The Daily News wrote the following after former Presidential candidate Mitt Romney ripped Donald Trump and his ascendant bid for President in March 2016:
The chairman of the Los Angeles County Republican Party
watched Mitt Romney’s verbal assault on Donald Trump Thursday morning and said
the former Massachusetts governor was “slapping Republicans in the face” with
his attack on the current GOP delegate leader, who is seeking the presidency.
Indeed. The lack of leadership from the national conference should disturb a lot of people across the country.
“His is not the temperament of a stable, thoughtful leader,”
Romney declared during his speech at the University of Utah.
But, Mark Vafiades said Romney’s attack on Trump
disappointed him deeply.
“Instead of advocating for who he feels is the best nominee,
he is attacking another candidate,” Vafiades said. “Trump looks poised to win
the nomination and anything Romney said can be used against him by the
Democrats in the general election. That is not good.”
Exactly!
Romney, who lost the 2012 presidential election to President
Barack Obama by garnering only 47 percent of the popular vote, spoke for about
20 minutes - ripping Trump for his tax plan, his trade stance, his demeanor and
listed off several failed business ventures started by the real estate mogul.
 |
| Mark Vafiades, RPLAC Chairman |
He called him “a phony” and “a fraud” and said Trump is
“playing the members of the American public for suckers.”
WHAT?!
“His imagination must not be married to real power,” Romney
insisted.
He added that he would support the other Republican presidential
candidates.
“Given the current delegate selection process, this means
that I would vote for Marco Rubio in Florida, for John Kasich in Ohio and for
Ted Cruz or whichever one of the other two contenders has the best chance of
beating Mr. Trump in a given state,” Romney said.
But Vafiades said the speech could backfire by emboldening
Trump supporters in key upcoming primary states to dig their heels in and
support the billionaire with renewed fervor. Vafiades said Romney’s comments
were “insulting” to the majority of Republicans who have been backing Trump.
Indeed, the speech did backfire. Lo and Behold, Donald Trump is our President today!
Later in the day, Trump spoke in Maine and addressed
Romney’s critique by noting the former GOP presidential nominee was “begging”
for his endorsement on his way to losing to Obama.
“He let us down,” Trump said, adding “Mitt is indeed a choke
artist.”
Vafiades said Romney’s speech showed some in the Republican
establishment were out of touch with the pulse of the party. The chairman said
tearing apart other candidates only hurts the party and the individual making
the attacks. He noted GOP challenger Marco Rubio was looking strong going into
Super Tuesday, but then went on an all-out offensive against Trump and ended up
only winning one state out of 13.
This issue of leadership as out of touch with the party --this is is YUGE problem in Los Angeles County.
At least Vafiades has been listening.
“No one wins an election by making the campaign just against
someone else,” Vafiades said. “It almost seemed like Rubio was on a suicide
mission.”
Vafiades also cautioned Romney and the GOP establishment
saying they shouldn’t hope for a brokered Republican National Convention in
Cleveland because that will destroy the party.
There was no brokered convention. There is no broken Republican Party. On the other hand, the Democratic Party is completely in a shambles.
“Donald Trump being nominated is not the end of the party,”
Vafiades said. “I think it’s a myth that there will be a brokered convention.
There would be a revolt if the establishment took away the will of the voters.
If you nullify what the majority of the party wants, that would be the
decimation of the Republican Party.”
Yes! Power belongs in the hands of We the People in our desire to form a more perfect union built on an enumeration of powers.
He also said the speech will hurt Romney’s legacy.
“I respected Romney, but I think this hurts his
credibility,” Vafiades said.
Final Reflection
Mark Vafiades stood by Trump.
He stuck to his guns about the Donald even in May, at an award function of the American Freedom Alliance.
I was a little skeptical, and locally elected officials offered their dismay about Trump, and were even angry with the Chairman for his stance.
But Trump pulled it off--and won!
True leadership--stand by your values, help your party, support your nominee.
Thank you, Chairman Vafiades!
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