Mitt Romney will give a 'state of the 2016 race' speech today in his home state of Utah

[superbeets]

[h=1]Romney to label Trump a 'fraud' and a 'phony' - but the Donald goes on the attack before keynote speech calling Mitt 'a stiff' and a 'catastrophe'[/h]

• Mitt Romney will give a 'state of the 2016 race' speech today in his home state of Utah
• The 2012 Republican nominee has been hitting frontrunner Donald Trump on the issue of taxes and the Ku Klux Klan
• In early transcripts leaked to media, he's expected to call Trump a number of colorful adjectives
• 'He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat,' Romney is expected to say
• Romney was rumored to be endorsing Rubio, a favorite of the establishment, but Rubio denied those reports

By NIKKI SCHWAB, U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 13:21, 3 March 2016 | UPDATED: 15:06, 3 March 2016

 

[superbeets]

The Republicans' 2012 nominee Mitt Romney has readied some strong words to use against Donald Trump when he delivers his 'state of the 2016 race' speech this morning in Utah.
'Donald Trump is a phony, a fraud,' the former Massachusetts governor is expected to say, according to an early copy of the speech given to Bloomberg. 'He's playing the American people for suckers.'
Romney, in this new attack dog role, even plans to go after Trump's trademark 'Make America Great Again' ball cap.
'He gets a free ride to the White House and all we get is a lousy hat,' Romney will say, according to ABC News.
For his part, Trump has already prepped a response, doing the morning show rounds calling Romney a 'stiff' and a 'catastrophe.'

Parts of Mitt Romney's (left) speech were leaked to the media and he's expected to call GOP frontrunner Donald Trump (right) a 'phony' and fraud'

Donald Trump reminded supporters that Mitt Romney had asked for his endorsement in 2012 when Romney was at the to top of the Republican ballot

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Photo evidence: Donald Trump endorsed Mitt Romney, standing next to wife Ann Romney, in February of 2012 in Las Vegas when the former Massachusetts governor was competing in the GOP primary

Trump went on the Today Show, Good Morning American and Morning Joe and each time hit Romney for losing the last presidential election.
'That was an election that should have been won by Republicans. He was a catastrophe,' Trump said on Morning Joe.
Responding to the long-shot chance that Romney could still dive into this year's race, Trump practically laughed.
'Mitt Romney is a stiff,' Trump told Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie on the Today show. 'Mitt Romney will not get elected, Mitt Romney failed twice and really failed last time.'
Trump also sent out several tweets this morning labeling Romney the 'establishment,' not a popular moniker for voters this year, and reminding supporters that the 2012 GOP candidate had sought out Trump's endorsement during the last cycle.
'Failed candidate Mitt Romney,who ran one of the worst races in presidential history,is working with the establishment to bury a big "R" win!' Trump wrote.
'Why did Mitt Romney BEG me for my endorsement four years ago?' Trump added.
Trump brought up the endorsement, which he did in February of 2012 in Las Vegas, while Romney was still competing against Rick Santorum, Ron Paul and New Gingrich.
Romney went on to win the Nevada caucuses, garnering 50 percent of the vote.
'He's a man who begged me, and I mean begged me for my endorsement four years ago,' Trump reminded those on Morning Joe.

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Donald Trump took to Twitter this morning and started attacking Mitt Romney, who will deliver harsh words about the Republican frontrunner in a speech today in Utah

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Donald Trump reminded audiences this morning that he's brought 'millions and millions' of voters into the Republican party

 

[superbeets]

On each of the morning shows, Trump also boasted about growing the Republican party.
'It's the biggest story in politics, how many people are flocking into the Republican party, they are leaving the Democrats, they are leaving the independents, they are no longer independent, they are going as Republicans, 'Trump said on Good Morning America. 'They are with me 100 percent.'
The billionaire also, again, hinted at a third-party bid.
'These millions of people who joined, they're all coming with me,' Trump boasted.
'So I signed a letter with the RNC and I said I want to do this as a Republican, the pledge as they call it, but I'm not being treated the right way, I'm not being treated properly,' Trump said on Good Morning America.
'I've brought in millions and millions of people to the Republican party and they are going to throw those people away,' he added.
Romney, who has yet to endorse a GOP candidate and isn't expected to do so today, started in on The Donald several weeks ago, suggesting that there's a 'bombshell' waiting in the billionaire's tax returns, which is why Trump has yet to release them.
He pledged to release them once the Internal Revenue Service was done.
Romney returned to Twitter to tell voters that he wasn't buying Trump's excuse.
'No legit reason [Donald Trump] can't release returns while being audited, but if scared, release earlier returns no longer under audit,' Romney wrote.
'[Donald Trump's] taxes for the last 4+ years are still being audited,' Romney continued. 'There are more #bombshells or he would release them.'
Romney, who has dedicated his last six tweets to taking down Trump, also inserted himself into the debate over Trump's comments about KKK leader David Duke.
Duke endorsed Trump and the billionaire gave a tepid response, not disavowing the racist, when aked about it by CNN's Jake Tapper on Sunday.

