Governor Mitt Romney On India's Independence Day

"On the 60th anniversary of India's independence, we celebrate the contributions of Indian-Americans to the United States. Throughout my career, I have seen first-hand how the Indian-American community has enriched our nation with its values and culture. Many Indian-Americans are also at the forefront of building our nation's vibrant economy in various sectors including health care, business, education, science and technology.

"As the world's two largest democracies and as partners in fighting terror, India and the United States have a historic opportunity to forge a more powerful partnership based on our shared values and strategic interests. Together, India and the United States can serve as twin beacons of freedom against those who preach intolerance and extremism. We should strengthen our nations' ability to advance our mutual interests internationally in the United Nations and elsewhere, while working closely to build security and prosperity for our peoples and the world."

Mitt Romney wins Illinois straw poll

August 16, 2007

Mitt Romney wins Illinois straw poll

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney

(CNN)–Mitt Romney added another straw poll victory to his resume Thursday.

Illinois state Republican party chairman, Andy McKenna, said Romney won the Illinois Straw poll at the Illinois State Fair. "Congratulations to Mitt Romney, whose strong showing today indicates he has begun to put together a strong statewide organization," McKenna said. "There's no question that Illinois' demographics closely match those of the United States and this could be an indication as to whom Illinois voters are leaning toward this coming February."

Romney secured an overwhelming victory with 40.35 percent of the vote. Former Senator Fred Thompson, who is expected to formally enter the race for the GOP nomination next month, came in second with 19.96 percent of the vote.

The Illinois Republican party sponsored the straw poll during its Republican Day festivities at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield.

To be included, participate candidates were required to have participated in one of the previously held debates with other Republican candidates, or have polled above 5 percent in a national, independent poll.

Final results of Thursday's Illinois straw poll:

1. Mitt Romney – 40.35%

2. Fred Thompson – 19.96%

The Big Win At Ames

August 14, 2007 07:27am

The Big Win At Ames

A lot of people have written their stories about the straw poll victory we enjoyed at Ames. Having seen the effort and the triumph from the inside, I thought I'd share a few of my own thoughts and photos.

1. Why do you think that Governor Romney won?

He won for two reasons. First, my Dad is the best candidate in the race. But the fact is that as the people in Iowa have gotten to know my Dad, they have liked him and his message. He has traveled extensively across Iowa (over 200 events total) and answered hundreds of questions in dozens and dozens of townhalls open to the public and the media. And he has risen from about 5% in Iowa to 28% and first place in the polls in only a few months.

The second reason he did so well was the fantastic campaign organization that was built in Iowa. Some journalists have called it the deepest, most organized campaign team ever assembled in Iowa. Matt Lewis from Townhall.com wrote a piece today that touches on the organization on the day of the straw poll. In addition to that the campaign staff did an extraordinary job of organizing and motivating voters to come out to a straw poll that many were saying had already been won. Which leads to question number 2.

2. Without some of the other top tier candidates there, does this qualify as a win?

Yes. As my Dad has said, if the other guys thought they could have won or even done well, they would have been there. Which makes the win all that more extraordinary. Do you know how hard it is to motivate voters to hop on a bus on a Saturday morning and drive several hours each way so they can wait around for hours more in 100 degree sticky heat, all for the privilege of voting for a candidate who has everyone says is a shoe-in to win?

We offered barbeque sandwiches to folks there, which was the least we could do for our supporters who braved temperatures reaching 100 degrees. And do you think that holds a candle to what they could have had a few miles down the road at the state fair? Fried twinkies, fried snicker bars, pork chops on a stick, fried Oreos... Yes, I tried them all and heavenly doesn't begin to describe them. And you think offering them a bus ride and a pulled pork sandwich is what got them to Ames?

This was an extremely dedicated bunch and some of the most conservative voters in the country. We had to overcome several obstacles to win but the win shows that my Dad's message is resonating with conservative voters.

