Romney Camp Fires New Debate Coach After Concern He Took Too Much Credit For Romney's Turnaround

[Tx4obama]

Romney Camp Fires New Debate Coach After Concern He Took Too Much Credit For Romney's Turnaround

On the even of his likely win in the Nevada caucuses, Mitt Romney's campaign is airing some internal squabbles on the front page of Politico. The site reports the Romney campaign has fired Brett O’Donnell, the former aide to Michele Bachmann who came on as Romney's new debate coach after South Carolina. From Politico:

After O’Donnell was identified last week as advising Romney and then highlighted in subsequent news accounts as being one of the reasons behind the former Massachusetts governor’s improved debate performances, Romney campaign officials grew uneasy.

O’Donnell received phone calls late last week from two Romney advisers — campaign manager Matt Rhoades and informal adviser Charlie Black — where it was made clear that there was severe discomfort about how his role was being portrayed in the media and that he ought to tread lightly.

http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entries/romney-camp-fires-new-debate-coach?ref=fpblg

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Related article:

Romney splits with debate adviser credited for turnaround
http://dyn.politico.com/printstory.cfm?uuid=262CAB01-EC8A-4F22-8D65-E63FF1DD9F9D

[global1]

1. So What's The Surprise......

Romney likes to fire people - he said so.

[targetpractice]

7. Nice.

I see what you did there.

[grantcart]

15. snicker

[tooeyeten]

19. boo yah! n/t

[gopiscrap]

2. What an arrogant egotistical

asshole...he should be giving national praise to that coach...just shows once again that he views peopleonly as a product and when their usefullness is over, their expendable!

[Tx4obama]

3. There are still four republican primary debates coming up ...

February 22nd
March 1st
March 5th
March 19th
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_republican_debates

Seems like they would have kept him until the debates were over.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

5. Don't forget about the General Election debates!

He did apparently.


Oh well, good for us, right?

[Tx4obama]

6. Yep, but those are still a long time from now, not until October

2012 Presidential debates

First
October 3, University of Denver, Denver, Colorado

Vice presidential
October 11, Centre College, Danville, Kentucky

Second (town-meeting format)
October 16, Hofstra University, Hempstead, New York

Third
October 22, Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_presidential_election_debates,_2012

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. He's dumb to dump somebody who helped him with debates

He's obviously going to need some more help to go after Obama in debates but what the hell do I care how awful he debates, right?

[Tx4obama]

9. I guess the next person they hire to coach Mitt ...

will have heard about the debate coach being fire and will know that if he does too good of a job he'll get fired too, so the next one probably won't go too far out of his way to help him too much - LOL

The whole thing is bizarre.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

11. It is indeed!

We may beat them so bad in November we may actually end up feeling *slightly* sorry for them.

I am trying to envision how the GOP pulls it together enough to win in November but I just can't see it. As long as we GOTV, I think we should do quite well.

[Confusious]

30. That's the thing about dumb arrogant rich pricks

Last edited Mon Feb 6, 2012, 01:32 AM - Edit history (1)

They don't like people more competent (Which is to say, incompetent) then they are, so they end up picking people who are more incompetent then they are. So you get terrorists attacks, bad intel, worthless wars and a smoking hole were the economy should be.

[SwampG8r]

12. likely his plan

is that all others will have folded their tents before the last debate
he is beginning to have the inevitable look
but easier for us the guy resounds with america like new coke did

[TuxedoKat]

32. Yes

Not too smart, on Romney's part. If I were Newt, I'd hire him right away!

[tooeyeten]

20. his handlers and advisers

are making the decisions because they can't agree on anything.

[JDPriestly]

34. Sounds like there are some jealous, competitive types in the Romney camp.

One of Obama's strengths is that he builds a team, acknowledges and rewards their work and wins their loyalty. I don't agree with some of the people he picked for his team, but you do see a healthy amount of teamwork in the Obama administration. That may explain why he is more popular among the military brass than some Democrats have been.

Romney would not understand how to build or sustain a team. He made his money buying and destroying companies when he could have saved them by building and sustaining teamwork in them.

I don't agree with Obama on everything, but seeing what the choices are on the other side, I will be a strong member of the Obama team this November.

[WingDinger]

4. Get ready for a second Dan Quail VP run.

[Ecumenist]

10. Nose, Face Meet Knife.

The ego of these types never fails to amaze me.

[ejbr]

17. +1 n/t

[Historic NY]

13. There is another O'Donnell looking for a job...

perhaps she has some tips.

[ncteechur]

14. If I were the Obama camp, I'd hire this guy in a snap!

[ThoughtCriminal]

16. If you knew Brett O’Donnell, you wouldn't hope for that

Liberty University. He's does know how to teach a candidate how to pander to the religious-right, doomsday-cult faction of the GOP.

[tooeyeten]

18. Broadway singing coach

has been hired instead.

[Kurmudgeon]

21. If anyone wondered how Romney would preside if elected, well, there you go!

[bayareaboy]

22. What's Funny is that ...

I didn't hear much about Mr, O'Donnell telling folks that he was as good as sliced bread. But I did hear a lot from the media about Him. Could it be that Mr. Mittens is getting back at the media by slashing his own throat?

Just wondering?

I mean is this how Mitt thinks?

[Skelly]

23. Is it too much to hope for Newt to pick him up? n/t

[DallasNE]

29. I'm Not Sure Newt Would Listen To Him

Another issue with colliding egos run amok, I fear.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

24. Sounds like a pissing match

between alpha males.

[csziggy]

25. Only one ego allowed per campaign

At least for the Rmoney campaign!

[downwardly_mobile]

26. HUGE mistake. O'Donnell REALLY helped Romney.

Maybe give him a talking to, deal with the fallout of the coach being noticed (I had heard about him big time since he helped Romney perform so well in the last big debate before Florida.)

[RickFromMN]

27. I will believe O'Donnell was fired when he takes another job. Would be like Romney to fire him and

keep him on as a paid consultant, on the condition his consulting be kept a secret.

[DallasNE]

28. So Romney Also Has A Thin Skin

The good news for Romney is that the next debate isn't until roughly 3 weeks from now so he has time to get a new debate coach and things ironed out. The risk for Romney is that if he slips in the next debate it will call attention to this move and the reasoning for the move. It looks like a losing situation for Romney, if you ask me. As you might remember, Bachmann in the early going exceeded expectations but once people took another look is was over for Bachmann -- but she was well prepared in her debates. Romney's thin skin could prove disasterous.

[Pryderi]

31. Apparently Romney likes to fire people that do a good job. n't

[K Gardner]

33. LOL.. I was just getting ready to post the same thing. This is just hilarious. n/t