New GOP Bloggers Straw Poll

April GOP Bloggers Straw Poll is up.

Thompson's off an running (when's that guy gonna get his "vetting"?). Romney and Rudy not far behind. I think this poll can be voted in daily.

Don't forget to mark Romney as your "First Choice" in the poll.

McCain's talk a bit TOO straight on Ames Straw Poll

Rarely, if ever, do I use this site to bash other GOP candidates. However, John McCain has upset a lot of GOP activits and party faithful with his recent comments about the Ames Straw Poll coming up on August 11th.

"I think it's one of the great ways for the Iowa Republican Party to raise money, but it's part of the process," McCain said during an interview. "Would I prefer that there wasn't an Iowa Straw Poll? Probably, because I could be doing other things. But that's what the party wants and that's what the party's going to get."

So is he saying that the us Iowan Republicans are spoiled brats and abusing our priviledge of being the first in the nation caucus? Sure sounds like it. Sure he's not going to heap praise on the process (would be accused of a major flip-flop since in 1999 he skipped it and called the whole process "a sham" . . . but he doesn't need to throw out needless lines to humiliate his potential base. Someone who wants to be president should at least act presidential.

With Rudy's team far behind in orginization here in Iowa (and having called the Ames Straw Poll "a circus") it's looking like Romney stands a great chance of consolidating most of the party faithful here into his tent and securing a big win in August! Help make it happen by signing up to help be an organizer for the poll and getting yourself and every other registered Republican you can to Ames on August 11th to cast your vote for Mitt.

Volunteers Coming Out of the Woodwork

First-let me apologize for being gone for a few weeks from the blog. I have been busy with the recent Romney visit, and more recently catching up on everything else in life (neighborhood association stuff, getting my garden ready for the growing season, catching up on episodes of "The Office", and all likely important things. Much thanks to Jeff for his continued blog entries despite his busy schedule as well!

The Romney visit to Iowa City last week was great. We had so many people there! We had decent coverage from the press, including some TV and paper spots. I must say, for the Press-Citizen article that Rob Daniel wrote, it was a good article, but of all the people in the room, he had a quote from an "apparent supporter" and a democrat. The quote from the "apparent supporter" was "apparently" overrun with the word "apparent", and apparently the apparent Romney supporter was an apparent fan of the word "apparent". I imagine that the person being quoted would not have agreed with the way the quote was published. I would love to elaborate as to why there were democrats there, but I don't want to scare any other dems by letting them know that some of their own are actually supporting Mitt due to his common sense, and the fact that he is not afraid to tackle government waste and red-tape on BOTH sides of the aisle! I have some photos from the visit, but they only got the middle of the room and they aren't very clear. I am not a photographer, so I assume you will forgive me.

Our County Chair Margaret McDonald introducing Governor Romney

Governor Romney speaking to the crowd!

Here is a video from the event:

As for the name of the post, it describes what I have seen in the last week since Mitt's visit. I have people coming up to me all over asking me how to get involved! Many of my acquaintances have heard that I am one of the county coordinators this last week, and they all say the same thing "HOW CAN I HELP?". This is awesome, and I say to all of you who have asked........."Come join us for some work, some great fun, and a chance to be part of history." There has not been a political situation like the one we have since the 1950's where neither party has a potential candidate already in the white house. And together we will put Governor Romney in the white house!

Johnson County volunteers can email jc4romney2008@gmail.com to be added to the announcement list which will alert us to upcoming volunteer opportunities and upcoming events and visits form Governor Romney. In the mean time, if you are not in Johnson County, you can contact the HQ in Des Moines to find a local group to join. My final plea: if you have or have not already donated, PLEASE CONSIDER A DONATION to the campaign. Timing is critical in this election process, and the Ames Straw poll is only 3 months away. As much as I don't like how the presidential race has become just as much a fund-raising race, it is true, and it's the only way to get all the "media zombies" to accept the fact that Mitt is very well supported, and is well on his way to early victories in the upcoming months! Even if you donate a small amount, it helps the campaign to grow and reach out to more and more people. Visit http://www.mittromney.com/ today and make a donation!! We are so happy you are willing to support Mitt!

More later-
Keith

THE AMES STRAW POLL . . . A little history and it's current importance.

This write-up from My Man Mitt about the Ames Straw Poll is vital knowledge for every Iowan Romney supporter. In short, make sure you, your spouse, your voting age children, your friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc . . . get to Ames on Aug 11th to cast a vote for Romney (and participate in the festive atmosphere as well).

