Romney Not Endorsing in New York House Race
Email ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Former Gov. Mitt Romney is resisting the temptation among potential 2012 candidates to jump into the contentious House race in upstate New York — but he told reporters in Virginia today that his lack of endorsement is itself something of a statement. “I have chosen not to endorse the Republican in the 23,” Romney, R-Mass., said while campaigning for GOP gubernatorial candidate Bob McDonnell.
Romney spokesman Eric Fehrnstrom provided a few more details regarding Romney’s thinking: “Mitt Romney is a Republican and he tends to support the Republican candidate in races and when he can't because there are too many differences on the issues, he stays out of the race altogether and that's the course he's following in the New York special election. He doesn't plan to make any endorsement at all.” A few other possible 2012 candidates have chosen sides, in a race that’s developing into something of a referendum on the future of the Republican Party. Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minn., and former Gov. Sarah Palin, R-Alaska, have endorsed Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman in the race, while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich has lined up behind Republican Dede Scozzafava. Other potential presidential candidates who haven’t endorsed in the race include former Gov. Mike Huckabee, R-Ark., and Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.
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“GOP gubernatorial candidate Creigh Deeds.” ?? Glad you “real news organization” guys are following this so closely.
Posted by: mgilman | October 28, 2009, 5:33 pm 5:33 pm
You really have to be careful in this endorsing game sometimes it backfires and you get Deeds or something as bad.
Posted by: earl | October 28, 2009, 7:21 pm 7:21 pm
Any GOPer that throws in with Hoffman is toast in 2012.
Even a cursory viewing of the Conservative Party’s platform fills me, a center-right Obama Republican, with boiling anger.
Posted by: samir | October 29, 2009, 12:01 am 12:01 am
Nice to see Romney has an opinion on this issue. Smart not to endorse Scozzafava.
Meanwhile, Romney is very focused on the race in Virginia and has made a real difference!
Thanks Mitt!
2012!
Posted by: Jed Merrill | October 29, 2009, 12:17 am 12:17 am
At least Romney doesn’t try to come off as a slick preacher republican, like Huckabee does. So I don’t fault Romney for not endorsing Hoffman, like I fault Huckabee. Huckabee pushes the image of being solid conservative, while Romney is being true to the issue, in that he (Romney) has always tried to be center right. I believe that Romney and Pawlenty are the most electable republicans for 2012, and that maybe they should team up eventually as President and VP pick, depending on who wins the primary. Sarah palin is a patriot that deserves a position also in a new administration. Maybe if Newt comes back into the fold of conservative principles before party, that he will be a major voice again, and take command of some high post in a republican administration in 2012. Nevertheless, the strategies of the old republican GOP are not going to fly any longer with Americans. The internet has made the populous much more political saavy.
Posted by: StandYourGround | October 29, 2009, 2:25 am 2:25 am
It’s nice to see them all picking “sides.”
Which one will choose to be first and foremost on “We the People’s” side, rather than first and foremost on the side of the political party to whose ideology they marry?
I’m voting for INDEPENDENTS, and no, that’s NOT a party.
Posted by: Fed_up_with_BOTH_Parties | October 29, 2009, 2:26 am 2:26 am
StandYourGround – You said “…the strategies of the old republican GOP are not going to fly any longer with Americans.”
I agree! Likewise, the strategies of the Democrat socialization machine arenot going to fly any longer with Americans either… spend, spend, spend… debt, debt, debt…
We the People seem to be coming to the conclusion that no “party” has OUR best interests at heart, only their OWN!
In 2012, We the People should REJECT any candidate running on a “party” ticket. Boycott the primaries, and vote for INDEPENDENT candidates!!!
Posted by: Fed_up_with_BOTH_Parties | October 29, 2009, 2:46 am 2:46 am
“me, a center-right Obama Republican”
That’s a good one. Could you please stake out for me Obama’s positions on the right. Oh well, could you tell where his positions fall in the center of the political spectrum?
I don’t doubt you are a Republican. That has nothing to do with your positions, only for which party you signed a card for. It is meaningless in telling us what you believe.
