Romney Skips S.C., Bets On Nevada

Politico: Michigan GOP Primary Winner Cedes Palmetto State To His Rivals

(The Politico)  This story was written by Jonathan Martin and Lisa Lerer.

---

Just a day after his big win in Michigan, Mitt Romney ceded South Carolina to his rivals.

“This is a state I’d expect that Sen. [John] McCain has pretty well wrapped up,” Romney told reporters at the Sun City Hilton Head Retirement Center in Bluffton. “It would be an enormous surprise if he were unable to win here.”

Romney’s South Carolina strategy amounts to being politically half-pregnant. He doesn’t want to raise expectations in a state he likely can’t win, so he’s dashing off to Nevada midday Thursday to compete in the lightly contested caucuses there Saturday. But at the same time, he doesn’t want to offend his supporters in South Carolina.

Polls show Romney standing in solid third place in South Carolina, taking anywhere from 13 percent to 17 percent of the vote. But in Bluffton, Romney put himself in fourth place, noting that “even a strong fourth is better than what some of the other guys saw in Michigan last night.”

This tricky expectations game has left his top advisers here in an awkward position. They need to defend their candidate’s decision without downplaying the importance of their own state, a fiercely proud place where locals frequently tout their first-in-the-South primary status and tradition of deciding the GOP nominee.

“It’s always been the gateway, but you know what - the calendar has changed, the cycle is changing,” Warren Tompkins, Romney’s South Carolina strategist and a veteran consultant, said after a rally in Charleston.

“South Carolina is important, but it may end up that Florida is the gateway this time.”

Reminded that he was talking about his own native state, Tompkins argued that he was “not diminishing the primary.”

“We’re going to fight in it,” he promised. But, he reiterated, “the calendar has changed.”

Romney also pledged to fight Wednesday - for new South Carolina jobs.

“You've seen it here, in furniture. You've seen the textile industry, where Washington watched, saw the jobs go and go," he said in Bluffton to a group of retirees.

"I'm not willing to declare defeat on any industry where we can be competitive. I'm going to fight for every job," Romney said.

But his hopeful economic message may resonate less than it did in struggling Michigan, whose 7.4 percent unemployment rate is far above the 5.0 percent national average and the 5.9 percent South Carolina rate.

As such, Romney isn’t counting on much Mitt-mentum in the Palmetto State, which aides describe as both “[Mike] Huckabee territory” and “McCain territory.”

The opt-out strategy, as practiced by all the candidates, sounds a bit like a Zen koan: If the candidate expects a loss, does it still hurt his campaign?

Romney hopes the answer is no. Romney pulled his ads out of South Carolina before the Michigan primary. He planned to go back on the air Wednesday.

---

Campaign Calendar
Check out the upcoming primary and caucus dates.

---

“I frankly don’t think it’s wise at this stage to be trying to advertise in all states at all times,” said Romney. “If someone else is spending massively, it doesn’t make a lot of sense to put a few drops in that bucket.”

This is the same Mitt Romney who has spent tens of millions of his own money on advertising, who was - at one point - airing ads in the first five GOP contests at a total clip of more than $2 million a week.

Romney explains his decision to downplay the South Carolina primary as a simple numbers game. Nevada has 34 delegates up for grabs, while South Carolina has 24.

“I’m playing to get the nomination. I’m not looking for gold stars on my forehead like I was in first grade,” said Romney. “I’m looking to rack up the delegates I need to win the nomination.”

Romney is currently eading the delegate race, but his advantage isn’t much of an edge: 975 delegates are up for grabs on Feb. 5.

Waiting for the delayed Romney caravan to arrive in Charleston on Wednesday, Sen. Jim DeMint, an early Romney supporter, conceded that he would like to have all of Romney’s attention.

“I’d like to have him here,” DeMint said.

But DeMint said Romney’s move to go off the air last week and to downplay expectations was a matter of necessity that he supported.

“No one would have even considered him still in the race if he didn’t win Michigan,” DeMint said. “We told him that.”

Romney’s opt-out strategy also reflects a realistic view of the South Carolina landscape. The population plays more into the natural strengths of McCain and Huckabee than it does for Romney.

So it was no surprise to witness each of Romney’s advisers lowering expectations furiously Wednesday.