With the Ames Straw Poll version 2007 coming up in roughly 100 days, now is as good of time as ever to look at what this massive political event is, what it means, and what it takes to win it.

History of the Poll

The Ames Straw Poll began in 1979 and has continued every year preceding a competitive election (1987, 1995, and 1999) for a total of four times. The upcoming poll on August 11, 2007, therefore will be the fifth Ames Straw Poll held.

Even though the poll dates back nearly three decades, it was only in 1999 that it began to take on the significance it has now. Until that most recent straw poll, charges of cheating ran rampant at the event (voters would have their hands stamped, run into the bathroom to wash the ink off, and go vote again), meaning that no one took the results too seriously. In 1999, the Iowa GOP officials began using indelible ink that couldn’t be washed off as well as posting voting monitors at the voting areas and in all the bathrooms to ensure more reliable results.

At the last straw poll, George W Bush won with 31% of the vote. He would, of course, go on to win the nomination, but such foretelling is not a historical definite at the event. For instance, Bush 41 won the first straw poll in 1979 and Reagan ended up with the nomination, and in 1987 Pat Robertson won the contest but lost the nomination to Bush. Now that the voting is fairer and more reliable, though, some people argue that the results are a more significant barometer of a candidate’s success.

What it Means and How to Win

It’s the first real test of candidates on two different levels: organization and support. A win in Ames generally means you’ve succeeded in both of those arenas. And it also means you’ve succeeded in raising extravagant amounts of cash prior to the event.

Consider these statistics: Dubya spent $825,000 on the event in 1999 and walked away with first place. Steve Forbes spent over $2 million for his second place finish. What did they spend the money on?

A better question might be what didn’t they spend the money on. Tickets to the event in 1999 were $25 apiece, which all the campaigns gladly paid for in return for a vote. Parking cost money, which again, the campaigns paid for - if you even drove your own vehicle and didn’t take one of the free buses the campaigns chartered. Each campaign had tents outside the main hall for which they paid money - increasing in price the closer to the hall the tent space was (the apex being Bush’s tent, which was closest to the hall and cost him $63,000). At each tent, the campaigns offered food and drinks as well as live music from famous musicians, all free. Steve Forbes even hosted a carnival of sorts, complete with children’s rides that he rented and set up. All in the quest to attract voters.

Truth be told, the real winner of the Ames Straw Poll is the Iowa GOP which hosts the event as its annual fundraiser.

This should be instructive when thinking about how to win the poll now, in 2007. If Bush spent nearly a million dollars and Forbes nearly two million eight years ago, one can only imagine how much the campaigns will spend on the event this year. That does not bode well for poorly funded campaigns such as Tommy Huckback, Gilmore, Paul, or Tancredo. And it says something to the chances of a late-comer such as Fred Thompson succeeding in such an environment.

Of course, there are always going to be the die hards that will pay their own tickets, drive their own cars, vote, and go home all without being tied to a campaign, but the vast majority of the voters there will be there thanks to candidates’ generosity.

But, as mentioned above, organization is only one half of the coin. You can’t very well pay for people’s tickets to the event if you can’t find people who support you enough to go in the first place and sit through hours of speeches and give up their entire Saturday just to throw your name in a box - and for a poll, nonetheless, not even a real election. This is where all the grassroots campaigning leading up to the event pays off. You’ve gotta have a voter base to turnout in the first place before you can start paying for tickets and bus rides and the like.

So it takes both to emerge victorious in Ames: support from people who want to go and vote for you, and the organization to get more of them there than your opponents can. And in 1999, the results did mean something - after disappointing finishes at Ames, Alexander and Quayle both dropped out of the race; after his first place showing, Bush’s frontrunner status was cemented (at least until McCain got in the race a month later).

Roughly a hundred days from now, we will watch the hoopla and extravagance with great excitement and great anticipation, because the Ames Straw Poll is the first real test of the candidates’ strength in this campaign.

Let's get organized and get a great showing for Romney!!! A first place showing is possible and would be a huge lift to his campaign and national media exposure. We can make it happen!

Marvin Pomerantz to Co-Chair Governor Romney's Iowa Presidential Campaign

See this press release from Mitt Romney's campaign website.

