E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSA day after yesterday's "Etch A Sketch" gaffe, the Romney campaign is all but calling for Rick Santorum to get out of the race, arguing that his candidacy is only helping President Obama's re-election chances.
"Each day Sen. Santorum continues to march up this steep hill of improbability is a day we lose to unite in our effort as Republicans to defeat President Obama," Romney Political Director Rich Beeson campaign says in a memo describing Santorum's difficult path to winning the GOP nomination.
"So as Sen. Santorum continues to drag out this already expensive, negative campaign it is clear that he is becoming the most valuable player on President Obama's team."
After Super Tuesday, the Romney campaign began making this math argument about Santorum's chances. But this memo is the furthest the campaign has gone in essentially calling for Santorum to exit the race.
Here's the Beeson memo:
TO: Interested Parties
FROM: Rich Beeson, Political Director
SUBJECT: Rick Santorum – President Obama’s MVP
DATE: March 22, 2012
Governor Romney’s resounding victories in Illinois and Puerto Rico this past week have offered even greater clarity about where the race stands today. Here are a few takeaways:
Of the 74 delegates awarded in the past week, Governor Romney won all but 13 (100% of the delegates in Puerto Rico and 75% of the delegates at stake in Illinois).
• Now leading by more than 300 delegates, Governor Romney continues to double Senator Santorum’s delegate total.
• Governor Romney has now secured more than 50% of the 1,144 delegates needed to clinch the nomination.
• In order for Senator Santorum to secure the 1,144 delegates needed to win the nomination, he must win 70% of all remaining delegates.
• Governor Romney has earned nearly 40% of the 10.2 million votes cast in the primary; 1.3 million more people have voted for Governor Romney than Senator Santorum.
• In the 11 contests that followed Super Tuesday, Senator Santorum not only failed to make up any ground on Governor Romney’s delegate lead, he actually fell behind by 61 more delegates.
The remaining contests offer no path to 1,144 for Senator Santorum, a fact which even he has acknowledged. Each day Senator Santorum continues to march up this steep hill of improbability is a day we lose to unite in our effort as Republicans to defeat President Obama. So as Senator Santorum continues to drag out this already expensive, negative campaign it is clear that he is becoming the most valuable player on President Obama’s team.
Leave a Comment:
Too funny!
Willard & his merry band of morons running his
campaigncircus, make gaffe #19,687 of the campaign so far & he's calling for someone to get out of the race?Now that takes some Chutzpa!
Let this bloodbath go all the way to Tampa!
What a shame GOP, and just when you thought the primaries were winding down! I had better have my popcorn without butter or salt, or this election could ruin my health!
I'm still trying to figure out that since Malibu Mitt "Likes Fireing People", Why is it that Eric FRunstrom(sp), Still has a Job with Malibu Mitts campaign?
Fire His A$$, Mitt, show America How You Like Fireing People!
You Betcha!
Occupy SoggyBottom!
Romney's complaining about the negative and expensive campaign yet he's the one running most of the negative attack ads. Romney started the negative ads in Iowa, he blanketed the airways with them. Feisty's right, that's chutzpah.
Hey Feisty--don't you mean "chitspa"? And some of the recent pictures of Mitt show him looking a lot worse for the wear! All of this campaigning sure is taking its toll!
"We have met the enemy and he is us!" Pogo by Walt Kelly
G'Day Feisty,
I couldn't agree more, let the circus continue.
Nurse,
chitspa - chutzpa... it's all the same! ;o)
Must be my Chicago accent!
myvote,
Watching this is better then Spartacus! Much more blood flying! ☺
PS: I ♥ your avatar!
Santorum is typical and the same type of mindlessness and thoughtlessness that characterizes the TEA PARTY.
For every dollar spent fighting little Ricky, means one less dollar being spent against the President.
Nurse, "chitspa" works, too!!
Wannabe president Mitt is losing me here. Where's the ruggedness in him? GOP primary and he looks done.
Mitt, Presidency is never handed to anyone on a platter of gold,
except Bush.Me too!
Jody, Looks like you have a front runner for the "Chitspa" Award this week in Eric Fehrnstrom. That Etch-A-Sketch comment was an all time classic!
