What Went Wrong: A Boston Daily Retrospective
We’ve had a lot of fun picking at Mitt Romney‘s tortured run for the White House. First he was a moderate Republican in a liberal state. Then he was a varmint-hunting, red-blooded social conservative.
There were the feuds with Rudy Guiliani, John McCain and Mike Huckabee. There were the silver medals in Iowa and New Hampshire, but gold in Wyoming! And how could we forget Larry Craig, the Romney Girls, and even his partial ownership of the YES Network.
Here’s a quick look back at a man and a campaign we’ll miss so very much. We pick up the story in August…
Ah yes, the Romney Girls, three blonde-haired, blue-eyed (but wholesome) vixens trying to turn back the tide of Obama Girl.
As our former governor built his campaign on Massachusetts jokes, the one insult we can’t forgive: A business alliance with George Steinbrenner.
Romney tried to make a go of the immigration issue, which was kind of hard when one looked at his perfectly-manicured lawn.
September
The campaign started going bad as the leaves began to change. Larry Craig, his staff’s fondness for imported cars, and Jay Garrity.
October
Things settled down for a stretch, until word filtered out that Romney’s campaign was being funded by: Romney.
Splitsville! Romney and Craig officially break up.
As the debates heated up, it became clear that the other GOP contenders were taking aim at Romney, which was when he hit upon a new issue: the Massachusetts health care plan.
November
The first cracks in the woo-the-conservatives strategy open up: Pat Robertson endorses Rudy.
The Mormon thing becomes an issue.
December
Romney comes around to the idea of a speech about his religion. Expectations are high: Will it echo JFK?
He did get in a lot of good one-liners on the stump though.
Who is this Mike Huckabee character, and why is he ahead in the polls?
Jane Swiftboats Romney.
The crying game with Tim Russert.
Here’s something to really cry about: the Herald endorses McCain.
January
Finally, the primaries and caucuses begin. Damn Huckabee.
New Hampshire also ends badly, but Romney seems strangely upbeat.
Jane may have abandoned ship, but Kerry Healey is still on board.
Michigan, baby, Michigan. A gold worth winning. He has cars in his DNA! (Sounds painful.)
Romney vs. the Press: It’s on.
Another gold in Nevada: Could he have the Big Mo?
Um, no. Who let the dogs out, indeed.
The rest of the GOP field never really warmed up to him, either.
We hate to trivialize a Presidential election, but when enjoying a little KFC it’s a good policy to not come across like John Kerry.
The delegate leader is no more: McCain waves bye-bye after Florida.
February
Dropping $18 mil of your own cash in three months does not make for good economic sense.
It all comes down to Super Tuesday.
But first, Bob Dole. Oy.
Turns out this was a two-man race: For second.
Victory in Massachusetts, however, gives hope.
It’s done. Rally around McCain, or the terrorists win.
