WHAT THEY'RE REALLY SAYING ABOUT GOVERNOR MITT ROMNEY AT THE ORLANDO, FL GOP DEBATE
National Review's Jim Geraghty: "One of [Romney's] strongest performances…" (Jim Geraghty, "Everybody Was Good," National Review's Campaign Spot, http://nationalreview.com, Posted 10/21/07)
National Review's Kathryn Jean Lopez: "Romney comes off as a real optimistic problem-solver – with some experience at it." (Kathryn Jean Lopez, "Democrats Also Love America," National Review's The Corner, http://corner.nationalreview.com, Posted 10/21/07)
Powerline Blog's Paul Mirengoff: “Romney was solid, as he generally is … Near the end of the debate, he finally launched into an attack on the Clinton administration's ‘vacation from history’ foreign policy (‘we got the dividend but not the peace’). Attacks like that are guaranteed winners in these kinds of debates, and Romney needs to make them at every opportunity.” (Paul Mirengoff, “A Sleeping Giant Wakes Up,” Powerline Blog, http://www.powerlineblog.com/ , Accessed 10/21/07)
· Geraghty: "[Romney had] great jabs at Hillary, and seemed to feed off the crowd's energy." (Jim Geraghty, "Everybody Was Good," National Review's Campaign Spot, http://nationalreview.com, Posted 10/21/07)
· Geraghty: "Mitt leads the raucous crowd in rejecting Hillary as a potential commander-in-chief." (Jim Geraghty, "How Do I Give You The Highlights?" National Review's Campaign Spot, http://nationalreview.com, Posted 10/21/07)
NBC's Chuck Todd: Romney was "red hot." (Chuck Todd, "Quick Post-Debate Thoughts," MSNBC's First Read, http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/, Posted 10/21/07)
The Atlantic's Marc Ambinder: "As the Republicans debated who is more conservative tonight, two voices stood out: Mitt Romney's and Rudy Giuliani's." (Marc Ambinder, "The Republican Debate: First Take," The Atlantic Blog, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/, Posted 10/21/07)
The American Spectator's Jennifer Rubin: "On marriage Romney gives a strong statement in favor of amendment." (Jennifer Rubin, "Debate 2," The American Spectator Blog, www.spectator.org, Posted 10/21/07)
· Right Wing News' John Hawkins: "Mitt is right about gay marriage. Activist judges are deliberately distorting the law to implement gay marriage…" (John Hawkins, “Debate Liveblogging,” Right Wing News, www.rightwingnews.com, Posted 10/21/07)
· Geraghty: "[Romney] makes a strong case on [gay marriage], citing the Massachusetts and Iowa state constitutions." (Jim Geraghty, "After The Opening Brawl Among the Top Tier...," National Review's Campaign Spot, http://nationalreview.com, Posted 10/21/07)
The Atlantic's Marc Marinder: "[Romney's] best moment may have been when he said that an insurmountable problem like the health care crisis can, indeed, be solved. It wasn't just a candidate saying he was optimistic; he showed how optimism, will and plod can be potent problem-solving forces." (Marc Ambinder, "The Republican Debate: First Take," The Atlantic Blog, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/, Posted 10/21/07)
· The American Spectator's John Tabin: "He had a target on his back during the health care section, and ably defended himself." (John Tabin, "Candidate Scorecard," AmSpec Blog, http://www.spectator.org/, Posted 10/21/07)
· Ambinder: "Say what you will about the guy: [Romney] expended political capital, he worked hard, and he did something meaningful to reform the health care system in his state. Very few candidates on either side can say that." (Marc Ambinder, "It Took Romney Long Enough..." The Atlantic Blog, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/, Posted 10/21/07)
· Ambinder: "But it stands out as an prime example -- perhaps the ultimate example -- of conservative governance. Romney worked hard at health care in Massachusetts; he worked with Democrats; he worked with Republicans; he wound up with a novel program that, while not perfect and not transferable to other states, stands out as a real accomplishment. Romney calls himself an executive and a manager; with health care, he executed and managed in real time." (Marc Ambinder, "The Republican Debate: First Take," The Atlantic Blog, http://marcambinder.theatlantic.com/, Posted 10/21/07)
