Mitt Romney talks about the economy, tea parties and the future of the Republican party

A few minutes before Mitt Romney spoke to conservative donors at a dinner hosted by the Young America's Foundation conference in Santa Barbara this month, he made a surprise appearance before a roomful of student attendees who had been squeezed out of the dinner due to lack of space.

"Hey, everybody!" he said. "Ho! Ho!"

The 200 or so young conservatives cheered. "You are a good American!" one young man shouted.

For a few minutes, the former Massachusetts governor bantered with the crowd with the ease of a stand-up comedian. He fielded questions about the economy -- "It will get better"  -- and the 2012 presidential election.

"Are you running?" someone asked.

Romney laughed. "I'm running up the stairs," he said.

Romney, who sought the Republican presidential nomination last year and lost to Arizona Sen. John McCain, is widely seen as a front runner in the race for the 2012 nomination. Although he hasn't announced his intentions, he spoke like a candidate at the conference, seeming eager to impress the deep-pocketed donors in attendance.

The Young America's Foundation aims to groom high school and college students to be future leaders by exposing them to the conservative philosophies that organizers say are missing from many classrooms. Last weekend's conference brought nearly 300 high school and college students to the Reagan Ranch Center, where the foundation is based, for a series of lectures.

A website tracking potential candidates for the 2012 presidential election reports that...

...Romney's political action fund raised $440,000 in October. The website, race42008.com said Romney's Free and Strong America PAC has raised more than $3 million so far this year. 

Interestingly, the site also compared Romney's fundraising numbers with those of two of his likely opponents in the primary, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

As of July 1 of this year, Romney had raised $1,908,000, Palin, $733,000, and Huckabee, $304,000, the website reports.

During the 2008 campaign, some conservatives said they were hesitant to vote for Romney because he was perceived as being liberal on some social issues.

On Friday, he seemed determined to overcome that impression.

In his speech, given in a room filled with more than two dozen pictures of President Ronald Reagan, Romney gave a shout-out to the tea party protesters and spoke about his new book, "No Apologies: The Case for American Greatness." (It is slated to be released by St. Martin's Press in March.)

He also said the Republican Party needed to build support among young people, women and Latinos. "We need to make sure they know there are conservatives and that we are right," he said.

-- Kate Linthicum

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File photo: Mitt Romney. Credit: Associated Press. 

Comments

[Amy]

I love Mitt Romney! He'd be the strongest presidential candidate, and more importantly, the best president. I hope he runs!

[R.I.P. GOP]

A speech regarding the future of the GOP would be brief, more along the lines of a comment. Here is a single worded appraisal of the tea baggers future relevance....
Defunct.

[RL]

Romney was far and way the best candidate in '08 for the presdiency and it took some coordinated bigotry to keep him from getting the nomination.

The whole republican party was like a deer in the headlights at the RNC. We were all like,"Is John McCain really our nominee . . . . serious?"

I'm hoping that Mitt will make another run and can get the well deserved repulican backing that he didn't have at all in '08 and would have had the nomination if it weren't for Huckabee cavorting with John McCain.

Sorry . . . enough with the rant. I think so far the policical environment is shaping up to be very much in Mitt's favor. Obama buyers remorse is only just beginning to set in . . . . before long it will be disdain from the populace. Look for a HUGE voters revolt in 2010 and another big conservative push in 2012.

"Things will get better" as Mitt says.

[Huckapedia]

2012 Presidential Voting Results as of Nov 19, 2009:

1st place - Huckabee 79%
2nd place - Romney 9%
3rd place - Palin 8%
4th place - Gingrich 1%
5th place - Jindal 1%

Mike Huckabee is light years ahead of the competition. Huckabee Fans are energized, their gigantic network keeps on expanding, thousands of Fans, 50 States and 427 Counties is growing daily. Success is not measured by money, it is measured by perservance.

Check out the World's Largest 2012 Presidential Fan Club, just google the words: Huckabee Fan Club

[Paul]

Sorry, we don't need any liberal, RINO, shape shifting, daddy worshiping ideological lightweight with yet another unreadable ghost written, dull, hackneyed tome.

Mitt, you, your dad are not, and have never been conservative. You are a lightweight opportunist.