 

[superbeets]

Mitt Romney rolled his eyes at Donald Trump's excuse for not releasing his tax returns. Trump, on Thursday night, said he was being audited by the IRS and would release the returns afterward

Mitt Romney sent out a barrage of tweets slamming frontrunner Donald Trump in recent days after making initial comments that suggested there were 'bombshells' hiding in The Donald's tax returns

After Donald Trump didn't forcefully push back an endorsement from the KKK's David Duke, Mitt Romney lashed out again

Mitt Romney attacked Donald Trump yet again, suggesting that he release the transcript of his off-the-record comments said to the New York Times' editorial board




'A disqualifying & disgusting response by [Donald Trump] to the KKK,' Romney chimed in on Twitter. 'His coddling of repugnant bigotry is not in the character of America.'
Romney also called on The Donald to release the transcript of his off-the-record meeting with the New York Times' editorial board, which is rumored to contain quotes from Trump that show the businessman wavering on immigration.
The former GOP nominee was rumored to be throwing his support behind Rubio, who many other establishment Republicans have endorsed, but that report was quickly discredited.
It was Rubio himself who appeared on the Sunday shows a week ago and denied that Romney was coming on board.
'That report is false,' Rubio said. 'I have no reason to believe he's anywhere near endorsing ... we'd love to have his endorsement. We'd love to have the help of everyone because we've got to bring the Republican party together.'
'We'd love to have his endorsement, but there's nothing forthcoming,' Rubio added.
Romney will speak in his native Utah, which hosts a Republican debate on March 21.
The next GOP debate is scheduled for tonight in Detroit, Michigan.
Meanwhile, conservative Republicans will be gathering just outside of Washington as the annual Conservative Political Action Conference kicks off.
Romney's slated to give his speech at 11:30 a.m.

 

[SheriffJoe]

Trump preempts Mitt Romney speech with new video:

 

[SheriffJoe]

Gutless RINO POS that made us suffer through another 4 years of the undocumented Kenyan. :>(

 

[SheriffJoe]

 

[superbeets]

[h=6]MARCH 03, 2016 -[/h][h=1]TRUMP DOMINATES WITH HUGE TURNOUTS, WIDE BASE OF SUPPORT[/h]AP
WASHINGTON, D.C. (AP) -- Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump continues to demonstrate a wide base of support, riding record turnouts to seven victories out of the 11 states where Republicans cast Super Tuesday ballots.
Exit polls conducted for the Associated Press and other media across nine of the states showed Trump drawing significant support across educational, ideological, age and income classifications. Perhaps most important for Trump: Even among voting groups where he was weakest, he maintained enough strength to deny Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio any chance of catching him.
It was a repeat of the billionaire businessman's performance in February, when he won three of the first four nominating contest. On Tuesday, he added states as disparate as Vermont, Virginia and Alabama to his win column.
"We have expanded the Republican Party," Trump gloated Tuesday night in his victory speech.
Indeed, Republicans vote totals exceeded 2012 primary numbers in every state but Vermont. Certainly, several states held later primaries four years ago, drawing less interest. But some increases were nonetheless eye-popping: 386 percent in Virginia, 261 percent in Arkansas, 154 percent in Tennessee.
Turnout was up even in states Trump lost, almost doubling for Cruz's win in his home state of Texas and more than doubling in Minnesota, which gave Rubio his only victory thus far.
Republicans relished pointing out Democratic primary turnout is down from their last competitive nomination fight in 2008.
That's not necessarily a harbinger of the things to come in November, as GOP voters and party leaders remain openly split on whether the bombastic billionaire is a worthy standard-bearer. But, for Trump's immediate purposes, any Republican establishment hand-wringing appears no match for the widespread voter discontent driving his success.
Republican voters who said they were dissatisfied with the way the government is working, rather than angry, were less likely to support Trump, and GOP voters were about split between dissatisfaction and anger with the government. Yet Trump still narrowly topped Cruz and Rubio even among voters who described themselves as merely dissatisfied.
Trump also beat his rivals among self-described moderates and those who said they were only "somewhat" conservative. Cruz held an advantage among those who were "very conservative," but there have not been enough of those voters for the Texas senator to overtake Trump.
Nonwhite voters were less likely than white voters to support Trump, but they accounted for just 13 percent of the GOP primary voters across the nine states.
Voters' comments suggest Trump does have weak spots, but it remains unclear which candidate, if any, stood to gain.
Nearly half of primary voters who decided who to support before the last month went for Trump. Just 27 percent of those deciding within the past month supported Trump, but that was about equal to Cruz and Rubio.
Voters under 30 were less likely than older voters to support Trump, but they were about equally likely to support him and Rubio.
Four in 10 voters said they prefer the next president have political experience, but Cruz and Rubio were drawing relatively equal support from those voters, and even John Kasich was supported by about 1 in 10 of them.
Voters without a college degree were significantly more likely than those with one to support Trump, but neither Rubio nor Cruz could pull ahead of Trump among those with one.
Trump also did best among the least affluent voters -- those in households making less than $30,000 a year. Cruz pulled even among middle income voters in households making between $50,000 and $100,000 a year, while Rubio did best among those in households making more than $200,000 a year.
Among Democrats, Hillary Clinton continued to post a wide advantage over Bernie Sanders among non-white voters, the key to her victory margins in states like Georgia and Texas.
Clinton, who campaigns as a "pragmatist" against the more liberal Sanders, also was the beneficiary of a Democratic electorate that prefers a more centrist tack.
According to the exit polls, majorities of Democratic voters in Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Virginia wanted a continuation of President Barack Obama's policies rather than a more liberal direction, along with nearly half in Arkansas, Massachusetts and Texas and about 4 in 10 in Oklahoma. About a third of voters or fewer in each of those states wanted a more liberal direction.
Of all those states, Sanders won only in Oklahoma.
The polls were conducted by Edison Research as voters left their polling places at 20 to 40 randomly selected sites in nine states. Preliminary results include interviews with 821 to 1,491 Democratic primary voters and 536 to 1,943 Republicans primary voters in each state contest. In Arkansas, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas, the results also include telephone interviews early and absentee voters.
The results among all those voting in each contest have a margin of sampling error ranging from plus or minus 4 percentage points to plus or minus 5 percentage points.

