Revisions/extensions (1:30 pm 2/7/2008) – My commentary focused on the way the campaign blindsided its supporters. Jim Geraghty, who focused on the speech itself, is correct in saying that the speech is the way to have gone out.
I remarked on my semi-live (well, it was live until the cable started going) Romney drops thread, “‘What a welcome’ as he gets cheered. Guess the crowd didn’t get the memo.” Jonathan Garthwaite confirms they were “blindsided”, and fills in some more details:
In the half-hour before Romney’s speech, his supporters were gearing at their booth area for their big moment as Romney was slated to speak at 12:30pm. They grabbed foam “mitts”, noisemakers and signs and marched down to the ballroom where they expected Mitt Romney to give a “fight to the convention” speech. Because security was so tight due to the Vice President’s speech this morning, most headed into ballroom early and listened to Laura Ingraham’s strong defense of conservative values in the face of a McCain nomination and introduction of Romney. They had no idea what they were really going to hear.
Brilliance, Mitt. Sheer, unadulterated brilliance! Rush is also hammering on this (I’m on an hour delay).
If they do any more than a media leak, the speech itself would receive no coverage. The message he delivered was good, as you admit.
This was the best way to do this, once the decision to suspend the campaign was made.
If the room knows you’re withdrawing/suspending whatever, 1) you get a smaller room, 2) you don’t get the same response, 3) you get zero coverage of the speech.
That’s why I’m not a pro :-)