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Subscribe to RSSNBC's Mark Murray joins Daily Rundown guest host Luke Russert to discuss Rick Santorum's decision to suspend his presidential campaign.
What we learned from the GOP race… And three questions we have after it’s now over: Did Romney win because he was a better candidate than in ’08? Or because the field was weaker?... Did Santorum help or hurt the GOP?... And can Romney win over his conservative critics?... What’s next for Newt? He’s staying in the race… Team Obama releases web video with Romney’s “greatest hits” from the primary season… Obama delivers statement on the Romney -- err, Buffett -- Rule at 10:15 am ET, while Romney camp holds conference call at the same time… And Crossroads GPS joins the TV-ad tag team against Obama on gas prices.
Jeff Swensen / Getty Images
Surrounded by members of his family, Republican presidential candidate, former Sen. Rick Santorum announces he will be suspending his campaign during a press conference at the Gettysburg Hotel on April 10, 2012 in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
*** What we learned from GOP race: After 32 state contests, 20 debates, some $190 million spent by the candidates, and $50 million in ads by the various Super PACs, the Republican presidential primary race officially ended yesterday when Rick Santorum suspended his campaign. (Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul would disagree, but it's the reality.) So what we did learn? That money and organization still matter. That a lack of money and organization can get you second place (at least in this field). That, despite all of his advantages, there was a conservative resistance to Mitt Romney. That, despite this resistance, Romney was always the GOP's best chance at defeating President Obama. That the nearly yearlong primary race -- remember, the first debate was in May 2011 -- has taken a toll on the party and its presidential candidates. And that, because of it, the conclusion to the primary season couldn't have come at a moment too soon for the GOP.
Former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum announced Tuesday that is suspending his presidential campaign, effectively giving the GOP nomination to Mitt Romney. NBC's Peter Alexander reports.
*** Did Romney win because he was a better candidate than in ’08? Or was it simply a weaker field? But the biggest question we have after the past year: Did Romney triumph the GOP nomination because he was better than he was in '08 (when he finished third, behind John McCain and Mike Huckabee)? Supporting this would be his improved debate performances, knocking Rick Perry down in Sept. 2011, and a more comfortable issue terrain (the economy vs. social issues and national security in '08). Or did he win due to extraordinarily weak field? Backing that up would be the quality of his GOP rivals (hello Herman Cain!), his current poll numbers, and his numerous gaffes and unforced errors. We’ll have an answer to this question come November 6. Many in RomneyWorld believe that what they've pulled off -- convincing a Southern conservative evangelical Christian party to nominate a Northeastern moderate Mormon -- doesn't get enough credit. Of course, they wouldn't use the word "moderate" (at least right now).
*** Did Santorum help or hurt the GOP? Here’s another question: Did Santorum help or hurt the Republican Party in this primary race? As we pointed out a week ago, Santorum accomplished a lot: He won more states than Huckabee did in ’08 and as many as Romney did four years ago; he has the potential to be a significant player in 2016 or 2020; and he repaired some of the damage from his ’06 Senate loss. But you could make the argument that the GOP’s current struggles with female voters and independents can be attributed to some of Santorum’s rhetoric on the trail (calling Obama a “snob” for wanting everyone to go to college, saying that JFK’s 1960 speech on the separation of church and state made him want to “throw up.”). In the general election, we’re going to see Democrats try to make Romney own some of the things that Santorum said. And unfortunately for Romney, he never aggressively differentiated himself from -- or tried to denounce -- that rhetoric. Team Romney believes it's only casual voters who conflate Santorum's comments on women with Romney. And that in time, Romney can fix this.
*** Can Romney win over his conservative critics? And here’s a third question: Can Romney win over the conservatives who’ve been resistant to him? Just check out some of the quotes in today’s New York Times. Tony Perkins: “I just think it’s going to be a much harder lift to take someone who seems like a moderate and try to get conservatives excited about it.” Richard Viguerie: “After having destroyed every conservative that came on the scene, you can’t say ‘You have to line up behind me.’ No, no, no. Conservatives are not going to jump until they hear where Governor Romney wants to take everybody.” And, of course, we weren’t the only ones to notice the folks who endorsed Romney ONLY AFTER Santorum bowed out of the race -- Lindsey Graham, Bobby Jindal, Rick Scott, Pat Toomey. In the next couple of months, Romney will have to fight a two-front war -- against Obama and the Democrats and the conservatives who are still kicking and screaming. Romney probably has no choice but to roll the dice that conservatives will rally. The longer he waits to pivot, the harder it will be.