 

[superbeets]

[h=6]- MARCH 03, 2016 -[/h][h=1]POLL: TRUMP HOLDS 10-POINT LEAD IN MICHIGAN GOP PRIMARY[/h]Detroit Free Press
The Republican presidential candidates come to Detroit to debate Thursday night at the Fox Theatre with businessman Donald Trump maintaining a 10-point lead on his closest competitors in Michigan's March 8 primary in a new poll commissioned by the Free Press and other media outlets.
According to the poll, Trump, who scored key wins in seven of the 11 states making their GOP picks Tuesday and holds a sizeable lead in delegates needed to secure the GOP nomination, remains the presumptive favorite. Some 29% of those surveyed backing him outright, or were leaning toward doing so in next Tuesday’s Republican primary in Michigan, compared to 19% for U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas and 18% for U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida. The poll, which surveyed 400 likely Republican primary voters Saturday through Monday, has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
But while Trump enjoys an unmistakable lead in the state -- which could be bolstered by his Super Tuesday success and if he does well in Thursday's debate -- there still were signs of encouragement for those trailing him: His lead was well below those in some others taken before last week’s debate in Houston where Cruz and Rubio took turns attacking Trump’s dealings and political stances.
And with Cruz -- who won three states on Super Tuesday -- and Rubio still enjoying higher favorability ratings than Trump, along with an unsettled electorate -- 18% of which remained undecided -- Thursday’s debate in Detroit could represent a last-ditch effort to slow Trump heading into Tuesday’s primary and next week’s key winner-take-all contests in Ohio and Florida.
The debate will turn the political spotlight squarely on Michigan, which with its 59 delegates to award, is the biggest prize among states voting March 8. Others include Hawaii, Idaho and Mississippi. Four other states, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana and Maine, have nominating contests in the meantime, on Saturday.
Even before Super Tuesday’s outcomes were known, many of the candidates already were making plans for Michigan, with Rubio announcing a Wednesday event in Shelby Township, and Trump making plans for Friday rallies in Warren and Cadillac. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, meanwhile, has been a near-constant presence in the state since coming in second in New Hampshire nearly a month ago, hoping he could set the stage for a home win next week.
But, according to the poll, Kasich’s efforts haven’t made much of a dent in Michigan. With Trump, Cruz and Rubio, who won one state -- Minnesota-- on Tuesday -- splitting nearly two-thirds of the vote, Kasich was a distant fourth with 8%; while retired neurosurgeon Ben Carson, who grew up in Detroit, was at 7%.
Carson announced Wednesday afternoon that he would not be at the debate as he sees "no political path forward" for him in the presidential race. He stopped short of suspending his campaign.
Kasich failed to win a state on Super Tuesday and it’s likely he could leave the race if he loses in Michigan and the following week in his home state of Ohio.
Michael Traugott, at the Center for Political Studies at the University of Michigan, said that for all the suggestions that Trump would or could be stopped by a more establishment-friendly candidate, the 2016 election season actually seems to be running to form, with the same sharp narrowing of the field we’ve seen in other recent years. But this time, it’s not the choice of party elders who is winning.
“The Republican Party leadership-establishment are now beginning to pay attention to the problems of a Trump candidacy, but it’s probably too late to hold him back,” said Traugott. “The rest of the field seems to be just large enough to divide up the non-Trump vote into relatively small pieces.”
Traugott said he’s not surprised Trump could do well in Michigan, either, where his populist preaching can strike a chord with anxious working-class voters, or those who share his hard line on immigration, particularly for Muslims and those from the Middle East, who have a sizeable population in the state. He said given Trump’s poll numbers, it appeared to him it would require “some extreme event” for him not to win Tuesday.

