The carping from conservatives is clearly starting to get on the nerves of the Mitt Romney campaign. The candidate’s No. 1 supporter vented a little of that frustration yesterday when in an interview on Radio Iowa Ann Romney chided critics of her husband’s efforts by saying:
“Stop it. This is hard. You want to try it? Get in the ring,” she said. “This is hard and, you know, it’s an important thing that we’re doing right now and it’s an important election and it is time for all Americans to realize how significant this election is and how lucky we are to have someone with Mitt’s qualifications and experience and know-how to be able to have the opportunity to run this country.”
Mrs. Romney’s reaction is understandable. There is something terribly off-putting about the condescending attitude of writers like Peggy Noonan who wrongly attacked the candidate for quickly pushing back on the administration over the Libya debacle and then jumped on the 47 percent video with both feet. Beset as the Romney campaign is by a hostile mainstream media and a ruthless and nasty Democratic attack machine, the last thing she or anyone else associated with her husband’s candidacy needs is a shot from what is presumably their own side. What she wants is for all those opposed to President Obama to close ranks behind Romney and to push back on the narrative that he is failing. No doubt many conservatives feel the same way. But as much as some of the conservative kibitzers are off the mark, it must be admitted that their angst is merely the inevitable product of Romney’s gaffes and a campaign that has not exactly inspired confidence.
Let’s specify that some of those conservatives who are being singled out for not being loyal soldiers like Bill Kristol are the same people who were telling us a year ago that the GOP needed a better alternative to Barack Obama than Mitt Romney. Romney is the same person today that he was in 2011 when most conservatives were not in love with him. But just as it was the case a year ago that there was no better GOP option available in the primaries, the candidate is the only hope for those who are appalled at the idea of four more years for Barack Obama.
Whether the Romney campaign is a model of political genius or not, now is the moment for conservatives to be focused on pointing out the administration’s deceptive policies on Iran, the Libya debacle (as our John Podhoretz points out in his column today in the New York Post) as well as the fact that the president has no plan for fixing a broken economy other than class warfare rhetoric and more taxing and spending. Win or lose, there will be plenty of time for recriminations about the campaign’s shortcomings after November.
At the same time, this isn’t the moment for the Romney camp to be saying how “hard” it is to run for president. Of course it’s hard, but to those whom much is given, much is expected. All it will take to silence Romney’s conservative critics is a focused and successful homestretch run and strong debate performances.
Jonathan's post makes some good points. But I do disagree somewhat about the need for conservatives to mute their criticism. Campaign staff, in spite of what they might say, do read what their enemies and friends say. Friendly critics' recommendations may indeed be considered and changes implemented, therefore. We can see this lately in how the Romney senior staff have been giving interviews to assure the conservative base that their campaign understands the frustration, but has answers that will satisfy the critics. So, critics shouldn't let up, but neither should our commitment to Romney's election.
The vicious rhetoric of Peggy Noonan and Bill Kristol is not in the least bit helpful. The latter man outright insulted Mitt Romney! These two people seem desperate to please the Washington corridor elites. They want to continue being invited to the best parties. Does anybody really believe that Noonan would be earning serious money if she did not play the role of the so-called objective and dispassionate conservative. And let's not forget that this is same woman who supported Barack Obama in 2008.
David, I agree. There should not be a sting to the criticism. I was thinking more of what some of Commentary's writers have offered or Ramesh over at NR or Jennifer Rubin at the WP. These are thoughtful, yet hard-hitting without being snarky or personally offensive. I agree more with your sharpness toward Noonan. I'm more likely to forgive Kristol who, generally, is much more moderate in tone when talking about the Romney's campaign's weaknesses.
Noonan has written many very tough articles about Obama. Problem is, no one knows about them, except for people who read the WSJ, and a handful of others. Everyone knows about Noonan criticizing Romney. She, Kristol, et al, have to consider that, when they write their articles. They can't just blindly write articles, and consider that the impacts are equal.
Very good point. The MSM picks and chooses their comments only when they help Obama—and hurt Romney. Peggy Noonan and Bill Kristol seem to be childishly naive. It's time to grow up and stop allowing themselves to be played for suckers.
So long as you know that conservative criticism is plastered on every msm website, and is used to demoralize turnout for Romney. I think it's pointless junk. Send the Romney campaign a private email if you have a criticism or suggestion. Noonan, Kristol, et al are being used as evidence that "not even Republicans are happy with Mitt Romney", etc.
Peggy Noonan? It's amazing how much mileage you can get out of riding RR's coattails. Put her out to pasture. n nOn this: " how lucky we are to have someone with Mitt’s qualifications and experience and know-how to be able to have the opportunity to run this country.” n nPlease. I'll vote for him because Obama is an abomination. But shame on the Republicans for putting forth such a mediocre politician. It reminds me every day why I consider myself a conservative first and then, and only then, a Republican (and then only by default given that I have no other choices).
