Romney Scores Big In Stealth Campaign

Just before announcing, Romney made hefty donations to conservative groups

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney has been lining the coffers of conservative groups whose support he'll be seeking in his presidential bid. Late last year, just two months before he announced his candidacy, Romney gave five-figure personal donations to four Massachusetts groups, David Kirkpatrick of the New York Times reports—groups to which he had never contributed before. More»

She keeps things personal, appeals to conservative base

(NEWSER) - Ann Romney’s image as a demure stay-at-home mom separates her from more "modern" First Lady aspirants – and solidifies Mitt's plan to coax Christian conservatives to the polls, the Boston Globe reports. “His message is going to be, 'Not only am I against abortion and gay marriage, but I practice what I preach," says one analyst. "And voila, look at my beautiful stay-at-home wife." More»

Compassionate- conservative act just that, columnist writes

(NEWSER) - Mitt Romney’s centrist past and anti-bigot pleasantries are belied by the hardcore conservative base he’s building, writes the American Prospect’s Garance Franke-Ruta. The Republican presidential hopeful's overtures to the middle echo those of George W. Bush's 2000 campaign—in which Bush ultimately won by relying on his social conservative base. More»

(NEWSER) - GOP frontrunners Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney are trading heated barbs over immigration, each accusing the other of a weak stance on illegals. Through radio ads and campaign speeches, both candidates are looking to rally the conservative GOP base, the Washington Post reports—though neither man has solid conservative credentials on the issue. More»

Showing could catapult GOP longshot into top echelon

(NEWSER) - Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee was a surprise winner in Iowa's straw poll yesterday when he came in a strong second, which may have catapulted him into the top tier. He pulled 18.1% of the vote to Mitt Romney’s 31.5%. Huckabee's performance is particularly impressive given that he spent almost no money on the race, report's Politico's Roger Simon. More»