For someone with a double Harvard, to not know Hyack, Friedman, Von Mies is pathetic.

The elderly, slow, unresponsive, big spending, big tax Republican Party is already full of attractive, clean, family airheads with spines of jello.

I'll be voting for Palin. She'll kick your arse. Mitt, meet fork. You're done. Toast. Soooo Yesterday.

[Rowles]

Mitt Romney by far has the greatest ability and capacity out of any potential candidate. To compare Palin or Huckabee to Mitt is ludicrous. GO MITT!!

[NMBB]

huckabee 79 % ?

Where was that vote at the first Baptist church?

[Kyle]

Mitt is the ONLY...I repeat...ONLY candidate that can win in 2012 against Obama. Huckbigot is a religous bigot and he only stayed in the race last year because he HATES mormons...just ask him. Huckbigot also has zero, ZERO economic experience....remember that the Huckbigot fans will never bring this up, but its very true...Huckabigot...RAISED TAXES IN ARKANSAS MORE, ALOT MORE, THAN HE LOWERED THEM.

Now, as for Palin...her hearts in the right place, but her brain was left in the artic cold of Alaska...she is seen as a quiter...has vertually no economic experience, and the media will continue to portray her as a ditz.

That leaves Romney. HE is conservative, STRONG, STRONG, STRONG, ON ECONOMIC MATTERS, and he is going to make the country move back in the direction that Reagan did. What people dont remember is Reagan was for abortion rights as well, and later...after having been educated on it, changed his mind...yet republicans never claimed he was a flip flopper. The same goes, or should go, for Mitt Romney. He may have been for abortion rights at one time, but he has been educated and is now...ANTI-ABORTION. Stop the flip-flopping argument because it just doesnt work.

If republicans, and CONSERVATIVES FOR THAT MATTER, want to win in 2012...and regain the White House...WE MUST GET BEHIND MITT ROMNEY.

ROMNEY/PERRY in 2012!!!

[MK in Arizona]

I watched Romney's speech to the Young American's Foundation and was impressed beyond belief. He only had a few notes to follow and was able to discuss all sorts of subjects with detailed knowledge and was able to answer questions quickly and precisely because he actually knows what he is talking about and doesn't have to try and talk around the subject with flowery words like Obama does and with every word written out on a teleprompter.
And, Paul, you have to be kidding me about Sara Palin! I just cringe every time I see her being interviewed because she can only handle a few talking points and can only touch them on the surface because she just doesn't have the knowledge and experience to discuss things in detail. If the Republicans nominate her then we might has well crown Obama president for another term!

[Helena]

Mitt is by far the most COMPETENT CONSERVATIVE available to run this country and to beat Obama.

If anything, people have hopefully learned that the WHITE HOUSE is no place of on-the-job training.

Those who thought an inexperienced new senator who never ran a business or a state could run the whole free world were sadly mistaken.

Mitt Romney -- a grown-up and a proven leader -- the perfect antidote to the Obamanation mistake.

[Daryl]

Mitt Rocks!!!

[Helena]

Palin won't be running, Paul. Her neagtives are too high and that's not going to change.

She'll be taking over Oprah's TV spot when Oprah retires. Palin's background and strength is in broadcasting and communications, not policy and presidential duties. She will be a fabulous spokesperson for common man values on TV.

[crystalf]

Paul: you have a great knack for comedy - get a stand-up routine, you'll go far -
Huckapedia: great, scientific poll - done on HucksArmy site, no doubt? With all of Huck's "fans" voting; what is telling is how many voted for the other candidates. "Rock Stars" have "fans" - that's the last thing we need to fix the economy & international errors being made by this administration. That's where we are right now .. Experience has to be the key & no one else has the same "on point" experience for fixing economic problems like Mitt. And he has plenty of supporters .. that actually are willing to put hard-earned cash behind the candidate that makes sense.

