viernes, 24 de febrero de 2012

"Saved"

El último spot del Super PAC de Romney, que se emitirá en Michigan y Arizona, pretende resaltar el liderazgo y el carácter personal del candidato, contándonos cómo, cuando dirigía Bain Capital, coordinó personalmente la búsqueda de la hija desaparecida de un socio, hasta encontrarla.

El anuncio es idéntico a uno que ya lanzó Romney hace cuatro años.

ROBERT GAY: "Mi hija de catorce años había desaparecido en la ciudad de Nueva York durante tres días. Nadie pudo encontrarla. Mi socio en los negocios se ofreció para hacerse cargo. Cerró la compañía y llevó a casi todos nuestros empleados a Nueva York. Él dijo, "no me importa cuánto tiempo lleve. Vamos a encontrarla." Montó un centro de mando y la buscó durante la noche. El hombre que ayudó a salvar a mi hija fue Mitt Romney. Mitt ha hecho muchas cosas que la gente dice que son casi imposibles. Pero para mí, la cosa más importante que él ha hecho nunca es ayudar a salvar a mi hija."

Mitchell/Rosetta Stone: Romney 36%, Santorum 33% en Michigan



The New Republic:
Fueled by a strong debate performance Wednesday night, Mitt Romney continues to lead Rick Santorum in the latest Mitchell/Rosetta Stone Poll of Michigan conducted for MIRS (Michigan Information & Research Service) the night after the CNN Debate. The two front runners are still in a statistical dead heat, although Romney (36%) has increased his lead by 1% over Rick Santorum (33%) while Ron Paul (12%) replaced Newt Gingrich (9%) in third place. Undecided voters dropped in half to 11%.

(...) “Romney’s lead seems to have solidified after real volatility over the past two weeks. Romney has made big inroads with conservatives over the past ten days: Santorum’s 16% lead among Tea Party voters has been erased and he is now tied with them; his 16% lead with Evangelical Christians has now been cut in half to 8%, and Santorum’s 31% lead with self-identified “very conservatives” has now been cut to 13%. Romney had to persuade fiscal and social conservatives that he was more conservative than they thought he was. He also had to persuade them that Santorum was not as conservative as Santorum said he was. Romney seems to be accomplishing both those tasks,” Steve Mitchell, president of Mitchell Research & Communications, Inc. said.

John Garst, President of Rosetta Stone Communications in Atlanta, said “Romney was the clear winner in the debate last night. A third of the voters (33%) said that Romney won compared to only 13% who said Santorum, 10% who said Paul, and 9% who said Gingrich. Almost one in ten voters said they switched their support as a result of the debate. Of those that switched, Romney (27%) was leading Paul (24%), Santorum (22%) and Gingrich (11%). That would explain a slight uptick in Romney’s lead from a survey we conducted Monday night.”

La familia Santorum con Glenn Beck



Continúa: Parte 2

Romney en un evento del Tea Party en Milford, Michigan

(click en la imagen para ver el video en otra ventana)

Gingrich en Spokane, Washington

(click en la imagen para ver el video en otra ventana)

jueves, 23 de febrero de 2012

Romney: mi equipo es el pueblo americano

Esta mañana en Arizona, el Gobernador Romney ha buscado dar continuidad al debate de anoche.

"Lo que ocurrió (en el debate) fue que vimos, en este caso, al Senador Santorum, explicar la mayor parte de la noche por qué hizo o votó por cosas con las que no estaba de acuerdo, y habló de ello como un sacrificio por el equipo. Me pregunto por qué equipo se estaba sacrificando. Mi equipo es el pueblo americano, no los insiders de Washington, y lucharé por la gente de América, no por los intereses especiales."

Detroit Free Press: Santorum 38%, Romney 34% en Michigan



Detroit Free Press:
A week of personal appearances, newspaper op-eds, robocalls and television ads has brought Mitt Romney back within striking distance of national frontrunner Rick Santorum in Michigan’s Republican presidential primary, but with six days to go Santorum’s upstart campaign remains on the verge of what could be a defining victory in Romney’s birth state, a Detroit Free Press-WXYZ-TV poll shows.

