Mitt Romney riles up Republicans with refusal to endorse fellow Utah GOP Sen. Mike Lee

[pecksniff]

So, is Romney a RINO too, now?

Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, still has yet to endorse Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, in his re-election campaign, claiming that he's attempting to stay above the fray.

"I don't think endorsements make any difference in a race to speak of," he told Utah reporters earlier this month. "People in the race are my friends. I usually try and avoid situations where they've been friends. I may endorse and I may not, but I really haven't given it any thought at this point,"



"I'm not sure my endorsement is a plus or a minus, so maybe that's why no one is asking," he added.

Lee, a staunch conservative who voted to overturn the 2020 election, faces significant opposition from former CIA officer Evan McMullin, an anti-Trump Republican who has adovcated for the creation of a new center-right political party.

Chris Karopwitz, co-director of the Center for the Study of Elections and Democracy at Brigham Young University, told Deseret News that Romney's unwillingness to endorse Lee "reflects the fact that he and Mike Lee have different bases of support."

 

[pecksniff]

The creation of a new center-right party, as McMullin proposes, is certainly an interesting prospect -- separating the Old Guard Republicans from the Tea Party-Trumper populist-nationalist insurgency. I think we know which party would command more corporate bux.

 

[BabyBoomer50s]

Seriously doubt Mitt’s endorsement helps Lee. And seriously doubt Lee will endorse Mitt when he’s up for re-election in 2024.

 

[JohnnySavage]

I've always liked Romney. He would have been a good President.

 

[colddiesel]

Actually Pecksmith you just repeated the headline. In fact there is not a skerrick of evidence in the article that Republicans are 'riled.' It looks like a non event to me.

 

[Champakian]

Romney has been a solid Democrat presence in the Party.

That's why he will never be President.
Nobody trusts him - loose cannon.
__________________________________________
Democrat born. Democrat bred. Libertarian led (by Democrats).

 

[JohnnySavage]

In all fairness; Reagan couldn't get the nomination in today's GOP

 

[Champakian]

He's dead, so he could still run as a Democrat...

 

[Champakian]

Hell, he went senile too...

That's right Presidential material there for a Democrat!

 

[pecksniff]

The creation of a new center-right party, as McMullin proposes, is certainly an interesting prospect -- separating the Old Guard Republicans from the Tea Party-Trumper populist-nationalist insurgency. I think we know which party would command more corporate bux.

Somebody really should do something with this.

 

[Rightguide]

So, is Romney a RINO too, now?

Romney probably won't survive his next election.

 

[pecksniff]

Romney probably won't survive his next election.

What matters is that Lee should not survive his.

 

[Rightguide]

What matters is that Lee should not survive his.

Lee, like his father, is one of the great legal minds in the country, and America is well served that he sits in the United States Senate. He could one day sit on the SCOTUS himself.

 

[pecksniff]

Lee, like his father, is one of the great legal minds in the country, and America is well served that he sits in the United States Senate. He could one day sit on the SCOTUS himself.

Lee is "a staunch conservative who voted to overturn the 2020 election." He has no place on any judicial bench. He is not fit to be a justice of the peace.

 

[Rightguide]

Lee is "a staunch conservative who voted to overturn the 2020 election." He has no place on any judicial bench.

So did 147 other Republicans. In 2017 Democrats objected to the 2016 electoral votes of 9 states. YAWN

 

[pecksniff]

So did 147 other Republicans.

And none of them have any place on the bench either.

 

[Rightguide]

And none of them have any place on the bench either.

You'll never be in a position to decide.

 

[ll74]

I have a theory that peck and RG are the same person

 

[pecksniff]

I have a theory that peck and RG are the same person

Only when I drink the Hyde potion.

 

[ishtat]

It is worth noting that Senator Lee when he became Senator 11 years ago, did so by challenging and beating a 3 times incumbent (Bennett); so he can hardly complain if he is challenged in his turn. When he was first elected, Lee advocated that no Senator should sit for more than 2 terms - seems to have revised his position on that point.

A brief review of his biography shows that he had an easy and privileged run to office based on the reputation/influence of his father. A competent but not outstanding lawyer most known for his deep conservatism and close adherence to the principles he learned in his clerkships with Samuel Alito.

He has endorsed some dodgy characters himself, but perhaps his best aspect is that while very anti almost any form of social security (in its widest sense), he has worked constructively with Klobuchar(D) on the regulation of Big Tech. He cannot be just written off.

The only vote that counts in Utah is for the GOP nomination and Lee would be hard to beat. No Democrat will get more than 35% of the vote.

 

[pecksniff]

A brief review of his biography shows that he had an easy and privileged run to office based on the reputation/influence of his father.

Well, so did Romney, I'm sure.

 

[ishtat]

Well, so did Romney, I'm sure.

Not nearly to the same degree. Lee's achievements prior to politics are modest, almost miniscule in comparison, whereas Romney was very successful in Business. They both had strong support from successful fathers but Romney achieved far more under his own steam.

 

[Chernosoth]

There's Pubbie, and then there's Utah Mormon Pubbie.

 

[YDB95]

Not nearly to the same degree. Lee's achievements prior to politics are modest, almost miniscule in comparison, whereas Romney was very successful in Business. They both had strong support from successful fathers but Romney achieved far more under his own steam.

Of course, what Romney achieved was essentially the worst sort of predatory capitalism, getting very rich while putting a lot of people out of work for no good reason. I guess I'd have to concede it was smart, but only in the most cynical way.

 

[ishtat]

Of course, what Romney achieved was essentially the worst sort of predatory capitalism, getting very rich while putting a lot of people out of work for no good reason. I guess I'd have to concede it was smart, but only in the most cynical way.

No it was not and if you did any research at all you would know you are wrong. I dislike Romney's political stances on most things but will not make unfounded assumptions/conclusions based on blatantly incorrect facts as you have.

There are more than sufficient facts on which to attack Romney without milking your pre-conceived prejudices.