National Review Writers Dissent on Editors' Stealth Mitt Romney Endorsement

William Jacobson has this, "One brave soul at National Review stands up for Newt." And from Pundette, "Andy McCarthy dissents." Linked at the latter's is Jonah Goldberg The Editorial — My Take, " and Mark Steyn, "Include Me Out."

 Here's Steyn on Bachmann:

Congresswoman Bachmann has fought a principled, conservative campaign with only one significant misstep — her overreach on the Gardasil business. Again, that shouldn’t be a disqualification. Nor should having more chiefs of staff than she has foster children (I speak as a guy who believes citizen-legislators shouldn’t have chiefs of staff, anyway). To be sexist about it, President Bachmann at her best would be another Thatcher and at her worst another Merkel — and Chancellor Merkel currently presides over the least worst Western economy. What’s not to like? Go, Michele!

I like it!

BONUS: Linkmaster Smith links to my essay from yesterday the state of the race: "Sean Hannity Flummoxed By Michelle Malkin."

Romney Goes for Aggressive Attacks on Gingrich

At New York Times, "Shifting Tactics, Romney Attacks Surging Gingrich":

Mitt Romney, his presidential aspirations suddenly endangered by Newt Gingrich’s rapid resurgence, is employing aggressive new arguments in an effort to disqualify Mr. Gingrich as a credible choice to Republicans, calling him “zany” in an interview on Wednesday and questioning his commitment to free enterprise.

But in an acknowledgment that he might not be able to reverse Mr. Gingrich’s momentum quickly, Mr. Romney and his team are bracing for a far rougher slog through the early Republican nominating contests than they had envisioned even a few weeks ago and preparing for months of a state-by-state, delegate-by-delegate fight.

The Romney campaign and its allies are unsure whether the attacks on Mr. Gingrich’s stability, temperament and worldview will take hold before the voting begins. Mr. Romney and some of his aides and advisers suggest that their revised campaign strategy will rely on advantages in organization and financing for the long run while moving quickly in the short term to turn Mr. Gingrich’s own words against him.

Mr. Romney is seeking to paint Mr. Gingrich as “an unreliable conservative” on issues like climate change. And he is seizing on a remark Mr. Gingrich made this week, condemning Mr. Romney for profiting from layoffs and corporate restructuring he oversaw in his years running Bain Capital, that many conservative commentators said sounded like a Democratic antibusiness refrain.

Mr. Romney said voters should take a closer look at Mr. Gingrich’s history of policy ideas.

“Zany is not what we need in a president,” Mr. Romney said. “Zany is great in a campaign. It’s great on talk radio. It’s great in print, it makes for fun reading, but in terms of a president, we need a leader, and a leader needs to be someone who can bring Americans together.”

Continue reading.

Plus, more at Memeorandum.

BONUS: Check out more aggressiveness at National Review, "Winnowing the Field." It's a merciless attack on Gingrich.

Gingrich Surges Past Romney in GOP Race

At Wall Street Journal, "Gingrich Surges Past Romney in GOP Race" (via Google): Republican voters now heavily favor Newt Gingrich over Mitt Romney as the party's

nominee, according to a new Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, but it also found deep unease with Mr. Gingrich among independents and swing voters who normally decide presidential elections.

With less than three weeks before the first votes are cast in Iowa, Republicans give the former House speaker the most commanding lead of any candidate this year: He has 40% support among likely GOP voters, compared to 23% for Mr. Romney. All of the other Republican candidates fell short of 10% support in the poll.

Further showing Mr. Gingrich's advantage, his lead over Mr. Romney appears set to grow if other candidates drop out of the race. In a two-man contest, Mr. Gingrich leads Mr. Romney by 23 points, winning the support of nearly six of 10 Republicans.

The Gingrich surge comes after he drew support from only 13% of likely GOP voters in last month's Journal poll, which Mr. Romney led with 28%. Herman Cain drew 27% of the support in November, but he has since suspended his campaign.

The survey also offered stark illustration of the challenge Republicans face as they lean toward two candidates who have yet to generate much spark among the wider electorate.

Check that Google link for the full report.

And at WSJ's Washington Wire, "WSJ/NBC Poll: Republicans Rate GOP Field ‘Average’."

Fully half of Republicans said they would not vote for Newt Gingrich if he were the nominee, compared to 44 percent who would not vote for Romney.

See also John Harwood, at CNBC, "Gingrich Surges to Wide Lead Over Romney: NBC Poll."

RELATED: At Legal Insurrection, "Taking their anti-Newt ball and going home for the general election," and "Doomsday Poll – Who would cause you to stay home or vote for Obama?"

