“I don't think [Mitt] Romney can sit there and wait to win because perhaps people are disappointed with President [Barack] Obama.” PeopleThinkingWinningWaitingPresidentBarackDisappointedRomneyPresident Barack Obama Author:William Kristol
“At the end of the day,[Mitt] Romney was pro-life, but [Rick] Santorum was more fervently pro-life, and had been for longer. They're all going to repeal Obamacare, but Romney has once endorsed something like it. In the old days, there really were differences on fundamental issues, even on foreign policy, [for which] [Newt] Gingrich, Romney, and Santorum were pretty similar.” EndsDifferencesIssuesPolicyFundamentalsThe End Of The DayForeign PolicyRomneyObamacareOld DaysPro LifeNewts Author:William Kristol
“I like [ Rick] Santorum personally and respect him, but you wouldn't say that he was really that strong of an opponent. At the end of the day it wasn't like [Ronald] Reagan running against [George] Bush, or [George W.] Bush against [John] McCain, even. It's sort of surprising that Romney had as much trouble as he did, and I think it shows a weakness in appeal to those voters.” ThinkingEndsShowsRunningStrongTroubleWeaknessAppealsOpponentsThe End Of The DayVotersSurprisingRomneyMccain Author:William Kristol
“Recalling that a good chunk of the 47 percent who don't pay income taxes are Romney supporters - especially of course seniors (who might well 'believe they are entitled to heath care,' a position Romney agrees with), as well as many lower-income Americans (including men and women serving in the military) who think conservative policies are better for the country even if they're not getting a tax cut under the Romney plan. So Romney seems to have contempt not just for the Democrats who oppose him, but for tens of millions who intend to vote for him.” IfsThinkingMenBelieveWellsCountrySeemsMightCareCoursesPayMillionsCuttingPlansMilitaryPolicyPositionTaxesPercentMen And WomenVoteAgreeDemocratIncludingConservativeIncomeServingContemptEntitledSeniorSupporterRomneyIncome TaxTax CutsChunksServing In The Military Author:William Kristol
“I personally - if I were designing the tax code - would have a tax code in which Mitt Romney paid more than 13 percent, given what I know about the kind of investments he made money from.” IfsKnowsKindMadeGivenDesignTaxesPercentPaidInvestmentCodeRomney Author:William Kristol
“Mitt Romney has to convince the American public that they need to do something they're not usually inclined to do - replace a sitting president with a challenger. And unlike in 1980 and 1992, when the public was persuaded to do just that, the incumbent president has not been weakened by a primary opponent.” NeedsPresidentSittingPrimariesOpponentsConvinceRomneyIncumbents Author:William Kristol
“The average GOP presidential vote in these last five elections was 44.5 percent. In the last three, it was 48.1 percent. Give Romney an extra point for voter disillusionment with Obama, and a half-point for being better financed than his predecessors. It still strikes me as a path to narrow defeat.” GivingStillsLastsThreeHalfPathFivePercentVoteElectionDefeatAverageStrikesPresidentialExtrasVotersRomneyDisillusionmentPredecessorsGopThree Strikes Author:William Kristol
