January 15th, 2008
10:10 PM ET
15 years ago
Romney: 'A win looked like it was impossible'
Watch Romney's victory speech. (Photo Credit: AP)
SOUTHFIELD, Michigan (CNN) - Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney claimed victory in Tuesday's Michigan Republican primary, his first major win of the 2008 presidential race, calling it a victory over "Washington pessimism" after second-place finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire.
"Tonight marks the beginning of a comeback - a comeback for America," Romney told supporters in the Detroit suburb of Southfield. "Only a week ago, a win looked like it was impossible, but then you got out and told Americans what they needed to hear."
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Finally, two states, Wyoming and Michigan who actually have people with brains, they've voted for someone who is prepared and well qualified to lead this country. Go Romney !!!
I told all of you doubting Thomases that Ron Paul would break 6% in Michigan! Nothing can stop him now. It's on to South Carolina where Paul supporters optimistically predict that Paul's voters there will put him over the 6.01% threshold!
Three primaries and three outcomes. Is it a sign of divided America, regionalised america? No national leader and front runner?
No consensus so far? No direction and inkling what we are looking for in our next President?
Or we might find Unity in diversity?
Romney's going to work the "pessimism" twist on McCain the rest of the campaign. Labeling himself an outsider, while really he is the one backed by the hard-core party faithful who see him as the guy who will toe the party line and not rock the boat. Romney did say at least one thing that was true: "but then you got out and told Americans what they needed to hear." Yes you did Mitt, yes you did.
McCain just told them the truth and it cost him (again).
Yeah! Go MITT!!!
Two solid golds, two strong silvers. Way to go Mitt! Now as the rest of the Republicans recognize that Mitt is the only candidate who can attract undecided voters, and beat Obama or Clinton, we can avoid the devastation of an unexperienced leader.
With respect to the Huckabee and McCain voters, let's stop pointing the guns inward. let's rally around the standard bearer and take the White House and shake it up!
What I find interesting is the evangelical/ born again crowd voted for Romney. This tells us not only are Republicans going in different directions, but so also are evangelicals. So much for the fear of a Mormon! If this group is divided, Republicans really have no chance.
A huge win for Romney! Two golds and two silvers! He now has a commanding lead in delegates and in popular vote. Romney is the man! He has the experience, leadership, and morals we need in our next President. We support you overseas!
It is sad to see someone vote for such an important office based on where you were born.
Go Mitt- finally someone that listens to the People! Changing seats with the same old people will do nothing for this country. We need to clean house!
McCain is a loser. Granted he was a POW and I respect that. But that is not a free ride to the Whitehouse even though it has kept him in the Senate. This is the man that tried to cram his McCain Kennedy bill down the throats of the American People twice! This is exactly what he would do if he was in the White House. McCain is in bed with big business, lobbyist and special interest. We need to get rid of all of these bums and take back our country. The American People are sick and tired of being ignored and kicked aside as our wages decline as well as the dollar. Our jobs are being outsourced while cheap illegal labor floods into our country from across the border. We are in hock to communist china and sit back do nothing as they send us poison food for out pets, lead painted toys for our kids. Fair trade or NO trade. We have been sold out by this administration and this DO NOTHING CONGRESS. Look a Pelosi wasn't she going to drain the swamp? Instead she just jumped into the swamp.
Romney is the only Republican candidate who will be the Democrat in November, and has the proven track record to actually do a turnaround of a big organization - which is just what Washington needs! Of the 4 primaries so far, he has won 2 and come in second in 2. The liberal talking heads & press keep trying to act like it's a campaign on the ropes, but that's just not true -- they just want to make it sound like that so they can influence voters because their scared of their precious Democrat running against Mitt. A vote for any other Republican in the primaries is a vote to put a Democrat in the White House in November.
Mitt's Victory in Michigan is simply a mandate from the voters to fix the economy. Michigan has been denied, ignored, and suffered economic hard ship for the last 3 years. Mitt Romney is the only candidate who pointed out the economy early in the Iowa Race when no other candidate did. He went into Michigan as the candidate who worked in the private business sector successfully, and was an integral part of changing a failing olympic committee into success. He was the only candidate who pointed out Michigan's horrible economy, and provided relief to the voters that there is hope if he gets elected to change around Michigan. The United States is now in an economic down turn as Michigan has been for the last 3 years. Mitt will win any and all states that are in economic hard ship currently and that is most of the country. The republican candidates and democrats will say this victory is a fluke and that he only won because of his long history and roots to Michigan. But, the TRUTH is.... It's the ECONOMY STUPID... AND, the country will prove this when Mitt is the next President of the United States.
@ ash - there have been 4 and Mitt has won 2 of them (did you forget he trounced everyone in Wyoming & nabbed some good delegates there too??).
correction on my earlier post: Romney is the only Republican candidate who will BEAT the Democrat in November....
There's a difference between being an optimist, and telling people what they want to hear simply because it is easier. Guess what - American manufacturing jobs ar enot coming back. That is not where our country has a competitive advantage. What it really means is that instead of embracing change and finding out a way to make it in the future, people are clinging to the past because they are afraid.
Hey, Mitt! The "comeback" line now belongs to HRC, who used it last week. Yours should have been something along "native son" though I doubt that you'll win the next primaries.
Watch for people to begin gravitating to Mitt Romney as they recognize he is the best candidate to unite the GOP base. Note carefully that in Michigan Romney beat McCain among registered Republicans by a whopping 300%. That should clue everyone in that Romney will carry the GOP base. Michigan has lit the fire that will lead to Romney's nomination. People want a winner, and Romney is a winner.
Oh yeah I guess tears works for men too.
Mitt Romney - the man with a plan!
@Brig: So, so far 50% for Romney, is some direction. Thanks for correction, and at least up to this stage some direction is there. Let us see what next?
How aboujt a McCain-Obama ticket or even a Obama-McCain ticket? I would vote for either one (submitted by a lifelong Republican fed up with Washington politics).
" Romney told supporters in the Detroit suburb of Southfield. "Only a week ago, a win looked like it was impossible, but then you got out and told Americans what they needed to hear."
Seems Mitt's pretty good at doing that himself (see his stances on abortion and gay rights in Mass. versus where they're at now). He's a flip-flopper of the greatest extreme.
I'm an independent liberal supporting Obama and my biggest fear from the GOP is McCain. Actually, my biggest fear in general is HRC. If she wins the Dem nomination, I'd consider a vote for McCain, but there's not a snowball's chance in Hades I'd cast a vote for Romney.
After what the media and GOP did to Kerry in 2004, which was really nothing more than a twisting of his words, what do you think the Dems and media would do to Romney in the general? Some 527s would be cashing in, no doubt.
Wow, what a primary! The most consistent leader in the votes has been Mitt Romney with 2 second place finishes and 2 first place finishes. With Romney's experience in business he's clearly the best candidate to address our economic problems. Good luck in South Carolina!
HEY!!!! CNN,Mr Blitzer and Mr Cooper its ROMNEY,S second win,he got Wyoming last week, HELLO ! you guys and ladies wake up in the news room!!!!!
If Romney were a race horse, I'd keep betting on him. He's always showing and placing.