WP: Massachusetts Governor Makes His State the Butt of His Jokes

[kskiska]

Republican's Out-of-Town Act May Alienate Majority Democrats

BOSTON -- Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, exploring a possible presidential run in 2008, has a message for his fellow Republicans.

Take my state. Please!

"Being a conservative Republican in Massachusetts," he told a GOP audience in South Carolina, "is a bit like being a cattle rancher at a vegetarian convention."

Bada-bing. For months, this blue-state governor has been pitching himself to conservatives in a way that campaign experts say is highly unusual -- perhaps even historic. Instead of talking about his home state with the usual lip-quivering pride, Romney uses it like a vaudeville comic would use his mother-in-law: as a laugh line.

As in: "There are more Republicans in this room tonight than I have in my state!" -- another joke he used in South Carolina.

The problem: Some people here in Massachusetts are not laughing. Political observers say Romney may have put himself in trouble for next year, when the "vegetarian convention" has another gubernatorial election scheduled.

more…
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/25/AR2005092501146.html

[Alizaryn]

1. How the heck did he ever get elected in the first place?

[BayCityProgressive]

2. that's

what I want to know.

[Kat45]

3. MA often elects a repub governor to try to "balance" things because

the Democratic party pretty much contols both houses of the legislature and every other political office in the state. It's usually a moderate repub, but unfortunately, Romney pretended to be a moderate, and the Democratic candidate was not very strong, was basically a party regular with nothing special to recommend her.

[freethought]

6. That pretty much sums it up

Massachusetts is Blue State, no doubt. Voters are democratic but they tend to get sick of some of the shenanigans that the state legistlators play. It's all democrat all the time. Aside from tyring to balance things with a moderate repub in the governor's office, in the last election did not put their best canidate forward and the office fell to Mitt.

[Gormy Cuss]

26. Every time the Dems ignore the public by putting up the wrong candidate

Massachusetts votes for the Republican. Politics is serious business in Mass. It is largely a one-party state but they vote like Yankees -- candidate first, party second. How the Dems missed the opportunity to take back the governor's seat after Swift is beyond me, especially since Mitt was an easy target.

I miss Mass. politics. In CA it's not a blood sport -- the people of this state voted for the Terminator for Pete's sake.

[mom cat]

19. She was smeared...typical repuke stuff. I hate how their tactics work.

[Tesha]

28. The progressive Democrat was defeated in the Primary by the machine pol.

The usual story. Shannon O'Brien then had nothing stirring to say in
the general election and, also predictably, lost to the Republican.

(Have we heard that story anywhere before?)

Tesha

[The_Casual_Observer]

16. The Romney family is very wealthy, he has presidential aspirations.

They burned up the cash to get him in there.

[freethought]

4. I wish Mitt would just shut the f__k up!

I really don't give one iota about what Mitt says. We realized pretty quickly once he was in office what his real intentions were. He couldn't give a damn about being governor. It's just something he got to do before he goes for the real prize. The so-called 'honeymoon' with Mass voters was incredibly short-lived. Been down-hill ever since. Did he have the cameras on his best side when he said this? Jerk!

[MissMarple]

5. The cameras on his best side? Hoo boy!

:rofl:

[freethought]

9. You think this is a joke! Listen to this!

The mayor of Boston is Tom Menino, a good guy all around. He likes to mingle with the locals, mix it up, kind of get down with the public. Menino did most of the heavy lifting to bring the Democratic National Convention to Boston last election. (Sorry if you already know this!)

Any way, Menino was at a community, neighborhood gathering, talking to the people like he usually does. Mitt was scheduled to show up at some point. Mitt's motorcade shows up but he does not get out of the vehicle. One of his aids gets out, goes into the middle of the gathering and starts telling people to move their cars. He did not say exactly why at first but cars were moved anyway. Somebody in the local press was able to get it out of one his entourage why the cars had to be moved. (Drumroll!) If the cars hadn't been moved the local news cameras would not have been able to photograph Mitt's best side when he came out of the car!!
Day or two later this little story was plastered in the Boston Globe and a bunch of local papers. I wouldn't have beleived it if I hadn't read it. Needless to say this did not endear Mitt to the locals. Personally I would like him better if he had gotten caught smoking a roach or boozing in some bar. At least he'd be human!

[MissMarple]

11. It's a joke on Romney.

Oh, I believed you.

[Ediacara]

7. He's going to have a rude awakening come Nov. '06

[yellowcanine]

8. Agreed. Soiling your own nest is never a good idea for a pol. No one

likes a traitor.

