, in order to achieve self-sufficiency on oil, we should dramatically increase production domstically. Mitt has alluded to that, with his support of ANWR drilling, and off the continental shelf, and off the straits of Florida, where the Cubans and the Chinese are already at it. He has also alluded to increased use of technology to capture more output from each gallon of oil used. On both these points he ought to move beyond allusion to more specifics.

He should tell Americans the truth, that we do great things with the oil we use, our economy and personal tools generate a standard of living that benefits billions of people and continues our progression in the fields of medicine, science and commerce, just to name a few. A quest to be more energy independent and to be more responsible in our efficient use of it should not be done in a way that will hinder that. Please do not ask us to drive less or travel less or not enjoy certain luxuries, that is not the way of the future and of progress.

Once again, on my issue with his use of the phrase "We are using too much oil" verses how I would like to hear him explain it, maybe the difference is subtle, but I feel it is significant. He needs to articulate that he is NOT on an Anti-oil crusade, there are others in the preidential hopeful field with those credentials, and I believe that rightfully frightens alot of Americans who are honest with themselves about the role oil currently plays in our lives, for better or worse. Its just the way everything is currently tooled. His platform of increased domestic oil production for ourselves, better utilization of the product, and advancing of other technologies in a phased in "retool" of our economic engines to those fuel sources should be better expressed than the statement he is currently putting out: "We are using too much oil".

My hope is that Mitt will get this message. As one who wants him to succeed in rightfully winning the Presidency for 8 years, this is an area I hope he will outshine his competition by correctly explaining to the public the beneficial effects of the oil we do use, how we should be self-suffient by expanding its production, more savvy with its use, and that we should participate in developing and then retooling to other fuel sources to graduallytake its place as they prove themselves more effective economically and environmentally.

I want to hear more from Mitt the educator and less from a Mitt who just uses mantras and sound bites like the rest, whom he is capable of rising above.

to get traction in the northwest

2007-02-05T12:22:00.000-08:00

What do you feel can be done to give Mitt more expoure here in the Northwest?

For those of you follow his actions from day to day, it is apparent that most of Mitt's time and resources are being spent on the eastern half of this nation. I would really like to soon see him come out west. I understand he may not spend much time in WA state (at least not western washington) becuase of our deply entrenched democrat majority, but if he were to come to Oregon or Idaho (or even Spokane) there are throngs of us from Western Washington who would migrate to hear him speak.

Maybe Mitt should give Washington a chance, this state is not more blue politically than Massachussetts, and of the largest metro areas west of the Mississippi is here. I am one who is eager to see him here soon. This area needs his message.

2008 - socialized medicine - up for a vote - GUARANTEED!

2007-01-30T21:49:00.000-08:00

In 2008 you will have 2 people running for the oval office. One of them is intent on nationalizing all health care in the United States. Socialized medicine WILL happen, if you do not convince the American people to vote for the other candidate.

The top three democrat contenders ( Clinton, Obama, Edwards) have ALL been campaigning on the position of their intent to nationalize health care in this country, and they are serious about it. Seems that no matter which one of them wins their parties nomination, this will be an idea put forth for the American people to accept. And the reality is that since either the republican or democrat will win the election, the stakes are extremely high on putting into the race a candidate who can articulate AGAINST the nonsense, against the medical and financial nightmare that would ensue such a fateful decision.

The American people know there are problems with our health care system and will not elect someone I believe, whose position here is to continue the status quo. Who better than Romney to put forth tangible solutions to these problems that reinforce the private sector role in medicine while at the same time expanding coverage available to people at the lower financial echalons in our country? Who better to tell the people that many of our problems here stem from government meddling in the market in the first place? Who better to explain that it is almost always better to subsidize the means of consumption rather than the means of production when helping people acquire goods and services?

If we fail to put the right person into the ring in this 2 person contest, one seventh of our economy will be socialized. Think about it. Then act.

Internet sites

2007-01-25T10:48:00.000-08:00

I have been perusing the various sites of the current GOP and democratic presidential contenders:

www.mittromney.com

http://www.exploremccain.com/

http://www.joinrudy2008.com/

http://www.brownback.com/default.asp

http://www.teamtancredo.org/

Duncan Hunter - cant find a website on exploratory comittee or official candidacy

http://www.votehillary.org/

http://www.barackobama.com/

http://johnedwards.com/splash/

Who do you think has the best site and why? I notice that Romney is one of only a select few of the sites that actually goes into detail about issues. I would like to see even more detail given here in short order however.

I think McCain's website looks the coolest, but is one of the most devoid of substance on specific issues, second only maybe behind Obama's site which is an empty slate on any issues being presented.

On the lefty side I actually commend Edwards for being forthright on site his site about where he stands on things.

Your thoughts?

Your Input

2007-01-18T01:13:00.000-08:00

Who do you think should Mitt pick as a running mate and why?

Romney/Rossi tactics

2007-01-15T09:53:00.000-08:00

This link will take you a great article on a new website I just discovered. It deals with how Romney can win in Washington State, and it is by employing many of the same strategies that won Rossi the election in '04, before the recounting and finding surprise votes machine went into overdrive. This is exactly the type of discussion we hope to see more of here in the comments section at Washingtonians for Mitt!

Back to Business

2007-01-08T15:10:00.000-08:00

Well this site has sat without a new post since before Christmastime, but with the holidays behind us it is time to get back into full-on advocacy mode for our man Mitt. In case you dont know Mitt has launched an exploratory presidential committee, and the news reports he has raised over 6.5 million dollars just today! He is the first candidate I can remember being totally upfront with the public about the cost of running for president, where he has said it will likely take near 100 million to be a "competitive" candidate. At this rate he should have that in a month, should the aggresive fundraising keep up. We can be a part of that.

Go to : www.mittromney.com to sign up for his email roll and donate to his campaign.

I wish I heard earlier but Romney apparently was on the Michael Medved radio show today. Medved broadcasts out of Seattle for his nationally syndicated show. Since he has a large audience here in the Pacific Northwest, I trust that Mitt was able to have some great exposure to the hearts and minds of the people in our region. If anyone heard the interview, please leave your thoughts about it here, I would like to know what was said.

a little more civil

2006-12-16T23:41:00.000-08:00

There's nothing like politics to bring out the worst in folks. I'm talking about character assassination. These last couple of days I have been reading and hearing a lot of negative talk about the Republicans, the Democrats, and the presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle. Of course this is the way politics works. Some may say there is nothing we can do about it. I feel there is something we can do. I think this is a time when we ought to be more civil when talking about the party or the candidates we might not like. Criticizing someone is easy. Just going along with what your favorite talk-show host says is easy. Now is a time for change.

What can we do to make the 2008 presidential election at least a little more civil?

2006-12-02T21:57:00.000-08:00

In this most recent election I was elected as a precinct committee officer for precinct 52 here in Everett, WA. Today was the "Snohomish County Republican Party Central Committee Organization Meeting." However, a few weeks after the election I made the decision to move to Provo, UT - which I will be doing in a few weeks here. Since my tenure as a "PCO" would be short, I was thinking last night how to make a good impression at the meeting. So, I designed some Mitt Romney business cards, and a poster. (Looking at the poster in the picture, in the lower right in small text it says "washingtoniansformitt.blogspot.com" and "Mitchell Baird - Everett Precinct 52 PCO") I hung up the sign in a prominent spot, gave out business cards and talked about Mitt Romney. (The business cards look just like the poster.)

The meeting was a lot of fun. We elected folks, ran into Robert's rules, talked about the greatness of the Republican party, etc., etc. I'm going to miss being a part of the party here in Washington. Of course the Republican party is alive in Utah, but I don't believe it has quite the opposition that it does here in the Evergreen State.

Can a Mormon...?

2006-11-27T23:11:00.000-08:00

A few recent news articles and a poll are asking the question, "Can a Mormon be elected president?"

The answer is yes.

The real question is, are the American people (in spite of all the biased information they hear from the media) able to determine who is the best presidential candidate?

Yes again.

I personally have faith that a Mormon can be an excellent President of the United States. More importantly, I have faith that the American people have the ability to choose the best presidential candidate in 2008. Especially when one of the candidate's skills and abilities put him so far ahead of the rest of the pack.

(Also posted at http://mymanmitt.com/mittblog/)

bring on Giuliani

2006-11-16T22:35:00.000-08:00

I hear that Giuliani is forming an exploratory committee to look at running for president in 2008. I say bring it on. One way to show how truly outstanding a leader Mitt Romney would be to have him go up against well-respected and succesful leader like Giuliani.

Happy Holiday Respite!

2006-11-14T14:26:00.000-08:00

Since the outcome of this months election cycle, many of us are likely chomping at the bit for Mitt Romney to get officially into the Presidential contender ring. McCain and Guiliani have already done so. Romney has said he will not make any formal declaration until after his Governorship is over. His last day at that job is Jan. 4th, so I suppose we can eagerly await for Jan. 5th as the day the nation is put on notice?

Personally I am glad that Mitt is waiting until after the holiday season. It shows class. We all have been so involved in political thinking the past 6+ months, isnt it great that Romney is sort of saying, lets take the holiday season off, and enjoy other facets of life for a short while. Were he to come out now with a formal candidacy then he, his election comittee, and those of us at the grassroots would need to launch into full work mode. Once it starts we cannot stop, we cannot relent until we see victory. I appreciate the confidence to leave the work till next year.

This is the time of year to get with family and close friends, to play together, adorn each other with nice things, to serve thy neighbor, to eat too much food and swear to do someting about it next year, to reflect upon the greatness of our Creator and the goodness of life. The harsh and cold game of politics can wait while we get re-centered in our lives.