There is no candidate that would not have a terrible time getting their message out. Somebody recently pointed that the MSM acts like the GOP Mitt Romney's prosecutor and Obama's defense attorney. The GOP standard bearer and his supporters will have to spend an incredible amount of money on TV and radio ads. It is about the only way to get past the legacy media's screen.
There is not one of the challengers that would have done a better job. I was for Newt Gingrich and ,indeed, he would have done a better job at excoriating the press and would have been more adroit at using words but the democrats would have had a field day with his three (or is it four?) marriages , his weight and his snarky personality. The basic fact is that the MSM have been totally in the tank of the democrats-much worse than any other election- and the main reason is that Obama is African-American. Period._My advise fro Romney? Stop being a gentleman and attack Obama as an elitist, aloof, cold man (which he is) who hobnobs with the elites rather than governing.
> I was for Newt Gingrich and ,indeed, he would have done a better job at n> excoriating the press and would have been more adroit at using words n> but the democrats would have had a field day with his three (or is it four?) n> marriages , n nHow about Rick Perry, then? Yes — awful debates, but the importance of TV debates are overrated and he would have had six months time to prepare for them. Apart from that, let's count the advantages: n n-No track record as part of the discredited GOP Washington/GW Bush/Wall Street establishment to run away from. n n-Long tenure as Texas governor with some positive results to show for it, as opposed to embarrassments such as RomneyCare. n n-Working class, evangelical roots as opposed to weird Mormon plutocrat. n n-Good fundraising skills thanks to Texas oil/energy industry connections, as opposed to Wall Street insider. n n-Decent relations with Mexican-Texan community as opposed to Romney's hardline opportunism on immigration. n nThere would of course be disadvantages too ("George W Bush on steroids" as Ross Douthat would put it). But at least Perry could promote the relative success of his "Texas model" in these difficult times. He would be proposing SOMETHING.
how lucky we are n nI just don't feel it;that this is my lucky day. n nEisenhower,JFK,Reagan made me feel good;not this guy. n nObama makes me feel nothing;Romney makes me sick;nothing is better than sick.
What a diaper load
Actually, poll after poll shows most Americans don't want to hear Romney talk any more about Obama, but this close to the election want to hear what the Governors plans are. n nPeople are sick of the trash talking, we want details about the issues facing the country, we already get that Mr ROmney doesn't like the things the President does. We got it already.
It isn't ROmney who is unhappy with the state of the country. It is anyone who is even marginally paying attention. This administration has been an abject failure.
. It is anyone who is even marginally paying attention n nIn that case,the Romney challange is to get votes from the "not paying attention" majority. nBecause,they are paying attention to Jon Stewart,Colbert,SNL,Bill Maher.
If Romney says the right things, it will get through the MSM filters. If it's a good soundbite, they won't be able to resist it. So far, and why all the criticism, which I do think is mostly meant to put forth the ideas the Rubins, etc., wish Romney would put forth himself, is because he hasn't yet said something that connects and devastates. I'm not sure any of the other candidates could have done any better without rising to the occasion better than they had earlier this year, which Romney can still do himself. That is, put forth a vision. n nRomney may be hindered on rhetoric by both being a nice guy and by being a businessman, meaning a let's-cut-the-dramatics-what's-the-bottom-line. Like he thinks Gingrich's moon colony is ridiculous. Romney is really campaigning on accountability and level-headed, realistic, pragmatic solutions to current problems — which I think could be a winning argument, but he's still got to make the sale!
Noonan demonstrably cannot say anything nice about anyone who isn't named Reagan. There is something terribly ghoulish about her attitude. n nKristol, I do not understand at all, except to conclude that he is more interested in having people talk about Bill Kristol than he is about any thing else. n nif these people wanted to be helpful, they as so-called opinion makers, would be sending private suggestions to the campaign. leadership. n nInstead they are maintaining a drumbeat of criticism. Tell me how this is helpful in a campaign in which the Incumbent has automatic news coverage and how he has the the media flacking for him. Romney has enough trouble just getting the word out without people who should be helping him doing the opposite. Obama's crowd hopes to disillusion GOP voters and get us to believe that it is hopeless, so that some will not bother to vote. Noonan, Kristol and some others are aiding and abetting the effort. n nI recently wrote to Bill Katz, the blogger at Urgentagenda.com, a blog site that I have faithfully followed and contribute $$ to support, and told him that I will no longer read his blog–at least until after the election–for the same reason. He cannot seem to comprehend that his so-called constructive criticism–delivered almost daily–has simply become destructive.