Obama says Romney is running

[Meeker]

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1110/on_to_the_next_vote_2bd9df6f-960e-406a-a20e-b9b261f7c6d4.html

First reference to a Republican opponent I've heard Obama make.

[Poundingtherock]

If even someone as conservative as I am agrees with what Obama is saying, Romney might as well surrender now just as he did with the MA legislature.

The better question is why did the person transcribing Obama's comments make a new sentence for him when he uses the word "and" over again and why did they transcribe out his "uhs?"

"You know, I think that -- over the course of two years, we were so busy and so focused on getting a bunch of stuff done that we stopped paying attention to the fact that leadership isn’t just legislation. That it’s a matter of persuading people. And giving them confidence and bringing them together. And setting a tone. And making an argument that people can understand. And I think that we haven’t always been successful at that. And I take personal responsibility for that. And it’s something that I’ve got to examine carefully as I go forward. You know, now I will say that when it comes to some of my supporters, some of my Democratic supporters who express some frustration.”

[Alaska Thunderfvck]

That's kind of a weird slip by Obama. I'll believe it when I see it though.

[Reaganfan]

That's kind of a weird slip by Obama. I'll believe it when I see it though.

I just watched it on YouTube, he said it.

[Mr. Morden]

http://www.politico.com/politico44/perm/1110/on_to_the_next_vote_2bd9df6f-960e-406a-a20e-b9b261f7c6d4.html

First reference to a Republican opponent I've heard Obama make.

There was also this Freudian slip back in April, when he mistakenly referred to him as "current Republican nominee Mitt Romney":

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2010/04/obama-current-republican-nominee-mitt-romney/38366/

[Whacker77]

Obama must be concerned about Romney.  This is the second time he's referred to the robot without prompting.  The first came earlier in the year when Obama said he was worried all of the tough measures he took to save the economy might doom his re-election and benefit Romney while Romney was in office.  I think the quote came from a book on Obama.

I think Romney is stiff and a flip flopper.  Still, he appears to be the only credible person among the bunch already essentially announced.

[Meeker]

I wonder if Obama is trying to make Romney into his opponent because he's decided for whatever reason that he's the one he'd prefer to face. Or maybe I'm reading far too much into two gaffes.

[Keystone Phil]

I wonder if Obama is trying to make Romney into his opponent because he's decided for whatever reason that he's the one he'd prefer to face.

Agreed

[feeblepizza]

Obama is concerned about Romney because Romney is one of the many Republicans who could easily beat him out in November of 2012.

[Alaska Thunderfvck]

That's kind of a weird slip by Obama. I'll believe it when I see it though.

I just watched it on YouTube, he said it.

Oh, I should have worded it better. I believe Obama said it, but I'll believe Romney is running when I see it is what I meant.

[Gravis Marketing]

I wonder if Obama is trying to make Romney into his opponent because he's decided for whatever reason that he's the one he'd prefer to face. Or maybe I'm reading far too much into two gaffes.

After this recent election, I'm more concerned about Romney as an opponent for Obama than I ever was before. He's a hard worker with cash and allies and he can make himself electable in the general election if people want a change. He has the right profile to be a generic R. I suspect Obama wants to shank him in the primaries by associating Romney with the Mass. health care plan so that someone less electable, like Palin or Huckabee or a regional candidate like Barber, squeaks through.

[Whacker77]

Obama should want to run against Huckabee or Palin.  I think Romney is ultimately a loser, but I can see why Obama fears him.  I still say Jeb Bush runs based on the weakness of the current crop.

[dmwestmi]

Well, he is running, isn't he? Given all of his activity in the past couple of years, it would be awfully strange if he didn't run for the nomination.

[Jayhawker]

I'd almost argue that this is good for Romney, as it tells people that the President is somewhat worried by him, as he has now mentioned Mitt on multiple occasions.

The huge difference between "Romneycare" and Obamacare is that one was implemented on the state level, while the other was implemented on the federal level. Governor Romney has said numerous times that he would not support even "Romneycare" on a federal level.

Something else: Romney really didn't have much of a say on the discussion of this bill, as Democrats control huge majorities in Massachusetts. Romney fought to implement small conservative pieces in that bill, which shows he is a true man of integrity who is willing to work with both sides. A normal, arrogant conservative wouldn't have even tried to work some conservative things in and then brag that he vetoed the bill even though it still passed. Romney may not always make the best political decisions, but he does something that very few politicians do today, and that is putting the interests of his constituents above politics.

[A dog on every car, a car in every elevator]

Mitt's running obviously.  I read this as Obama trying to push back against the FOXGOP narrative that the country rejected his  "Leftist" agenda.  Obama has, correctly in my view, instead called this a ref. on the economy.  So Obama has done 3 things to solidify his image as centrist.  Explain the stimulus and auto bailout were emergency measures not the core of his philosophy.  Explain that the so-called "socialist healthcare" was very similar to that of Romney (who even if he doesn't win the Republican nomination, will do well) and- to the chagrin of his base- signal a willingness to compromise.

[Lunar]

You guys are insane if you think that wasn't intentional

[A dog on every car, a car in every elevator]

You guys are insane if you think that wasn't intentional

Which part?

[All life is a blur of Republicans and meat.]

I wonder if Obama is trying to make Romney into his opponent because he's decided for whatever reason that he's the one he'd prefer to face.

Agreed

Why on Earth would he prefer Romney to Palin?

[fezzyfestoon]

Everybody's been texting me asking if I'm excited that he's running again.  I guess people are taking this as definite.

[Mr. Morden]

I guess people are taking this as definite.

Lol, like Obama would have some special knowledge about Romney's plans that people at major media organizations wouldn't have.

Look, Romney (like Pawlenty and a few others) has basically been running for some time now.  He just hasn't officially launched a campaign.  He will presumably make it official in a few months.  There's no reason to think that Obama of all people would know anything more about Romney's plans than that.  He doesn't know anything more about Romney's plans than you or I do.

And what does he actually say here?  "....including the Republican governor of Massachusetts who's now running for president".  That's it.  That doesn't really contain any more information that we don't already know.

[Odysseus]

This isn't Obama choosing his opponent - this is Obama acknowledging that Romney has a 99.9% chance of winning the nomination, just as McCain did in 2008, just as Dole did in 1996, and just as Bush did in 1988.

[Joe Republic]

It's funny that Romney is still seen as the frontrunner despite being virtually silent and absent from the media for over a year.

[Senator Libertas]

This isn't Obama choosing his opponent - this is Obama acknowledging that Romney has a 99.9% chance of winning the nomination, just as McCain did in 2008, just as Dole did in 1996, and just as Bush did in 1988.

Yes, just like Bob Bennett, Mike Castle, Lisa Murkowski, Trey Grayson, Sue Lowden, Jane Norton, and Rick Lazio were all 99.9% certain to win their Republican primaries.

[Communists For McCain]

Oh my gawd!  Obama says that Mitt Romney is running for president!  Quick!  Somebody call the OVERRATED SQUAD!

[Keystone Phil]

Romney has a 99.9% chance of winning the nomination

Uh...