[Ediacara]

10. I mean seriously

As a political observer from the outside, I always thought Mittens was a fluke, but I realise that Mass. has elected a number of GOP governors for the reasons mentioned upthread.

BUT, it was clear from day one that Mittens was running for president, and it was also clear he gives two fucks about Mass. I think that the moderates will be motivated to send this guy packing before he can formally announce.

[freethought]

12. The voters were not exactly 'in-love' with Romney

Beleive me! They just liked the competition considerably less. It's kind of like when your at the voting booth your thinking is like this
"I don't really think too much of my party candidates. Not exactly thrilled about Snit, Shmit, Mitt,whatever! Hell with it, I'll vote for him. Probably a good idea, keep dems in the state house in check."

Then about about two hours he take the oath of offic, you realize "Hey, this guy is running for President! WTF!"

I will give Bill Weld a good word. Too bad he gets bored easily. Make a good, albeit, conservative dem.

[expatriot]

13. Oh yeah.... you going down Mitt, you are goin down.

All the Dem opponent needs to do is loop that quote "Being a conservative Republican in Massachusetts. (replay) being a conservative Republican in Massachusetts." while have text on the screen giving "highlights" of the conservative Republican agenda.

[Sydnie]

14. It won't even take that much effort

We are so done with Mitt. As stated up thread, the honeymoon was just days long. He has spent more time out of the state, talking about our horrible SC that allowed that hated gay marriage thing to repub groups all over the country and hasn't had much time to do much of anything in the state ... good or bad. He will be handed a map back to Utah in 06 without a doubt. We may be "yanks" but we can spot a carpetbagger when we look closely. He is the poster child for carpetbaggers everywhere.

Weld, on the other hand, is considering a run for gov in NY. Go figure.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

15. Why hasn't Kerry come out and denounced this behavior!

:evilgrin:

[freethought]

17. Doesn't really have to.

Why have Kerry denounce his behavior when Mittens is doing just fine hanging himself? Kerry shouldn't waste his time.

[newscott]

29. He didn't do it when Bush did the same thing in 04

and that almost pissed me off more than Bush dissing the great Commonwealth.

[TaleWgnDg]

18. May that dear guy fall on his own petard, indeed!! And may he

.
May that dear guy fall on his own petard, indeed!! And may he do it LOUDLY and RESOUNDINGLY! Yessssssss.

Mitt Romney who lied to become Governor of Massachusetts, passing himself off to the uninitiated in Massachusetts as a *moderate* Republican to offset the all Democrat Massachusetts state legislature and other across-the-board Democrats elected to high offices in Massachusetts. Those who are political junkies knew about Mittens inability to separate his religious views from his political office, as well as his propensity to political power using a politic office as a stepping-stone to a presidential try. Didn't he try to beat Ted Kennedy for Ted's U.S. Senate seat too? LOL

However, good ol Mittens has a shock coming. Those who he is presently sucking-up to . . . those religion-into-law rightwingnut zealots cannot suck up to Mitt's Mormon faith! Nope, no way! For they think the Mormon faith is something quite evil. Yup, Mittens is in for a shock. Much well deserved!! BTW, how does one hide the fact of being a Mormon Bishop? A Mormon "elder?"



.

[0007]

20. There are two things that blow my mind. One, how in the hell

did Romney ever get elected in Massachusetts and the other is Norm Coleman being elected in Minnesota.

[Massachusetts]

21. "There are two things that blow my mind. One, how in the hell"

Answer: Every State Government NEEDS a Court Jester (Mitt is ours).

Mitt was a Lame Duck before this...Now he is a Dead Duck. Say goodnight Mitt.

[0007]

23. Goodnight Mitt.

[woosh]

22. The Democratic Party is the only venue

for candidates in MA. If you lived here, you would realize that the state is not as "liberal" as everyone makes it out to be. You have plenty of Democratic elected officials that would be Rupublicans in other states. There is plenty of social conservatism here.

The electing a Repub for "balace" stuff is just folklore. People voted for Romney for the same reason why NYers vote for Pitaki and CAers voted for Arnold. They liked him better than the Dem.

[Arkana]

24. Shit Romney better pack his bags.

Mass voters carry grudges--think of Dukakis.

[AlCzervik]

25. Will the people of Massachusetts rememebr this? They elected him and now

he shits on them.

[Tiggeroshii]

27. A charismatic guy, but

not too smart...

[Realityhack]

30. I can't wait to vote against him again! (nt)