Marvin Pomerantz to Co-Chair Governor Romney's Iowa Presidential Campaign

Friday, Apr 27, 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Kevin Madden (857) 288-6390

Boston, MA – Governor Mitt Romney announced today that Des Moines businessman Marvin Pomerantz will serve as Co-Chair of his Iowa presidential campaign.

"Marvin is the epitome of the American dream, and his support is going to be enormously helpful to my campaign," said Governor Romney. "He shares my vision of a strong and vibrant economy, one that is able to successfully compete with extraordinary economic challenges from abroad. To do so, Marvin and I share the same belief that we must have a rigorous educational system preparing our children for the future."

Pomerantz said that upon reviewing all the candidates, Governor Romney is the clear choice.

"Governor Romney has a proven record of accomplishment, and has the leadership needed to meet a new generation of challenges," said Pomerantz. "He has shown a positive vision of the future, and that sets him apart from the other candidates."

Background On Marvin Pomerantz:

Marvin Pomerantz Has Served On A Number Of Campaigns And Is Widely Renowned For His Business, Civic And Religious Contributions. Pomerantz served as an adviser to Republican Governors Bob Ray and Terry Branstad. He also was Finance Chairman for the Republican Party of Iowa, Branstad for Governor and Gross for Governor.

In his community, Pomerantz is deeply dedicated to excellence in education. From 1987 to 1993 and again from 1995 to 1996, Pomerantz was President of the Iowa Board of Regents. He served for 21 years on the University of Iowa Foundation Board and was head of the Commission on Education Excellence for the 21st Century. He is a member of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans.

Pomerantz currently serves on the national board of the Republican Jewish Coalition. In 2006, he was appointed by President Bush to serve on the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council.

Cool tidbit . . . the eye clinic I work in is located in the Pomerantz Family Pavillion here at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.

Great Coverage of Romney's recent visit to Bettendorf, IA.

Some great coverage over at InMuscatine. of Romney's visit to Bettendorf, IA late last week.

Some highlights from the coverage:

Why did people show up tonight? According to some of the people here, they liked Romney, but felt a need to educate themselves. A few had been contacted by Tommy Thompson camp asking them for support, and they were put off by the brash nature of the calls. This will probably be a major mis-step from the Thompson campaign.

Also, many here tonight were first time political even attendants. It is clear that Romney is able to generate a crowd, and excite that crowd to action.

Buster finishes his commentary with some strong (and encouraging) words:

Romney is an excellent public speaker. If you go to hear him speak, you had better listen fast, because he throws a lot at you in a brief period of time. If Romney and Obama were in a debate, that would be a donnybrook I would pay to see. If Romney and Clinton were in a debate, Romney would make hamburger of Clinton. If Romney were in a debate with Giuliani or McCain… well, whatever they have to say after Romney has spoken is just white noise while you walk to your car.

Almost forgot to mention - the room was set for 250, but there were 500 people there if there was one. You couldn’t have got another person in the room with a crowbar.

Also mentioned was that many of the folks from "Iowans for Tax Relief" were there and it was speculated that they may end up lining up with Romney (whereas it was thought they may be heading toward McCain).

Iowa Update

Romney's upward movement in Iowa continues.

He had a great trip through eastern Iowa on Thursday and Friday. He drew over 400 people here in Johnson County (the Bluest County in Iowa). That's a good sign. Here's the coverage for the event (gotta love our local little liberal paper giving the only Democrat in the room the last word in the article . . . sheez!) My wife, Laura, went to the event with two of my cousins (one, Susan Sorenson, is holding her son Randall with Mitt in the photo at the link). Mitt recognized and remembered my wife, and, after going around the rest of the table she was seated turned back to her and asked "Where's Jeff?". Pretty cool, eh? This is a political gift that not many people have. Romney's got it.

Also, former Iowa Lietenant Governor candidate (and current head of the Souixland Chamber of Commerce) Debbie Durham has endorsed Gov. Romney and will be heading up some of his efforts in GOP heavy western Iowa

Also, turns out that Romney raised more money in Iowa than all the other Republican candidates combined (same for New Hampshire . . . he also led in South Carolina, Florida, Ohio, and Michigan . . . actually 30 states in all . . . but we're supposed to believe that it's all coming from Utah, right?)

Some more coverage of Romney in Iowa here, here and here.

AFA poll, GO VOTE!

