Conservative Leaders Privately Favor Romney

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Conservative Leaders Privately Favor Romney

Monday, 11 Jul 2011 03:12 PM

By Ronald Kessler

 

 

In the stock market, it’s known as the whisper number. It’s the stock market analysts’ consensus on what earnings a company will report. Because they give their forecasts anonymously, the analysts tend to be more honest. Over time, the whisper number has proven to be more accurate than the figure analysts cite on the record.

In politics, it works the same way. When speaking publicly, conservative leaders usually hedge their bets. They don’t want to be seen as favoring one candidate over another.

In private, it’s a different matter. In those off-the-record conversations, a range of conservative leaders I have chatted with favor Mitt Romney for president.

In public, conservative leaders invariably speak well of Sarah Palin. They cite her loyal following and her ability to whip up crowds and articulate a conservative message. In private, they diss her for her high unfavorability ratings, the fact that she quit as governor of Alaska, and the disorganization of her staff and her chaotic personal scheduling.

An exception to the rule of silence is David Keene, former chairman of the American Conservative Union, who just took over as president of the National Rifle Association. In an interview, Keene says Palin is not ready for a run at the presidency.

Unlike former governors such as Romney, Ronald Reagan, or George W. Bush, Palin did not establish her credentials before leaving office, Keene has told me. Whining about the media is not a winning strategy, Keene noted.

To be sure, each potential candidate has flaws. But conservative leaders I have talked to see Romney as the best bet to win the presidency. He looks and acts presidential. He has the experience and chops to handle the economy. He takes a tough approach to dealing with foreign adversaries. And traditionally, Republicans who win the presidency have run previously for the office.

Read more on Newsmax.com: Conservative Leaders Privately Favor Romney