Additions to Romney's FL team

The Mitt Romney presidential exploratory committee announced their statewide Florida leadership team, including a few new names:

Former Lieutenant Gov. Toni Jennings – Honorary Chairwoman; Former House Speaker Allan Bense – Chair; Former State GOP Chairman Al Cardenas – Chair; U.S. Rep. Tom Feeney – Chair; Former House Speaker John Thrasher – Chair; St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker – Co-Chair; State Rep. Dennis Baxley - Co-Chair; Rep. Jennifer Carroll – Co-Chair; Former state Rep. Dudley Goodlette – Co-Chair; Former Bush Lottery chief David Griffin - Co-Chair; State Rep. Anitere Flores – Co-Chair; former state GOP chairman Van Poole – Co-Chair.

"Florida is a dynamic and diverse state – representative of all that is great about America," Romney said.  "I look forward to campaigning in Florida and am pleased to have such a strong and growing team in the Sunshine State.  Their commitment will make an important difference in the Florida primary."

Comments

Really impressive group of leaders. Romney keeps racking up influential support.

That is one solid group of Republicans. WOW.

This list looks like Gallagher's list! Another pscho religous man with the same team = DOOMED

looks like team gallagher to me.

This team includes supporters of all recent GOP campaigns. Go Romney.

Team Gallagher retreads. How about Team Gallagher, er, Team Mitt put out some new news instead of mentioning the same names over and over and over and over....?

Question for the Romney supporters/staffers: Is Mitt Romney a Jeb Bush Republican, or a Charlie Crist Republican?

When will Doster, Hanna, and Pat Roberts be announced?

This is Gallagher's list. HOLY CRAP.

DOSTER ALERT!!!!!!!!!!!!

When will Doster, Hanna, and Pat Roberts be announced?

There are several solid Crist people here....although the majority of these folks were on TG's team. But, to be honest, the majority of Tally insiders thought TG would win 18 months ago...

[Lifelong Republican]

spilt milk posters-
can't spin your way out of this one. There are solid Charlie and solid Gallagher supporters on this list and the list keeps growing every day. What a group!

Way to go Team Mitt

who freakin' cares. that race is over. charlie won. can't we all move on?

Previewing your Comment
For all the spin meisters on the blog the following in this new press release were from Charlie Crist's team for governor

Former Speaker Allan Bense
Team Crist now Mitt Romney

Rick Baker
Team Crist now Mitt Romney

Dudley Goodlette
Team Crist now Mitt Romney

David Griffin
Team Crist now Mitt Romney

State Rep. Jennifer Carroll
Team Crist now Mitt Romney

Florida is Romney Country

All aboard the Romney Express, non stop to D.C.!

Posted by: at Feb 7, 2007 6:27:57 PM

***FAKE PRESS RELEASE***

For Imeadiate Release

Everyone Who Ever Thought Tom Gallagher Was Going to be Governor Will Throw Their Support Behind Romney.

(Tallahassee, FL) In a not so strange turn of events, Romney announces his team of Florida's biggest political dinosaurs. People were chosen, not on political capital, but instead on their ability to walk precincts.

"While everyone on our list today has almost zero pull with the current group political movers and shakers, each one will be a valuable resource when Team Romney begins strategicly MICRO-TARGETING." said Romney's Director of yard signs and bumper stickers Brett Doster.

Jon Stemburger, Romney's direct line to Jesus said, "Look at how many children Romney has. No way he's gay. He's got my vote."

Endorsements Romney will not get -

Charlie Crist
Marco Rubio
Jeff Kottkamp
Jim Greer
... or anyone currently relevant in Florida politics

1966-1968

Where was Romney?

6:36

Go back to your Happy Hour at Clydes, or better yet, apply for a job at the Palm Beach Post

Many of the people who fell for Tom Gallagher's conversion to social conservatism now see Mitt's conversion to their liking . . .once bit twice shy?

7:01 -- to answer your question, he was on his Mormon mission, which all 19 year old males are asked to do.

The government gave him a deferrment from military service while he was there.

There is no issue here.

he is just another war-avoiding war-endorsing bag of pooh. you won't see one of his relatives within 1000 miles of military action in iraq. he will do or say anything to get what he wants - the perfect republican. it's amazing how many of you dopes support a war totally driven by vietnam-era shirkers and draft-dodgers.

oh 7:31

so now he wants to lead the lives of 1,000,000 military personnel

but when it was his time to serve, he was spreading a cult religion?