The American Family Association is conducting their own straw poll online. It is a very conservative Christian group, chaired by Donald Wildmon. Please take a second to vote for Ronmey!! Voters can only vote once, so it can't be robotically altered (that they know of).

http://www.afa.net/petitions/strawpoll/strawpoll.asp

Take a look at the poll so far. On the republican side, the top three are Fred Thompson, Gingrich, and then Romney. Considering the fact the the first two are not currently running, Romney is the top Republican who is actually running. He is way ahead of Rudy and McCain, too.


Now hurry up and vote! And tell your friends.

"Deep but Narrow?" Other POTUS hopefuls rely on Big $$$$ donors MUCH more than Romney

I love numbers and graphs. Here, the NY Times has provided a great resource.

Many may have seen my post on the MSM's attempts to "explain" or "knock" Romney's fundraising.

I've analyzed some of the numbers and we can see who's REALLY tapping the big money donors the most.

Analysis of maxed-out donors ($2300/donor):

Candidate
Total(mil) from max-out donors
% of total contributions from maxed-out donors

Clinton
$19.2
74%

Obama
$12.6
49%

Romney
$10.2
48%

Giuliani
$9.8
61%

Edwards
$6.6
47%

McCain
$5.9
43%

Tancredo
$0.9
79%

Huckabee
$0.3
57%

T. Thompson
$0.2
56%

Brownback
$0.1
11%

The one thing that stands out is that Hillary is the epitome of the "Big Money" candidate. 3/4th of her massive haul came from donors who contributed the max. She nearly doubles all other candidate in the total haul from maxed-out donors at $19.2 million. This is obviously a testament to the Bill and Hillary Clinton fundraising machine. However, it portends that she has a lot of work to do to expand her fundraising base.

Also, Obama and Edwards aren't quite the pure "candidates of the common man" that they get made out to be (they are grouped with Romney getting just under half of their funds from "big money" donors . . . but the MSM's been telling us that Romney's the one whose "Rolodex is stuffed with wealthy supporters")

Giuliani, percentage-wise at 61%, drew much more heavily on wealthy supporters than any other GOP candidate. He'll have more work to do than Romney (48%) and McCain (43%) at building a more sustainable fundraising base.

Among non-top-tier GOP candidates it appears that Brownback has the most hope of building some fundraising momentum in smaller donations . . . but he doesn't seem to be able to lock up the big donors, which is not good news for him. It is actually doubtful that any of them will be able to raise much money in comparison to the top-tier candidates.

"Deep but Narrow"--The MSM's line on Romney's support

***Action oriented post . . . take action by donating to Romney's campaign****

Many pundits and reporters are apparently shocked that Romney rivaled Hillary and Obama in fundraising (while strongly outpacing his GOP rivals). They feel like they have "some splanin' to do" and boy have they been spinning his success as negatively as they can.

Always leading the liberal MSM charge we can count on the NY Times with this piece "Romney Used His Wealth to Enlist Richest Donors"

Mr. Romney's financial support is deep but narrow. He amassed $20 million from fewer than 33,000 donors, according to figures disclosed by his campaign. By comparison, Mr. McCain raised $12.5 million from nearly 50,000 donors while Senator Barack Obama, Democrat of Illinois, raised $25 million from more than 100,000. Their average contributors each gave about $250; Mr. Romney's gave more than $600.

(Why do they think Romney "amassed" his money while McCain and Obama "raised" theirs? . . . a small point, but unmistakably biased)

Need more evidence? Plenty to follow . . .

Newsweek article:

The Romney 2008 campaign has been very methodical. His fund-raising machine is a marvel; in just one day last January, he raised $6.5 million, almost just to show that he could. But his base is narrow—mostly wealthy Mormons and Wall Streeters.

From the Economist (one of my favorite periodicals BTW):

It helps Mr Romney that his Rolodex is stuffed with wealthy supporters. His money came from just 33,000 contributors. Mr McCain, in contrast, relied on 60,000 people.

What is the natural conclusion of all this? It is that Romney can't sustain this fundraising pace . . . that he lacks a grassroots appeal . . . that his donors will be tapped out early.

From Poltical tip sheet Hotline:

It's likely that the average gift was astronomically high, meaning there is almost no chance this is a "grassroots outpouring" in favor of Romney. (which is confirmed by the very skewed ratio of donors to dollars raised) This is a large dollar candidate, not an Internet candidate.