So let McCain and Guiliani get started now before the holidays. Look at it as their starting line handicap, they are going to need it! Let them start to spend their campaign money now on getting media exposure at a time when people will not be as mentally tuned in to politics, we Romney supporters know that our fearless candidate will be more fiscally prudent than that with the funds he is entrusted with. That is one of the many reasons we want him to reside at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in the first place!

So enjoy life for the next few weeks and put the politics on the shelf. Take a breath, you know how hard we are all going to need to push in unison come next year. Take a page from the Romney playbook and focus on what is REALLY important in your life right now. Go do some service for your neighbor. Visit someone and tell them you love them. Eat too much food with someone you havent seen enough of lately, recommit to a better relationship with God, go and tickle some kids on the floor till their cheeks are completely red, do some family scrapbooking, go outside and be immature with siblings and parents for an aftrenoon, take in the beauty of a winter sunrise or sunset, listen to some corny John Denver music with cousins and sing to it off key, frolic in the wonderment of life.

We will all be fighting together soon, but for now, go home and fughet-aboudit!

See you soon!

pictures of new, wet bumper sticker

2006-11-13T20:54:00.000-08:00

Here is a picture of a new bumper sticker I designed. I was trying to think "outside the box." Like the bumper sticker I did before, I printed this with my own inkjet printer on bumper-sticker paper I got at Office Depot. This time I tried to protect the ink by covering the ink side with clear packing tape, but water still got in.

And here is a closeup.

with or without booze?

2006-11-06T22:03:00.000-08:00

Two ideas regarding Romney in '08 -

First, you know those fancy parties they have all over D.C. when a new president is inaugurated? I was just thinking - you know that Mitt doesn't drink alcohol. When Mitt is inaugurated maybe he could have some venues with alcohol and some without.

Second, I don't know how many folks of the losing political party tend to come to the inaugural ball events - but I think there ought to be plenty of Democrats invited. Perhaps one of the places could be set up as a Democrat only inaugural ball for Mitt Romney :-)

See my question for the day at the mymanmitt blog http://www.mymanmitt.com/mittblog/

My name is Mitchell and I approve this message.

could Mitt reframe the discussion on immigration?

2006-11-01T23:07:00.000-08:00

In my church I currently have a responsibility working with the Boy Scouts. Tonight the scouts were each speaking 5 minutes to fulfill a merit badge requirement. The topic they were speaking on was illegal immigration.

A few things that come to mind when I think about this topic.
1. It may do well to add to the discussion the importance of forming better relations with the Mexican people (and other immigrants for that matter). This applies not only on a country to country basis, but also individual to individual. Encourage organizations to get American folks to hang out and get to know Mexican folks - and vice versa. This would help us all to better undertand the other culture, and to deal with the issue of illegal immigration in a more understanding way.
2. Invest in educational programs in Mexico. Overall the educational system in Mexico is not that great. If we, as the United States, could somehow help improve the Mexican educational system (in a smart way - not by imposing our ideas on them, but rather by helping them educate their way) it would be a great benefit. In the long-run this would hopefully help improve the political and economic situations there. Also, for the Mexican immigrants who come to the United States, they would better be able to get higher level employment.
3. Perhaps set up some kind of program where Mexican people are invited to come to the United States to learn a trade, learn how to start a business, learn a skill, etc. - then head back to Mexico with a loan to try and set up that business in Mexico.
As to administering these programs - it may be best for them to be run by universities and private businesses, rather than having the feds run them. The federal government does lots of things pretty well. However, whenever anything gets too many federal dollars, chances are it's not going to be run well.

I think if Mitt could focus on these types of solutions - in addition to talking about the plans of building a wall, providing work temporary work visas, and deporting folks - it would make the immigration dialogue more positive and hopeful.

newspapers may have to report real news

2006-10-31T22:54:00.000-08:00

If you haven't read the article by Nathan Burd called, "Romney Offers Relief from Scandal Fatigue" at http://www.americansformitt.com/ - I would recommend checking it out. Nathan makes some great points.

Now it's possible to have an excellent leader who leads an improper personal life. There are examples of this in American history. Just think how much more some of these leaders could have contributed, though, had they been able to control their passions. Mitt Romney is one who has been able to control these passions.

Kerry - Cantwell

2006-10-31T20:49:00.000-08:00

So the election is in a few days. Mike McGavick needs all the support he can muster to beat Senator Cantwell. Today John Kerry was stumping for her in Seattle. It is from here where he made the national media clip where he refuses to apologize for his remarks yesterday in California while addressing college students. He told them that they should study hard and get good grades so they can be smart and get a good job, otherwise they will be "stuck in Iraq".

Remind people of this absurd comment as they see him stumping for Cantwell. McGavick is a recipient of Romney's Commonwealth PAC backing. Romney likes McGavick, and should he win next week, should prove to be a strong local ally for Romney.

tip for a healthy campaign

2006-10-30T23:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted for a while. I hope that you are keeping up to date by visiting http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/ among other sites.

What I think would be popular is to have a weekly exercise show called, "Walking with Mitt." It would be specifically designed for senior citizens - but also for whoever else wants to watch. Have you seen those exercise videos where you walk in place to music? Mitt could have staff members also on the show. While they are walking 2, 3, 4, to the music, they could discuss current political issues. It would be Mitt's version of FDR's fireside chats....

(I also posted this idea at http://www.mymanmitt.com/mittblog/)

go to mymanmitt

2006-10-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

Check out my blogpost today by going to my Oct. 24th, 2006 entry at http://mymanmitt.com/mittblog/

One Way Slant

2006-10-23T09:37:00.000-07:00

Are you as tired as I am of reading articles about Mitt Romney which continuously spout the rhetoric that many in the country are not going to vote for a Mormon to hold a high national office, especially evangelical types? Or articles serving to warn people of a supposed compromise of the seperation of church and state should Mitt be elected to national office, and then take orders from LDS leaders? Has anyone ever seen one of these articles specifically name a preacher or a church that is actually telling folks NOT to vote for a potential Romney candidacy, because he is Mormon? All the articles state are generic assertions that there will be evangelical opposition, whilst many predominant leaders in that community have emphatically said that Mitt's faith will NOT be reason for them to not cast a ballot in his favor. Until these journalists come out with specific preachers or churches urging their congregations to NOT support Romney because of his faith, I will take the lack of specificity as evidence to the contrary.

On to my point in this post:

If these journalists who incessantly feel driven to warn the public about the potential of a Mormon holding national office are to be consistent, why dont they also warn people about the potential for Senate Minority speaker Harry Reid (D-Nev) to become the Senate MAJORITY leader in a couple weeks if people dont wake up and vote correctly? There should be articles in mainstream media publications telling the masses that Republican votes are what is needed nationwide to keep this mormon from attaining our highest congressional seat, if you are to do your duty as a good evengelical or secular American, according to how they love to paint that picture for you.

Why are the journalists so insistent to cover the issue of "mormon faith" if it belongs to a Republican politician , but completely indifferent when it belongs to a Democratic one?

One Way Slant?

Yes/No ?

better get your raincoat Mr. Romney

2006-10-17T22:44:00.000-07:00

I haven't read about the man, but I get the feeling that Kim Jong-il - the leader of North Korea - may have attention deficit disorder. Not the kind of ADD where someone is unable to focus very well, but rather the a.d.d. where one doesn't get enough attention paid to them as they are growing up.

It's a painful thing to think about how the North Korean people suffer. Whatever becomes of the current situation, I figure that China is looking to benefit from it. I'm sure that the majority of Chinese would want nothing to do with having a war in the region, but I'm concerned that some of the leaders of China are looking to get ahead - and looking to put the U.S. behind.

What does this have to do with Mitt Romney? If this storm is still brewing in North Korea two years from now, it will end up in Romney's lap, so to speak. I don't want to sound like I'm beating the same drum all the time, but again I say that one of the most important things Mitt can do is to encourage the American people to straighten up. In simplest terms I think straightening up could most easily be summarized by encouraging husbands and wives to love each other; parents and children to love each other and spend more time together - with the television, cell phones, and video games off.

In addition to Kim Jong-il, I think that we as a country are suffering from add - where we don't give and receive enough love and attention from each other.

Mitt in the world

2006-10-16T22:33:00.000-07:00

If you haven't been paying attention lately, Mitt is gaining momentum - big time. Just read the recent posts at ye olde Elect Romney in 2008 blog - http://blog.electromneyin2008.com/
There is no stopping Mitt.

So what do we do now? Stay calm. The 2008 presidential election is still two years off. In the meantime, make sure you go out and help your neighbor. But it wouldn't hurt to also tell your neighbor about Mitt.

It would be great to get out the word more about Mitt Romney for President here in the Other Washington. Anyone out there interested in blogging for washingtoniansformitt? Please post some comments.

I think that Mitt Romney will need to talk about foreign policy a lot. People will try and attack him for his lack of experience in this area. Even though he may turn out to be 30 times better than anyone around - he hasn't had as much opportunity as other candidates may have had in international relations. I say that Mitt has the basic principles down of how to create good relationships. He'll use these skills with anyone, any group, and any country he relates to.

give me an M!

2006-10-12T22:27:00.000-07:00

Who has been a very successful businessman?
Mitt has
Who likes to use data in making governmental decisions?
Mitt does
Who was able to cut waste from the Massachusetts state government?
Mitt Romney
Check out Jason's post today over at http://www.mymanmitt.com/mittblog/ to read about Mitt's speech to a group of business students at the University of Chicago business school.

If I were currently working in a wasteful federal agency or department, I would watch out for Mitt as President.

