Mitt Romney ignores Etch-A-Sketch for ‘winning and delegates’
It was the elephant in the room, but Mitt Romney never paid it any mind.
In his first campaign event since winning Tuesday’s Illinois primary, the former Massachusetts governor talked about his endorsement from former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, his wedding anniversary, and what he hopes will be the general election fight with President Obama.
Never mentioned was a childhood toy that has suddenly come to represent, in the minds of his critics and GOP rivals, at least, the insincerity of his conservative beliefs.
It was Romney’s top spokesman, Eric Fehrnstrom, who compared the general election to an Etch-A-Sketch, suggesting the would-be nominee could pivot away from positions he took in the primary battle that could prove toxic among a more moderate electorate.
In turn a top Santorum spokesman, Alice Stewart, showed up outside Romney’s kick-off event ahead of the April 3 Maryland primary, handing out miniature versions of the toy to reporters.
“It’s just a way to demonstrate how unfortunate it is for the Romney campaign that they acknowledged our worst fears. They acknowledged the fact that his credentials aren’t true to his core; they’re not something that are solid like Rick Santorum,” Stewart told a gaggle of reporters.
In his remarks, Romney preferred to draw a contrast with Obama, who had traveled west to talk about his energy policy.
Referring to the president’s planned stop in Oklahoma to mark the start of construction on a portion of the Keystone Pipeline, Romney compared it to the “Bridge to Nowhere,” because it doesn’t connect to Canada.
“If his poll numbers go a little lower, of course, we’ll be able to get the other half of it done. So let’s get those poll numbers down so we can get a pipeline, get some energy in here,” he said to an overflow crowd outside an American Legion Hall just outside of Baltimore.
Arbutus is the home town of former Maryland Gov. Bob Ehrlich, who like Romney served a single term from 2003-2007. Romney’s top backer in the state, he dismissed any potential fallout a campaign aide’s remark may have.
“Right now we’re loving what happened in Illinois; we’re looking at next week’s states for a big delegate victory. This campaign is only about delegates right now, winning and delegates,” he said in a brief interview before the event.
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