7:01

in 1966 a lot of 19 year old males were asked - wait, forced - to go fight in southeast Asia.

Must be nice to put on a white shirt and tie rather than an M14 and jungle boots

Feeney wasnt' a "Gallagherite" was he???

7:46 -- enough of the cult religions business. I think Baptists are a cult. So are the Methodist and the Catholics.

He's running to be president. The last time I checked, this country was founded on religious freedom.

Why is it that a war that happened 40 years ago even matters?

Also -- when he got back from his mission, he was eligible to go to southeast asia but wasn't drafted. Get your facts straight.

8:27

it matters because as President he will have the authority to send men and women to die

a prospect he himself never had to face - by choice and circumstance

Romney will not even register on the radar with voters. Poll after Poll will continue ot show this and true to past form the Gallagher strategy of telling people "polls don't matter, its too early, people are not paying attention yet" nonsense will be employed. The Romney campaign is over before it even starts. The Republican race will be between McCain and Guilliani period. Romney stuff all hype and fluff. There is no there-there, and there never will be with Romney. The Romiacs are gonna hate this simple truth. Its not their fault, their candidate is simply put "unellectable". It will take some longer to figure this out than others. Similar to what happened with Gallagher, the top tier Romney people and political consultants will cut their deals and milk Romney for as much consulting fees they can get away with and try to drag out the campaign longer. The lower teir staff and workers will be taken for a ride and left holding the bag looking for jobs after the fiasco and debacle of the Romney campaign starts coming apart. Its over before it even starts for Romney. Dopn't be fooled by the names Romney keep thorwing out, these folks will not be the ones doing the grass roots, door-to-door or any work and the people that do that work and vote won't be working for Romney in Florida. McCain and Guilliani will easly out-raise Romney with their current fundraising Florida and national machines.

Even Gallagher got more than 6% in the polls.

For Gallagher, 6% was his margin interest on day trading.

[terminator]

Although there was a good number of Gallagher (Thrasher, Baxley, Cardenas and Poole) supporters and some Crist people it didn't mention TG.

Where does he stand and who is he endorsing?

[Campaign Manager]

Polls don't matter right now. The difference between the GOP presidential race and last year's gubernatorial primary is name recognition.

Gallagher and Crist were both known quantities to the voters, meaning Gallagher had limited room to move up.

Romney is not known and has plenty of room to move up and Giuliani and McCain are both benefitting from name recognition - but there numbers are more likely to slip than improve as the campaign moves on (no knock on them - but that's just how numbers tend to move).

The real question is whether Giuliani can survive the social conservatives who make up the majority of caucus participants among Iowa's GOP.

I was around in '66. Many LDS members did serve in the military. I knew several. All LDS members must serve as missionaries but some do go on to be military pilots, etc.

I have no problem with Romney except that Sally and Paul are working for him. Hard for me to believe that a true LDS believer could stomach two folks who cheated on their spouses, but Romney apparently puts politics before his religion.

[insanityrules]

This is hilarious. Romney has no chance to win the nomination, let alone be president. This guy is a loser and possibly the only person in creation with a lower IQ than Dubya.

10:20 -- do you really have a clue what you're talking about? Harvard MBA and Harvard law school grad?

Saved the Salt Lake Olympics, taken several companies national with his venture capital firm. The man has a golden touch. Just listen to him speak and you'll understand.

Campaign manager confirms what 9:24 says, seems like they are already screaming the "Polls don't matter". This is hilarious. Polls do matter allways and they show Romney dosen't matter.

11:07 are you saying if Steve Jobs or Bill Gates Ran they would win, thay all are sucessful businessmen with good resumes. Remeber Ross Perot. Dont think you understand that voters like what they know and identify with, has nothing to do with Romneys education or background, he just doesn't resonate and the Mormon thing just doesnt help no matter what anyone want to fool themselves into thinking. And any politically sophisticated will tell you, name ID like Guilliani and McCain is insurmountable for a national campaign.

Does Sandy Mormon support Mitt Romney?

My question is who is Johnnie Byrd supporting?

Whoever crazy Johnnie supporst, I will choose their opponent.