“If he does reasonably well here, it will be considered a victory,” DeMint said. “I don’t think he has to win for it to have been a good primary for him.”

Tompkins said that a Romney victory would amount to a “lightning strike.”

Romney state director Terry Sullivan went even further, saying that not only could they survive a third-place finish but that a bronze medal would be “a good thing.”

Romney’s eleventh-hour effort to diminish a South Carolina loss is reminiscent of Rudy Giuliani’s attempt to pooh-pooh his poor finish in New Hampshire.

In both cases, it amounts to erasing a bit of recent history, acting as though they never spent millions in the two states before they realized that they had little chance to win.

Until last week, Romney had been on the air here nonstop since Labor Day. He’s had a paid staff presence going back to June of 2006. And he and members of his family have visited the state dozens of times in the past year and a half.

Romney aides contend that they, like other campaigns, should get a pass for not being competitive in some states.

Naturally, his rivals aren’t buying it - and they are trying to make the most of it.

“If a Republican nominee can’t compete in the South, say hello to President Clinton or Obama,” quipped Mark Salter, senior adviser to McCain.

Lisa Lerer reported from Bluffton, S.C.; Jonathan Martin reported from Charleston, S.C.

[almanojodo]

Romney will be strong all across the west. He is solidly ahead in delegates and popular votes. His base is very broad in the west. Here are reasons I support Romney. He has the economic expertise we need. He has turned failing companies into productive, profitable businesses. Romney knows how to create and hold jobs! He has a history of asking the right questions, listening intently, analyzing and evaluating carefully, and LEADING in strength. Romney will bring new vision, fresh voices, robust energy, and efficiency to Washington. Romney will bring integrity, respect, and dignity to the office of President.
Romney is a family man of high standards who has personally lived conservative social values all his life. He is absolutely trustworthy. An intelligent vote is a vote for Romney!

[anarchristia]

Bill Whittaker''s report on Romney tonight implied that he''s been campaigning in Nevada this week all by himself. In fact, Ron Paul has been there, and this has been covered by the local press. Any surprise Nevada voters deliver tomorrow, e.g., Paul''s coming in first or second, will be inexplicable in the light of the story CBS News decided NOT to cover.

[bdrlnt4rl]

if you look back on the history of nv, you will see that the mormons are really liked there because they were called in to show nv how to build its city and sustain life in the desert, because the mormons can build a city out of anything and it will thrive because of the knowledge of endurance and economics that they have. i think mitt will do quite well.

i read last night that using the gospel to gain glory is wrong, a sin, yet huck is using the gospel to gain glory, and he claims to be a preacher. hummmm makes me wonder

[bdrlnt4rl]

i read last night that using the gospel to gain glory is wrong, a sin, yet huck is using the gospel to gain glory, and he claims to be a preacher. hummmm makes me wonder

[funuvit]

....the word bleeped was "man-beeawtch"

[funuvit]

The only way in which Mike Huckabee is a threat to Mitt Romney is in that he will throw whatever lie he has to out there to occupy the media. Huck can''t make a speak without verbally man-***, back-hand slapping Romney. Huckabee is a classic "weenie" when it comes to rules of political engagement.

[lone-star5]

Romney will get us out of our current economic mess. He will strengthen our military, our borders, our reputation with other nations, and our physical and moral environment. I truly believe he is the best candidate for the job we need done right now in America. Vote for Romney!!

[bdrlnt4rl]

I don''t know, romney is the only person in a government office that i have every heard to tell his staff to right down all of the promises he made while running for governor and worked like crazy to keep them and then successful at it. that does not sound like a lier to me.

[candide777]

I think Romney is done now though after getting into the scuffle with the associated press reporter. The reporter exposed Romney for who he is.
Posted by firstceb at 11:05 AM : Jan 18, 2008

I don''t know, I thought Romney was Very slick in the face of a blatant lie. Like a typical republican, he stood his ground when confronted with the facts, kept his cool, and kept right on lying. This strategy has been working for them for years, and if I were a republican, Romney''s the guy I''d want lying for me.

[bdrlnt4rl]

firstceb

if you really watch the video, romney handled himself very well to the attacks and explained every aspect of the reporters attacks in a very presidential way.

i read last night that using the gospel to gain glory is wrong, a sin, yet huck is using the gospel to gain glory, and he claims to be a preacher. hummmm makes me wonder