McGavick support

2006-10-12T10:26:00.000-07:00

I wanted to remind everyone who supports Romney to also vote for Mike McGavick to unseat Maria Cantvotewell for one of our state Senate seats. Romney's PAC has been a financial and political supporter because they believe in him. The Romney PAC is willing to put their money where their mouth is in their support of him, so if you like the Mitt man, consider it please.

Thanks.

political campaign idea 14b

2006-10-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

I'm sure this is standard procedure, but one principle Mitt would do well to follow on his campaign is to be as positive as he can. As he travels to the states, it would be his job to emphasive most, the good that is going on it that particular city and state.

When someone is constantly positive like this, then they have more clout to ask for support or for some specific help. For example, after talking about how strong that state is in some area, Mitt could say something like, "After you get home from this speech I encourage you to go home and write a letter to _______ about _______ issue." Anytime someone puts in time or effort into something (by writing a letter, for example), it makes that topic more important, because they begin to "own it."

Finally, when a leader is frequently and sincerely positive, he/she can be more effective in offering constructive criticism. Was it President Kennedy who said "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country."? Because we as Americans have a strong tendency to compain about government and politics these days (often for good reason), I have the idea that Mitt Romney may need to emphasize Kennedy's theme early and often.

The stage is being set...

2006-10-11T00:01:00.000-07:00

With the tempo of current political change seemingly speeding up by the day right now, my prediction is that by the end of the elections in November, Romney will be talked about heavily in the mainstream media (MSM) as the clear choice for Republicans in "08. In short order we can expect to see him rise to national pre-eminance as the contender.

Rudy seems to have not made a move yet, and that will be a handicap, because within a week after the midterm elections, the 08 race will become the hot news story ( notwithstanding any wars or sex/murder/kidnap scandals). Much of this will be due to the fact that Democrats and many in the media are so anxious to see Bush leave the White House that they will practically foam at the mouth with giddiness on the first opportunity to talk about the election which will replace GWB. They will not wait to start talking about something to them as tasty as a replacement for the oval office. The fact that Rudy has done virtually nothing up to this point to prepare for an 08 run means he will not be ready to leap from the starting line in a sprint next month, when the 08 politic games will likely kick-off.

McCain I believe will be devoured by Romney in quick time to win the loyalty of Republican voters. McCain will have a following, but it will not be from the center-right.

Belonging to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will not really be much of an issue for Romney in this race (as far as him having to convince voters about it). It will be an issue only inasmuch as the MSM and the left want it to be. They will trumpet it all the day long and hype it into something it is not, but in the end, people who vote for him really wont care one way or the other. People will be aware that Mitt is LDS, because the media will hang it in front of their face 24/7, but other than that, it will not be why they vote for him. I do expect that toward the end of the race that his opposition will make ugliness of the issue and get real low in trying to smear him with lame attacks on his faith. I think that in the end, the MSM will disgust most people with their lack of context, fabrication of controversy and disdain for people of faith in general.This disgust should help Mitt even further.

These are thoughts on how I see things going right now. I may be totally wrong in my assessments. There may be to many "s's" in that last word, but I am not sure where to pull it out, so it stays for now!

go to iowansforromney

2006-10-09T23:40:00.000-07:00

Jeff Fuller talks about recent instances where Mitt Romney has been talked about by big wigs in the media. Check out his post called "Talking Heads--START Making Sense (Even Rush Limbaugh starting to see the light?!?!)" from yesterday Oct. 8 at http://iowansforromney.blogspot.com/

random bag inspections in Boston

2006-10-07T23:17:00.000-07:00

Romney has just re-instituted random bag inspection on the public transit system in the Boston area. That sounds like a good idea to me. Here's a link, but I don't know if it'll work for you or not... http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=gov2homepage&L=1&L0=Home&sid=Agov2

One might say that Mitt did this for political reasons - that he's more interested in getting national attention, than about the safety of the public transit system. You can say that about any action a public leader takes - or doesn't take, for that matter. How, then, can we determine if Mitt started the bag inspections for the right reasons? I personally believe that Mitt is someone with a good heart, and therefore just about everything he does is going to be what he believes is the best for others.

Any ideas?

second thought about "Bankrupt"

2006-10-05T21:37:00.000-07:00

Ok. After listening to a few few minutes of the book "Bankrupt" I've decided that it is not an interesting book. It is way too one-sided. I thought that it would suggest ways for the Democratic party to make some changes, but it was basically an explanation of why everything the Democrats do is wrong, and why everything the Republicans do is right.

It's a bit like ordering up what you think will be a nice meal at a restaurant and all the food is just way too salty.

funny video, Bankrupt

2006-10-05T16:39:00.000-07:00

Check out a funny video that Jeff posted at http://iowansforromney.blogspot.com/ It's the second post for Oct. 5, 2006.

I subscribe to audible.com. I just downloaded the audio book version of "Bankrupt" by David Limbaugh. It talks about how the author feels the Democratic party has gone the wrong direction in recent years. Sounds pretty interesting.

You have likely been hearing about the Mark Foley issue where he made advances toward male pages. I think it is disgraceful what Foley did.

a blog a day...

2006-10-04T21:32:00.000-07:00

One of the reasons I try and blog almost every day for Mitt is to stay in the "swing of things." I seem to have that type of personality that it takes a lot of energy for me to get into something, but then once I am - I seem to do alright.
Right now I am trying to start my own business. I work on that as much as I can every day. But I have set aside Wednesdays as "political Wednesdays." This is one way to help me be able to work on some politics regularly.
(By the way, my main local political interest right now is getting involved in Initiative 937. I think it's a good one!)
If you are wanting to work on a political campaign, go for it! If you do, make sure you schedule out a regular time for it.

people for Romney

2006-10-03T22:28:00.000-07:00

You may have already read the article in the Salt Lake Tribune http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4434520?source=rss
It got me to thinking - what about Canadians for Romney? Or Hollanders, or Russians, or Ghanaians, Venezuelans, or Australians for Romney? With the internet it makes it so easy for anyone around the world to follow another country's news and politics. Maybe some folks outside the U.S. have some things to add to the conversation? Feel free to post.

role-playing

2006-10-02T22:04:00.000-07:00

With general elections coming up soon, now is a great time to talk with your friends and acquaintances about Mitt Romney. The dialog could go something like this:

"...yeah, candidate X has a lot of ground to make up if they are going to have a chance here in Washington State. Hey, speaking of politics, have you heard of Mitt Romney?"

"The name sounds familiar. Was he a political leader in Michigan?"

"That would be his dad George Romney. He was governor in Michigan from '63 to '69. Mitt Romney is George's son. Mitt is currently the governor of Massachusetts. He's going to run for president in 2008. As governor, he was able to get Massachusetts a universal health care plan. He helped turn around the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake. He's also been a successful businessman for a company called Bain Capital which helped Staples and Domino's in their early years. He's very smart, well-spoken, and is able to get people to work together. It would take someone like that to be elected as a Republican governor in Massachusetts - one of the most liberal states in the country."

"Hmm. I'll have to find out more about him."

"Here's a business card with some websites about Mitt Romney if you'd like to read up more about him."

"Great. Thanks.

new state blogsite

2006-09-29T23:56:00.000-07:00

Check out a new blogsite out of Connecticut for Mitt Romney at http://nutmeggersformitt.blogspot.com/

lessons from flying mud

2006-09-28T23:17:00.000-07:00

Running campaigns these days is a sophisticated science. At some point in the game, the "campaign equations" might tell the candidate, "you've got to go negative." This means to start getting negative information out there about the opponent. Unfortunately this can be quite effective in changing poll numbers in a short period of time. However, you can learn some good info when the mud starts flying.
These episodes give candidates an opportunity to address things that may have not yet been addressed.
They allow the voter to see how low a particular candidate (or their political adviser) is willing to stoop.
They can allow some great opportunites for (hopefully appropriate) counter-attacks (my post from 21 Sept. 2006 can apply to the counter-attack of a reporter, or of the opposing candidate).
You just have to hope that the voters will be discerning enough to know what mud is real, and what is fake.

new interview - No on I-933

2006-09-27T23:10:00.000-07:00

Listen and see what you think about Mitt Romney by listening to http://www.redstate.com/stories/podcasts/redstate_radio_welcome_gov_mitt_romney

This evening I did some phone-banking for the No on I-933 initiative here in WA. It was good stuff. I spoke with some folks in Snohomish, WA about it. For more information go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-933_(Washington) and http://noon933.org/index.php
One reason not to like the inititative is because much of its funding comes from out of state.

I think if Mitt lived in WA he would vote No on I-933.

keeping wild parties in perspective

2006-09-26T23:13:00.000-07:00

Did someone say the Mormon issue would not be big for Mitt? Check out http://www.scforromney.com/?p=42

I've been thinking about the nature of parties in politics. They are good and bad. Of course one bad part of parties is that they can have the tendency of creating contention and hatred. We seem to feel that a person's political party association is somehow right at the core of the person. And that seems to mean that they necessarily have conflict (at least in a general sense) with someone of the other party.

I believe that there is something deeper than political party affiliation at the core of every person. It is something which rather than pushes us apart, it ties us together. Namely, that we are all - every person born into this world - brothers and sisters. We therefore all have a responsibility of helping each other out. This idea should be primary and at the core. After this is understood, then one can more effectively go on to the outer-layer where political party values reside.