Added: At MSNBC, "NBC/WSJ poll: Romney struggles with primary voters, Gingrich with general electorate" (via Memeorandum).

Plus, linked at Astute Bloggers. Thanks!

GOP Debates Making a Difference

Have the debates been lame? Have the numerous meetings been overkill?

I don't think so. And in fact this last debate in Des Moines was extremely significant. Decisive even, especially if Mitt's been finally banished from the perennial frontrunner's perch.

But see Jamelle Bouie, "Were the Debates a Mistake?":

If you can get past the attacks on President Obama, the disregard for actual economic conditions, and the assertion of “philosophical decreptitude” in American liberalism, you’ll find a smart point about the GOP presidential debates in Fred Barnes’s latest op-ed for The Weekly Standard. For your sake, I’ll just post it here:

Besides aiding Obama, Republicans have hurt themselves in numerous ways by letting the debates be the organizing events of the campaign. The stronger candidates have been diminished by appearing, debate after debate, on equal footing with also-rans whose chances of winning the party’s presidential nomination are nil.

Given the extent to which Barnes is a solid member of the conservative establishment, I wouldn’t be surprised if he were echoing the thoughts of many other conservative elites. The debates have had an astonishing and unprecedented impact on how conservative voters view and evaluate the Republican presidential candidates, and it’s hard to say that this has been a positive development.

Oh, Fred Barnes. So what? He's a reliable establishment conservative. And that's just it: He is establishment. The debates have been at times boring and excessive, but they've been the best thing for the nomination campaigns I can remember in a long time. And they're making a difference.

See Wall Street Journal, "The Front-Runners Start to Go at It."

Roundup on the GOP Debate in Des Moines

I think Newt Gingrich forcefully consolidated his newfound frontrunner status last night. He's especially vulnerable on his marital history, and that portion of the debate was dicey. But Gingrich handled his response well, and was fairly contrite. For me it's not whether someone divorces but whether they were unfaithful. I don't bother to keep up with the stories of Newt's family life, but he's a bit less straight and narrow on those issues than I'd expect in the presidency. But such is life.

I'll have more on this later.

Check Robert Stacy McCain, "ABC Iowa Debate Reaction Roundup UPDATE: Jennifer Rubin, WTF?"

And at Los Angeles Times, "Gingrich is favorite target at latest GOP debate"; New York Times, "Race Reshaped, Rivals Target Gingrich in G.O.P. Debate"; and Washington Post, "Gingrich comes under attack in GOP debate."

Newt Gingrich Hasn't Mastered Campaign Fundamentals

From Charlie Cook, at National Journal, "Not Sold on Newt":

The national and state polls are pretty clear: Newt Gingrich has moved into the top position for the Republican presidential nomination. Other candidates have surged in the past several months, first Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota, then Texas Gov. Rick Perry, and, more recently, former Godfather’s Pizza CEO Herman Cain. But over the past week or so, even some Republican operatives who do not support Gingrich are starting to take seriously the possibility that his lead will last. Holding a 15-point advantage in the new Gallup national tracking poll, as well as leads in multiple polls in Iowa, South Carolina, and other key states, Gingrich has clearly become a force.

Even after stipulating that the former House speaker is a very smart guy with more ideas than any three politicians you will ever find, I’m still having trouble wrapping my brain around the possibility that he will be the GOP nominee. To accept that scenario, you have to buy the idea that the laws of political gravity have been suspended this year, that things that normally matter a lot aren’t going to matter this year—or, to borrow a title from a popular book, This Time Is Different.

We are asked to believe that having campaign money isn’t important. That campaign organization and infrastructure don’t matter, even in a fight for delegates spread across 50 states. That it’s OK for the entire campaign brain trust of the apparent front-runner to reside under one head of hair and between one set of ears. That it’s feasible for one person to not only devise but also implement a national strategy and tactical plans for every state.

Then we are asked to believe that Republicans, specifically conservatives, are going to ignore some of the more problematic aspects of Gingrich’s background and policy positions. I personally like and respect Gingrich a great deal, and he has always been nice to me and generous with his time, so I won’t rehash all of his potential problems among conservatives. Let’s just take one—sitting on a love seat with the reviled Nancy Pelosi talking about climate change, in a 2008 ad that he was asked to do by former Vice President Al Gore, another Democrat not held in exceedingly high regard among Republicans. How is that appearance going to look when an opponent cuts it up and puts it into an ad aired on Fox? A large closet, if not a whole warehouse, of opposition research on Gingrich is being readied and is just now starting to be unloaded. This material is arguably much richer than anything ever assembled against any other candidate. After all, Gingrich has been in the political arena for a very long time and has had far more than his share of detractors willing to share their grievances...

