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Mitt gets passionate
BY ADAM REILLY
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TUESDAY, AUGUST 31, 2004 -- Say what you will about Mitt Romney, but when you see him in action in Massachusetts, the governor doesn't usually come across as passionate. Cheery, yes -- often annoyingly so. Earnestly combative, yes. Perpetually on-point, yes. But passionate? That's not really our Mitt. Put him in New York, though, and it's a different story. Maybe Romney knew that with fellow Republican up-and-comers like Rudy Giuliani enjoying their own buzz during the RNC, he had to show a little something extra Monday night. Or maybe it was the influence of the ominously twitchy Joe Piscopo, who seemed to be edging toward a full-blown 'roid rage as he worked his way through a set of Frank Sinatra covers. Either way, the Romney who addressed the crowd at a "New England Clambake Honoring Governor Mitt Romney and the Massachusetts Delegation" Monday evening (oddly, no clams were served, but there was some delicious salmon) seemed a different being than the one who plots "reform" from his corner office on Beacon Hill. After a series of glowing introductions, Romney took the podium on the flight deck of the U.S.S. Intrepid -- with a great big flag directly behind him, natch -- and plugged George W. Bush and his own conception of this country with more gusto than he usually musters up for Bay State businesses. "There is something about America -- something about the spirit of America that longs for freedom," Romney proclaimed as he neared his speech's climax. "This is a nation of great spirit and energy and passion…This is a president who is a true leader, who draws out the best of the American people." By this point Romney's face was red, he appeared to be short of breath, and his voice had approached a full-fledged shout. Then Romney took measure of Bush's response to the terrorists who attacked New York on September 11, 2001. "He turned around and took the war to them -- where they live -- and we are winning it!" Now it was a full-fledged shout, and Romney's zeal --much like our president's -- seemed tinged with anger. The Massachusetts Republicans in the house liked what they saw. "The governor was great," Doug Stevenson, one member of Romney's slate of Republican legislative challengers, said afterward. "He's a true inspiration, both to all of us in Massachusetts and to folks all across the country." Breda McCarty, a guest of the Massachusetts delegation, was similarly effusive. "I thought he was fabulous," McCarty said. So, did Romney's performance conjure visions of a 2008 presidential run? "Absolutely," McCarty responded. "If he doesn't run, he should. We'll have to recruit him. He will be president -- if not in 2008, in 2012. The country needs him." But not everyone succumbed to the charms of Passionate Mitt. Asked if Romney could beat out Giuliani for the 2008 Republican nomination, one middle-aged New Yorker (who declined to give her name) didn't miss a beat. "No," she replied. "How can you go against Giuliani? Think about it. What does Romney have behind him? The Olympics?" She paused briefly, to let the point sink in. "He needs a little more seasoning." Quick, somebody get that woman a copy of Turnaround. Rob Gray -- the high-powered Massachusetts political consultant and close Romney associate -- had a different take on the governor's performance. "He's a strong speaker -- he always has been -- and I thought it was well received," Gray said. "I don't know what else to tell you. It was a party. At least he didn't sing. But then again, Joe Piscopo did."
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