Mitt Romney is one who has this core principle at heart.

new blogsite for Mitt

2006-09-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

Check out the new blog done by matt at http://mittin08.blogspot.com/ It has a nice design to it.

the counterattack

2006-09-23T22:53:00.000-07:00

So, after suggesting items to avoid on the counterattack (see my post of Thursday Sept. 21), what options are left when wanting to respond to an attack on Mitt? A few ideas come to mind.
1. Address any items that are lies or part-truths by putting out the correct information and citing a source, if possible.
2. If the topic addressed by the attacker is a matter of opinion that cannot be proven, we can still give reasons why we don't agree with what they have to say by giving counter-examples, and citing sources.
3. When it comes to the situation where the columnist is against Mitt's position on a particular issue, then that's good. That's the battlefield where we want to be. Use whatever truthful and responsible literary means necessary to counter their reasons and support Mitt's position (which is hopefully your own personal position too). Remeber not to criticize in the ways mentioned on Thursday.
Don't forget that one can always bring up the point that Mitt Romney possesses more talents and skills as a leader than any other candidate.
Finally, going on the attack or counterattack should generally not take up much of a Mitt-promoter's time. I myself would try not to use more than 10%-15% of my output for addressing the negative or for addressing other candidates - while 85%-90% for promoting Mitt.

terms of engagement - Mitt attackers beware!

2006-09-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

The other day I read some negative comments written about Mitt in the Boston Globe. One of the cool things about living in this decade is the ability to blog. Anyone with internet access can respond to anyone about anything (excepting in China and other places) - and the response can be viewed by anyone. The ordinary citizen can respond quickly and in a personal way to reporters and public figures. I must admit it is very tempting to strike back at the negative press toward Romney. I think that I would enjoy making fun of the reporter's writing, being sarcastic, or making a negative reference to something related to the reporter. But hold on - why not come up first with "rules of engagement" for myself before returning fire. So, here are some rules I've been thinking of when arguing with the criticizer:
1. Don't make fun of the reporter's family, their writing style, their religion, their personal history, the place where they live, their intelligence, their character, or whatever. Sarcasm can be one of the meanest forms of communication. (Though I think it may be appropriate in rare occasions. An historical instance that comes to mind is when Elijah mocked the prophets of Baal in 1 Kings 18:27.)
2. Consider that the reporter's comments may have some truth to them. Take them for what they are worth and learn from them.
3. Some people are so chronically negative or extra nasty that they loose their credibility. It may be best just to avoid responding to those folks. For instance, I personally don't think I'd bother commenting on what Hugo Chavez has to say.
4. Perhaps focus on just one point to counter, instead of trying to shoot down all the incoming rounds.
5. Keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times during the ride and...
6. Have fun!

so that Mitt is not condemned to repeat it

2006-09-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

If I were president of the community college where I work, I might consider having a full-time historian as one of my close advisors. This person would record the day to day events, and also be an expert in the history of the college. That way when a difficult situation arose I could turn to the historian and say, "when did this happen last time? What were the outcomes?"

Optimally, every staff member working closely with the President of the U.S. (POTUS) will have a good handle on U.S. and world history - esp. as it pertains to their particular job. However, they often may not have the time to personally learn enough about pertinent historical events when a particular decision has to made very quickly. When Mitt is POTUS he could have a main historian, and also a cadre of historians to which he could turn at any time. They would have ready access to the histories of thousands of national and world events. These historians would be charged to not focus on suggesting policy - but rather to try and present history in as factual and objective a way as possible. (I tend to think those who are really partisan in their views - either to the right or left - wouldn't make good historians.) I think this could bring a greater perspective to all potential decisions made by the White House.

Surely there are plenty of folks already doing this kind of research for the POTUS you say? When I hear the term researcher I think expert in a certain field. I think that some of the researchers ought to be replaced with bona fide historians who aren't necessarily experts in a certain policy area, but rather experts at learning and explaining the stories of man(and woman!)kind on this planet.

received Mitthead buttons in mail

2006-09-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

I just received the package of 10 Mitthead buttons in the mail from cafepress. They're very nice. The picture of Mitt is high enough resolution that you can count his teeth. So far 2 of the 5 buttons I am giving away through this site have been spoken for. (See post from 14 Sept.) I will mail out 3 more buttons to the next 3 Washington State residents who comment on this post, or who email me at iwantamittheadbutton@verizon.net

two links for an intro to Mitt

2006-09-18T21:34:00.000-07:00

If you're interested in learning about Mitt Romney I would recommend first going to the Wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney

Also, I would recommend the interview Mitt gave on the Charlie Rose show at http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4362623183954478320&q=tvshow%3ACharlie_Rose

bleeding sticker and ANWR

2006-09-16T21:01:00.000-07:00

As you can see at left, the ink on my new bumper sticker has bled a bit. The print-your-own bumper stickers were advertised as "water resistant." I forgot that there is a difference between "water resistant" and "water proof." Oh well.

Listening to the audiobook version of Jared Diamond's book, Collapse (good book, by the way), I have had some ideas about drilling in Alaska in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR). In the book Diamond gives two examples of oil drillings. The first was an Indonesian company Perdamina (sp?) in Salawati (sp?) Island. Perdamina pretty much ruined the place where they were drilling. The second is an example of Chevron drilling for oil in the Ketubah area of Papua New Guinea. Diamond explains how well Chevron has done in leaving as little an environmental impact as possible.

So, maybe some kind of compromise with ANWR could include the following ideas (I haven't done much reading on the subject, so perhaps these ideas have already been propsed):

1. Set a goal that before drilling in ANWR, the U.S. has to decrease the amount of oil consumed per person by a certain percent.

2. Once that goal is reached, have a company like Chevron do a similar job to what they have done in Papua New Guinea. See if they can't even improve the environment and wildlife situation up there where they are drilling. Have them put internet cameras all over their facilities so folks can check them out to see if they are keeping things clean.

3. Have a small resort up there where the public could come up and see the wildlife and go on tours of the drilling operations.

Go to http://www.glennbeck.com/audio/free-audio.shtml and click on Mitt Romney interview to hear his recent interview with Glenn Beck.

40% of buttons gone already!

2006-09-16T01:15:00.000-07:00

Ok. As of now there are only 3 Mitthead buttons available for Washington State residents. I actually haven't received the buttons yet myself - I received an email yesterday (Sept. 14th) from cafepress saying the order had been shipped. So, it'll be probably sometime next week before the award recipients will receive their button.

How does the saying go, "Two Mittheads are better than one"?

Giving away 5 Mitthead buttons!

2006-09-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

I just purchased a 10 pack of Mitthead buttons at http://www.cafepress.com/mittbazzare I will mail a Mitthead button to the first 5 persons who respond to this post. (Respondents need to have a Washington State mailing address. You can either respond to this post on blogger.com by posting a comment, or you can email me at iwantamittheadbutton@verizon.net

Thanks to Jeff Fuller for his list entitled, "How Can You Help Mitt Romney Win?!?" http://iowansformitt.pbwiki.com/How%20to%20Help%20Mitt%20Romney%20Win%20the%20GOP%20Nomination Good stuff. Check it out!

bumper stickers can make better drivers

2006-09-13T20:52:00.000-07:00

Going around town today with the new bumper stickers I was a bit more conscious of my driving habits. I wouldn't want to cut someone off, for example, then have them right afterwards read the Mitt bumper stickers. Also, I'm planning on washing my car more frequently than usual.

What did the farmer's wife say about cleaning up Wilbur the pig in Charlotte's Web? A little buttermilk always does the trick?

picture of homemade bumper stickers

2006-09-12T22:53:00.000-07:00

I've never put a bumper sticker onto my car - until today. Not only did I put on one - but I placed two. In trying to follow my bumper sticker theory (see post from below), I made my message a question and an invitation. The green of the sticker represents the ground, or the grassroots efforts of blogging for Mitt, while the blue represents the sky (here in WA we don't see the sky all that often - I'm pretty sure that's its color). The first bumper sticker has the ground and sky flip-flopped to represent the world kind of turning up-side-down. The idea of Mitt Romney as prez might be a change of world view for some people. (Or you could say the blue on bottom represents being on a boat out in the Puget Sound.)

Whereas in the second bumper sticker, we're back with the green on bottom and the blue up above. Things are right with the world again.

bumper sticker theory
Sometimes when you see a bumper sticker for a political candidate it's like right there, in your face. The driver of that vehicle supports that candidate and that's that.I personally like the political bumper stickers that not only support the candidate, but also have an extra message, or an invitation, or something humorous. That way the reader is engaged in making some kind of decision - rather than just seeing the candidate's name.(An example of a political message that's not just in your face, but has some humor to it are the Mitthead buttons at http://www.cafepress.com/mittbazzare Both the picture of the Mitt head and the term Mitthead provide some humorous effect. -- Also notice the Vote for Mitt Infant Creeper. Pretty Sweet.)So, an idea I came up with for a make-my-own-bumper sticker goes something like, "Will a MA gov B R next prez?"(I'd like to then put a website at the bottom of the bumper sticker a website like www.mittromney.org or .com - something easy for folks to remember - but those two sites aren't Romney sites (yet).

collegiate evergreen romneyism

2006-09-10T18:35:00.000-07:00

Does anybody out there know of blog sites at colleges in our state where the good word about this site could be broadcast? Republican clubs, political clubs, that sort of thing? Surely some of the bigger schools (UW, Wazzu, others) must have something of this nature. If you can help me in this endeavor please post a comment here!!!

Thanks.

how to see in color

2006-09-09T23:59:00.000-07:00

Today I went out and knocked on doors today for the No on I-933 campaign here in Washington State (check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I-933 for some information). It was a good experience. The volunteers and organizers were great to work with. The folks who were at home were pleasant and most of them took a few minutes to listen to the spiel. From this experience I learned (or re-learned) a few things:

1. Rarely are political issues as black and white as most people explain them. When I go to print something from Microsoft Powerpoint, I can print in pure black and white, grayscale, or color. Not meaning to make anyone too upset, but when you go to the Republican or Democratic National Committee, for instance, to get a take on an issue - it's like printing out a pure black and white copy. To continue the analogy - perhaps you could go to an objective scientist to get the "grayscale" view of the issue. But in order to get the full color view of the issue - I guess that's what responsible voters are trying to get at all the time. And remember - even though the complete picture of an issue is in color - don't forget there is still black and white to be found in it.

