On Fox News last night, Mitt Romney dismissed Rick Santorum’s “Rombo” ad, which features a Mitt Romney look-alike shooting mud at a cardboard cutout of a smiling Santorum, as the “the most negative ad I’ve seen, so far,” per GOP12.
“Look, it’s not something I’m going to whine about,” Romney added. “I know there’s some candidates that want to whine about the fact that you go back-and-forth and talk about the distinctions between one another.”
The use of “whine” was not accidental. Discussing how the Romney campaign intended to take down Santorum’s poll numbers, a Romney adviser told BuzzFeed earlier this week that they intended to stress issues — such as earmarks and votes to hike the debt limit — that they anticipated would irritate Santorum. “The expectation is that Santorum, just given his personality, is going to whine like crazy about this,” said the adviser.
UPDATE: Turns out Romney himself has been running this negative ad in Michigan, via Politico:
The Romney campaign did not e-mail media outlets about this ad, as is customary when a campaign releases a new ad.
OK Mitt the Mudder thinks Santorum's ad is the most negative. That still doesn't help we voters decide if Mitt can be trusted. Once again Mitt: What exactly are you going to do on the first day you are sworn in as Prez? What are you going to do in the first week? The first month? Be specific--and don't point to your 59 point plan---that doens't tell us what you will actually do. That is feel good boiler plate--something a government panel of bureaucrats would come up with. What two or three or four things are you actually going to do--and why?
Have you even bothered listening to any of his comments during the coures of the campaign? You're as bad as the Obama supporters: ignore anything that's said if it doesn't fit within your worldview, and attack based on the strawman that's thus created.
"Furthermore, I believe in safe handling of novelty firearms," Romney added, "and even if I did skulk around a parking garage aiming chamber-moistened topsoil pellets at track-mounted cardboard cutouts of rival candidates, I would never allow an unspent round to soil my blouse."
Romney was just awful on Hannity last night. It looked like he hadn't slept for days. I guess the campaign is getting to him. Maybe he should drop out? After all, he was the one telling Newt that if can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Can we agree on a couple of maxims and stop acting surprised every other day?
1) Political ads are inherent to the American political process and negativity is effective;
2) No candidate is sin-free and self-righteous whining merely reflects a monetary disadvantage
I actually thought it was kind of funny. You know, I am coming to the conclusion that Romney would get taken apart by Obama. Because when you really don't believe in anything - which when you get down to it is why we don't connect with him - it is tough to deal with the assaults that are coming.
With Santorum, we are pretty confident Obamacare will be gone. Now if we can work on him to understand that the golden age of manufacturing is different today, we might have something. Although as I listen to all the candidates, even Mitt, I am not sure that Santorum isn't the most conservative of the bunch on that as well, which is surprising because blue collar populism and conservatism aren't the same thing.
If he can maintain that humility he spoke about, Santorum could be effective against Obama because we know Obama doesn't deal with it very well at all - Mr. Thin Skinned. It also probably tilts Ohio to the GOP and makes Obama fight hard to keep PA and MIch - one of which he could lose. If he cannot win 2 of those 3 - he cannot win. Will be interesting to watch.
"If he can maintain that humility he spoke about, Santorum could be effective against Obama because we know Obama doesn't deal with it very well at all - Mr. Thin Skinned"
You make a very good point. I perceive Santorum as a man who possesses true humility. Of course, humility is a much more powerful trait than arrogance and the confidence that true humility engenders will highlight Obama's lack of actual confidence/effeteness.
We could save a lot of money in this campaign if only we had a well-calibrated whine-ometer to reveal who was the whiniest of them all.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseMy own eyes and ears tell me that would have to be the perpetually cranky whiner Ron Paul.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseOK Mitt the Mudder thinks Santorum's ad is the most negative. That still doesn't help we voters decide if Mitt can be trusted. Once again Mitt: What exactly are you going to do on the first day you are sworn in as Prez? What are you going to do in the first week? The first month? Be specific--and don't point to your 59 point plan---that doens't tell us what you will actually do. That is feel good boiler plate--something a government panel of bureaucrats would come up with. What two or three or four things are you actually going to do--and why?
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseLord.
Have you even bothered listening to any of his comments during the coures of the campaign? You're as bad as the Obama supporters: ignore anything that's said if it doesn't fit within your worldview, and attack based on the strawman that's thus created.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"Furthermore, I believe in safe handling of novelty firearms," Romney added, "and even if I did skulk around a parking garage aiming chamber-moistened topsoil pellets at track-mounted cardboard cutouts of rival candidates, I would never allow an unspent round to soil my blouse."
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"the most negative ad I have seen"
OK.
"but I am not going to whine about it"
Well, you just did, moron.
Romney was just awful on Hannity last night. It looked like he hadn't slept for days. I guess the campaign is getting to him. Maybe he should drop out? After all, he was the one telling Newt that if can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseCan we agree on a couple of maxims and stop acting surprised every other day?
1) Political ads are inherent to the American political process and negativity is effective;
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse2) No candidate is sin-free and self-righteous whining merely reflects a monetary disadvantage
We already know he doesn't watch his own ads, or those of his SuperPac, but honestly, the most negative ad of all?
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"the most negative ad I have seen"
He must not spend any time watching the commercials his campaign puts out.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseI actually thought it was kind of funny. You know, I am coming to the conclusion that Romney would get taken apart by Obama. Because when you really don't believe in anything - which when you get down to it is why we don't connect with him - it is tough to deal with the assaults that are coming.
With Santorum, we are pretty confident Obamacare will be gone. Now if we can work on him to understand that the golden age of manufacturing is different today, we might have something. Although as I listen to all the candidates, even Mitt, I am not sure that Santorum isn't the most conservative of the bunch on that as well, which is surprising because blue collar populism and conservatism aren't the same thing.
If he can maintain that humility he spoke about, Santorum could be effective against Obama because we know Obama doesn't deal with it very well at all - Mr. Thin Skinned. It also probably tilts Ohio to the GOP and makes Obama fight hard to keep PA and MIch - one of which he could lose. If he cannot win 2 of those 3 - he cannot win. Will be interesting to watch.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse"If he can maintain that humility he spoke about, Santorum could be effective against Obama because we know Obama doesn't deal with it very well at all - Mr. Thin Skinned"
You make a very good point. I perceive Santorum as a man who possesses true humility. Of course, humility is a much more powerful trait than arrogance and the confidence that true humility engenders will highlight Obama's lack of actual confidence/effeteness.
Reply to this commentLinkReport AbuseRomney whines that he won't whine about the most "negative ad he's seen". He's a real top notch candidate, the Republicans should be proud.
Reply to this commentLinkReport Abuse