Poor Mitt Romney. Even when he’s not running for office, he just can’t help himself.
Four years ago, Romney had this to say about Donald Trump, who had just endorsed him for president:
There are some things that you just can’t imagine happening in your life. This is one of them. Being in Donald Trump’s magnificent hotel and having his endorsement is a delight. I’m so honored and pleased to have his endorsement…. Donald Trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works, and to create jobs for the American people. He’s done it here in Nevada, he’s done it across the country. He understands that our economy is facing threats from abroad. He’s one of the few people who stood up and said, you know what, China has been cheating. They’ve taken jobs from Americans, they haven’t played fair. We have to have a president who will stand up to cheaters. We believe in free trade and free enterprise, but we don’t believe in allowing people to cheat day in and day out…. I’ve spent my life in the private sector. Not quite as successful as this guy [gesturing to Trump], but successful nonetheless…. So I want to say thank you to Donald Trump for his endorsement. It means a great deal to me to have the endorsement of Mr. Trump and people across this country who care about the future of America…. I will dramatically change the way this government is working. And I will also stand up for our friends abroad and make sure that America remains the shining city on a hill.
Today, apparently, he’ll be singing a different tune.
“Here’s what I know: Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,” Romney plans to say, according to excerpts from his prepared remarks. “His promises are as worthless as a degree from Trump University. He’s playing the American public for suckers: He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat.”
The speech, delivered at the University of Utah several hours before Republicans gather in Michigan for another debate, marks a new and more aggressive phase for Romney as the Republican establishment desperately tries to halt Trump’s momentum.
“His domestic policies would lead to recession,” Romney plans to say. “His foreign policies would make America and the world less safe. He has neither the temperament nor the judgment to be president. And his personal qualities would mean that America would cease to be a shining city on a hill.”
Of course, Trump has not changed in the last four years. He’s the same guy he’s always been. The change has come in Mitt Romney, who four years ago saw Trump’s endorsement as part of his quest to “make sure that America remains the shining city on a hill”; now, apparently, Trump’s rise “would mean that America would cease to be a shining city on a hill.” A remarkable turnabout. I wonder if he even realizes he’s using the same metaphor.
Here’s Romney accepting Trump’s endorsement four years ago.
THAT VICE PAYS TO VIRTUE.” ANON
Fred Rich LaRiccia
Hypocrisy indeed. And we know of another Presidential candidate who found it expedient to stay in close proximity to The Donald.
Still, Romney is right in what he says now. I would cut him some slack, but it would be good if Romney acknowledged the benefits he derived from Donald Trump in the past. He was an enabler of Donald, as long as Donald was useful to him.
“The onely waye to avoyde this shipwracke” = not to have sought and accepted Trump’s endorsement four years ago.
I don’t think this is quite fair.
Trump HAS changed since 2012, for one thing. He has, um, found his voice in a way he never did back then.
We’re also forgetting the amount of “Romney resistance” there was in 2012. He took every endorsement he could get.
A few weeks ago our own Bernie Sanders had breakfast with Al Sharpton. Some of us can remember when Al Sharpton was a person any “respectable” candidate would run far away from. I put respectable in quotes because the antipathy to Sharpton wasn’t entirely fair; however, his mainstream acceptance now might not be entirely fair either.
I suppose life isn’t fair, so this is within bounds, but sorry, I think it’s kind of a cheap shot.
Romney can be criticized for this. He’s late, for one thing. And Nikki Haley did it better. She denounced Trump and supported an opponent at a crucial time. There might be good reasons why Mitt didn’t take that route, and they’ll come out later.
I would also add that he’s probably helping Trump. For the moment let’s give him the benefit of the doubt that he doesn’t see it that way.
But bottom line, he’s taking a stand against his party’s leading candidate because he feels compelled to do so. Making that decision and taking that stand is commendable.
Hit send too soon. The last line should be more like this:
Making that decision, and then taking the stand that the decision compels, is commendable. He didn’t have to, no one forced his hand.
I don’t think he’s helping Trump. It’s been a slow movement, but a backlash is building against the fraudster in the past few days. I can tell talking to office colleagues who are Republican that the tone is changing, and they’re very upset with who’s been winning primary after primary in their party.
Let’s see if this tsunami wave of a backlash is sufficiently high to top over the Trump Tower.
If Romney is such an incompetent, pathetic loser as Trump claims, then why did Trump endorse him in 2012?
Donald Trump’s play book is to call anybody a pathetic loser when anybody crosses Donald Trump. Then, a few days later, it’s big hug again.
Romney wasn’t a loser until November 2012, no?
I’m assuming that that refers to 2008 as well as 2012. In any case, this is yet another thing the media won’t call him out on since they depend on him as much as he does on them.
they both whore for each other.
Fred Rich LaRiccia
Teddy pasted him pretty bad in that one. Mitt also let Kerry Healey take the political bullet directed at him in the 2006 MA Governor’s race. I was always surprised the Republicans chose a guy with such a politically flimsy resume in 2012, though they weren’t awash in appealing alternatives.
That can be used against Trump, one of the biggest scumbags I’ve ever seen, is OK in my book. Trump represents the excess of virtually every human vice, like a nasty satirical portrait of American moral decay. Good for Romney! They should give him the nomination again.
Where’s the Blimp??
I miss it.
Jeb! has it
Other peoples’ money, of course.
… Romney criticizing Clinton for supposedly abandoning core principals or Trump for changing positions. Did someone look over this speech first?
You know what I’m talking about, David. Bring forth the blimp.
the old GOP is dead. Thank God!
This is like the Holy Roman Empire saying that Danton is dead, thank God!
Of all the things to do, have Mittens lead the charge against The Donald. He must think he won the lottery.
Really this shows a lamentable, and ominous, misunderstanding of Trump’s appeal. They really do not get it.