2. It's important to follow the money trail when trying to get your mind around an issue. That doesn't necessarily mean that if one side gets lots of money, it's a bad thing. However, if the money is coming mostly from just a few folks - that generally is a bad thing. Alternatively, if there are a lot of volunteers on a side of an issue, that is likely a good sign. Granted, an occcasional volunteer may act like somewhat of a knucklehead who sees things mostly in black and white. But those who aren't paid for political grassroots efforts are at the least being honest to their personal core values.

Having said that, if you were to compare the number of grassroots bloggers out there for Mitt Romney, to bloggers for other candidates, you'd see that there's a good sign for Mitt's side.

Volunteerism

2006-09-08T22:54:00.000-07:00

I was watching the C-Span interview last night (which was from earlier this year) at the national Mitt blogsite. The interviewer mentioned that mitt did not take a salary during his time at the Olympics, and has not during his time as governor. To be more specific, he has recieved salries from both positions, but has elected to give 100% of that money away. Mitt was asked to comment on this. He replied that since he has made more than enough money for his and his families needs in his business career, he viewed these two positions as volunteer service.

Is this common among politcians? If not I am completely blown away by how selfless this is!

become a Mitthead

2006-09-05T21:21:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in becoming a Mitthead, go to the new blogsite http://www.mymanmitt.com/mittblog/. Click on the "Become A 'Mitthead'" link.

an electric Mittmobile

2006-09-04T23:00:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a friend today at a Labor Day picnic. He has started using biodiesel to run his pick-up truck. I can't tell you how excited that made me. I'm a sucker for green energy solutions. He explained that petroleum-based diesel right now costs like $3.39 a gallon, while the biodiesel is $3.15. So, not only is this a green choice for my friend, it is also a good economic choice.

On the radio this evening was a story about the Oscar Mayer weinermobile. It sounds like there are six of these mobiles traveling across the country attending fairs and things. According to the the company's pr guy, it is still a worthwhile marketing campaign after like 80 years.

Stay with me here . . . What if Mitt Romney's campaign were to have a Mittmobile? On the roof of the vehicle would sit either a huge baseball mitt or an oven mitt. Then have it run on some alternative fuel - like biodiesel, ethanol - or even have it electric powered.

Unfortunately, such a ride may not be deemed too presidential. Perhaps, then, during campaign season it could be driven by Romney's campaign staff on the opposite side of the country from where Mitt himself is campaigning. Instead of answering tough questions about foreign policy, the national debt, and health care - the Mittmobile folks would be handing out campaign stickers, buttons, and candy.

Three reasons why this would be a great idea:
1. The Mittmobile would get a lot of press. It would be hard for the media not to follow such an oddity.
2. It would show support for renewable and alternative fuels.
3. The Romney campaign could be in two places at once.

Know who your supporters are

2006-09-01T22:33:00.000-07:00

If you go to Romney's Commonwealth PAC site you will see that our own Mike McGavick is a beneficiary of official backing from it. Put out the word that Mitt Romney has a PAC that thinks highly enough of McGavick to finaincially back him. Those who are pro-McGavick would do well to know this.

And for us Pro-Romney folks, a victory for McGavick will be a victory for the commonwealth PAC, as they are putting their money where their mouth is in our own state.

why Mitt as Prez would be good for WA

2006-09-01T20:55:00.000-07:00

#1 - Mitt is (or was) a big-time business man. (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney#Business). He knows what makes the economy run, and he knows how to balance a budget. He'd be good for business in WA.

#2 - Romney is a governor. Aren't governors more successful running for President than former senators? Romney is the head of the Republican Governor's Association (see http://www.rga.org/) so he has good connections with leaders in each state.

#3 - Mitt Romney is superb in a crisis. He turned around the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney#CEO_of_the_Salt_Lake_Organizing_Committee); he's currently handling the Big Dig problems; and he helped turned around Bain Capital. Chances are Washington State will have a big crisis or two in the next decade. You want someone experienced in crisis management in the White House to help deal with what may come.

#4 - He's big on higher education. http://myclob.pbwiki.com/Education Washington desperately needs to improve in education at all levels - just like every other state.

Onto the real issues please!

2006-09-01T17:44:00.000-07:00

As a follow up to the last posting on here about whether oven mitt is a christian or not, I will share a thread here from a posting I put onto the public blog at Soundpolitics.com . I publish this here to show that as we carry our message of mitt out into the the larger masses we are going to encounter many with stupid things to say. Unfortunately there are many who love to sling mud on the Right as well as the Left. I feel we ought to deflect issues of mitt's percieved Christianity by reminding people that that is not the issue when we talk politics, and religious tests for office are not compatible with true republican ideals. Here it is:

For those of you who are already interested in 2008 presidential politics, there is a relatively new blogsite for Mitt Romney fans in Washington State:
http://washingtoniansformitt.blogspot.com/
Even if you are unfamiliar with this blue state republican governor, please come check the site out. Thanks! Nivek Posted by kestosterone at August 28, 2006 09:47 AM

Posted by Nivek at August 28, 2006 12:15 PM

I'd never vote for a mormon for President. Too cultish.
If our nominee isnt Rudy Giuliani we might as well prepare for 8 years of Hillaretard

Posted by Joe Lieberman at August 31, 2006 03:30 PM

To "Joe Lieberman"
I was unaware that as Americans we are supposed to think it wise to apply religious tests as qualifiers of who we vote to public office. Refusing to vote for a person soleley on the basis of religion, without any reference to character or platform, how is that not bigotry? I hope you will reconsider your statement because it is the antithesis of much at the core of republican thought.
Disagree with Gov. Romney on issues or any percieved serious character defeciencies, but striking him out of your consideration on religion alone reinforces stereotypes about the Right that we have worked hard to overcome, and this attitude does not help our cause. Sounds like closed camp, small tent mentality.
Would it sound bad if I were to say "I would never vote for a practicing jew for any office"? Sounds horrible, how is your statement different? Sure you have the right as an American to think and act that way, but that does not make the behavior look intelligent, nor is it likely to inspire others on the swing or even on the other political side to consider and even join our points of view, thus pushing conservative ideals forward. It is likely to inspire the opposite.
So lets try again,
Tell me why Giuliani is more qualified than Romney, has a better plan, is of better character, has a better haircut, whatever, but please use something more intelligent than simply attacking a candidiates brand of faith.
This will lead to better dialogue, maybe you even could convince me to support Giuliani, but with your current approach, never.
Nivek
Posted by Nivek at August 31, 2006 04:40 PM

is Mitt a Christian?

2006-08-31T20:39:00.000-07:00

One of the frequent points brought up about Mitt Romney is it may be hard for him to be elected because he is a Mormon. Invariably someone posts the comment that Mormons aren't Christians. Just my two cents to address the, "Are Mormons Christians?" question.

I like the answer I've heard before that goes like, "From what you know of your friends and acquaintances who are Mormons, do you think they are Christians?"
For anyone out there who is really wondering if Mitt is a Christian I would recommend the following:
1. check out the website http://www.mormon.org/ When you are at that site, do you feel that Mormons are Christians?
2. Sit down with a copy of the Bible and The Book of Mormon. Read a few chapters of one, and then the other. Both books strongly make the case that Jesus Christ is the Savior.
3. Attend a Sunday meeting of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Though it is sometimes disheartening to hear this question (to me it is like asking "Is blue a color?") for those who are wondering, curiosity about this opens an opportunity to learn the truth. Ultimately, it is every individual's responsibility who wonders to find out, "Are Mormons Christians?"

Mitt-bloggers' web

2006-08-30T22:49:00.000-07:00

When I was in Utah visiting my brother and his family last week, I watched the animated movie Charlotte's web. Good show. I couldn't help but think about how it relates to campaigning.

Just a reminder of the plot. The spider Charlotte saves the life of Wilbur the pig by weaving in her web positive adjectives at the entrance of Wilbur's pig-pen. When the town folk see the miraculous words in a web, they get excited and come see the pig. They start to realize that Wilbur is "some pig," "radiant," "terrific," and "humble" - the words Charlotte spins in her web. Instead of slaughtering the pig, Farmer Zuckerman lets Wilbur live after showing him at the fair.

In a sense Mitt-bloggers are like Charlotte getting out the correct message about Mitt, so he won't get slaughtered - so to speak - in the campaign. Of course the analogy is not a perfect fit to the campaigning process. Though, I wonder if the rat Templeton has a corollary in this analogy too? Templeton is the character who does errands for Charlotte and Wilbur - but he performs these errands only in order to fill his stomach, or to preserve his life. I'll let the reader decide who or what Templeton might represent.

7 highly effective habits of backing Mitt

2006-08-29T23:21:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about this question recently - What is the most effective thing I can do in supporting Mitt Romney's prospects for becoming President in 2008? (I would donate money but I don't have much of that right now.) Would it be most effective to blog once a day; talk with family members about Mitt; talk with strangers I meet about Mitt; put a bumper sticker on my car that says, "Who the heck is Mitt Romney?" (to get people to at least see his name out there); encourage other folks to somehow contribute to the grassroots effort? All of these things are important and play their part. But I've come to the conlusion that perhaps the most effective thing to do is to talk with close friends and family members about Mitt Romney. I know for me that (in addition to gaining a favorable impression of a candidate from watching them on tv or in person) one of the most important ways to get me behind a certain politician is to hear that a trusted friend or family member supports that politician.

go after the opponent's strengths

2006-08-28T23:21:00.000-07:00

I've started to hear political ads on the radio here in Washington State. The couple that I have heard so far seem to be well-done - since they focus on just one or two negative points of the opponent. One idea for a radio or tv commercial for Mitt would be, instead of focusing on a negative point about the opponent, state the good things about the opponent. "Mayor Guiliani succeeded in doing this, this, and this in New York." Then point out similar things Mitt has accomplished, but has done either better, more efficiently, with greater impact, or with longer-lasting effects.

people need to know

2006-08-28T13:40:00.000-07:00

In an effort to drum up more viewership to this blog I have made a posting on the "public posting" section of soundpolitics.com regarding our blog existence. Hopefully some people will view it and have curiosity to come and peek at our site. I also made a similar posting at bluestateconservative.com .

