Romney’s Texas Coronation
Mitt Romney is expected to officially win the GOP nomination in Texas tonight, a coronation for the man who essentially secured the party’s nod two months ago.
Romney marches into Tuesday with 1,084 delegates, according to an Associated Press tally, just 60 short of the 1,144 necessary for a majority. Texas has 155 delegates at stake.
While tonight’s vote in Texas officially marks Romney’s ascent, it is also one last indignity for Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who suspended his campaign long ago and will now watch his onetime rival officially clinch the GOP’s presidential nomination in his home state.
Perry looked like a serious threat to Romney’s campaign only nine months ago, when he officially became a presidential candidate in August. Polls showed him trouncing Romney while his campaign appeared to assemble a nationwide network that could compete with the former Massachusetts governor.
But a series of infamously bad presidential debates torpedoed Perry’s credibility, and he bowed out before the South Carolina Republican primary in mid-January. The ease of Romney’s expected victory in Texas – he is not even campaigning there this week – is a reminder of Perry’s steep drop. Read more
—Alex Roarty
NATIONAL JOURNAL PRESIDENTIAL RACE REPORT
Was 2008 a Blip or the Leading Edge of Change?
[National Journal, 5/29/12] Obama’s decisive 2008 win marked the emergence of a new electoral map, and in 2012, that new map will be put to the test. National Journal’s Naureen Khan explores whether this year’s battleground, which encompasses 16 states, was a fluke arising from a nationwide outburst of discontent with the part in power, or something more permanent.
Math Adds Up to GOP Victory for Romney NEW!
[Associated Press, 5/29/12] By the end of today, if all goes expected, the former Massachusetts governor will finally have a mathematical lock on the Republican presidential nomination. Romney commented on the GOP primary in Texas, "I'm looking forward to good news."
Battleground States: Dem, GOP Strategists Weigh In
[National Journal, 5/29/12] National Journal’s Naureen Khan interviewed Democratic pollster Mark Mellman and GOP strategist Glen Bolger about this year’s election battlegrounds. Mellman says gay marriage and the auto bailout will energize voters for Obama in key states, while Bolger is explains that Ohio, Florida, Virginia, and North Carolina are key for Romney.
Romney: Obama Policies Have Hurt Coal-Dependent Areas NEW!
[National Journal, 5/29/12] Appearing in Colorado’s coal country, Romney on Tuesday sought to make the case that Obama’s energy policies have hurt communities like these – in the face of evidence indicating otherwise. Romney told a crowd of more than 800 people that Obama’s policies have been responsible for the problems in Craig, located in the state’s rural northwest corner.
Romney to Officially Clinch GOP Nomination Tuesday
[Washington Post, 5/28/12] Romney is about to retire the “presumptive” in his title. With Tuesday’s Texas primary, he is poised to secure the 1,144 delegates required to clinch the GOP nomination: Romney currently is short just of 60 delegates from that magic number; Texas has 155.
Romney to Meet with Adelson
[CBS, 5/29/12] Mitt Romney is reportedly meeting Tuesday in Las Vegas with Sheldon Adelson, the casino mogul who bankrolled the super PAC behind Newt Gingrich. Adelson had previously said he would support whomever is the eventual nominee.
Romney Campaign Hits Obama on Solyndra
[National Journal, 5/29/12] In his latest bruising Web video, Romney is hitting the president on his track record on green energy, zooming in on the solar energy company that filed for bankruptcy after receiving $535 million in loan guarantees from the government.
Trump Fundraiser Carries Political Risk For Romney
[Bloomberg, 5/29/12] Romney will join billionaire Donald Trump on Tuesday night in Las Vegas for a fundraiser just days after the real estate mogul sought to re-ignite debate about Obama’s birthplace. The appearance brings some political risk for the presumptive GOP nominee – and no real advantages. Meanwhile, the Obama campaign is hitting Romney for his ties to Trump.
Michelle Obama Cookbook: First Lady Releases 'American Grown' NEW!
[Huffington Post, 5/29/12] Michelle Obama released her new book, "American Grown: The Story of the White House Kitchen Garden and Gardens Across America," on Tuesday. The book traces Michelle Obama's first planting day at the White House just in time for Obama's re-election campaign.
Hope: The Sequel
[New York, 5/27/12] Democrats in business and politics have been concerned with the Obama campaign’s tactics in this election, fearing that this will not be a campaign of hope but of fear. By going down this road, the president risks losing his biggest asset: his likeability.
Romney: Economy Improving 'in spite' of Obama NEW!
[Politico, 5/29/12] Romney told a group of locals and bused-in coal-miners in Colorado on Tuesday, "things are getting a little better in a lot of places in this country, but it's not thanks to his policies." He claimed that Obama is looking for someone to blame in regards to the economy.
The Buzz Around Portman, the Un-Palin
[Wall Street Journal, 5/28/12] In the eyes of a campaign already famous for its methodical approach, the one thing Romney can’t afford to do is replicate his party’s 2008 choice of Sarah Palin. And if the goal is to avoid a Palin-like experience, the “vanilla” Portman is the un-Palin of 2012: His resume is sterling, and there is little chance he would hurt the ticket.
Romney’s Run Evokes Pride, Fear in Mormons
[Boston Globe, 5/29/12] For Mormons, this is a potentially volatile moment. They are proud that Romney is steps away from a nomination that could push their faith further into the mainstream, but they are also afraid that their beliefs will be subjected to scrutiny and ridicule on a national scale.
Romney and the 6 Percent Solution
[Real Clear Politics, 5/29/12] On the campaign trail and in television interviews, Romney has promised to lower the unemployment rate to 6 percent by the end of his second term. If delivered, this would almost guarantee a second term. Is this just campaign fodder or can Romney really deliver?
Romney Marks Memorial Day With Call For Continued Military Strength
[National Journal, 5/28/12] Romney on Memorial Day steered clear of partisan politics, but expressed concern over the world’s security while singling out countries that he contends pose a threat to it. Senator John McCain, R-Ariz., who, unlike Romney, is a veteran, introduced the candidate at the event.
Attend a National Journal LIVE event | Sign up for National Journal newsletters