*** And what about Newt Gingrich? He told NBC’s David Gregory that he will stay in the race and focus for the next 10 days on Delaware, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and North Carolina. Beyond that, Gingrich said Santorum’s exit clarifies the race. He wants to spend this period defining what the platform should be and what the issues should be. The implication, according to Gregory: He thinks he has more influence staying in right now. But here’s the problem for Gingrich as he stays in the race. He has to battle embarrassing stories like this one: His $500 check bounced in trying to qualify for Utah’s June 26 primary. Gingrich likes to note that he's come back before, even when folks like us referred to him as Bruce Willis' character in the "Sixth Sense." The better comparison might now be to the Japanese soldiers found after WWII in the Pacific who had no idea the war was over.
*** On the trail, per NBC’s Adam Perez: Romney campaigns in Connecticut and Rhode Island… Gingrich is in Delaware… And Paul holds a town hall in Fort Worth, TX.
*** Romney’s greatest hits (by Team Obama): Now that the GOP primary race is officially behind us, the Obama campaign is out with a searing web video reminding voters of what Romney said during it. “Corporations are people, my friend.” “I like being able to fire people.” “I was a severely conservative Republican governor.” Etc. Bottom line, here’s what the next six months are going to look like: Obama and his allies will try to disqualify him, while Team Romney is going to try to make the state of the U.S. economy stick to Obama.
*** Let’s call it by its real name -- the Romney Rule: Another day, another event around the so-called Buffett Rule. At 10:15 am ET from the White House, President Obama will deliver a statement on the Buffett Rule. But let’s cut to the chase: This isn’t the Buffett Rule; it’s the Romney Rule. While this might not poll well with independent voters, as we wrote yesterday, this Democratic drumbeat is a way to make Romney seem out of touch. Meanwhile, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has released this press statement on Obama’s upcoming remarks today: “Sadly, an administration that promised it would focus on jobs is wasting yet another day on a political event that won’t take a single person off the unemployment line.” And at the same time Obama will be speaking, the Romney campaign is holding a conference call on the “Obama economy.”
*** Crossroads joins TV-ad tag team against Obama: This is what the next two or three months will look like as Romney begins to fill his general-election campaign war chest: Crossroads GPS, the outside GOP group backed by former George W. Bush political adviser Karl Rove and others, has a new TV ad knocking President Obama on the issue of gas prices. In what Crossroads GPS says is a $1.7 million buy, the ad is airing in Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio, and Virginia. And it's in direct response to an Obama campaign TV ad in these same states -- which was rebutting an earlier ad from a GOP conservative outside group, American Energy Alliance, with ties to the conservative Koch Brothers.
*** Veepstakes watch: The Wall Street Journal writes that there’s growing buzz over Rob Portman… And check out what Paul Ryan said about Romney: “He's kind of a throwback to the '50s.” He later said: “I grew up watching ‘Leave it to Beaver,’ idolizing Mr. Cleaver, Ward Cleaver, and [Romney] has these great attributes, which is he’s a very nice, civil man and he’s very earnest.”
Countdown to the CT, DE, NY, PA, and RI primaries: 13 days
Countdown to Election Day: 209 days
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I'd have to say that this GOP field was/is weaker than the last one. Romney is actually a worse candidate than the last time around. The GOP's tolerance for utterly baseless claims and falsehood propagation is alarming. Comments made by Mark West and Mitt Romney yesterday along with the pile of manure unleashed on the American people by Mitch McConnell (the denial of a GOP attack on women) only serves to cheapen the American political process. The one word that comes to mind when I think of the GOP in regards to the last two elections is "desperate".
I say that because they are attempting to play up issues where they think they can get traction (Mark West) with complete disregard for any basis in fact. McConnell did the same thing the other day when he said that the Republican women were in agreement about the war on American women being a non-issue. The facts are exactly the opposite of McConnell's claims.
The GOP is resorting to some of the most underhanded tactics that I've ever seen in US politics. Desperation is setting in within the GOP and it is only getting worse over time.