If anyone reading this knows someone in WA who favors vouchers for public education dollars, they ought to tell them about Mitt since he is one of the most articulate and outspoken candidates that I have heard on this issue.

If anyone else knows about local blog sites that would allow a posting from us to stump for this site, please let me know, and I will try to make a posting.

It is amazing how few people seem to yet know about Romney, but nearly all people I get to watch his bio are completely blown away by his candor and wit!

Mitt vs. the rest

2006-08-27T00:30:00.000-07:00

I agree with a post I read recently that once folks see Romney speak, they are likely to be impressed.

Is there an interviewer out there who has recently spoken with several of the top presidential candidates (including Romney)? If so, a list of links to the videos of those interviews could be sent out on an email or post, and folks could easily see for themselves how Mitt compares with the others.

It may be more effective if folks could watch, say, 5 minutes of each candidate. Most people may not be willing to spend an hour watching interviews on their computer.

The best defense is a great offense

2006-08-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

With the recent move by Senatorial hopeful Mike McGavick to air his own dirty laundry for the world to see, he has made an absolutely brilliant move that allows him to own and control the terms of those issues, and really making them blasse' before they can ever really be used as ammo against him by his opponent.

Seeing how this strategy plays out at the polls in November, if it works to bolster support for Mike (as all indicators show that being the case), perhaps Mitt Romney would do well to make a similar play. Mitt doesnt really have anything major to cough up, but what I am saying is that he could address his skeptics uncertainty about his religion, address his admittedly changed views on public policy with respect to abortion, and maybe any business failures he has had along the way.

This would allow him to own these issues and control how they are framed, thus negating any potential impact on him and possibly even turning them into terms of endearment toward him when people see a man who is not perfect but is constantly trying to improve his mind and standing in life as most all of us are.

The money man.

2006-08-25T23:57:00.000-07:00

Found this site that seems pretty unbiased and authoritative. If so then it's a good sign for 2008. National elections these days are as much about campaigning for money as they are about having the right skills and stance. Here is a breif summary....

Leadership PACs: FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2006
BIG RAISERS: Warner - $4,866,807.48 ... Romney - $4,252,836. ... McCain - $3,778,835.10 ... Frist - $2,761,703.84 ... Kerry - $2,193,179.06.
BIG SPENDERS: McCain - $3,308,249.69 ... Warner - $3,187,707.33 ... Frist - $2,948,934.16 ... Kerry - $2,034,815.40 ... Romney - $1,284,840..

a few ideas for stance on abortion

2006-08-25T23:54:00.000-07:00

An idea for language on abortion for Mitt - He could say something like, "You know, I would prefer to live in a country where there would be no reason for a woman to want to get an abortion. If that isn't possible, my second choice would be to live in a county where unwanted pregnancies were not ended in abortions, but rather taken to term and raised by the mother (and father - if that is possible in the situation) or given up for adoption."

It seems that where we are now, if RvW were to be overturned, it would tear up political relations in the country almost as bad as family dynamics and values for life are being torn up now with all the abortions that are occurring. So instead of overturning RvW through Congress, RvW could be overturned in the sense of moving things toward the second choice (see above). Mitt could emphasize, then, a policy of greatly reducing the number of abortions by 1. encouraging teaching abstinence education in schools as an option (as I understand he has done in Massachusetts), and 2. supporting adoptions as the much better alternative to abortions.

I think these points could be incorporated into Mitt's stance that individual states should each decide their own stance on abortion.

Supporting McGavick

2006-08-25T23:28:00.000-07:00

I believe that Mitt Romney's (WA GOP for that matter) success in 2008 will be bolstered by a McGavick win this November. As mention in previous post, Romney and McGavick have similar appeals to the Washington voter. A McGavick win would lit the fire of local and state GOP officials and set the stage for a Romney and (hopefully) Rossi victory in 2008. Washington state could reach true "swing state" status in this scenario.

what about McCain supporters?

2006-08-24T23:54:00.000-07:00

I've recently spoken with some folks here in Utah who are McCain supporters. It seems to me that something to focus on would be to get McCain supporters into Mitt's camp. It might not be easy. McCain seems like a good, honorable man. I'm wondering what to say to these folks to encourage them to take a look at Romney.

Should I try and point out problems or weaknesses of McCain to try and create doubt? Should I try and prove that Romney is a better leader than McCain?

On Aug. 5th I posted 5 characteristics that are important to me in a President. What I'd like to do (instead of the two suggestions above) is to find an example in Mitt's political or business life which illustrates each of the 5 characteristics I mentioned in that previous post (honesty, selflessness, experience, mental and physical capability, and ability to compromise). Then I could share with folks some Mitt-promoting stories. In this way I would be planting seeds of support, rather than flinging the mud.

Speak up and be counted!

2006-08-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

I challenge ANYBODY who reads these words to make some kind of reply to this posting, as we would like to take a head count as to who is currently visting this page. Keep it clean and respectful, but hammer away and let us know you exist. Love Mitt or not, or are indifferent, speak your mind here freely. Thank you.

sitemeter for Mitt-site?

2006-08-24T00:31:00.000-07:00

Wow. I'm not sure who changed it, but I think the new template for this site looks good. It's like waking up inside a new, different house.

For the other bloggers on the site - are you familiar with sitemeter or statcounter? There's one at the very bottom of the iowansforromney blog. Check it out. What would you think of adding one of those to this blog?

My goal is to post daily, but I may have gotten a little carried away with the length of my posts. I think I'm going to try and condense my posts in consideration of the time of those who might come to the site.

Specifics and Optimism

2006-08-23T21:26:00.000-07:00

There will be many who will campaign negatively. I believe that Mitt can stick out like a sore thumb by NOT doing that. I believe that the American people need optimism from a candidate. We want to vote FOR somebody, not AGAINST their opponent!

So many candidates for so many years have run campaigns where they tout vague generalities. Mitt can shine I believe by being very specific on what he would do on very specific issues. I believe that besides defense, two of those issues HAVE to be stopping illegal immigration and increasing domestic fuel production (ethanol and gasoline). But beyond saying that he will tow the line on these issues, He needs to be specific as to the who, what, where, when and how. This would not be like most candidacies wrapped in generalities, but I believe a man of his caliber is up to the task.

I have faith in Mitt.....

Have Dino and Mitt crossed paths?

2006-08-23T17:58:00.000-07:00

Does anyone out there know if the baby dinosaur and the oven hand protector have met?

Since the 08 gubernatorial election in this state is likely Dino's to lose as many people feel Rossi was robbed last time around, wouldnt that be a perfect time for Mitt to build some name recognition here in the evergreen by stumping for Rossi, even using some of that commonwealth PAC clout to drive Rossi into the governors mansion?

Many polls show Rossi wining by a large victory in 08 if he decides to run against Queen Christine. I think the opportunity could put Mitt ina very favorable light with the masses here should he choose to align himself with a Rossi push.

What say all y'all?

New to the blogosphere

2006-08-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have been invited to post on this site and so this is really nothing more than a test post.

I will chime in more later, I am at work right now and have to get back to work...

Just a quick note, One thing I think would be interesting to do is to find some positions Romney has and show how if they were implemented on a national level would have a direct impact on Washington, and what those impacts would be.

I have seen his 10 point plan to keep America the #1 military and economic power in the future, we could post what those platforms would specifically do for Washington.

More to come...

Nivek

widening the base

2006-08-22T23:42:00.000-07:00

How to recruit Romney supporters (for grassroots efforts) who are members of churches other than the Mormon church? I see on some of the other blogsites bloggers from several other churches. I am very encouraged by that. The greater the variety of backgrounds of Mitt-supporters we can bring together, the better. Mitt needs to be seen as having backing from a much wider audience than just Mormons.

Why Mitt will do well in Washington.

2006-08-22T08:51:00.000-07:00

Washington state has a unique political atmosphere. Yes, liberals and/or Democrats do well in state-wide races but they are far from a majority. There has been recent examples of Republicans who have had a great deal of success in state-wide elections. The most obvious would be Rossi (2004) and McGavick now. They rely heavily on centrist-Democrats, independents, and libertarians to make up the divide between conservatist and liberals.

The Washington state swing vote reacts well to articulate, intelligent, and business oriented candidates. These are most definitely Mitt Romney's strongest suit. The centrist-Democrats and independents will be very attracted to a candidate like Mitt Romney, compared with a polarizing figure such as Hillary. There is still a question in my mind as to how libertarian oriented people will react to Romney. The libertarian vote makes up a sizable portion of the overall swing vote for Republican candidates, so this could be a big factor in this state.

It's still a long time off, but this is my predictions. If the Republican primary is still competitive when it's our turn to vote then I feel Gov. Romney will have a great chance to take the state. If he is chosen for the GOP then Washington, like many "blue" states, will most likely be up for grabs in 2008.