Seeing how a professional politician like Etch a Sketch Willard has spent the last six years running for President, the fact that his campaign is this bad is mind boggling. You would think after all this time, he would have a clear consistent message but all he can do is bury opponents with negative ads while stumbling and fumbling on the stump. With a campaign this bad after so much practice at it, how can he be anything but a horrible President ill equipt for the steep learning curve that office offers?
I don't think it's fair to ask Santorum to drop out. He has just as much right to run for POTUS as Romney does, plus I beginning to love Rick Santorum.
Obama / Biden 2012
I still think President Obama should send a nice thank you card to ol' Rick.
Actually what Sanitarium is doing is secretly working for and being paid under the table by an O'Bummer Super-Pac. He will probably have a cushy job in O'Bummer's administration if he is re-elected. How Sanitarium got this far in the nomination process with what comes out of his mouth is beyond me.
Of course Romney wants Santorum to drop out. As the only other candidate to win 5 states, he is the only real challenger to Mitt Romney. If Santorum drops, his delegates go by default to the only person whose name can be entered as a nominee.
If Santorum stays in, and Mitt Romney does not get the number of delegates needed, Romney could lose at a brokered convention. After the first ballot, all bets are off. If Romney does not have enough delegates, people will question whether he should be the nominee (more than they do now.) All Santorum, Gingrich and Paul have to do is to deny Romney enough delegates so he does not walk into Tampa with the nomination.
THAT is why Romney wants Santorum to drop out.
Gees, we thought Gingrich was bad. Romney the pathological liar has set a new record. Romney -- Don't blame others for your track record of lying. YOU are only helping President Obama.
Nonetheless, it's obvious both Gingrich and Santorum have been pressured by the powers that be to lay off the vetting process. It makes me think of the kid who runs to the teacher or principle for protection from a school yard fight. Scream like a little school girl Romney!
Heck Romney, You, Ricky and Newt are all helping the president!
The best thing for Obama's re-election is this GOP circus to continue to the convention. By then the winner (relatively speaking) will be so far to the right that Stalin would seem liberal.
True. The "winner" of the GOP primary race will carry the scars of this poop-fight-at-the-monkey-house all the way to the general election in November. The Republican Party has laid the foundations of another landslide win by President Obama.
Christians don't take orders from Mormons Rick! Onward Christian soldier!
Nice dude. Way to represent. You sure sound Christian to me. Tell you what, I've heard and read more nasty, mean spirited talk from Newt, Rick and people like you than I have from Mitt. I'm starting to believe that he's the true Christian, Mormon or not, and you all are a bunch of angry hypocrites. How is your thinking indicative of Christianity?
Well Dave I am one of those sarcastic Christians that mock people like Santorum, who want to make their religion a political and legislative viewpoint.
Forrest Grump, we must be on the same wavelength, I actually have that song in one of my comments for tomorrow's nutshell.
Ha yes same wavelength, bit if I have to sing it I am in the key of H for horrible.
I supose I can refer to the GOP and the tea party as the Toy Party now?! Hmmm, who might "Slinky" be-Santorum, Gingrich, all of them? ;-)
http://youtu.be/mYzSt087YLU
Hey Cyn!
Hey Mickey! What's up dahlin? ;-)
Not too much dollface...you?
Fantastic weather here! Early start on my gardens and I'm going after morels this weekend. I always find the largest one, too! mmm..mushrooms! Might do a little fishing, too. If you ever get down my way, I'll take you for a hike in the woods sometime! heehee..;-)
Pott meet Etch-a-Sketch kettle! Push the reset button, maybe they'll all disappear.
"Governor Romney has earned nearly 40% of the 10.2 million votes cast in the primary"
Or in other words, he still trails "Anybody But Romney" by nearly 20%.
But JoAnne---Mitt won big in Hawaii (like he'll carry that state in the general) and in the territories (where they can't vote in the general). And he's only outspent the others by 5-1 or more. Shouldn't that count for something?
Truer statements were never uttered.
The states Romney is winning, are the states Obama will win in the General.
The states Santorum and Gingrich are winning, are the states that they'd win in the General.
Just something to think about.
