Thursday, September 26, 2002
Mitt and Swift, Reader No. 1's view: Hub Blog has a feeling that Reader No. 1 is absolutely right in his assessment on Mitt Romney's swipe at Jane Swift. Here's Reader No. 1's lengthy reaction:
"My initial reaction when I heard it was, 'Well, that's certainly true.' (Leaving aside the technicalities of what branch of the legislature each person served in, the larger point is that Tax-and-Spend is and has been out of control.) But as someone once said to me, 'Would you rather be right, or would you rather be effective?'
"-- Two weeks ago, Romney was (rightly) citing Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment about not speaking ill of fellow Republicans. Is that commandment now non-operational given the dispatch of Jim Rappaport? So he looks like a hypocrite. (Actually, he looks like Jim Rappaport.)
"-- Presumably there are Republican loyalists who work for the sitting Republican governor. Why introduce guilt by association for these folks when he will need their organizational support? Some might even work in a Romney administration.
"-- Maybe most importantly, WHY BRING JANE SWIFT INTO THE DEBATE AT ALL? She has been a political non-factor for a year, quite happy to keep a low profile on her way out the door.
"-- Like it or not, it gave O'Brien the opportunity of a Clintonesque play with the Gender Card. Now, one might cite her own 'Whoa Boys!' TV commercial of two weeks as an example of coming 'dangerously close to implying all (boys) are alike,' but you're not going to change anyone's mind winning that argument. It's just more column fodder for Joan Venocchi and Eileen McNamara.
"-- Finally, having this turn into a front-page story tends to reinforce the perception that Romney has little to contribute on his own beyond belaboring the obvious that his opponent is part of the problematic power-structure. What TV spot would be more helpful to getting Romney elected: One which shows some good examples of how his past leadership (whether it's the Olympics, or Bain, or somewhere) could translate to addressing the present fiscal situation in Massachusetts; OR one which shows him getting all nostalgic about his first date?"
Hub Blog may have spoken too soon when I suggested in the item directly below that Mitt was having a good week. Hub Blog forgot this is only Thursday. Still awaiting reaction from Jane Swift, beyond her comment yesterday to the Associated Press: ''I guess it would be a mark of success if I'm now considered an insider, being from Western Massachusetts and a Republican and a woman in that job." Ah, the calm before the storm!
"My initial reaction when I heard it was, 'Well, that's certainly true.' (Leaving aside the technicalities of what branch of the legislature each person served in, the larger point is that Tax-and-Spend is and has been out of control.) But as someone once said to me, 'Would you rather be right, or would you rather be effective?'
"-- Two weeks ago, Romney was (rightly) citing Ronald Reagan's 11th commandment about not speaking ill of fellow Republicans. Is that commandment now non-operational given the dispatch of Jim Rappaport? So he looks like a hypocrite. (Actually, he looks like Jim Rappaport.)
"-- Presumably there are Republican loyalists who work for the sitting Republican governor. Why introduce guilt by association for these folks when he will need their organizational support? Some might even work in a Romney administration.
"-- Maybe most importantly, WHY BRING JANE SWIFT INTO THE DEBATE AT ALL? She has been a political non-factor for a year, quite happy to keep a low profile on her way out the door.
"-- Like it or not, it gave O'Brien the opportunity of a Clintonesque play with the Gender Card. Now, one might cite her own 'Whoa Boys!' TV commercial of two weeks as an example of coming 'dangerously close to implying all (boys) are alike,' but you're not going to change anyone's mind winning that argument. It's just more column fodder for Joan Venocchi and Eileen McNamara.
"-- Finally, having this turn into a front-page story tends to reinforce the perception that Romney has little to contribute on his own beyond belaboring the obvious that his opponent is part of the problematic power-structure. What TV spot would be more helpful to getting Romney elected: One which shows some good examples of how his past leadership (whether it's the Olympics, or Bain, or somewhere) could translate to addressing the present fiscal situation in Massachusetts; OR one which shows him getting all nostalgic about his first date?"
Hub Blog may have spoken too soon when I suggested in the item directly below that Mitt was having a good week. Hub Blog forgot this is only Thursday. Still awaiting reaction from Jane Swift, beyond her comment yesterday to the Associated Press: ''I guess it would be a mark of success if I'm now considered an insider, being from Western Massachusetts and a Republican and a woman in that job." Ah, the calm before the storm!