Mitt is catching

2006-08-21T22:01:00.000-07:00

I received a comment a few days ago from nivek (by the way, nivek - email me at romneyin08@verizon.net if you see this post) asking to check out the Mitt climate here in Utah. I've spoken with just a few folks so far - one of my good friends, and a few of my cousins. They all seem to be very positive about Mitt. However, they don't feel he has a good chance of the Republican party's nomination. Another thing they mentioned was that they are doubtful that Hilary will get the Democratic nomination because she's too extreme. I checked out http://www.utahnsformitt.com/ - a very nice site. However, I don't see a blog coming out of Utah yet?

It sounds like Mitt had a successful visit to CA the other day. Some good dough raising, and lots of supporters. Way to go CA and way to go Mitt!

trying to learn about history of Presidential primaries

2006-08-19T22:39:00.000-07:00

I was curious to read up on some history of previous presidential primaries and party national conventions to see how frequently candidates who start out scoring low in the polls (a year or two before the primaries), are able to do well in the primary elections. I didn't find exactly what I was looking for, but I did find some good wikipedia articles that have some of the background information that is helpful.

I'd recommend checking out the three links, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_primary,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_National_Conventions, and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_National_Convention.

2006-08-18T21:30:00.000-07:00

I just read an article at this location:
http://feed.insnews.org/v-cgi/feeds.cgi?feedid=149&story_id=2078848

"Gov. Romney should absolutely visit storm-ravaged areas so he can see the
devastating effects Mother Nature's wrath has had on communities," said state
Democratic Party spokeswoman Cyndi Roy. "But he ought to start with Greenfield
or Pittsfield or Peabody or Winchester where floods last spring ravaged those
areas."

Perhaps Mitt could appoint some Democrats to help out with keeping track of those areas where spring floods hit. If this is done, though, it ought to be done with the best intentions in mind - not just to "get back at" the Democratic party.

how many folks know who Mitt Romney is?

2006-08-17T22:12:00.000-07:00

Today on my plane trip I sat next to a young man from Layton, Utah. I started talking about Mitt Romney, and he wasn't familiar much at all with Mitt. That started me to thinking - What percentage of U.S. voters out there 1. have at least heard of Mitt Romney; 2. know some things about Mitt; 3. know he is looking at the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination; 4. (of those who know some things about Mitt) have a favorable impression of him?

At this stage in the game, what are the best and most efficient ways of increasing the number of folks in 4. above? Finally, what are the 3 most important messages grassroots folks can pass on about Mitt?

blog theory - goin' to Utahr

2006-08-17T00:40:00.000-07:00

Excellent! Thanks to Dave and Kevin for the link to www.ovaloffice2008.com
I should have figured that someone had put together a site of all the 2008 Presidential hopefuls’ blogs and websites. Good site.

An idea would be to have some kind of rating system to display how active each of the blogs are. It could be rated with 3 numbers. Perhaps the first number would be how many different folks have blogged for that site over the last 30 days. The second number could be how many blogs during the last 30 days. The third number could be how many comments during that time (from non-blog administrators). For instance (3, 23, 5) would mean 3 different accounts wrote blogs; 23 blogs were posted; and 5 comments were posted. (Of course, in order to be a meaningful rating system, the blog posts should not be counted multiple times if the same ones are posted on multiple sites.)

I’m going on vacation for about a week (down to Utahr to visit family), so I won’t have as much time to read up on the Romney news. Though I intend on still posting regularly. Please forgive me if my comments during this time may show a lack of knowledge on the most current happenings.

like where are the others' blogs?

2006-08-15T23:06:00.000-07:00

Ok. I thought I would take my advice and try and learn almost as much about the other prospective candidates as I am learning about Mitt Romney. So I went to Wikipedia, and I went to Google’s blog search. I was looking for blogs which are exclusively about the various prospective candidates - Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Hilary Clinton, John Edwards, George Allen, Newt Gingrich. I figured that the grassroots blogospheres for these various folks would be similar in quantity to Mitt’s. But no. There’s not much out there. Many of these listed candidates have at least one blog about running for President in 2008. However, the blogs that are out there (at least the ones I could find in a short search) don’t have many recent posts. (One big exception is an active blog out there for Rudy Giuliani - http://giulianiblog.blogspot.com/ )

So where are all the blogs?

Let’s go all you Giluiani supporters; come on McCainites; where are the Clinton bloggers? hearken ye Edwards-ers, Allen-folk, and Gingrich-ians. Come out to the blogosphere and start talking up your candidates!

staying on message, and more

2006-08-14T23:43:00.000-07:00

The other day I attended a meeting for learning how to talk about a particular initiative that will be on the ballot here in Washington State in November. It was a lot of fun. Of course the idea is, when you are talking about the initiative to focus on the 3 most significant points. Always stay on message. Don’t go into the opponent's "box". It was fun practicing this. It’s the thing that people do on tv and radio all the time when being interviewed. If they don’t want to answer a particular question, then that’s no problem. They just go around the question, and turn the conversation back to the message.

A few of the folks in the training group, however, said that politicians not answering questions in interviews is one of the things that frustrates them greatly. And/or the idea that the media’s questions are often manipulative. I feel the same way.

So, I would add a few other points to being good at explaining or defending an issue - besides just staying on message. The first and most important thing would be for the interviewee to be honest, caring, and respectful of the other party. Secondly, they ought to know the issue as well as possible. And third, stay on message.

I watched an interview Mitt gave on a PBS show some weeks ago. He is polished. He does a great job staying on message, and dealing with prickly questions. He also has the ability to stay posed and in control during an interview. Go Mitt go!

don't forget the gray hairs

2006-08-12T21:55:00.000-07:00

If you go to the Massachusetts Governor’s page at http://www.mass.gov/ you will see that Mitt has unveiled a new energy plan for his state. (See the PowerPoint presentation at http://www.mass.gov/Agov2/docs/Energy.ppt ) I made some suggestions on the issues of renewable energy and environmental issues on this blog on Aug. 10th - then Mitt’s folks come out with their energy plan on the 11th - the next day. That was pretty quick. Way to go Mitt!

Any future candidate for the President of the United States needs to pay special attention to the elderly. The percentage of the population who is over 60 is only getting bigger. They are a politically powerful group. Unfortunately many are neglected - politically and individually. But they have so much to offer and provide to their local communities across the country. It would be well for Mitt to have as good relations as possible with the AARP and other similar organizations. Programs like Senior Corps could be promoted and/or expanded. Of course it is important for the Romney campaign to pay attention to the elderly in order to get elected, but more important is to help take care of the elderly once he is elected. Even the hundred of thousands of folks out there who are even partly or largely incapacitated because of their age and health - they are both benefited greatly and contribute much by well-run programs for the elderly.

learn where Mitt stands

2006-08-11T19:20:00.000-07:00

If you are interested in reading what Mitt Romney has said and done about various issues while governor in Massachusetts, check out Mike Laub’s blog at http://myclob.pbwiki.com/on%20the%20issues
It’s really a quite comprehensive collection. Mike has really done a great job here.

mud shield

2006-08-10T17:23:00.000-07:00

I must admit, as you can see from the last couple of posts, I’ve been up late at night writing these. It kind of strains the body to do that. So, my plan is to blog earlier.

Let me put out these ideas. No matter what Mitt says or does, there are institutions and folks out there who are going to hate him, protest against him, and drag his name through the mud. Politics can be kind of messy that way. The question for a Mitt Romney supporter is how to deal with the negative without becoming negative ourselves?

1. See what kind of merit the negative comments have in them. Maybe the person giving the comments are doing so out of an honest heart and with good intentions. There very well may be some things that Mitt or the party may want to address or change that are mentioned in the negative remarks.

2. Don’t heed those who blame and complain the most. It’s not worth our time listening to someone who spends more of their time tearing down, than building up. It is likely that these types of folks will have problems staying with the truth, and will therefore eventually dig their own pit.

4. Agree with the opponent where you can.

Mitt is going to get hammered like anyone in the national political spotlight. But as long as the majority of the people are willing to follow an honest leader like Romney, our country will be good to go - no matter how much negative is out there.

go green, Mitt, go green

2006-08-10T00:45:00.000-07:00

I have this feeling that it may be time for the Republican party to become more overtly green. A recent cover story from Newsweek magazine talks about how important being environmentally conscious is to Americans these days. Crude oil is getting kind of expensive. The world is developing great technologies in renewable energy.

From emails and blogs I have read, Governor Romney has a positive record on environmental issues. Check out http://www.enn.com/biz.html?id=1230. In an Aug. 5, 2006 posting to the Mitt_Romney_For_President_2008 yahoo email group, Mike Laub put together an excellent list of actions and quotes by Mitt on environmental issues. There may even come a time when any Republican political candidate without a strong pro-environment stance will be looked down on by the Republican party.

Certainly the Democrats will make fun of it, but I think the Republicans should start sending a strong message about why their ways to “be green” (using market-driven forces) are better than the other's methods (which may include protests, lawsuits, getting upset, making folks feel guilty, etc.) Why not have this change start with Mitt Romney? I feel if the greening of the Republican party is to happen, the sooner the better. Why not encourage Mitt, during the last couple of months as a governor, to do one more thing big, green, and long-lasting. Right now the things people most associate with Mitt are Presidential candidate; Mormon; governor; the Big Dig; 2002 Olympics; and health care reform. The next thing to add to that list could be a political leader who is big on clean and renewable energy, and protecting the environment.

But what could that achievement be?

Maybe some kind of Massachusetts-wide (or even nation-wide) open competition to design something green as a solution to a government-related issue in Massachusetts. Maybe something related to the Big Dig project. I feel that a competition like this is a something that the Republican party could pull off better than the Democrats. Competition sounds like free markets, right?

how to fix old pipelines

2006-08-09T00:27:00.000-07:00

Just over the last couple of days we have learned that BP has had to shut down their pipeline from Prudhoe Bay which carries 8% of the nation’s domestic production of crude oil. On the news they said that the pipeline hadn’t been tested for like 16 years.

