Why The NRLC Endorsement Is Not Terrible For Mitt Romney

It's great for Thompson -- but it's not all that bad for Mitt Romney. Consider:

(1) Mike Huckabee didn't get it. And Romney's campaign sees Huckabee as a bigger threat in Iowa right now than Fred Thompson.

(2) Because Thompson is going to have to answer a lot of abortion questions over the next few days -- and Thompson is not comfortable answering questions about abortion. And Mitt Romney is getting more comfortable.

I initially wrote it was "good" for Romney. But it's not good. It's just not that bad.

Comments

Isn't it still better for Giuliani, so long as the pro-life movement is in disarray?

Posted by AJ | November 12, 2007 4:32 PM

Marc,

How come no mention of The Good Doctor Ron Paul at or above 5% in two new polls, CNN and Rasmussen?

I just completed my re-registration to vote so I will be registered as a Republican so I can vote for The Good Doctor on 2/5 here in NJ. I have never been affliated with either wing of the one-party that is in power, and have only once ever voted for a candidate from either wing of said party for a Presidential race. I am sure there are others like me who will be doing the same!

He's on track to get his 12 million in the 3rd quarter which will blow the media's darling Mike Huckabee out of the water and will likely be 2nd or 3rd in GOP fundraising, no?

Posted by GreenGuy | November 12, 2007 5:02 PM

word. marc is right on here. also fred is on teh train to nowhwere. he tanked in ia, tanked in nh, tanked in fl, now he is tanking in natinonal polls and has lost his lead in sc.

he is in like 6th place in nh.

it is good becuase it did not go to huck, mitt real competion for the so-con vote.

Posted by jon | November 12, 2007 5:15 PM

They Said It: Thompson Social Security Plan Applauded as ‘Courageous,’ ‘Honest,’ and ‘Substantive’

Courage & Honesty

Republican presidential contender Fred Thompson’s plan to save Social Security and protect seniors, which he introduced Friday afternoon in a Washington, D.C., hotel, differs starkly from standard election year pablum on the subject in one key way: He’s actually treating voters like adults. (ABC, 11/9)

Thompson...is seeking to show he is willing to take on tough issues if elected in November 2008, telling a news conference in Washington he was the only candidate to offer an extensive Social Security plan. (Reuters, 11/10)

“You certainly have to admire his courage for putting this out,” said Alan Viard with the American Enterprise Institute. (Tennessean, 11/10)

Supporters contend that Thompson’s willingness to take on the so-called third rail of politics will impress voters. (Bloomberg, 11/10)

Conservative economic experts applauded Thompson for offering specifics on an issue considered to be politically dangerous. (Tennessean, 11/10)

“He’s not afraid to be brutally honest with the American people about the challenges that lie ahead,” said Representative Zach Wamp, a Tennessee Republican who is working to recruit supporters for Thompson. “People can tell the difference between a strong leader telling the truth and a weak leader talking politics.” (Bloomberg, 11/10)

Substance

[Thompson is] the first candidate of either party to offer a detailed proposal to fix the nation’s retirement system. (WP, 11/10)

The Republican candidate laid out a detailed, four-page proposal (WSJ, 11/10)

Mr. Thompson’s plan...was more specific than what the Bush White House put on the table when it sought to overhaul the system. It also varied substantially from the traditional conservative approach of focusing primarily on personal investment accounts. (NYT, 11/10)

Economist Jason Furman said Thompson deserves credit for offering a detailed plan to address the projected Social Security shortfall...(Bloomberg, 11/10)

In discussing policy, Thompson was in his element. (Politico, 11/9)

He’d prefer to talk about substance. (Politico, 11/9)

Thompson’s plan draws on ideas favored by conservatives: a reduction in benefits, rather than an increase in payroll taxes; and a shift toward private accounts, rather than government-provided payments. (WP, 11/10)

Rivals

[Thompson] ventured Friday into an area few rivals have tread: advocacy of a fundamental overhaul of Social Security. (WSJ, 11/10)

Although all of the presidential candidates have spoken, when asked, about the need to fix the Social Security system, none has offered such a detailed plan nor talked so eagerly and often about the issue. (WSJ, 11/10)

Among Republicans, former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, Arizona Sen. John McCain and former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney have talked in general terms ... but none has offered a specific plan. (WP, 11/10)

Mr. Thompson is the only one of the Republicans running for the White House who has made Social Security a central theme of his campaign. (NYT, 11/10)

He is the only presidential candidate so far to make Social Security an anchor of his campaign. (WSJ, 11/10)

But with less than two months before the 2008 voting begins, candidates have generally been reluctant to confront the Social Security issue. (WP, 11/10)

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Saving and Protecting Social Security
A Plan to Ensure Retirement Security for All Americans
http://www.fred08.com/virtual/socialsecurity.aspx

Posted by Frank Gordon | November 13, 2007 4:55 AM