11:16 -- winning the nomination isn't a national campaign. It's a state-to-state campaign. Mitt has been impressive in building solid teams in the key states. He's tied for second in New Hampshire, for instance.

All polls right now are beauty contests. But the top two front-runners have serious flaws.

Rudy - can't and won't win in the South. Abortions, gay marriage and gun rights will be the end of him.

McCain - has a history of attacking the Republican establishment. Has spent 8 years critical of the President. Look closely at polls and you'll see the President Bush has solid support among Republican voters. GOP voters tend to remember and reward party loyality.

I'm not sure how you can say Romney doesn't resonate with the voters. The campaign hasn't even started. We have one year before the first votes are even cast.

11:29 - Mitt better hope not because that would be the kiss of death.

Someone tell me how this guy beats Hillary? That's the key

Ross Perot was never elected to anything prior to running for President. Where the heck are pulling Bill Gates and Steve Jobs from are you some Tech junkie??? Maybe you meant Steve Forbes. I think you need to do a little more research about Mitt Romney before you start making absurd comparisons.

Campaign Manager is the only one who makes an ounce of sense. Mitt Romney is far and away a superior candidate in this field as well as to Tom Freakin Gallagher. The paralleles aren't there between the Gov.'s Race in 06 and the Presidential in 08. Lets follow the Logic...

1. Team Romney is comprised of several different players in Florida (Bush, Crist, Gallagher, and newbies).

2. Presidential Campaigns are structurely very different than Florida's Gov. race.

3. Romney is polling ahead in IOWA, and 2nd in NH.

4. He will not be outraised like a Gallagher.

5. Romney's Team is already proving to be FAR more organized, disciplined, and cohesive than Gallagher's was.

6.Every Poll you see is nothing more than name ID at this point. (You obviously don't know how to read polls when you there is 25-30% undecided).

7. Romney is being attacked far more by the Ds than any other R candidate...gee wonder why???

8. He is the only candidate who consistently moves up in the polls each week. (I know you must drink up what ever the MSM tells you but I guess thats ok, cause they NEVER have an agenda)

9. What has McCain or Rudy done in Florida or any other state to suggest they are right now, running hard??

10. Since you are so wedded to polls right now (and for the record polls do matter, but its when they matter) will you come eat some crow when Romney starts moving up....???

To the person who questioned Mitt's IQ in an earlier post, here's a quote from Kathleen Parker in the Washington Post about Mitt:

"What many Americans may not know about Romney is that he's a nerd. A Harvard-educated wonk, he's the kind of guy whose class notes you could borrow (if he'd let you) and know that you got the whole story."

It's beginning to look a lot like Tom's team.

8:52- Keep trying to spin..we know you are scared....spin spin spin it away..don't be upset becasue your horse is old and tired.

this is tommy g's team reincarnated! ;)

9:04- Making a health joke about a former POW is pretty classless...

romney is emblematic of the problem with the republican party. he is all theatre, all show, no substance, no convictions.

[calfloridia]

You have to be kidding me with this list...this is Gallagher II! I'm still with McCain!

The entirety of the 2008 campaign is going to be about the war. Our current president has made it clear that the problem is someone else's to inherit. While the echelons of the GOP bicker and play ad hominem over staffers, retreads, etc., the NPAs and independents have already voiced their preference. If Romney is listening, he will conduct himself accordingly.

Mitt Romney?

All show no substance, no convictions?

These are the facts and the voters can decide

Successful business man,

married to the same woman for 37 years,

graduated valedictorian undergrad from college

simultaneously acquired an MBA & Law degree at Harvard University

and graduated in the top 5 % of his class with a double major

raised 5 successful sons

bailed out the 2002 Olympics from going bankrupt in 2002 and turned a profit for 100 million

As governor of Massachusetts never raised taxes, bailed them out of the red, according to the Boston Globe Oct.2006, had the economy of Massachusetts growing at twice that of the United States,

As Governor sued to have the courts make the Massachusetts legislature vote on the petition of the 170K plus signatures to get the amendment against gay marrige on the ballot.

Vetoed Embryonic stem cell research when it passed the Massachusetts legislature.

Held teachers accountable in Education

The man is genuine, successful and brings with him optimism and a bright future for America.

Bring it on Mitt