Not good.

Whatever the reasons behind this happening, and whomever is at fault, I thought that it is an interesting example of how big things can go way wrong. I envision in my mind a scenario like this:

Let’s say that John Doe begins working for BP in 2005 up in Alaska as some kind of entry-level technician. When he first sees the condition of the pipe, he thinks to himself, “this pipeline does not look like it is in good shape.” He asks his colleagues, some middle-level technicians, “How long is this pipe supposed to be good for?”
“Oh, about 25 years.”
“How long has it been in use?”
“30.”
“Why doesn’t the company invest in a new pipeline?”
“The head engineers say that it should be good for another 6 or 7 years. It would cost millions of dollars to invest in a new pipe - money which the company doesn’t have right now. Besides, if it does break it’s not our fault.”

One could say that our country has some items that have been getting worse for several years now. We have societal pipelines that are leaking some oil. I think one of the most important characteristics of a good President of the United States is being able to look back at the last couple of decades - even centuries - and understanding how we got to where we are today. Then they need to make decisions based on citizens living today as well as those living decades, even centuries in the future. I think Mitt Romney has the kind of leadership ability not only to fix the leaks when they are there, but more importantly - to make sure the pipeline is being tested and updated all along, if you know what I mean.

how about a political Consumer Reports?

2006-08-07T23:41:00.000-07:00

Say I’m speaking with a salesperson about buying a digital camera. As he’s explaining about camera A, I ask, “what about camera B?” He responds, “camera B is totally a bad product. I wouldn’t buy it.” If the salesperson doesn’t have a good explanation about why camera B is so poor, that is a red flag for me. I generally wouldn’t listen much more to that salesperson. It makes me want to go to my Consumer Reports magazine and find an article where they have tested those cameras. It may be that the salesperson was right on the money about camera B, but I personally like to have more information about the options.

I’m amazed at the blogs out there about Mitt Romney. Great pictures, quotes, arguments, etc. Some really good quality information. However, I start to get the idea that most of the readers of these blogs are already strong Romney supporters. That is all fine and good. These blogs are where we get current events and learn about Mitt. But if I’m a voter trying to decide between, candidate A and candidate B, I want salespeople who can tell me the strengths and weaknesses of both candidates, so that I can decide for myself whom I prefer. What I’m saying is that to be effective Romney supporters, we ought to know almost as much about the opponents as about Mitt. Secondly, in addition to the blogs in the Mittosphere, there ought to be some type of forum where people can go and get an equal amount of information on each candidate, written by folks who are able to be objective about the situation. Something approaching like a Consumer Reports for politics. In that type of forum, I feel that it would be much easier for voters to see why Mitt is the best presidential candidate out there.

2006-08-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

I have been reading several articles online and blogposts about the electability of a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints to become President of the United States. There are some good discussions out there. I think it’s great what Mitch Davis and Randy Davis are doing at runmittrun.org
In the recent Los Angeles Times poll which found that 37% of the U.S. would not vote for a Mormon to be President, the poll also questioned respondents if they would vote for a Muslim for President. That got me to thinking. Whom would I be willing to vote for? To me, the things I would look for in a president would go more or less in this order:
1. Are they honest? (This may sound strange, but if the person believes in God, I feel being honest would include the idea of the candidate having a clear conscience before God.)
2. Are they a selfless leader?
3. Do they have proven experience?
4. Are they mentally, psychologically, and physically fit to do the job well?
5. Are they able to work well with others by building consensus and by compromising when needed?
Given a choice of candidates, I would try and vote for the one who possesses these characteristics in the most abundance. To me, it wouldn’t matter if that person were male or female; black, white, or any other race; heterosexual or someone who experiences same-sex attraction; or if they were Catholic, Jewish, Protestant, Muslim, atheist, or agnostic.
The prospect whom I feel has the best qualifications for President of the United States for 2008 happens to be a Mormon.

Introduction

2006-08-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

I was invited by Casey to be a blogger for this site. Thanks very much to Casey. My name is Mitchell, I live in Everett, and I studied political science at BYU in Utah. Right now I work at Everett Community College running a computer lab for English as a Second Language students. (I'll have to go put some more information about me on my account page.) I'm kind of a general news and politics junkie, but I've never been really interested in election politics because of all the partisan confrontation involved. I don't like the mud-slinging. But Mitt Romney gives me a reason to be interested in the 2008 presidential election. I feel he is someone I can really support.

As a BYU student I interned in Washington, D.C. in 1995 with Senator Patty Murray of Washington State. I don't agree with her politics in several areas, but I enjoyed the experience very much.

I'm new to blogging so please bear with me as I learn how this works. (As you can see, when I signed up to this service, I called my own blog, "I didn't really want a blog.") To tell you the truth, it blows me away to see how much there is to read out there on political blogs. One could sit in front of the computer and read these all day.

At any rate, this should be fun. I'm up for a good fight - a war of words, opinions, ideas, and commentary. Bring it on. Mitt and his Washington State supporters are ready for the struggle.

Washington State Presidential Poll

2006-07-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Check out a Washington State poll that took place a couple days ago.
http://www.strategicvision.biz/political/washington_poll_072606.htm

If you scroll down a little bit you will notice that Romney is in a pretty good position considering that he is not well-known around these parts.

"Ten Issues America Must Address to Remain the Economic and Military Superpower."

2006-07-11T09:43:00.000-07:00

David Yepsen (well-known political columnist in Iowa) labels Mitt Romney as the "most impressive" of all 2008 (potenitial) canidates for President. Not only has Romney made political inrow in Iowa, but has listed the ten top issues facing America.....

•Raising the bar on education
•Extending health insurance to allAmericans
•Stopping runaway spending
•Getting immigration right:
•Achieving energy independence
•Simplifying the tax system
•Investing in technology
•Defeating the jihadists
•Competing with Asia
•Affirming America's culture and values

There is more commentary and analysis on the "Mittosphere". Ann Marie and Jeff Fuller both cover this article very well.

"Landing Big Campaign Finance Fish"

2006-07-09T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Washington Post has a good article that list some of the major campaign contributors of President Bush and who is wooing them for 2008. My first assumption was that the "anointed one" (McCain) would have racked in most of them. I was wrong. We do see that Gov. Romney has 12 contributors that have chosen him while Frist has 7 and McCain has 5.

Jeff Fuller provides some great analysis of a McCain-Bush deal (which includes this article) over at Red State, it's very recommended.

And The List Grows!

2006-07-07T08:56:00.000-07:00

Please check out some of the new "For Romney" supporters. There is a new "Catholics for Romney" (replaces the previous Blogger spot), "Evangelicals for Romney", "Floridians for Romney", and "Coloradans for Romney".

New Straw Poll

2006-06-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

A new online poll is up at Straw Poll '08. You can cast your vote for Mitt here:
http://www.strawpoll08.com/

National Review Rankings are out....

2006-06-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

and Mitt Romney is a "comfortable" #2. Just a few months ago Mitt Romney was casually lumped in with others in the race. Now people are seeing real daylight between him and the rest of the pack. As his profile rises we will see many more critics emerge, but this is just a natural process with any candidate.

A great way to help Mitt Romney in Washington

2006-06-23T09:01:00.000-07:00

The following is a comment from RP98007 on June 22nd and seems like very sound advice. All politics are local, so please make your voice heard.

Here is something VERY IMPORTANT. And the deadline for acting is July 24 to 28, 2006. Become a Republican PCO so you can support Mitt Romney in the March 2008 precinct caucuses in Washington.

In 2008, either 100% or 2/3 of the GOP delegates from Washington will be selected by the caucus system. GOP party rules provide for 1/3 to be chosen by a primary, provided that we have a primary.

In 2004, the Democrats got the legislature to eliminate the presidential primary for that year. Democrats don't choose any of their delegates from primary results. This may likely happen again in 2008, since the GOP leadership doesn't like the primary that much either (if the Democrat primary is meaningless, lots of folks can cross over).

But at the minimum, 2/3 of delegates come from the precinct caucuses.

GOP rules automatically make the PCO -- precinct committee officer -- a delegate. Additional delegates are allowed based on GOP voting strength in the precinct. In practice, PCO's tend to be at least 25% of the delegates chosen at the precinct level.

However, only about 1/3 of the 6,600+ precincts in Washington have Republican PCO's. Generally, if a vacancy exists, the county GOP chair can appoint to fill it, and will normally appoint the first person who expresses interest.

But the PCO's are elected for two year terms in the September primary. The next primary election for this is September 19, 2006, and qualifying is set for the week of July 24 to 28, 2006.

If you file for PCO, odds are that you will be elected from your precinct without any opposition. If not, then you have a 50/50 chance of winning in September (and no public humiliation if the other person wins). You will be serving in that position in March 2008 when the presidential precinct caucuses are held in Washington.

So please go down to your county courthouse, visit the Auditor's Office (in King County, the Elections Office) during business hours in the week of July 24 to 28, 2006, fill out a PCO declaration of candidacy, and pay your $1.00 filing fee.

Gov. Romney increases influence in Iowa.

2006-06-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Governor Romney's Commonwealth PAC for Iowa just became a little more prominent. Romney spent a long weekend campaigning at state GOP conventions in Idaho and then Iowa. During a breakfast for Iowa delegates, he announced the "Iowa Advisory Committee" to help state and local Republicans in the upcoming election. Read more here, here, and check out Jeff Fuller's commentary here....

2008 Presidential GOP race as I see it now.

2006-06-15T10:27:00.000-07:00

mar K started a diary over at Red State. Please head over there and voice your support for Gov. Romney.