[Vari]

Would somebody please keep Huckapedia off these sites so he quits posting his absurd comments? I see this clown popping up all over these posts with Huckabee Fan Club information. It has nothing to do with this article and Huckapedia's latest "poll" is outrageously a lie. Huckabee is the ring leader of this circus. So I ask...do we want a circus leading this country come 2012 or a proven sound record? I'll go with Romney

[E-Dawg]

Romney is the most qualified person in the nation to be President. He would do a great job. I believe he really thinks his experience will help lead the nation. Obama, Palin, Clinton, Huckabee, Pawlenty-theres nobody that can match Mitt. I voted for Obama during the first time I could vote, but I hope Mitt runs. Hopefully the flat out lies spread about him and the bigotry don't foil him. His personal life is in order too, unlike everyone elses. (Obama should really set a better example by quitting smoking...)

And enough with the RINO CRAP! Why don't you name callers just start your own party with Sarah Palin and she'll choose who can be a member.

ROMNEY 2012

[ABRanteweia]

It is absolutely true that Mitt Romney is a good American. He is tirelessly working for the American people and particularly for the Republican Party. Go Mitt go and he is the one that can beat Barack Obama in 2012

[IAmForLiberty]

Go Mitt!

[Les Anderson]

Mitt Romney is way ahead of any Republican.....he is a businessman, not a politician...that's what we need him.....and by 2012, more than ever! He will have the best people on his staff, from both Parties. One of his top advisors is a female Democrat, and she eats nails. Not only will he not take a salary, he'll run for President in 2012 & 2016, and then go home! If you can be Governor of "Tax-of-Two-Shits" (Mass.), with 9% Republicans, you can be President. Former Ark. Gov. Huckabee is done......he is the Governor who released the killer early.....the one that just killed four police officers. Plus Huckabee, a minister?......does hate Mormans!! What a sad man..he reminds me of former Pres. Carter.

[Missouri Conservative]

I tried to explain how Huckabee was soft on crime during the primaries. He granted more clemency than all the states surrounding Arkansas combined with 1/20 of the population. The Drummond(rape) guy he pardoned only came up to Missouri this time to both rape and murder. Huckster has yet to apologize to her family. Well if you thought Dukakis and Willie Horton ads hurt Dukakis, imagine how the Dems will spin the Huckabee pardon on Maurice Clemmons, the same one who shot four Seattle police officers in cold blood. The man being sought by police was granted clemency by former GOP Arkansas Mike Huckabee despite his violent history and vehement protestations from prosecutors and victims’ family members.

He was most recently in jail for alleged second-degree rape of a child.

True conservatives are not going to support someone who has yet to accept any blame for his pardons, only to cast stones at the prosecutors. There are four police officer families grieving wishing that for once Mike had really "done the right thing". You could almost make that the title for a book :)
Check this out for more details

http://michellemalkin.com/2009/11/29/violent-felon-granted-clemency-by-huckabee-now-sought-in-lakewood-wa-police-ambush/

[gobears]

The Santa Barbara YAF conference speech was very interesting. There are videos of this speech on the internet.

I hope that the Repubs can be smart enough to choose intelligent and articulate people like Mitt, Meg, and Carly in 2010 and 2012.

Sarah is a nice person, but she isn't much more qualified to be US Pres than "Joe the Plumber". Barak was a Senator longer than Sarah was a governor.

[Araceli/Latinos with Mitt 2012]

Go Mitt. There is not a better candidate than Mitt Romney who can beat Obama.
I:m glad the people are getting to know him and understanding what we need in America: a True Conservative of Freedom and a True Leader.

[Mitzi]

tea baggers future relevance....
Defunct.

Posted by: R.I.P. GOP***does it really make you feel like a great compassionate human being calling: Senior citizens, veterans, military, and people generally concerned with the well being of our country, people that have bravely served our country...Tea Baggers? So sad is the party of the dying liberals that they have to sink to calling the elderly names...yet I wouldn't expect anything less.

[Kevin]

Romney 2012!

[Roy House]

The Top Three:
Hucklebee- is not trustworthy. He comes across as a con-man, snake-oil selling televangelist. That 79% poll is a sad joke.
Palin- has the right instincts. I would vote for that doll over anybody but Romney.
Romney- continually grows better. He is definitely the Alpha-Dog of the Republican sled. Sorry, Sarah. (Note to Sarah: Please run for VP again. 'Romney-Palin'. Nothing could beat that ticket)!

[richie garbo]

MITT ROMNEY WAS THE MAN FOR ME IN 2008 AND HE IS THE MAN FOR ME NOW!!!! FUTURE PRESDENT FOR 2012.