Blankenship jumps off Romney ship

Richard Blankenship, a top GOP fundraiser from the Jacksonville area and former ambassador to the Bahamas, is stepping off Mitt Romney's Florida finance team, and the Buzz is he's about to hop aboard the Rudy Giuliani express.

In a letter to the Romney campaign, he called Mitt and Ann Romney "wonderful people," but said he had become "uncomfortable" supporting the campaign and that Republicans needed a candidate with broad appeal across America.

Blankenship has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Bushes, has personally given tens of thousands to the GOP efforts, and has frequently loaned his Cessna for campaign trips.

Comments

This is just the beginning of the Romney implosion, just the beginning.

This is also the beginning of an impressive run over the next two months for the Giuliani campaign here in Florida. Sit back and watch, it'll be a good show.

Romney may not have peaked but his trajectory needs to be significantly steeper than it currently is and there isnt much happening to change that. The only thing that could give him a little momentum would be if he were to show two or three million more than McCain on the April 15th report disclosure.

dun dun dun

back to the harem for the mittster.

[jaguar]

Romney just isn't catching fire among the party faithful, although he is trying hard to please them. Too many party insiders and fundraisers joined his team too early. This defection will be the start of many more.
Clearly conservative don't like Giuliani for his social views or marital history, but when conservatives have to choose among the contenders, Rudy stands tall on fiscal issues and fighting Islamo-fascism. So long as Giuliani appoints conservative judges, the social conservatives will get most of what they want from a President. I doubt social conservatives in the GOP will commit political suicide by choosing a candidate who cannot beat Hillary. Rudy wins by taking back several Blue States (NJ, NY, PA) and holding most of the Red States.

Rudy may win PA but he will lose his home state to Hillary.

No big deal... Romney picked up Huizenga yesterday... how does that constitute an implosion?

I would take Huizenga over Blakenship any day.

Blankenship is a never-has-been. Probably not such a big loss....

That does not seem smart on Blakenship's part. Shouldn't he have waited until we see the first quarter reports in a couple of weeks?

Rumor has it Romney is gonna be out at least McCain or Giuliani --- if not both --- in the money game come March 31...

Bad move, Rick.

Wise move...this trend will only continue. Tough to get too jazzed over someone who can't crack single digits

i support Giuliani and am terrified to learn that "ambassador" Blankenship is with us. He was removed from his post in the Bahamas because he is totally crazy. No one likes him in Jacksonville and him being onboard will deter some real fundraisers from joining our effot.

6:29: How can we get Blankenship to jump ship?

uuuhhhh....Is it just me or are the Romney people delusional on this blog...Someone just quit your team...Yes, Huizenga joined the Mittster yesterday, but I wouldn't count your blessings to hard on that...the press Romney is getting in Miami is pretty poor...I'd be hard pressed to not believe that Huizenga is already wondering what he got himself into.

Romney has 78 other members on his finance committee (not to mention how many other fundraisers around the state). I think Mitt is doing just fine.

Not a good sign for the Romney camp; too early to tell how this will play out.

Mitt's reception before Republicans at the recent Lincoln Day dinner in Hills. can best be described as polite. No fires lit there while many key activists remain on the sidelines after meeting with him.

5:55 DUN DUN DUN

RIGHT

Did you forget yesterday's news for Mitt Romney?

Huizenga joins Romney campaign

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

Go Mitt!!

finish the headline, blankenship jumped ship because he thinks guilani is cooliani.

[Joe from Philly]

And also--Mitt has the Swift Boat Money Man (Bob Perry) Raising $ for him! And Italy Ambassador Mel Sembler! And Toni Jennings and JEB!

[Will]

the romney folks here sound like the gallagher folks last january thru august. THey kept saying he was gonna take it all, with massive delusions of grandeur.... Then he got stomped by over 30%, and they were nowhere to be found.

Hey - careful about using JEB's name.

romney should reenter the private sector. he will not become president.

If it don’t fit, you must split… and that includes Gloves.

1102 is right. Guliani is the only one that can beat Hillary. I still will have to vote for Romney though.

[Maverick]

I think Blankenship was the only guy from Jacksonville to get an appointment from GWB. Somebody important likes him. There is no glory being a player on the team that loses the super bowl-lots of Mitties are leaving.

Not one of you has a true sense of reality. But thank you for the opinions. I enjoyed the laugh.

May the best moderate win!

Romney in 2008 will be like Dean in 2004.

A liberal Republican becomes conservative and a conservative Democrat became liberal. Voters want sincerity and principles, not someone who change their beliefs based on what the polls say.

[Debbie Watson]

The Tampa Bay area is also showing cars on the road with "Condi 2008" stickers. Also, in the Miami area, you can see cars showing support for our Secretary of State as a contender.

As I drive around Florida, it is very funny to see Kerry/Edwards 2004 stickers, so I wonder, do they still support Edwards or have they just kept the old sticker on to show their colors?

Republicans in Florida have a wide-open field to choose from and when Condi is on the minds of the people, she gets support.
Think 2008, Think Condi.
www.thinkcondi.net