The water crisis in Flint, too, is likely to come up, though the issue of high concentrations of lead found in some residents’ taps there has been far less of a debate issue in the Republican contest than it has on the Democratic side. Both Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders have focused on it, and will debate in Flint Sunday in advance of Tuesday’s primary.
If anyone has a chance to eat into Trump’s lead in Michigan, it may be Rubio. While in a virtual tie with Cruz for second, Rubio’s favorable rating, at 64%, is higher than anyone in the field other than Carson; and his unfavorable ratings, at 26%, are far lower than Trump’s at 43% and Cruz’s at 33%. Rubio also has the benefit of being the second choice for more of those surveyed than the other candidates, suggesting he could do well with voters who make up their minds late or decide to change their vote.
On the other hand, however, Cruz’s Super Tuesday victories in Alaska, Oklahoma and his home state of Texas boost his argument that he has been the only other Republican candidate who has been able to notch multiple wins over Trump.
Political consultant John Truscott said that it still seems unlikely anyone is going to upend Trump in Michigan at this late date, though it is possible Rubio may be able to do so down the road if other states -- particularly the large winner-take-all states like his home state of Florida -- break his way. He’s not predicting that will happen, however. And if it does, he believes it will be a hard, divisive fight.
“Right now, seeing the clips of the news, it looks like a cafeteria food fight,” said Truscott, who said he would like to see more discussion of policy and less mudslinging. “It’s pretty nasty and fairly petty. (And) I think it’s more of that.”

 

[superbeets]

Donald J. TrumpVerified account‏@realDonaldTrump
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Why did Mitt Romney BEG me for my endorsement four years ago?

 

[superbeets]

Follow

Donald J. TrumpVerified account‏@realDonaldTrump
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I am the only one who can beat Hillary Clinton. I am not a Mitt Romney, who doesn't know how to win. Hillary wants no part of "Trump"

Donald J. TrumpVerified account‏@realDonaldTrump
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Looks like two-time failed candidate Mitt Romney is going to be telling Republicans how to get elected. Not a good messenger!

Donald J. TrumpVerified account‏@realDonaldTrump
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Failed candidate Mitt Romney,who ran one of the worst races in presidential history,is working with the establishment to bury a big "R" win!

Donald J. TrumpVerified account‏@realDonaldTrump
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I have brought millions of people into the Republican Party, while the Dems are going down. Establishment wants to kill this movement!

 

[superbeets]

Here’s What Mitt Romney Said About Donald Trump in 2012


A far cry from what Romney said about Trump back in February of 2012.


“Donald Trump has shown an extraordinary ability to understand how our economy works,” Romney said, citing Trump’s record as a job creator. And, he concluded, “it means a great deal to me to have the endorsement of Mr. Trump.”

 

[superbeets]

 

[JDeuce]

Gutless RINO POS that made us suffer through another 4 years of the undocumented Kenyan. :>(

The Republican establishment thinks that an establishment Republican will dissuade anti-Republican establishment Trump voters. Lots of luck with that.

2014 was the anvil, not the straw, that broke the camel's back IMO. Republicans were swept into power, damn near 100% of them promising to fight amnesty and executive overreach. Instead, we watched them fund the Stuttering Clusterfuck's entire agenda and take great care of lobbyists while we're preparing to send more jobs to Thailand and Ireland.

But they're surprised their constituents are unhappy.