Oh boy, that does present some problems, doesn't it. I think that Ron Paul ad from last week is just the tip of the iceberg. But continue reading here.

Candidates Prepare for Epic Debate in Des Moines, Iowa

This one's definitely going to be a don't-miss event.

At ABC News, "Mitt Romney Hints at Gingrich Face-Off."

Also, at Des Moines Register, "Romney says leadership makes him clear selection." Plus, "Romney pushes back on questioner’s Muslim description."

Romney Goes Up With Merciless New Web Ad: 'With Friends Like Newt'

At The Hill, "Romney attack hits Gingrich from right," and Wall Street Journal, "Romney Goes After Gingrich With New Web Video."

And see the reporting at The Other McCain, "BREAKING: Team Romney Snubs Conservative Media in Anti-Newt Call."

Mitt Romney Super PAC Off to Bumpy Start With Iowa Ad Campaign

Talking Points Memo (among others) posted on the ad, but the YouTube's been pulled, "Restore Our Future Hits Gingrich Hard In New Ad." And there's no sign of it at the Restore Our Future YouTube page. But William Jacobson has it. The ad mentions "NewtFacts.com," where we find a password protected (dead) link, the idiots:

More at Des Moines Register, "Pro-Mitt Romney group makes “massive” ad buy in Iowa."

Gingrich Leads Republican Rivals in Iowa

At New York Times, "In Iowa, Gingrich Is Gaining Favor, New Poll Shows" (via Memeorandum):

DES MOINES — Newt Gingrich enters the final four weeks of campaigning before the Iowa caucuses with Republican voters in the state viewing him as more prepared to be president than Mitt Romney, more attuned to their concerns and just as capable of defeating President Obama, according to the latest New York Times/CBS News Poll.

Mr. Gingrich is rated more favorably than any of the other six remaining candidates in the race among voters who say they are likely to attend the Republican caucuses in Iowa. He would be supported enthusiastically as his party’s presidential nominee by more voters than any of his rivals, the poll found, and is leading in the head-to-head competition as the campaign here builds.

But two-thirds of likely voters remain open to changing their minds, the poll found, with even more saying they are willing to embrace a candidate who is less conservative than they are in order to win the White House. And a large majority of voters say economic concerns are more important than social issues or immigration, suggesting that Mr. Romney has ample opportunity to make his case to voters.

A presidential race that has seen candidates abruptly rise and sharply fall is still remarkably unsettled here in Iowa, where the Republican nominating contest opens on Jan. 3. The outcome of the caucuses is likely to trim the field of candidates and help shape the contours of the primary race as it moves to New Hampshire, South Carolina and beyond.

As the campaign intensifies through television advertising and get-out-the-vote efforts, the contest is hardly a Gingrich-Romney duel. Representative Ron Paul of Texas is essentially tied with Mr. Romney for second place, creating a combustible atmosphere as he and other rivals urgently work to slow the rapid ascent of Mr. Gingrich.

The voters who will render the first judgment on the Republican field have been carefully following the race — 7 in 10 say they have watched recent televised debates — and appear unified around the pursuit of beating Mr. Obama. Of the nearly 4 in 10 likely caucusgoers who say they get most of their information from Fox News, Mr. Gingrich is the overwhelming choice.

You know, we're still just shy of a month out from the Iowa caucuses, and it's not too late for Gingrich to peak. It's been a roller coaster for GOP candidates all year, so maybe it's Newt's turn. We'll see, either way. For now, though, he's in the driver's seat. See WSJ, "Gingrich Clocks Huge Gains in All Early Voting States" (via Memeorandum). And at Time Magazine, "CNN/TIME/ORC Poll: Gingrich Posts Massive Gains in Key Early States."

The Newtitlement State

At Wall Street Journal, "On Medicare, Mitt Romney has the bolder, better reform":

The contradictions of Mr. Gingrich's entitlement plan reveal part of his political character, which is that his policies often don't match the high-decibel, sometimes grandiose nature of his rhetoric. This can make it easier for his opponents to stigmatize his policies as more radical than they really are because Mr. Gingrich tells everyone they're radical. He might achieve more if he spoke more softly and carried a bigger stick.

RTWT at the link.

