Mitt, We Hardly Knew Ye

Chances of getting either Mitt Romney or Rudy Giuliani in for an interview are looking bleaker. We knew that Rudy’s eyes have been turned to Florida since before Iowa. But Mitt pulled his ad money out off South Carolina yesterday. Here’s The Politico’s version:

CHARLESTON, S.C. – Mitt Romney is going off the air in South Carolina, at least through next week’s Michigan primary. And he may not contest the Palmetto State at all.

Decisions about where to shift staff are still being made, but after tonight’s Myrtle Beach debate, the former Massachusetts governor almost certainly won’t be back in the state until after Michigan’s contest next Tuesday.

The South Carolina primary takes place the following Saturday, meaning Romney would have just a few days to campaign here – if he decides to make an effort at all.

This is all very weird, from a South Carolina perspective. Since 1988, we’ve been accustomed to having a huge say in the eventual Republican nominee. But this year’s compressed schedule is a killer.

9 thoughts on “Mitt, We Hardly Knew Ye”

  1. Karen McLeod

    Doesn’t look like he has the guts to go up against either McCain or Huckabee. Who wants such a wimp for Prez anyway?

  2. Brad Warthen

    Good point, Karen. I should probably have included the next paragraph of the Politico piece:

    … Romney sources believe the state is coming down to a “knife-fight,” as one put it, between former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Arizona Sen. John McCain, and that one of the two will not survive after the state’s primary results are in….

    Also, it speculates a reason why Romney would NOT want to do an endorsement interview or anything else that looks like an actual EFFORT in SC:

    … Further, a poor finish here could be downplayed, they believe, if the campaign is seen as not making a continued push in the state.
    “The picking-your-state strategy has worked for all the other candidates who cherrypicked which states they were going to do battle in while letting their opponents fight it out in other ones,” said one Romney aide, revealing a trace of bitterness at the chess moves of the four other Republicans. “It’s time for Mitt Romney to give it a try.”…

  3. Doug Ross

    On a scale of 1-100 (with 100 being absolute guarantee), what do you think the chances would be for Romney to get the endorsement of The State? If he doesn’t show up, it’s probably a 2. If he does show up, it’s probably a 5.
    If I see anyone’s name besides McCain’s as the endorsee, I will eat my Sunday copy of The State… including the Best Buy ad after I’m done reading it.

  4. Gary Karr

    Reads like someone playing expectations games — he’s had people in the state since last summer, so it’s kind of hard to withdraw from a state you’ve been competing in longer than anyone.
    But if it’s true, I wonder what Olympic medal you get for quitting?

  5. Wally Altman

    This sounds an awful lot like Fred Thompson’s strategy from last year. “If I’m not in the race, I can’t lose!”

  6. Brad Warthen

    Yeah, Gary, that’s what the Politico was saying:

    “The picking-your-state strategy has worked for all the other
    candidates who cherrypicked which states they were going to do battle
    in while letting their opponents fight it out in other ones,” said one
    Romney aide, revealing a trace of bitterness at the chess moves of the
    four other Republicans. “It’s time for Mitt Romney to give it a try.”

  7. Gary Karr

    But Mitt HAS been fighting in South Carolina. Is it possible that at the last hour he is sensing defeat and thus is making an excuse already for his loss? It’s kind of weird … the first state in the most traditionally Republican region in the country and Romney is bailing?

  9. FromTheTop

    Wrong! Pundits try to make news rather than report news. Mitt Romney just changed strategy. He’s up and running in SC and he’s the man McCain is bashing so you all will know.
    Fred Thompson talks like a conservative but, is he a conservative in all respects of conservatism? I have been following Mitt Romney and he speaks of the “three legs” of conservative principles of “Social conservatives, Economic conservatives and Foreign Policy conservatives and how he plans to implement them. He also wants to increase the military by 100,000, modern equipment and better care for our warriors when they return from combat, secure our borders with a fence and 30,000 more Border Agents that will not be imprisoned for doing their jobs, biometric, tamperproof I.D. cards and tough sanctions on employers who hire illegal aliens. No jobs…no illegal aliens! No jobs! No illegal aliens!
    MITT ROMNEY knows how to run corporations and make them successful. He has been doing this for 30 years of his adult life, as Governor of MA and as Manager of the Utah Olympics from bankruptcy to success. Why continue to send the same professional, political parasites back to Washington, D.C. to do nothing but promise? Washington, D.C. has been broken by these mugwumps far too long and MITT ROMNEY is the only man who can change it from inside out. Mitt Romney listens to Americans “We The People…”!
    Professional, political parisites listen to LOBBYISTS who eventually get them into trouble! Have you forgotten the Lincoln Savings and Loan scandal of Arizona? Senator John McCain was one of the ringleaders of the “KEATING FIVE” that cost the American taxpayers $160 BILLION dollars. Keating was convicted of more than 70 criminal violations. What will McCain do as POTUS? Be afraid! Be very afraid! McCain’s accomplishments in D.C.: McCain/Feingold(D)(Free Speech), McCain/Kennedy(D)(Amnesty Bill), McCain/Lieberman(I/D)(Energy Taxes), Gang of 14(Filibuster-buster), voted against Bush tax cuts.
    The links below will give you THE REAL HUCKABEE while he Governor of Arkansas and why he should not even be a candidate for POTUS. He would be worse than HRC or Obama as POTUS! He cut a deal with President Calderon of Mexico for a Consulate to hand out matricular cards to illegal aliens…and more.
    http://www.diggersrealm.com/mt/archives/002611.html
    http://illegalprotest.com/2007/12/17/gilchrists-endorsement-of-huckabee/
    http://freedomfolks.com/blog/2007/12/11/midday-mind-blower/
    http://michellemalkin.com/2007/12/11/minuteman-project-founder-endorses-huckabee/
    ➡

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