Posted by: David Shedlock | October 29, 2009, 2:58 am 2:58 am
When Mitt Romney moves all of those companies back onshore and begins paying taxes to this country he proposes to love so much then he can have an opinion. Until then he shouldn’t be permitted a minute of airtime.
How come we have no exclusive report regarding how much he has cost taxpayers in this country by not paying his share? ABC? How about some real news regarding Mitt and his buusiness dealings?
Posted by: dk | October 29, 2009, 3:18 am 3:18 am
I agree! Likewise, the strategies of the Democrat socialization machine arenot going to fly any longer with Americans either… spend, spend, spend… debt, debt, debt…
______________________________________
and what 2 presidents have run up the most debt in the history of this country?………..thought so……
I have to laugh every time I hear a right winger make these claims. It just shows how uneducated and unwilling to listen to the TRUTH they really are.
Posted by: dk | October 29, 2009, 3:20 am 3:20 am
“Independent” is just a way of saying you support the party who is not in favor of the public eye at the moment.
When the right takes power again then it’ll be lefties who call themselves independent……
Posted by: dk | October 29, 2009, 3:23 am 3:23 am
Mitt Romney should have taken a stand, if he is truly a conservative. Obviously like Newt Gingrich he is playing to GOP officials in New York’s 23rd. Romney’s relcutance to endorse Hoffman is akin to Newt’s endorsement of liberal Republican Dede Scossafava in the New York special election is in my opinion out of touch with national reality. Scossafava has been an abortion rights advocate who often favors tax increases and gay marriage. Her husband is an upstate New York organizer for the union. In fact she supported the federal “card check” legislation eliminating “free choice” which would greatly increase union membership. Michelle Malkin in her article, “Dear Newt Gingrich: Meet Ronald Reagan on October 20, 2009″ reported that Gingrich invoked the former President’s name in attempting to justify his support of Scossafava.
Malkin’s Reagan quote is exactly where traditional conservative Republicans, Democrats and many Americans are in their thinking, “A political party cannot be all things to all people. It must represent certain fundamental beliefs which must not be compromised to political expediency, or simply to swell its numbers.” I would add to Reagan’s admonition these additional words for your consideration. Any candidate for public office cannot be all things to all voters but instead must be honest, faithful to his commitments in government service, marriage, moral, traditional constitutional, and patriotic values.
In the Politico article “Newt: Hoffman support a mistake” by Andy Barr, October 26, 2009 Mr. Gingrich is quoted several times. When asked why he chose to back Scossafava he responded “Let’s just start with she is the nominee of the local party. My bias is to be for the nominee of the local party, and I don’t second guess the local party” That’s a shame Mr. Gingrich, does that infer you would support Mark Sanford for continuance as South Carolina Governor if the Republican party in that state endorsed him? I will not support someone who does not enunciate and stand for true traditional conservatism and American values, especially not for President.
Gingrich in that same article is quoted as having said that “I just think it is a mistake for the conservative movement to think splitting in the special election is a smart idea…If we give that seat to the Democrats, shame on us.” Mr. Gingrich, in my opinion, if Scossafava is elected, philosophically that’s exactly what will happen-the election of a RINO. Have your forgotten that in spite of facing pressure to endorse liberalism, many Democrats split their ticket and voted for Ronald Reagan?
Finally. Mr. Gingrich’s statement that “All of those things together make her-it seems to me-a legitimate, authentic, Republican nominee.” As a conservative, wanting to protect our constitutional freedoms and support our great nation in the face of threats to freedom and liberty, I don’t care about her validity as a Republican candidate. I want a committed conservative who stands for the principles that Ronald Reagan enunciated and for which through the years the finest of our military have given their lives, that’s freedom’s gift.
Dr. Phillips
Posted by: DrPhillips | October 29, 2009, 10:56 am 10:56 am
I’m not impressed. Too many politicians put party loyalty before loyalty to our core national values. Unfortunately it seems Romney would stand quietly aside while a poison pill for a party candidate is funded by constituents that do not share the values that the candidate advocates. Lieberman crossed party lines to support our core national values and he paid a price for that. But the citizens supported him for re-election. They voted for him and not his party.
Posted by: TX_MBell | October 30, 2009, 1:01 am 1:01 am