Mitt Romney vs. Newt Gingrich

From Charles Krauthammer, at Washington Post, "Mitt vs. Newt" (via Memeorandum). It's an astute analysis, and I think objectively more harsh on Gingrich. Read it all. I'm adding the conclusion here for contemplation:

My own view is that Republicans would have been better served by the candidacies of Mitch Daniels, Paul Ryan or Chris Christie. Unfortunately, none is running. You play the hand you’re dealt. This is a weak Republican field with two significantly flawed front-runners contesting an immensely important election. If Obama wins, he will take the country to a place from which it will not be able to return (which is precisely his own objective for a second term).

Every conservative has thus to ask himself two questions: Who is more likely to prevent that second term? And who, if elected, is less likely to unpleasantly surprise?

I believe Romney is by far more likely to prevent that second term, but not because he's so great a campaigner or because of his (actually scant) political achievements. I think Romney will be the one that swing voters hate less. That is, Romney's eminently less repulsive than Newt. It's something that goes way beyond the flip-flopping (on which both Mitt and Newt are major leaguers ). The 2012 campaign is going to be the ugliest in memory. Because Barack Obama has been such an obviously lousy president --- with so many enormous liabilities, especially on the economy, health care, and Israel --- the Democrat-Media-Complex and the progressive left's ideological character attack machine will be ramped up to such hyper-steroidal velocities that even Sarah Palin will blanch. It will be merciless. Mitt will be torn to shreds as a Mormon social policy extremist in sheep's clothing who'll take a razor to the economy to eviscerate jobs in the employment sector. Newt will be hammered as the right's public policy Ebenezer Scrooge who's also an epic hypocrite adulterer with the moral backbone of a snail. The electability argument then becomes not just which candidate is better able to withstand the onslaught, but which candidate is best able to retain his dignity and humanity. That's where I think Mitt will have the edge.

But again, I'll reiterate that Romney will be least bad, but he'll still be pretty awful. Michelle Malkin has hammered Romney as the "cupcake candidate," unable to withstand a set of reasonable questions from a reasonable interviewer like Bret Baier. But Michelle's attack on Newt is devastating --- a wonder to behold --- and in the end more damaging to a general election campaign:

VIDEO PULLED

I admit it's not a lot to hang your hat on --- in fact, Michelle says we'll need Hold Your Nose Plugs for the 2012 GOP campaign. But I've met both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. I've listened to them both. Campaigning for the presidency also requires personal attributes such as accessibility and likability, points on which I find Newt woefully inadequate. But most of all I think on the economy and jobs --- notwithstanding the left's forthcoming demonic smear campaigns --- I see Mitt Romney as better positioned to make the case for change in 2012. He's got business executive experience that voters will appreciate as necessary to turn the economy around. If he can pick up his game for the hot-seat television interviews he'll have a good shot at mounting a formidable campaign for both the nomination and for the presidency next November.

I'll have more later. Meanwhile, see Legal Insurrection for the anticipated problems for a Romney general election campaign: "How Obama would attack Romney." And also more on Romney's cupcake factor: "Romney one step closer to Pawlentyville."

The Myth of Income Inequalty

From Jim Pethokoukis, at The American, "Income inequality myths: No, the rich didn’t steal all the money."

And at Doug Ross, "More media myths shattered: #OWS 'income inequality' scam exposed."

PREVIOUSLY: "Occupy is 99 Percent Lies," and "Record-High Levels of Inequality?"

Mitt Romney Holds Commanding Lead Heading Into Michigan's GOP Primary

At Detroit Free Press, "Poll: Mitt Romney leads field to win Michigan Republican presidential primary."

WASHINGTON - He still doesn't have a clear majority, but Mitt Romney holds a clear — and potentially commanding — lead in a crowded field to win Michigan's Feb. 28 Republican presidential primary, a WXYZ-TV (Channel 7) poll showed today.

With clear support across all age and income brackets, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who grew up in Michigan, had the support of 34% of likely voters who said they were backing him or were likely to vote for him next year.

He led former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who had 20%, and former Godfather's Pizza CEO Herman Cain, who had 13%. U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas was next with 8%. No one else in the field of eight had more than 5% support. Thirteen percent were undecided.

It's still way early, and that poll has a huge margin of error, but this is interesting given my earlier reporting on Michigan: "Michigan's Macomb County May Not Break for Obama in 2012."

Michigan's going to be a crucial battleground, with 16 electors in play. I can't wait.

With Independent Voters, Romney Up 12 Points Over Obama in Latest Pew Presidential Poll

You have to dig down in the numbers: "Obama Job Approval Edges Up, GOP Contest Remains Fluid: Lackluster Ratings for Republican Field Continue."

Just 35 percent approve of President Obama's handling of the economy, and Mitt Romney leads Obama 52 to 41 among independents.