That's $47 billion that the MIDDLE CLASS will be forced to pay if the Republicans keep protecting the super-wealthy from taxes. I'd love to see Romney defend that idea. Especially in a recession. Keep pushing for fairness, President Obama.
Thanks to the GOP, the Supreme Court allowed SuperPacks to run rampant and unchecked and we now have elections that go to the biggest spender.... the money they are spending should be outlawed in a country where there is still hunger, massive unemployment and a recession (thanks Bush). They bankrupted the country and now try to blame others for their ineptitude. Since when does the richest mean the best? They have no conscience and no empathy for those of us that according to them "are not their equals". It's disgusting to listen to Romney speak about his mansions, luxury cars (with elevators no less), stable of horses and all else while he lives in the stratosphere and not on earth like us mere mortals. Is this who you want to represent you?
Frankly, he lies and back pedals on everything, like the rest of them. How about that unethical Gingrigh for instance? Can you even trust him? He's so $ hungry he'd sell us out for money, then you got that smarmy Cain (eeww), idiot "crazy eyes" and then Santorum the hypocrite who has brainwashed himself into thinking he's the world's answer while insulting and denigrating anyone who is not his follower. He wants us to overlook that he sold his soul to the devil long ago, amassed his wealth yet wants us to think he's so humble. Yeah, right.... he gives me the creeps.
They have all turned over a new leaf and now are "just perfect" it seems, never mind their record, history or actual facts, just listen to what they say and discount all else. Like we're all morons. So this pack of phonies have been pared down to the least worst or the richest (pick one or both), it just means that if ANY of them would win, we would be thrown into slavery, eternally poor, our children prohibited from getting an education and so guaranteeing more slaves in the future since our stock isn't good enough to be taught, while they decimate anything and everything that could even hint at helping us out while they get even richer..... nice prospects, huh?
Stop them! Vote against everything they stand for! Don't listen to their lies! Don't forget that it doesn't cost a cent to promise you the world and it doesn't mean that they will deliver either..... Fire Congress!!!!!
We learned that the Republican Party has balls....It's just too bad they're hanging from their chins.
This article is based on so many implied falsehoods, I barely know where to start. The idea that the GOP is a real party separate from the Dems, or that any of these guys had any intention of becoming "president", are two of them.
We have one corporate party with two wings. They are in cahoots, and between the two parties, they have controlled this country for over 200 years. How is that having a choice? The elections are now rigged by computers, and have been for some time.
Obama is clearly the anointed one for the next round. He has done an outstanding job of handing the corporations everything they want while pretending to care about the people just a little. The republican candidates get to play "bad cop" and give the corporations everything they want but without pretending they care about the people at all. And the crowd goes wild, buying into the foolishness and propaganda, like this article.
Astonishing: it's a voice of sanity in the midst of a wilderness of howling, inculcated madness. The question is, what to do? The answer seems to be to endure and hope for something better- thanks to CISPA and other domestic surveillance programs. I have no desire to be offshored to a military prison for the crime of becoming an effective critic of the state- so I'll limit myself to the occasional snide remark and a little quiet, harmless activism on behalf of the majority...you know, volunteer work, soup kitchens, charity and so on.
The presidential campaign race is beginning,...rise up 99%.
You don't need to live in a tent.
You need computers and social media.
MAKE THE VOICE OF THE PEOPLE HEARD !!
MAKE THE GOP stand down and listen.
The people aren't asking any more. WE ARE TELLING THE RICH CORPORATE AND FINANCIAL INTERESTS,...WE WANT OUR COUNTRY BACK !!!!
Our government is not the enemy. YOU ARE !!!
YOU GREEDY SOBs ARE ,...and HAVE BEEN THE PROBLEM.
We will re-elect Obama and the proper officials,...and they will hold you accountable,...they will hold you at bay,...and they will demand RIGHTS FOR OUR PEOPLE.
YOU GODDAMN SELF_SERVING BASTARDS.
The 99% are who do the labor that make YOU wealthy. We are tired of being shut out of the equation.
We hear about record profits,...and stagnant wages
We hear about obscene bonuses,...and disappearing benefits,...
It is clear that you are unhappy with MOST of the profit and you intend to take it all.
The 99% are uniting against you,...FOR BETTER OR WORSE, because corporate America has made it clear that trusting them does not work.
