Britain and America

McCain tries to woo former Romneyites

Samuel Coates, at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, reviews John McCain's speech following Mitt Romney's decision to stand aside.

John McCain was understandably in a good mood when he strode (at such a pace that I could only get a blurred photo!) through the entrance to the Omni Shoreham hotel this afternoon. His nomination as the Republican Presidential candidate is now assured.

His speech largely consisted of lots of references to the fact that some in the hall would have disagreed with him on things in the past, and of spelling out his "mainstream conservative record". Highlights:

• Booed when apologising for his conspicuous absence at last year's CPAC, then self-deprecatingly joked about being too busy successfully trying to rid himself of early frontrunner status.
• He paid a brief tribute to Governor Romney, although there was some laughing when he said he'd welcome him on board his campaign. Also congratulated the "great and fine man" Mike Huckabee for the success of his continuing campaign.
• Spoke of the responsiblity to unite the party, that he was acutely aware that he couldn't win without the support of the footsoldiers and that in future disagreements he would seek the counsel of fellow conservatives.
• Paid respect to the principled opposition to the stances he has taken on some issues and thanked the audience for the opportunity to make his case: "I wouldn't pretend otherwise, and you wouldn't let me forget."
• Quoted Edmund Burke: "Whenever a separation is made between liberty and justice, neither, in my opinion, is safe". He quoted Burke again towards the end when talking about his "deep, unwavering love of liberty" resulting in part from his time in captivity: "The true danger is when liberty is nibbled away, for expedience, and by parts".
• In his mandatory CPAC reference to Ronald Reagan, McCain spoke of going to CPAC for the first time on the invitation of Reagan, and how he and his Shining City on a Hill speech in particular formed his early views as a young Naval officer: "I'm as proud today of that association as I was then."
• He made a few references to the divine, and also to his pro-life beliefs: "liberty is a right conferred by the creator not governments", "I believe the pursuit of happiness is God-given to all who are born... and unborn."
• Good cheer for his passage on "the long overdue counter-insurgency that spared the tragedy of losing the war". Said that no other candidate appreciated how awful war was, but that he would not let America suffer the greater losses that would result from failure and that he believed "staying on the offence" would "keep this country safe, proud, prosperous and free."
  
• A fifteen second grinning pause was required after uttering the phrase: "illegal immigration", although his emphasis on "securing our borders first" won strong applause.
• Promised a "challenging, spirited contest" in which "standing by conservative convictions" would appeal to independents and Reagan Democrats.
• Promised to make Bush's tax cuts permanent, to cut corporation tax from 35% to 25%, and to "not let the Democrat-controlled Congress to increase taxes and choke economic growth".
  

Mitt Romney's Michigan victory

"Romney's Turn" concluded Drudge.  So, Romney wins Michigan (by nearly 10% - three times what was predicted by the polls) after McCain had won New Hampshire and Mike Huckabee had won Iowa.  The Republicans have no front-runner again.

Did Romney win Michigan because his father was its three-term Governor or because of his economic message?  Ross Douthat credits Romney with an admirable resilience:

"Winning Michigan after two consecutive tough defeats, in the teeth of a press corps that adores John McCain and despises him, and in a state that gave McCain an easy win over George W. Bush in 2000, suggests an impressive resilience - both in the man and in his campaign - that will serve him well in what looks like a long hard slog to the convention."

Andrew Sullivan thinks that a strong economic message might be Romney's best chance of seizing the GOP nomination:

"If Romney retools his campaign and presents himself as a moderate businessman able to bring better management to Washington, he finally has a message that could work. Of course, it's just the latest poll-tested cynical ploy. But it's working for Clinton! And she and Romney have one thing in common: two focus-grouped cynical dynastic holograms."

Fred Barnes agrees:

"Romney defeated John McCain because the economy is emerging as the overriding issue in the 2008 presidential race, and Romney's message on the subject is stronger than McCain's. And Romney is far more comfortable and persuasive in talking about the economy."

Rudy Giuliani is, of course, the other big victor.  Noone arrives in Florida with big momentum.  His late-state strategy that begins, as he has always hoped, with victory in the 'Sunshine state' may yet win him the nomination.

The next Republican primary is on Saturday, in South Carolina.  Huckabee led McCain by nearly 4% in pre-Michigan polling there.

There was no competitive Democratic primary in Michigan.

Watch Mitt Romney's victory speech on PlayPolitical.com.

BritainAndAmerica's coverage of the Iowa and New Hampshire results.

Mitt Romney's worldview

This is the fourth in a series of summaries of the foreign policy priorities of the principal contenders to be President of the United States.  Today we examine the highlights of Mitt Romney's article for Foreign Affairs:  Rising to a New Generation of Global Challenges.  Tomorrow we examine Rudy Giuliani's worldview.

The international environment is difficult but America has been more than equal to greater challenges in the past: "Today's challenges are daunting. They include the conflict in Iraq, the resurgence of the Taliban, and global terrorist networks made even more menacing by the threat of nuclear proliferation. While Iran's leaders relentlessly pursue nuclear weapons capabilities and spout genocidal threats against Israel, the world largely stands silent, unable to agree on effective sanctions even as each day the danger grows. Genocide ravages Darfur even as the world stands frozen. In Latin America, leaders such as Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez seek to reverse the spread of freedom and return to failed authoritarian policies. AIDS and potential new pandemics threaten us in an interconnected world. The economic rise of China and other countries across Asia poses a different type of challenge. It is easy to understand why Americans -- and many others around the world -- feel so much unease and uncertainty. Yet although we face fundamentally different issues today, the United States has a history of rising to meet even greater challenges."

Petraeus deserves the chance to succeed: "Walking away now or dividing Iraq up into parts and walking away later would present grave risks to the United States and the world. Iran could seize the Shiite south, al Qaeda could dominate the Sunni west, and Kurdish nationalism could destabilize the border with Turkey. A regional conflict could ensue, perhaps even requiring the return of U.S. troops under far worse circumstances. There is no guarantee that the new strategy pursued by General Petraeus will ultimately succeed, but the stakes are too high and the potential fallout too great to deny our military leaders and troops on the ground the resources and the time needed to give it an opportunity to succeed."

>> Governor Romney's Foreign Affairs essay was written before Petraeus gave his first report to Congress on the early signs of his mission's success.

>> Video: Romney discusses the consequences of premature withdrawal from Iraq