An Internal Romney Memo
First glance at this new report about the Mitt Romney campaign is reminiscent of all the leaks intentional or not in Washington and elsewhere that have become commonplace. If this is an ‘internal memo’, what is it doing circulating in the press? If it is an intentional leak it is good strategy to inform supporters and the general public as well of the unsettling nature in the ups and downs of campaign politics.
One should not read too much into current success or future bounces and spikes in the polls. An interesting comparison in the report below relates to the 2004 campaign’s early lead by Joe Lieberman with Kerry in third suggesting a masive swing later in the campaign. The Clinton 1991 comparison was more on point since the anointing of Kerry by the Democratic party elite when Edwards rose in the 2004 campaign was the reason for other candidates slipping in popularity. With the exception of the Howard Dean meltdown, all Dem faithful moved to Kerry by party decree.
The entire report is a good read. One aside is a reminder of the fact that if you never want something to see the light of day, for God’s sakes don’t write it down. Whether planned or not, this memo is heads up for all campaigns to keep a lid on things you don’t want made public and knowing who works for you.
Stanford Matthews
MoreWhat.com
An Internal Romney Memo Tries To Lower Expectations
Call it the third law of political dynamics: every time a candidate rises in the polls, there is an equal and opposite attempt by the candidate’s strategist to tamp down expectations.
- Gov. Romney’s Support, Monthly Avg. Of All Public Polls
- Avgs March April May Change
- Iowa 11.5% 14.0% 21.7% +7.7
- NH 18.7% 24.5% 35.0% +10.5
- SC N/A 10.8% 9.0% -1.8
- FL 7.3% 7.0% 10.0% +3.0
- MI 16.7% 10.0% 24.0% +14.0
BUT THE ROAD AHEAD OF US IS LONG—AND IT WILL BE BUMPY
But while we should feel good about coming so far so quickly, we should also not lose sight of the fact that our early lead in Iowa and New Hampshire today guarantees nothing.