There are?people who are?still loyal to Mitt Romney (yes, really!), and they credit their hero and the “Romney Brand” with the recent primary wins in Idaho, Oregon, and Pennsylvania?because the defeated two-time presidential candidate and one-term governor of Massachusetts endorsed the candidates who won.
- Idaho: Eight-term incumbent?Rep. Mike Simpson?had the benefit of?$4 million raised by allies that included the?United States Chamber of Commerce. His own fundraising efforts of $1.4 million were more than he’s ever spent on a campaign.
- Pennsylvania: Seven-term incumbent Rep. Bill Shuster?beat out his Tea Party challenger with the help of ?an infusion of cash from transportation industry stakeholders.
- Oregon:?Monica Wehby, a?neurosurgeon who believes that the government shouldn’t be involved in abortion or same-sex marriage issues, faces incumbent Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley in November.
None of these people have come out publicly and thanked Mitt Romney for their success. It’s clear from my one-sentence descriptions of their campaigns and/or credentials that these folks won the primaries via their own efforts, not the lame endorsement of Mitt Romney. I could have looked closely at these races and endorsed who I believed common sense would suggest would be the likely winners. My 13-year-old could have predicted their wins, for that matter.
To credit the “Romney Brand” with these wins is a bit of a stretch. OK it’s a complete stretch. It’s ridiculous.?Mitt Romney did endorse these candidates, but as BuzzFeed writer McKay Coppins said, their rhetoric is “a bit lofty.”
A Romney groupie said this:
?I think Republicans are sick of losing,? said Robert O?Brien, a Romney family friend who served as a foreign policy adviser to the campaign. ?I think the Romney brand has had a real resurgence after the campaign, and a lot of Republicans realized, hey this guy was right about a lot of things, and they realize his endorsement carries significant weight.? (BuzzFeed)
Another supporter — former campaign spokesman Ryan Williams?– tossed this out there:
?Tonight was a good night for Gov. Romney and his endorsed candidates.”
For too long our party has been without a powerful voice who has been able to help the most electable conservative candidates build support and raise the resources needed to navigate competitive primary contests. Governor Romney has filled that void.??(BuzzFeed)
Oh boy. I’ll bet the Republican establishment cringes when they think of Mitt Romney being their “powerful voice.”
Staunch supporter Spencer Zwick, who served as campaign finance chair in 2012 and remains a close friend of the Romney family, stated it more realistically when he said that it’s “unfair to the candidates who won Tuesday night to attribute their victories to any endorsement.”
?In all these cases, it is also fair to point out that [the candidates] each very much wanted Gov. Romney’s support and endorsement,? said Zwick. ?He continues to be a very powerful voice for the party. He is one of the few individuals who can help Republicans define their message and unite behind candidates that can win general elections.?
Mitt Romney lost the 2012 presidential race in disgrace. His fail likely guaranteed that the Republican Party will never win the White House again. How the heck do these delusional people translate that to success?
Read more at BuzzFeed.
Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?subscribe to her public updates on Facebook,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