After jumping out to an improbable lead in Michigan a week ago following a sweep in three western states, Santorum still holds a 37% to 34% lead over Romney, who until recently had been considered all but certain to win a state where he was born and grew up. It's also a state where his father, George Romney, was a nationally known auto executive and a popular three-term Republican governor.

Mitt Romney, who left Michigan decades ago as a young man to pursue a business career in Massachusetts (where he later became governor), has made inroads into what some polls showed as a sizeable Santorum advantage following wins two weeks ago in Colorado, Minnesota and Missouri. In metro Detroit, he leads Santorum, the former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania, 41%-26%.

The race remains a volatile one, perhaps right up to the end. Nearly half of the poll’s respondents – 45% — said they would consider changing their minds about who to vote for before Tuesday, and 12% of respondents said they were still undecided who to vote for on Tuesday.
La encuesta es anterior al debate de ayer.

Rand Paul: sería un honor que Romney me ofreciera la VP

Puede que esta sea la respuesta a la anterior pregunta.
Kentucky’s junior senator says it would be an honor to be considered as a possible running mate for Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Senator Rand Paul first discussed his higher aspirations at the beginning of this year. He said he wouldn’t close the door on being a Vice Presidential candidate. After a speech in Louisville today, Paul held that door firmly open, saying he wants to be part of the national debate.

Paul’s name has swirled as a possible pick that would give Romney points with the Tea Party. When asked directly what he would say if Romney made the offer, Paul tried to punt.

“I don’t know if I can answer that question, but I can say it would be an honor to be considered,” he said.

Paul’s father Ron Paul is also running for president, and is reportedly close to Romney.

¿Qué hay entre Romney y Paul?

Es lo que se preguntan en Team Santorum, cuenta Byron York:
Rick Santorum suspects something is up between Mitt Romney and Ron Paul. Santorum had a tough night at the 20th, and likely last, Republican debate, held here at the Mesa Arts Center. He took a lot of attacks from Romney and a few from Paul, and he noticed that Paul and Romney didn't seem to go after each other. When it was all over, and Santorum met reporters, he didn't try to hide what he was thinking.

"You have to ask Congressman Paul and Gov. Romney what they've got going together," Santorum said. "Their commercials look a lot alike, and so do their attacks."

"They've got something going on?" a reporter asked Santorum.

"You tell me," Santorum said.

Santorum's aides have long suspected that Romney and Paul have some sort of deal by which they attack other candidates but not each other. "Clearly there is a tag-team strategy between Ron Paul and Mitt Romney," top Santorum strategist John Brabender told reporters after the debate. "There've been 20 debates, right? Why don't you go back and see how many times Ron Paul has ever criticized anything Mitt Romney has done."

"Ron Paul has for all practical purposes pulled out of Michigan," Brabender continued, referring to next Tuesday's primary. "Anybody see him up in Michigan? And yet where is he running negative ads against Santorum? Michigan."

"Quotes"

Nuevo anuncio de Santorum que recopila lo que se ha escrito en diferentes medios, sobre las posiciones de Romney en el pasado.

Mitt Romney, citado por The Boston Globe: "No me alineo con la Asociación Nacional del Rifle (NRA)."

Romney durante un debate en 1994: "Preservaré y protegeré el derecho de la mujer a elegir."

The Boston Globe: "Romney también declaró su apoyo a la financiación pública de abortos para mujeres de bajos ingresos."

Rush Limbaugh: "Un asesor de Romney admite que el RomneyCare fue el anteproyecto del ObamaCare."

Massachusetts Taxpayer Foundation: "Bajo Romney, las cuotas y los impuestos crecieron más de 700 millones de dólares en un año."

Philadelphia Inquirer: "Como Gobernador, Romney solicitó millones en asignación de fondos federales."

Mitt Romney, citado por The Washington Post: "Me daría vergüenza si no hubiera pedido dólares federales cada vez que tuve ocasión."