Another opinion from RedState:

Don't get me wrong, for Mitt Romney to have raised over 20 million is impressive. But if one takes a closer look at where the donations came from, one finds Romney got far more "big" donations than did McCain. What that means is that in the next round or two of fundraising, Romney's donors will be tapped out to the max, whereas McCain's campaign can go back and get repeat donations (in smaller quantities) from the same loyal donors . . . For Mitt Romney, it could be a case where he might have peaked too early.

I view this all as a challenge!

We all know that Mitt has a great "ground game". . . both in organized political staff and grassroots supporters; so let's show that we can prove all the naysayers wrong and help him win the next round of fundraising (this time with over 100,000 donors!).

DONATE TO ROMNEY'S CAMPAIGN. (for those that use my Fundraiser ID 225003, rest assured that 100% of your contribution goes to Romney's campaign directly . . . or use someone else's ID, or use nobody's ID . . . JUST CONTRIBUTE TO ROMNEY'S CAMPAIGN!!!) Get your spouse to donate, get your kids, parents, friends, in-laws, neighbors, co-workers, dogs (OK . . . I think McCain-Feingold prohibits doggie donations) to donate too. Even just $10 would be very helpful (and rest assured that names are not reported on FEC filings for contributions under $200 . . . if it's that important to you).

This second challenge is for everyone that has already donated in the first quarter. Great! Now match or exceed your Q1 contribution to keep the MittMentum going!

Forward a link of this blog entry (copy and paste URL from here) to anyone who you think might want to support Romney's campaign. Let's prove all the MSM pundits and naysaywers wrong!

Romney For President Announces Story County Leadership Team

Romney For President Announces Story County Leadership Team in this Press Release

Ames is a key place to be organized (Straw Poll home in August) and Romney has a strong ground game going there. More good news in Iowa for Romney!!

Romney In Iowa City April 20th!

Mitt Romney will be hosting a lunch from 12-1pm on April 20th at the Holiday Inn on 1st Ave in Coralville.

Please RSVP if you are planning on attending 1-888-722-4704 ext 200.

More Mainstream Media (MSM) Love For Romney (heavy sarcasm intended)

Newsweek just came out with a piece called "Mitt's Initial Public Offering". I'm not sure if it's an opinion piece or investigative reporting. For MSNBC/Newsweek there often isn't much there to distinguish the two. It's full of some zingers right from the get-go.

The sub-title is:

"Can Romney, a big shot from the private sector who is accustomed to control, handle the chaos of a political campaign?"

Phrases like "Big shot" are so endearing, aren't they? . . . especially big shots that are inflexible control freaks, eh?

The caption for their lead photo has a markedly negative tone:

President CEO: Romney jumped to the lead in the GOP presidential race with a fund-raising machine that is a marvel, but his base is narrow, and he seems to lack the common touch

All this "narrow base" crud comes from the fact that he "only" had 33,000 donors (compared to Hillary's 60,000 and Obama's 100,000). Romneyacs, this is something we can do something about. I implore even the poorest among us to donate $5 or $10 to Romney's campaign. Do it now before you forget . . . email your parents, adult children, and friends to do the same. If you've already donated in your name, donate (with apporval of course) in your spouse's name (names will not appear on any publically relased documents if you donate less than $200). Click on this link to donate. (ID # 225003)

I'm waiting for their evidence for their "lacks a common touch" line. My personal experiences with him have been that he connects well with the people he meets.

Romney was starting to move in the polls, and on the campaign trail he seemed loose, even funny.

So, they're talking about 2-3 days ago in the past tense . . . making it seem even distant. No, Romney IS moving in the polls.

Then they bring up "Hunting-gate" . . . the recent media circus where reporters latched on to Romeny's peripheral comment that he's been "a hunter pretty much all [his] life." When a campaign staffer said that Romney had only been hunting twice the media ran with it like wildfire and have been trying to dig up hunting licences, etc . . . (that staffer should be flogged a time or two.) Romney has corrected the record, that he's hunted small game on numerous occasions . . . but that was mysteriously left out of this Newsweek article.

Sure, Romney should have said that he's "hunted pretty much all his life", but even, as it was, his comment was not a lie and barely could be called an exaggeration. Just shows you how tightly the media are watching Mitt's every move and ready to "go for the kill."

But the explanations sounded stiff and lame—one more example of Romney's trying to pander to true-blue conservatives and getting called out for it.