 

[neverbend]

• Mitt Romney will give a 'state of the 2016 race' speech today in his home state of Utah

Much more important to all Americans, Arby's is now offering 2 fish sandwiches for $6

 

[neverbend]

The one term governor of Massachusetts who has lost more races for office than he
ever won & who wanted to run again after his disastrous attempt in 2012 but backed off
only because Jeb Bush had amassed enormous support from the donors Romney expected to
be stupid enough again to bankroll Romney.

Is the the author of Romneycare which was the very model for Obamacare actually harbor the
absurd notion that HE is the won to save the Republican Party. It looks like Romney's aiming for
a deadlocked convention that would nominate him.

Who would pay any attention to this tragic political cast away after last listening to Trump on
these very important matters for America. I am sure the amount of voters Romney can hope
to influence is less than the number of delegates (FOUR) Jeb Bush amassed for the 100 million dollars
the donors fed to his Romney's fellow RINO loser.

 

[Dave007inVegas]

Something is wrong with Romney. More Mormons voted for Bush in 04 and again for McCain in 08 than for Romney in 12. I wonder why.

 

[neverbend]

Romney is a jealous man he's seething! One of the major differences in constuencies
between Romney & Trump is the position of Rev. Jeffress perhaps the most influential
evangelical in the US. Jeffress was on all the cable shows in 2012 denouncing Romney
as almost a member of a cult, it is said that over 2 million evangelicals who usually
the republicans can count on stayed home in 2012. Yet Jeffress this year has endorse Donal Trump
& may have been a singular reason for the Bible belt republicans abandonment of one of there
own Cruz. Jeffress made it very easy for them to glide easily toward the NY business man.

What a pitiful ending to a less than mediocre political career.

 

[roadreeler57]

• Mitt Romney will give a 'state of the 2016 race' speech today in his home state of Utah

Much more important to all Americans, Arby's is now offering 2 fish sandwiches for $6

McDonalds 2 for $5

 

[SheriffJoe]

First on CNN: Team Romney explores blocking Trump at RNC

By Jamie Gangel and Eric Bradner, CNN
Updated 5:07 PM ET, Thu March 3, 2016 | Video Source: CNN

Story highlights

• Mitt Romney has instructed his closest advisers to explore the possibility of stopping Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention
• In a speech Thursday at the University of Utah, he urged voters to support the candidate most likely to prevent Trump from racking up delegates in their states

Washington (CNN)Mitt Romney has instructed his closest advisers to explore the possibility of stopping Donald Trump at the Republican National Convention, a source close to Romney's inner circle says.

The 2012 GOP nominee's advisers are examining what a fight at the convention might look like and what rules might need revising.

"It sounds like the plan is to lock the convention," said the source.

Romney is focused on suppressing Trump's delegate count to prevent him from accumulating the 1,237 delegates he needs to secure the nomination.

But implicit in Romney's request to his team to explore the possibility of a convention fight is his willingness to step in and carry the party's banner into the fall general election as the Republican nominee.

In a speech Thursday at the University of Utah, he urged voters to support the candidate most likely to prevent Trump from racking up delegates in their states -- saying he'd back Florida Sen. Marco Rubio if he were voting in the Sunshine State, Gov. John Kasich if he were voting in Ohio, or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz in the states where he polls as Trump's strongest foe.

"If the other candidates can find common ground, I believe we can nominate a person who can win the general election and who will represent the values and policies of conservatism," Romney said.

According to the source, Romney does not expect Rubio, Cruz or Kasich to emerge as the single candidate that can accumulate 1,237 delegates and outright defeat Trump before the convention.

In addition, two senior Republican Party insiders told CNN that the convention scenario is now dominating a lot of conversation in GOP fundraising circles. To be sure, both of these sources are skeptical about Romney being able to execute this plan, but both believe that there is a real attempt underway to try to do this.

If the plan were to come to fruition, these Republican Party insiders believe it will likely drive Trump into a third party candidacy in the fall.

Trump has repeatedly threatened an independent run if he isn't treated "fairly" by Republicans.

After Romney attacked Trump in a blistering speech Thursday morning, Trump hit back by mocking Romney's 2012 loss at a campaign rally in Portland, Maine -- pointing to Romney's efforts to secure Trump's endorsement.

"He was begging for my endorsement. I could have said, 'Mitt, drop to your knees' -- he would have dropped to his knees," he said.

He said of 2012: "That was a race, I have to say, folks, that should have been won. ... I don't know what happened to him. He disappeared. He disappeared. And I wasn't happy about it, I'll be honest, because I am not a fan of Barack Obama, because I backed Mitt Romney -- I backed Mitt Romney. You can see how loyal he is."

Trump said Romney thought about running again in 2016, but "chickened out."