Todas las cosas que Romney ama

Romney en Chandler, Arizona

Antes del debate, Romney ofreció un mitin en este suburbio de Phoenix. Llama la atención que en Arizona y Michigan ha cambiado el lema "Believe in America" por "Restore America's promise".

Post-debate: Rick Perry ejerce de portavoz de Gingrich

Post-debate: Gloria Borger (CNN) entrevista a Santorum

Post-debate: John King (CNN) entrevista a Ron Paul

Debate en Mesa



Mitt Romney y Rick Santorum intercambiaron acusaciones en un debate centrado más en las diferencias triviales entre candidatos, que en los asuntos de peso.

Santorum salió peor parado porque siempre es más complicado defender el historial de votos de un legislador en asuntos nacionales, que el del jefe ejecutivo de un estado. El ex Senador por Pennsylvania estuvo toda la noche a la defensiva, justificando su apoyo a la reforma de 2001 que expandió el rol del gobierno en la política educativa, a una ley de hace mil años que proveía anticonceptivos, a la candidatura presidencial del republicano liberal Arlen Specter en 1996, y, sobre todo, su apoyo a la asignación de fondos especiales a los estados.

"Cuando yo luchaba por salvar las olimpiadas, usted luchaba por salvar el 'puente a ninguna parte'," le dijo Romney, utilizando "el puente a ninguna parte" como impopular símbolo de esos fondos especiales que a los senadores les gusta incluir para sus estados en proyectos nacionales que nada tienen que ver. Santorum, frustrado, tuvo un par de reacciones desaconsejadas en un debate, como cuando le dijo a Romney, "no sabes de lo que hablas," o cuando se quejó del apoyo del público del debate a su rival (ventaja organizativa de Romney, una vez más).

Romney tampoco salió indemne. Santorum le acusó de haber pedido fondos especiales para los Juegos Olímpicos de Salt Lake City, y de haber creado un modelo para el ObamaCare con la reforma sanitaria de Massachusetts. Pero llegó mejor preparado al debate para contraatacar; por ejemplo, camufló su apoyo a los rescates de Wall Street, recordando que Santorum apoyó en el pasado los rescates de las aerolíneas y de la industria siderúrgica. Además, fue el mejor defendiendo la libertad religiosa, y presentó posiciones conservadoras en todos los asuntos, incluyendo un elogio a la dura ley migratoria de Arizona.

Gingrich tuvo un papel secundario que aprovechó bastante bien. Volvió a mostrarse como un político más adulto que sus rivales, contrastó sus ideas con las de Obama, y argumentó convincentemente que es el candidato más dotado para reformar Washington DC. También complació al público con un nuevo ataque contra "los medios de élite" que no desafían el apoyo de Obama al "infanticidio."

Ron Paul tuvo sus momentos. Más allá de sus polémicas posiciones en política exterior (volvió a defender que no existen evidencias sobre las ambiciones nucleares de Irán), ofreció la respuesta más franca en el debate sobre la anticoncepción, y fue tanto o más efectivo que Romney criticando a Santorum. Describió a Santorum como un conservador "fingido," e invalidó su afirmación de que la política es un juego de equipo (Santorum lo había dicho para justificar su apoyo al No Child Left Behind), señalando que el compromiso de un político es con el país y la Constitución, no con el partido.



Continúa: Parte 2 / Parte 3 / Parte 4 / Parte 5 / Parte 6 / Parte 7 / Parte 8 / Parte 9

miércoles, 22 de febrero de 2012

Newt volverá a ser Newt en el debate



The New York Times:
As Newt Gingrich prepares for what may be the last debate of the primary season, much in need of another comeback, his campaign has a new saying born of frustration with two earlier lackluster debates: “Let Newt be Newt.”

Mr. Gingrich, more than any other candidate, has seen his fortunes ebb and flow with debates, and there is a consensus in his team that his big loss in Florida’s Republican presidential primary last month was in no small part because of debates in which he strained to look above the fray. According to one top aide, Mr. Gingrich’s two daughters had advised him to strike a presidential pose, but that was not the Newt Gingrich voters craved.