It is also worth noting the near-record low numbers of registered Republicans coming out to vote in this heated primary race. With the sort of lack of enthusiasm the GOP's voters are showing right now, how can they hope Mitt "Etch-A-Sketch" Romney will ever inspire voters to make any effort to cast their ballots for him in the general election?
It's shaping up to be an epic fail for the Republican Party in November. Read 'em and weep, teabaggers!
You know, in 2008 Mitt could have kept going on and on like Rick is. He could have won some more contests, but he didn't. Whereas I liked them both before, my taste for Newt and Rick is getting sour. They're both very self-serving.
All three of them are IMO.
Just way too Scary for me.
Self-serving nut jobs.
If Santorum and Gingrich are self-serving, then Romney is a whiney little twit with a bunch of undisciplined, arrogant frat boys for campaign staff.
So he gets Jeb Bush to tell people it's time to back up Mitt! Puhlease - if he counts his delegates one more time and whines that Ricky doesn't have a path to win so make him stop playing . . . I may send him a donation for a testicular and spine transplant - he needs to get a set and some backbone. He's embarassing to even watch.
Is there ever a politician who is not self serving ?
And when you get to the big leagues (US Congress, PRESIDENT) you gotta have a monster ego to truly believe that you can get close to 100 MILLION people to say they like you more than anyone else.
Is is any wonder that when they get into the White House, many Presidents are pretty darn arrogant.
mitt quit in 08 because he got tired of spending his own money
My Stock Tip For The Day:
I'm bullish today on the following stocks:
- Procter & Gamble (makers of Pepto Bismol)
- Boehringer Ingelheim (makers of Zantac)
- Johnson & Johnson (makers of Rolaids)
- GlaxoSmithKline (makers of TUMS)
- McNeil Consumer Pharmaceuticals (makers of Mylanta)
- Novartis (makers of Maalox)
BUY, BUY, BUY!!!
(Antacid, Mr. Priebus?)
ATSA SOME SPICY MEATBALL!!!!!!
Maybe we should get stock in "Slinky" or the "magic 8 ball" for the Toy Party! Ouija board, anyone?
Obama/Biden 2012
Go Ricky go, and fight the good fight.
Yea fight the good fight right into the ditch, take the other two with you.
RIP GOP
Obama/Biden 2012
That is too funny, Romney complaining about an expensive negative campaign. Hey Mitt, if it really bothers you you could...oh, stop outspending everyone else ten to one on negative ads. Just sayin'.
Oh come on Mitt, put your big boy pants on and stop whining. If you can't stand the heat or deal with some little thing like this how in the world are you going to deal with Iran, North Korea etc.? Man up!
You know, Romney does whine a lot when he doesn't get his way.
Does First Read headline Democratic Party headaches? Not much.
A potential huge divisive issue for Democrats is gay marriage. Will Obama be able to waffle on this issue? Not if Chris Christie, or Liz warren, have their way.
Make up your mind, Mr President. Do you support gay marriage, or not?
Massachusetts U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren (D) called on President Obama "to finish evolving and support same-sex marriage," the Washington Blade reports.
Said Warren: "I want to see the president evolve because I believe that is right; marriage equality is morally right."
She also said she wanted the issue included in the Democratic national platform.
Yeah, but...
Yeah, but...
Yeah, but...
This issue is not a problem for Democrats. However, the homophobic and bigoted folks have the problem, and these same folks want vote for President Obama anyway.
Is that the best you've got on a thread about Mitt Romney's throwing a hissy fit because Santorum won't leave the campaign? Figures you'd try to change to subject. President Obama supports civil ceremonies; that is a legal marriage. Iowa's Supreme Court gay marriage decision allows churches to determine whether or not they will "marry" same sex couples but still allows those couples to "marry" in a civil ceremony. It's a simple matter of choice of words.
Bob, seriously dude, as a fellow resident of the Old Dominion, that deflection tactic is sounding more and more desperate.
Now back to the subject at hand. Romney is right. This elongated nomination race is hurting the party. So, being the biggest friggin' liar I've ever seen from any party, he should end his campaign now. Come on, Etchy, do it for the party, for the country, for anything but yourself (which of course is as foreign to him as the French he speaks is to me).