That's not a loaded sentence is it? I'll need to look into their coverage of other candidates . . . but I'm sure they don't call Hillary's courting of the unions or Obama's kissing up to trial lawyers "pandering".

Romney has tried to sell himself as a "turnaround" artist who can use his skills as a businessman to come in and clean up the mess created by the current administration.

Note to Newsweek . . . he IS convincing millions of Americans than he is the one who could best do this (not "trying to sell us").

But he doesn't seem quite ready for prime-time politics, and his stumbles raise a familiar question: can a big shot from the private sector, accustomed to control, handle the chaos of a political campaign? And can a high roller in the secretive world of finance stand the exposure of public life?

Another note to Newsweek . . . Romney's been continuously highly visible to the public and dealt with the media since 1999 (Olympics, Mass Gov campaign and Governorship, directly leading into this presidential campaign). That's not even counting 1994 and his US Senate GOP primary race win and general election loss.

The next paragraphs are fairly informative and have the good with the bad (I mean, with someone as clean and successful as Romney you can't write a piece entirely negativly and maintain credibility). I did chuckle at this line though:

But some colleagues found Romney to be manipulative. Romney had an "ability to identify people's insecurities and exploit them to his own benefit," says a source who worked with Romney but refused to be quoted for "fear of retribution."

That's right, Mafia Mitt will have their kneecaps blown off if they say anything bad about him.

I found the coverage of his business tactics very intersting . . . and the comparisons to Lincoln and FDR somewhat appropriate. Mitt will get results . . . he has the best track record of results of anyone on either side.

Another funny one:

. . . recalls Romney's arriving at meetings: he would "go into the room with his hair flowing, all of his people very well dressed, and he'd sweep through the room, touch who he needed to touch and then move on. It created power." Romney liked to play the white knight riding to the rescue.

.

They had to get the "hair" comment in there, eh? Moving on . . .

But he seems to lack good fingertips for the subtleties of politics.

That sounds like EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED IN A CHEIF EXECUTIVE!!

But after some early successes, Romney had a hard time getting much done with the legislature. A kind of petty righteousness undermined him further. When the Democrats wanted to name a Big Dig tunnel in Boston after former Speaker Thomas P. (Tip) O'Neill, instead of adopting Romney's proposed name—"the Liberty Tunnel"—the governor's spokesman implied the Democrats weren't sufficiently patriotic.

It wasn't just about the name . . . but Romney's proposal was to name the tunnel such in honor of the fallen soldiers in the War on Terror. The Dems wanted to play politics and honor the leader of the the unrestrained Democratic congress of the 70s and 80s and vocal opponent of Ronald Reagan.

His fund-raising machine is a marvel; in just one day last January, he raised $6.5 million, almost just to show that he could. But his base is narrow—mostly wealthy Mormons and Wall Streeters. And fund-raising alone does not mean much if the candidate lacks a common touch.

Where are they getting this stuff? The official papers of donors won't be made public for another week or two. And Romney does not lack "a common touch" though that is how opponents will try to define him.

They end the article with:

One of the most important qualities in any president is nimbleness—the ability to react quickly and flexibly to any number of crises that pop up routinely in and around the Oval Office. Romney's former colleagues at Bain say that dealmakers often have to move quickly with unclear or incomplete data. Romney knows when to hold 'em—often his smartest move was not buying into a particular company, saving Bain from backing losers in a plunging market. But he has yet to master the skills of, say, Bill Clinton, at rounding off corners as he repositions himself in the political world. Fortunately for Romney, he has money and time to learn from his mistakes. In business, turnarounds are matters of dollars and cents. In politics, they are all about character.

If they're trying to suggest that Romney lacks character, that is a very low blow. If it's just advice or foreshadowing then I feel confident that no candidate on either side has more character than Mitt Romney.

Romney's HQ opening from last week

A recent Cyclone Conservatives blog entry "Romney has Momentum, Beautiful Headquarters" covers Romney's HQ opening late last week. The author was obviously impressed with the facilities and with Romney's message (don't forget to vote for Romney in the online poll there too). There was quite a buzz there.

I got to talk to Romney again and he thanked me for my efforts . . . he remembered that I'd be finishing training soon and asked if I was set in my plans. I was impressed that he would remember so much. He's got a great memory since I'm sure he meets hundreds to thousands of people a day.

I'll see if I can get pictures posted soon, but I'm away from home now.