As the Presidential primary race heads into the post-Labor Day home stretch toward the first contests in January, Mitt Romney is turning to what his campaign sees as his strongest suit: his record as a executive who turned around failing companies and a struggling Olympics and offered conservative leadership in a liberal state. And to do that, the campaign is putting Romney on the trail -- literally. In a new television ad that goes up this weekend in Iowa and New Hampshire, a sweaty Romney is shown jogging along leafy roads as an announcer intones, "At every step, he's met extraordinary challenges," and goes on to say that Romney has "the energy and experience" to turn around Washington. The choice of image is an interesting one, and not only because Romney's camera-ready good looks give it some resemblance to commercials for various hygiene and health products targeted at middle-aged men. Presenting Romney as runner also recalls one of the more memorable moments of the candidate's youth growing up in Michigan, where his father was an auto executive and governor and where Romney attended the elite Cranbrook prep school.Romney as teen was more gawky than jocky, and his jogging was not always something he'd want captured on tape: "Mitt's singular distinction as an athlete was an embarrassing one, classmates recall. He competed in a 2.5-mile race held during a football game, setting off with the rest of the runners at the start of halftime. Everyone returned before the second half of the football game began, except Mitt. He didn't resurface until about 10 minutes after the last runner. He staggered around the oval for the final lap, collapsing twice in the last 15 yards but drawing cheers from the crowd when he finally crossed the finish line. "It had to be one of those moments that made you feel good, but inadequate," [classmate Jim] Bailey says. "But those kinds of things didn't bother him." Obviously, they didn't. Today, Romney is a multimillionaire, has a plausible shot at the Republican nomination, and lists jogging as his favorite activity. And if things don't work out on the campaign trail, he might just want to get ready for some phone calls from RightGuard.
In covering the 2008 presidential campaign, the network morning news shows are "overwhelmingly focused on Democrats, [and] they are actively promoting the Democrats' liberal agenda," according to a study released today by the conservative Media Research Center (MRC).The study examined 517 campaign segments on the morning news shows broadcast on ABC, CBS and NBC in the first seven months of 2007. It found that the shows covered Democrats "nearly twice as much" as Republicans and framed interview questions from a liberal perspective most of the time. The study was produced by the MRC's News Analysis Division. The MRC is the parent organization of Cybercast News Service. The study found that 55 percent of campaign stories on ABC's "Good Morning America," CBS's "The Early Show" and NBC's "Today" focused on Democratic candidates while only 29 percent focused on Republicans. The remaining 16 percent were classified as "mixed/independent." The morning shows aired 61 stories focused exclusively on Sen. Hillary Clinton, 44 stories on former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards, and 41 stories on Sen. Barack Obama, all of whom are seeking the Democratic presidential nomination. Former Vice President Al Gore, who is not officially running, was the subject of 29 stories.Republican candidates received less attention, according to the study. Sen. John McCain was the focus of 31 stories. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was the focus of 26 stories and former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney was the focus of 19 stories. Interviews with Democratic candidates or their representatives accounted for more than four-and-a-half hours of airtime in the first seven months of 2007. Interviews with Republicans candidates or their representatives accounted for less than two hours, according to the study. In addition to the time disparity, the report alleges that "the top Democratic candidates received much more favorable coverage than their GOP counterparts, with Sen. Clinton cast as 'unbeatable' and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama tagged as a 'rock star.'" In contrast, the most-featured Republican candidate, McCain, "was portrayed as a loser because of his support for staying the course in Iraq," the report says. "[M]uch of McCain's coverage has emphasized the sinking nature of his campaign - declining poll ratings, and fundraising that has failed to meet expectations." MRC Director of Research Rich Noyes told Cybercast News Service that the organization is not calling for government imposed standards of fairness like those that could be established under a Fairness Doctrine."The remedy," he said, "is for the networks to cover the campaign in a fair and balanced manner." He said that while it is "theoretically possible that the Democrats have made 80 percent more 'news' this year ... I would argue that the media have helped make all three Democratic frontrunners into something akin to celebrities, and then use their quasi-celebrity status to justify more coverage." Noyes acknowledged that it is legitimate for news programs to cover the stumbles of Republican candidates like McCain, but added that "the Democrats have had their share of stumbles and gaffes. Some of those have been reported, and some have been downplayed, but the network storyline on all the Democratic frontrunners is mainly positive." He said that former Sen. John Edwards "could be getting the same 'deathwatch' coverage that McCain's been getting, but instead he got a huge gift of a town hall meeting on ABC (something no Republican has received)." "That doesn't mean McCain's problems should be buried. But it does show the networks seem to have a different approach for candidates of different parties," Noyes said. "It's like the networks tried to throw Edwards a life preserver, but dropped an anvil on McCain."