What really set me off was the Romney lie about 'context' of the etch a sketch comment. And it was a stupid lie. A lie anybody could just watch 30 seconds of that interview and know what Romney was saying in damage control about it wasn't true. That's the thing that gets me. He knows people are going to know he's lying, and still he lies. There's almost something pathological about it.
I've been watching politics enough to know none of it is clean. None of it is of perfect integrity, at any level. But I've also watched it enough to know Romney takes the lying to a different level than we've seen in any modern presidential campaign.
GOP, do the country a favor. Pull the plug on this guy now.
When you get down to it, we all inwardly know that if things are getting better, Obama is probably going to win, and if things aren't, the Republican nominee is probably going to win. Regardless of who that nominee is (assuming its within the envelope of usual nominees).
So I'm not asking for much. Just don't let the nominee be that friggin' liar. That's all.
Paul M: interesting, you do not name who you want to pull the plug or which candidate is the liar.
I guess you could have it apply to to any of the top 3. Maybe they should all drop out, leaving Ron Paul as the nominee.
Ron Paul 2012 !!!!!!
The Democratic Party doesn't have headaches, Only the EtchASketch party does. Our only problem is listening to the teabaggers constantly crying.
No doubt Romney is our best chance to get a better leader in the White House. As a parent I would be appalled that my daughter asked a Presidential candidate this question: You know what would make me happy? Free birth control.” Amazing that we are letting the President of the US to lead kids to believe that someone else is paying for their birth control.
That led Romney to rebuke his inquisitor. “If you’re looking for free stuff you don’t have to pay for, vote for the other guy—that’s what he’s all about, OK? That’s not, that’s not what I’m about,” he said.
I think Romney's the guy to get Americans back on a self sustaining track and get off this government road to poverty....
It depends on which Flip Romney shows up. In the morning he can be for something, and during the late afternoon he is against it.
"There go my people. I must find out where they are going so I can lead them."
- Alexandre Auguste Ledru-Rollin
"Etch-a-Sketch" 2012
It's been obvious since Obama took office that he doesn't have the respect of others in Washington. Obviously this has also carried over to the lack of respect the military has for the commander in chief as well. Leadership isn't his best suit. I think he did fine as a community organizer in getting local residents to ask for "free" stuff. That message doesn't play out well to those who would be paying for the "free" stuff though. I wish the first minority President would have been able to set a better example for Americans.
Please, Where did you purchas this "respecto-o-meter" you seem to be referring to? You make generalities about enormous groups of people and tell us how they ALL feel about the president. Crawl back into you lair like all of the other tea baggers!
One thing is for sure, the majority of the American People sure respect President Obama a hell of lot more than any of these Republicans. That is a FACT!
Of course the bigoted folks is a different story.
UAW:
The President was a constitutional law professor at the University of Chicago. I want you to imagine that the University of Chicago had a space for you anywhere on its campus. Then I want you to imagine that you could read and understand a fifty page Supreme Court opinion relating to the commerce clause. Then I want you to imagine a classroom of some of the smartest law students in the country engaged in the Socratic method with Professor Obama. Don't belittle his abilities - they far exceed yours.
UAW rolled back a week to free birth control. Come on UAW try to keep up with the rest of the class.
Santorum is typical and the same type of mindlessness and thoughtlessness that characterizes the TEA PARTY.
Da Noid,
Best avatar and best post of the day. #13.2
It is the best campaign slogan for Romney I have ever seen.
Hope, all the Bobs and UAW get their lawn signs early. they are going to sell out fast....I can't stop laughing...."Where did my people go...."
Well, UAW, here's one of the military who disagrees with you:
BTW, this is from Time Magazine (hardly left-wing) in an article about Admiral McRaven, one of the runners-up for "Person of the Year".
