The Hugh Hewitt Show

The moderator of Meet the Press gives his analysis of the Romney decision, and who is helps the most.

The Audio:

01-30hhs-todd

The Transcript:

HH: And joining me to talk about the day’s events on the political side and all the other news is Chuck Todd, host of Meet The Press. I want to begin by thanking him for having me on his show last week, which Chuck, congratulations, the show did very well, and I’ve been telling people all week that with you and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar there, I felt like Chuck Nevitt on the background there the way that he must have felt on the Lakers’ bench in ’85.

CT: I don’t know. I kind of feel like it was, I’ll take the role of Magic. I feel like you were my James Worthy.

HH: Oh, well, that, I’ll go with Worthy, but Kareem was something to watch, and quite an interesting interview. And I’m sure you’ve been getting feedback on that interview all week long.

CT: No, it was, I definitely have, and you know, everybody’s got Hugh Hewitt buzz around here. It’s like oh, who broke the news? Who’s got it? So you know…

HH: Well, let’s talk about that news. I was genuinely surprised. Were you surprised?

CT: You know, this morning, I was surprised. Three weeks ago, it never made sense to me, I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t, you know, I didn’t see it. I just, you know, because I thought that this was, I just couldn’t imagine him wanting to go through this gauntlet again. And ultimately, my gut is, and you know, that this was, I think he did a sober analysis of this, and said is the cost of going through this primary gauntlet worth it? And it was going to be, it was going to take a heavy toll. I mean, it was going to be not a fun three or four months for him, I think, if he got in, because there would have been a lot of, he would have had to have dealt with a lot of negative feedback first – look who didn’t sign up with him again, look who’s not fundraising. You know, they were would always be a, and oh, my God, the poll numbers are eroding, which of course would have been just natural as more candidates got in the race. But you know, it would have been a rough period, and the question is where would he be by Labor Day? And would he be in a position, you know, did he have it? Could he do what John McCain did, right, which is you know, go from hero to zero and back up again? And in a field like this, it would have been tough to do. Continue Reading

Interesting…

The Audio:

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The Transcript:

HH: I’m joined now by Jake Tapper of CNN. Jake, the big political story of the day, of course, is Mitt Romney. I’m going to ask everyone the same question. Were you surprised?

JT: I was. And of course, I should point out that I first learned the news from you, Hugh. You’re the one that broke the news. You’re the one that got the Romney statement before anybody else. And yes, I was. Certainly, the last few weeks in my conversations with Romney advisors and people close to Romney suggested to me that he had the fire in the belly, he thought he had another run in him. He thought he would be a good president, and he thought he would be a better president than any of the other potential nominees, both Republican and Democrat, and that he was going to do it. And you know, and you know, it’s not that unusual, really. I mean, it hasn’t in modern political history, but plenty of people have run two, three times, Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon. Continue Reading

I’ve been emailed this text of remarks Mitt Romney will be making to his supporters shortly:

Let me begin by letting you know who else is on this call, besides Ann and me. There are a large number of people who signed on to be leaders of our 2016 finance effort. In addition, state political leadership from several of the early primary states are on the line. And here in New York City, and on the phone, are people who have been helping me think through how to build a new team, as well as supporters from the past who have all been kind enough to volunteer their time during this deliberation stage. Welcome, and thank you. Your loyalty and friendship, and your desire to see the country with new, competent and conservative leadership warms my heart.

After putting considerable thought into making another run for president, I’ve decided it is best to give other leaders in the Party the opportunity to become our next nominee.

Let me give you some of my thinking. First, I am convinced that with the help of the people on this call, we could win the nomination. Our finance calls made it clear that we would have enough funding to be more than competitive. With few exceptions, our field political leadership is ready and enthusiastic about a new race. And the reaction of Republican voters across the country was both surprising and heartening. I know that early poll numbers move up and down a great deal during a campaign, but we would have no doubt started in a strong position. One poll out just today shows me gaining support and leading the next closest contender by nearly two to one. I also am leading in all of the four early states. So I am convinced that we could win the nomination, but fully realize it would have been difficult test and a hard fight.

I also believe with the message of making the world safer, providing opportunity to every American regardless of the neighborhood they live in, and working to break the grip of poverty, I would have the best chance of beating the eventual Democrat nominee, but that is before the other contenders have had the opportunity to take their message to the voters.

 I believe that one of our next generation of Republican leaders, one who may not be as well known as I am today, one who has not yet taken their message across the country, one who is just getting started, may well emerge as being better able to defeat the Democrat nominee. In fact, I expect and hope that to be the case.

I feel that it is critical that America elect a conservative leader to become our next president. You know that I have wanted to be that president. But I do not want to make it more difficult for someone else to emerge who may have a better chance of becoming that president. You can’t imagine how hard it is for Ann and me to step aside, especially knowing of your support and the support of so many people across the country.   But we believe it is for the best of the Party and the nation.

I’ve been asked, and will certainly be asked again if there are any circumstances whatsoever that might develop that could change my mind. That seems unlikely. Accordingly, I’m not organizing a PAC or taking donations; I’m not hiring a campaign team.

I encourage all of you on this call to stay engaged in the critical process of selecting a Republican nominee for President. Please feel free to sign up on a campaign for a person who you believe may become our best nominee.

I believe a Republican winning back the White House is essential for our country, and I will do whatever I can to make that happen.

To all my supporters, friends and family who worked both tirelessly and loyally to support my campaigns in the past, I will always be deeply appreciative. What you have already done is a tribute to your patriotism. We are overwhelmed and humbled by your loyalty to us, by your generosity of spirit, and by your friendship. God bless you all.

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