Fidel Castro, the Cuban president, has predicted that Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama will team up to win the 2008 US presidential election. "The word today is that an apparently unbeatable ticket could be Hillary for president and Obama as her running mate," the ailing leader wrote in an editorial column in Granma, the Cuban Communist Party's newspaper. Mr Castro, 81, who has outlasted nine US leaders since his 1959 revolution, accused the American presidential candidates of "submission" to his exiled foes in Florida and offered a favourable assessment of only one of the 10 presidents he has known: Jimmy Carter. Mrs Clinton and Mr Obama called for democratic change in Cuba last week. But Mr Castro dismissed these calls, saying all of the candidates seeking Florida's "coveted" electoral college votes have had to demand a democratic government in Cuba - something the country's officials insist already exists - in order to win the backing of the powerful Cuban exile community.Last weekend Mr Obama called for loosening restrictions on how much money Cuban-Americans can send their Cuban relations and on how often they area allowed to visit family on the island, which lies just 90 miles off the coast of the continental US. "It can help make their families less dependent on Fidel Castro. That's the way to bring about real change in Cuba," the Illinois senator told more than 1,000 people in Miami's Little Havana. Mrs Clinton, a New York senator and the Democratic front-runner, last week reiterated her support for current US policy: "Until it is clear what type of policies might come with a new (Cuban) government, we cannot talk about changes in the US policies toward Cuba." The column attributed to Mr Castro - the second published so far this week - made no reference to recent rumours that the ailing leader had died or was dying. Nor did it reveal any information about his exact ailment or condition. Castro has not been seen in public in the 13 months since he announced he had undergone intestinal surgery and temporarily ceded power to his younger brother Raul.
All-but-declared GOP candidate Fred Thompson said he is in a sound position to make a run for the nomination even though others announced their candidacies months ago. "We have done within a few months what other people have spent much longer periods of time doing," Thompson told reporters before delivering a keynote speech to the Midwest Republican Leadership Conference, which has drawn party activists from 12 states. Thompson has had a less-than-stellar summer that included a campaign staff shake-up and fundraising that failed to meet expectations. But he has polled well in national surveys despite his unofficial status. "We've made some changes along the way and are better for it, and I think we are where we need to be right now," he said. Thompson, a former Tennessee senator and an actor known for his role as a district attorney on NBC's "Law & Order," was the third and final GOP hopeful to speak at the conference. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee spoke Friday. He received a more rousing reception when he was introduced to speak than Romney and Huckabee got, with many in the crowd of 500 or so whooping and hollering and shouting, "Fred, Fred, Fred."Unlike the stiff character he plays on TV, Thompson was casual as he spoke. He warmed up the crowd with a few jokes, saying that while he was a senator he could recall that every once and awhile, a member of Congress would slip up by "actually spending their own money." He spoke mostly in general terms on serious matters, saying that one of the most pressing challenges facing America was national security and the terrorist threat from Islamic radicals. Not enough people take the threat seriously, he said. "Our country is in danger and it's going to be in danger for a long time to come," he said. "We have got to be more united and more committed than ever before." He said government spending was out of control, and people had little faith in government solving problems in areas such as energy, education and health care. "We probably have more cynicism toward our leadership than in a long time," he said. "How do people follow when people don't have any confidence in what is said and who is saying it?" Jean Reed of Greensburg said she has been unsure who she would support, but that Thompson's appearance and speech probably won her over. "I think he would make a great candidate," she said. "He seemed to be very personable, he seemed to be caring, he seemed to know what he believed." Murray Winn of Mishawaka said he was still undecided, but hoped Thompson would get into the race soon. "I think it will energize the party if he does," he said. Thompson is expected to announce his bid early next month, saying that he will "certainly be making a statement within short order."
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton says her political negatives are a "blessing." Speaking at a house party in Concord, N.H, the Democratic front-runner for the 2008 presidential nomination said she's been in the spotlight for so long that there's nothing left for her opponents to dig up and smear her with."The tactics... will be to drive up the negatives of whoever our nominee is, and it will all be fresh information," said Clinton, according to the Boston Globe. "It will all be, 'Oh you didn't know? Let us tell you. Let us paint a caricature...' Whereas I have the somewhat mixed, but I think rather fortunate blessing, of already starting with those negatives."
Romney as teen was more gawky than jocky, and his jogging was not always something he'd want captured on tape: "Mitt's singular distinction as an athlete was an embarrassing one, classmates recall. He competed in a 2.5-mile race held during a football game, setting off with the rest of the runners at the start of halftime. Everyone returned before the second half of the football game began, except Mitt. He didn't resurface until about 10 minutes after the last runner. He staggered around the oval for the final lap, collapsing twice in the last 15 yards but drawing cheers from the crowd when he finally crossed the finish line. "It had to be one of those moments that made you feel good, but inadequate," [classmate Jim] Bailey says. "But those kinds of things didn't bother him." Obviously, they didn't. Today, Romney is a multimillionaire, has a plausible shot at the Republican nomination, and lists jogging as his favorite activity. And if things don't work out on the campaign trail, he might just want to get ready for some phone calls from RightGuard.
Romney as teen was more gawky than jocky, and his jogging was not always something he'd want captured on tape: "Mitt's singular distinction as an athlete was an embarrassing one, classmates recall. He competed in a 2.5-mile race held during a football game, setting off with the rest of the runners at the start of halftime. Everyone returned before the second half of the football game began, except Mitt. He didn't resurface until about 10 minutes after the last runner. He staggered around the oval for the final lap, collapsing twice in the last 15 yards but drawing cheers from the crowd when he finally crossed the finish line. "It had to be one of those moments that made you feel good, but inadequate," [classmate Jim] Bailey says. "But those kinds of things didn't bother him." Obviously, they didn't. Today, Romney is a multimillionaire, has a plausible shot at the Republican nomination, and lists jogging as his favorite activity. And if things don't work out on the campaign trail, he might just want to get ready for some phone calls from RightGuard.