“To some extent,” said Bob Walker, another top adviser, “we didn’t let Newt be Newt in those debates.”

In the debate on Wednesday in Mesa, Ariz., the first in nearly a month, Mr. Gingrich will not be center stage. His advisers believe that will allow him to remain unscathed while Rick Santorum, the current leader in national polls, and Mitt Romney do battle.

“They can be the Chihuahuas, and he can be Churchill,” said Kellyanne Conway, a senior adviser to Mr. Gingrich.

The stakes are high for Mr. Gingrich, who is low on money and facing eclipse by Mr. Santorum’s surge even in Southern states that were to be his bulwark. He needs to give voters, especially conservatives, a reason to return to him.

“He’s got one shot,” said Keith Nahigian, who managed Representative Michele Bachmann’s campaign before her withdrawal. “He has to do something substantial. He blew two debates pretty badly.”

(...) Ms. Conway, who is a pollster, said she and the campaign’s top ad creator, Rex Elsass, “were beside ourselves” over the advice Mr. Gingrich received in Florida to remain above the fray, writing “memo after memo that you’ve got to go on the attack.”

“Newt’s got to be Newt,” she added. “He doesn’t have to act presidential.”

"Vital Decisions"

Anuncio del Super PAC de Santorum para Michigan.

NARRADOR: "¿Cómo puede Mitt Romney derrotar a Barack Obama, cuando en las decisiones vitales no son muy diferentes? Como Obama, Romney aumentó drásticamente el gasto y aumentó los impuestos estatales. Incluso peor, el RomneyCare es el anteproyecto del ObamaCare. ¿Quién puede ganar? Rick Santorum. El líder con principios que ha luchado contra el gobierno paternalista, con un plan audaz para crear empleos y eliminar el despilfarro. Rick Santorum para Presidente."

El Detroit News apoya a Romney



The Detroit News:
State Republicans should go to the polls Tuesday with two missions: Pick a presidential candidate capable of leading this nation to prosperity and stability and choose a nominee who will give the GOP a fighting chance of defeating President Barack Obama this fall. On both counts, Mitt Romney is the best choice in the Michigan primary.

(...) We disagree with Romney on a point vital to Michigan — his opposition to the bailout of the domestic automobile industry. Romney advocated for a more traditional bankruptcy process, while we believe the bridge loans provided by the federal government in the fall of 2008 were absolutely essential to the survival of General Motors Corp. and Chrysler Corp. The issue isn't a differentiator in the GOP primary, since the entire field opposed the rescue effort.

Right now, voters are mostly concerned with the economy. But troubling events in the Middle East could easily shift the focus of the election to national security. We are confident that Romney has the temperament, judgment and maturity to make a case for his presidential candidacy even if the election issues become more global.

(...) Romney defends the Massachusetts version of health care reform as being put together at the state level to meet the needs of a single state. It is a strong argument for the rights of states to address their local problems without the heavy hand of Washington forcing them into a one-size-fits-all solution. That's a philosophy that will help return the federal government to a more limited role.

Mitt Romney stands alone among the Republican primary field as the candidate capable of winning the White House, and more importantly, of leading the nation to a prosperous future.
Es un endorsement que puede tener su impacto, ya que se trata de un periódico muy republicano.

Christie: me lo están pidiendo pero no me presento

El Gobernador Chris Christie ha admitido en Good Morning America (ABC) que todavía están llamando a su puerta para que se presente este año a Presidente, pero ha dejado bastante claro que no va a presentarse. "No sé cuántas veces tengo que decirlo, la respuesta es no, y apoyo al Gobernador Romney."








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Esta noche, debate



Esta noche se celebrará en Mesa, Arizona, el único debate de este mes de febrero. Moderará John King (CNN) y participarán los cuatro candidatos republicanos: Romney, Santorum, Gingrich y Paul. Esta vez se sustituirá el formato de podium por una mesa, que es lo que recomienda el propio nombre de la ciudad. Epezará a las 8 pm en CNN.