July 13, 2007

Romney Rising?

For months, it seemed former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney couldn't get any respect from the punditry and political elite. His announcement in Dearborn, Mich., was met with a tepid response, and he's been hounded by questions about his Mormon faith, ideological shifts and family vacationing habits.

But it appears his favorable fundraising numbers and increasing momentum in early primary states are beginning to win over the Beltway skeptics. When asked who was best equipped to snag the Republican nomination, political and congressional insiders [PDF] told National Journal pollsters this month that Romney and Giuliani were, at this point in the race, equally capable of going all the way.

Meanwhile, Romney is still plugging away in those early primary states. This week he unveiled a new radio ad (subscription) in Iowa and New Hampshire that takes a subtle jab at the family values of his opponents, courtesy of his wife, Ann. In the 60-second spot, she gushes about her 38-year marriage to Mitt and the joy of raising the five Romney sons.

It's all part of Romney's attempt to paint himself as the "true conservative" in the race, on everything from defense and taxes to moral and family values. But Massachusetts Democrats, who remember a very different Romney during his tenure as governor there, are out to sabotage that image. In a new Web ad, Bay State Democrats dig up footage of a 2002 Romney on the campaign trail, trying his best to downplay that "R" after his name to get elected in an overwhelmingly liberal state.

See today's Poll Track (subscription) and Ad Spotlight (subscription) for more on Romney and the rest of the 2008 field.

Posted at 12:28 PM
Posted to: Mitt Romney
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