3. How does this help?

This will help with my Dad's name ID. He was the number one blogged about muggle the last few days, beaten only by Harry Potter. The straw poll also helps us get ready for the critical Iowa caucus in January. We put our campaign organization in Iowa through a full-body workout. We identified thousands of voters as Mitt Romney supporters. And we showed commitment to the political process and to the people of Iowa.

With a win in Ames, the race is far from over. Our strategy is to do well in the early primary states and to build momentum nationally as a result. The Straw Poll victory is the first step on our road to the GOP nomination and eventually the presidency. It's great to have you all on board with us! See Craig's post below on signing up 48,000 new Team Mitt supporters in 48 hours - please pass the word along.

My Mom and Dad and all 5 boys on the stage at Ames

Even our campaign manager, Beth Myers, was working hard at that day

Me with Gentry Collins, the mastermind behind the Iowa organization (don't ask about my wrist brace, it's a long and embarrassing story)

In the Mitt Mobile escaping the heat for a few minutes with Peter Flaherty and Beth Myers. Ben and Ande are in the background.

 

Posted at 2007-08-14 07:27:50 by Tagg Romney

From a Mitt Romney fan...

The Romney campaign had a great weekend, and I want to be sure to share the news with you.  First, on Saturday, we won the Ames, Iowa Straw Poll with 31.5% of the vote, a greater percentage than George W. Bush received in 1999.

Also, this just in … the American Research Group released their latest nationwide poll this afternoon. 16% support Governor Romney, up 6 points from 10% last month. Here are the full results:

	Jul.	Aug.	Jul./Aug. Change
Giuliani	30%	27%	-3
Gov. Romney	10%	16%	+6
F. Thompson	17%	16%	-1
McCain	14%	13%	-1
Other	16%	15%	-1
Undecided	11%	14%	+3

 

Wow - a 6 point pick up in 30 days nationally.  

 

  Best Regards, david

 

P.S. By the way, the Giuliani camp has tried to diminish Mitt's victory in Iowa by saying Rudy chose to not participate.  Three quick points:

 

1. Giuliani was on the ballot, people could have voted for him

 

2. If Rudy would have had any shot of beating Mitt in Iowa, believe me, he would have shown up.

 

3. As Winston Churchill said:

 

"Wars are not won by evacuation .  .  ."

 

Gov. Romney Tours San Ysidro Border

Matthews on Romney: "Everything about him is perfect ... the tie always tied"

On the August 13 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, during an interview with Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, host Chris Matthews said: "Let me ask you about [Republican presidential candidate] Mitt Romney. You know, I watched him on the [NBC] Today show this morning. He looks like a million bucks. Everything is perfect. Everything about him is perfect." As examples, Matthews cited Romney's "look," his "manner," and his "shirt," with "never rolled-up sleeves" and "the tie always tied," and asked: "That perfection -- is that the Republican Party of the 21st century? Is that what we're looking for, the perfect efficiency expert?" Huckabee responded: "Well, if it is, I'm not going to get the nomination, because I'm far from perfect. ... I've got a bald spot on the back of my head. My life has been one of nothing but struggle in many ways."

Matthews frequently fawns over Romney's appearance, as Media Matters for America has documented. On the January 19 edition of Hardball, Matthews said of Romney: "He has the perfect chin, the perfect hair, he looks right." On the February 13 edition of the show, Matthews said Romney has "got a great chin, I've noticed."

From the August 13 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about Mitt Romney. You know, I watched him on the Today show this morning. He looks like a million bucks. Everything is perfect. Everything about him is perfect -- his look, his manner, everything, the shirt, never rolled-up sleeves, the tie always tied. That perfection -- is that the Republican Party of the 21st century? Is that what we're looking for, the perfect efficiency expert?

HUCKABEE: Well, if it is, I'm not going to get the nomination, because I'm far from perfect. I'm the guy that -- you know, I've got a bald spot on the back of my head. My life has been one of nothing but struggle in many ways. But I think that's why I'll end up being the nominee. There a lot more people that can relate to people like me.

 

http://mediamatters.org/items/200708140005