Now, if the general election starts in March or April, obviously there is more time for the voters to forget what was on the Etch a Sketch before Willard shook it. That is elementary. If you have to leave the original Teabagger sketch on the sandy screen until July or August, well then for goodness sakes, people might remember the Teabagger sketch more than the reset of "compassionate conservative". You can fool less people all of the time if your scams are run too close together. (See some of the Montgomery Burns lectures to Smithers for various strategies for manipulating Joe Sixpack.)
the issue is the party. it has attracted via the teabaggers, every loud mouthed right wing, bible swinging, bigot and there's plenty of them in this country. they are going to get a voice at the convention. these are people that believe the earth is 4,000 years old and life began with a talking snake and a garden.
anti-woman. anti-environment. anti-science. religious zealots. and the candidates: to a man, not a bit of charm, or charisma, or class, or itellect (except newt the corrupt who does have a brain).
most independents and even a lot of repubs i know can't wait to vote for obama.
"...i know can't wait to vote for obama."
There are a lot of people who share your sentiments, including me. There are also a lot of registered Republicans who can't wait for the election to be over simply so they don't have to face the dismal spectacle of the GOP self-destructing anymore.
go vote for obama then. No one is stopping you big govt, bank bailout, endless war, high tax, high unemployent, high gas price, liberals from doing so. I want a conservative ---cut the flippn spending government or just forget it. Sooner or later someone is gonna have to make the cuts and quit the bulll crap your trying desparately to paint others into.... Bankruptcy for the us is not that far otherwise. I do not want to pay more taxes. ! PERIOD. The feds need to learn to live in the real world.
The GOP is clearly self-destructing, Joker. Your blithering ravings do not change a thing. This hilarious primary race has permanently marked the Republican Party's wannabe candidates as losers and that is how the "winner" of the GOP nomination will be viewed in November. The American people are smarter than you, Joker, and they will not vote for any of the Republican Party's failures.
President Obama by default in November! America is holding an election and the GOP is not going to show up!
When this fighting is all over and Romney finally gets the nomination and the party finally unifies and can focus directly on Obama's pathetic record, Obama will be gone by the end of 2012!
If this campaign continues indefinitely and Santorum continues to do damage to Romney, he will risk being blacklisted by the Republican party. I don't know if this is worth it for him. He is really delusional if he thinks this will drag to the convention and he has a shot at the nomination.
Santorum is done and he can take his condoms with him. . He reminds me of that community organizer that got elected a few years back with the exception that he doesn't quite have the charisma. Also, there is no damage to anything. Either your better off now than 4 years ago? Or your not! that's who wins the vote. All the republicans need to do is make sure that another liberal or a fruit cake does not get the nomination.
Your rants are looking more feeble with every self-inflicted humiliation of the GOP's wannabe candidates, Dee. The incompetent "winner" of the GOP primary race will be burdened by the bad memories of this disastrous race until he ultimately loses in November.
The Republican Party's crash-and-burn campaign tactics are clearly not working for them. Read 'em and weep, Dee.
Romney vs. President Obama:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/general_election_romney_vs_obama-1171.html
Santorum vs. President Obama:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2012/president/us/general_election_santorum_vs_obama-2912.html
Dee Patriot, Romney may be the Republican nominee, but thats as far as he will ever get. His main problem is he knows more and more about less and less,until eventually he knows everything about nothing.
Maybe Mitt should chose Sarah Palin as his V-Presidential running mate, boy wouldn't that be the icing on the cake . . lol omg!!!
Sounds pretty good to me
Bazinga
That is the ultimate insult. Who would want to be in Obammas corner but a worthless loser.
That had to sting
Doesn't matter who the GOP nominee is...President Obama will be re-elected. Even Repubs don't want Mitt or Ricky....most held their noses and voted for McCain/Palin, but won't make that mistake again....they will vote for President Obama...as Ricky told them too if Mitt wins....LOL!
Santorum is stupid. His pride is getting in the way of logic. He also has a bad case of foot in mouth disease.
Actually Sanitarium is secretly being paid under the table to do what he is doing by an O'Bummer Super Pac and will have a prominent post if O'Bummer is re-elected. LOL How anyone that thinks they are presidential material and can make such stupid remarks is beyond me.
ROMNEY 2012!!!!
Rick stick it to etch a sketch.........This clown is trying to buy the Pesidency and no one should be aloud to do that............I never thought much of you in the past Mr. Santorum but I now see you have convictions and guts ......Go get Willard and shake his etch a sketch.