Romney robocalls for Marco Rubio, John Kasich prove they’re establishment
Donald Trump, Bernie Sanders and Ted Cruz have capitalized on an anti-establishment sentiment in the electorate and candidates like Marco Rubio and John Kasich have attempted to claim they’ve never been establishment. Now that former GOP Mitt Romney through his efforts behind the pair with robocalls, the label should finally stick.
Romney reportedly did pro-Rubio calls in all four states holding contests Tuesday, and recorded a pro-Kasich call in Michigan only.
“Gov. Romney has offered and is glad to help Sen. Marco Rubio, Sen. Ted Cruz, and Gov. John Kasich in any way he can,” a source close to Romney said in a statement. “He’s been clear that he believes that Donald Trump is not the best person to represent the Republican Party and will do what he can to support a strong nominee who holds conservative values to win back the White House. ”
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The robo-calls indeed are more about Trump than any rival candidate.
According to a copy of the pro-Rubio message obtained by The New York Times, which first reported the story, Romney indicates that he’s calling on behalf of Rubio and then urges voters to support “a candidate who can defeat Hillary Clinton and who can make us proud.”
“If we Republicans were to choose Donald Trump as our nominee, I believe that the prospects for a safe and prosperous future would be greatly diminished — and I’m convinced Donald Trump would lose to Hillary Clinton,” Romney reportedly says.
Kasich regularly boasts about running a positive campaign and how he does not go on the attack against other candidates, and when asked whether he supports what Romney says on the calls, he told reporters: “The situation is, you know what I’m for. I’m for the things that I know, and I have done to help lift the country. Gov. Romney’s kind of recording robocalls for everyone, and I didn’t want somebody to think that he favored one person over me, because he doesn’t. You know. It’s his words, I don’t write his scripts.”
While the Romney folks claim they’ll help Cruz, there were no calls reportedly made on his behalf, further confirming the hatred of the Texas Senator who took on Congress over the government shutdown, filibustered against Obamacare and has spoken harshly of Mitch McConnell and others.
Rubio ran on a Tea Party, anti-establishment flurry in 2010 to join the Senate, but Gang of Eight and other votes have tarnished his resume. Kasich’s long resume of government roles and liberal stances have labeled the Ohio governor as a moderate, much like Romney.
photo/ donkeyhotey
