What a Difference a Win Makes
Posted: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 12:17 AM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC’s Ron Allen
When I offered congratulations to one of Mitt Romney's advisors after his Michigan victory, he said, "Yeah, about time?" He was joking and serious at the same time.
We were with them in Des Moines and Manchester. Tonight Romney's supporters were completely different people. Jubilant people who finally got a chance to have a party. Even the Gov took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves while basking in his big moment, he was having a good time. And a moment of great relief. No more need to talk about silver medals. No more need to explain why winning in Iowa and New Hampshire really wasn’t that important...really.
The "straight talk" of the matter (borrowing a phrase) is that losing his "home state" would have been hard and painful to explain away. They don't have to now. You can count all the delegates you want but most of the political pros agree these early primaries are about winning and losing not second and third.
And yes, OK, Wyoming counts, but not as much as New Hampshire. By the way, the Romney folks are counting delegates won, and where they can pick more off, and taking another look at the family financial docs, and liking what they see if this becomes a long war of attrition. Money, no surprise, may, make that will matter more and more, especially for those who have less and less. Donors sure like W's too.
Anyway, now Romney's supporters see a new day. They're talking about how he's "found his voice," how "his issue is resonating," with the public. "It's the economy stupid," to borrow yet another phrase. A lot of people said Romney looked more comfortable talking about the car industry's problems rather than why he changed his mind about abortion.
What's more, they're encouraged that people no longer seem as concerned about war and terror, but are instead hoping their paychecks keep covering their bills. Down the road, Romney will run as the optimistic outsider, the successful businessman armed with PowerPoint and to-do list who's the smartest guy in the room, the guy who can fix problems that overwhelm others, especially anyone whose been inside the beltway more than a few minutes.
Read that, John McCain. Washinton's broken. Romney insists he can fix it. And he can thank the legacy of his late father here in Michigan, the fact that its citizens moved their primary forward to focus the nation's attention on its "one-state recession," and the fact that with three winners in three contests (ok four, sorry Wyoming) the Republican run to the nomination is as muddled as ever.
Romney loves to play a song at every event with a chorus that promises, "It's a New Day...." Sometimes the music echoes, bounces off the walls and sounds thin. However, after winning here, even though it's at home, that new day just might be so!