How many of us are even getting a 3% raise this year ? How about the VPs and directors ? The owner,...? Right.
....and they are not going to take care of ANYONE but themselves voluntarily.
WE NEED A STRONG MIDDLE CLASS. WE NEED THE SOCIAL SAFETY NET. These two things are NOT on the GOP to-do list.
Vote democrat this November. Vote Obama/Biden.
What we have learned is that none of these guys are fit for office. The fact that his party ran on a platform during the primaries of anyone but Romney. Then Santorum in his own words says he rather have Obama says it all. None of these guys have any new ideas on how to grow this economy. They believe in lower taxes and less regulation. That is not an answer to our problems. They talk about freedom, but for them that does not include women. Romney goes around talking about he knows how to fix the economy. If that was the case, he would have beat McCain years ago. Romney reminds me of that guy in high school that brags about how good he is with the women. Then he when it is time to perform he misses.
what was learned from the republican primary. their all nuts.
What we've learned --
To use common sense, with emotional loyalties and biases tuned down, literally makes reality clear. To objectively and rationally look at the Republican / Tea Party’s performances and what they constantly push not only shows their aggressive catering to the very wealthy but it also becomes obvious that it is near impossible to find any real consideration for the majority, including all of the middle-class, other than simply their propaganda aimed to sell their concentration on serving “the money” as being “conservative” and “constitutional” (their emotionalized buzz words). Then to honestly evaluate their fixation and total dependance on faulting Obama, that being their total claim for deserving consideration, it quickly rings empty when recognizing Obama didn’t cause the deficit but rather inherited it from Bush-Cheney along with all of the severe problems, including two wars, that necessitated responses increasing the deficit. Further scrutiny identifies that “big government”, government spending and the deficit, their cries against the Democrats, are neither what caused our problems nor will attacking them alone ever solve the problems. An unemotional and logical discernment shows emphatically that our problems directly relate to the repeated exploitation by “the few”, allowed and encouraged by permissive politicians who seek the strong support of “the money”, politicians who just put their political ambitions above their responsibilities.
The current Republican Party clearly demonstrates that they are owned and controlled by “the money”. It has been said that, as such, they are completely incapable of honestly and responsibly governing and the last twelve years have totally substantiated that. Their’s and their strong supporters’ efforts are steadily aimed at pushing this country further into being a two-class society with “the few” competing in having it all while the majority, including the “want to be”’s, those who want to consider themselves as one with the 1%, just keep loosing ground. To ever regain the Grande Ole Party with a sincere concern for the people, will take firmly and totally rejecting what they have become; anything else they just interpret as encouragement, as we have seen, to continue taking the voters for granted.
amen. you have that right.
What we learned was what knew from the beginning. Romoney was going to be the elite repugnant establishments candudate. The estublishment was going to jam Willard down the cornservatives gullets. The only way Romoney could win the repubs nomination was to assemble a weak field of candudates, mission accomplished! If Willard ran against a box of rocks, oh that's right he did! Never mind.
We learned the GOPiggy Party is composed of fat pus bags, whackos, ChristoFascists, and multi-millionaires. The only thing missing was a paranoid schizophrenic NRA gun nut.
Did we not know this?
We also learned that there exists(going by the Gingrich/Romney exchange that in free market Capitalism there must exist a type of ethical/unethical approaches to making big money, such as Romney-Gere-Pretty woman dismantling of businesses and corporations and the Gingrich approach to telling us how god awful program Freddie Mac is but no conviction of not making big $$$ off of it. 1.6 million in contract fees, so we now have in this free market enterprise the two candidates always touted a ethical & unethical form of business practice and both individuals to various degrees played into the unethical hand.
So as we are calling Obama a socialist, communist, anti-American, nazi, Islamic jihad sympathizer, we now have what is unethical Capitalism, which goes against RX addict Rush Limbaugh who always touts that if government just gets out of the way, free market Capitalism will always do the "right thing" For example a credit card company has the right to charge 19.8% interest and it is the ethical thing to do?? So, the Free marketer will say, yes but it is the choice of the individual not to take a credit card like that. So free markets don't always offer the right product, the right way, it's the responsibility of the sucker who got the card not to run up too much expenses on that card or pay the price for the trap.