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| | Mitt Romney supports the right of scientists to research on embryos created during fertility treatments.[http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2007/02/11/romneys_stem_cell_view_may_upset_the_right/] | | Mitt Romney supports the right of scientists to research on embryos created during fertility treatments.[http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/diseases/articles/2007/02/11/romneys_stem_cell_view_may_upset_the_right/] |
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| | + | ==2008 Presidential Campaign== |
| | + | As chairman of the [[Republican Governors Association]], Mitt Romney spent a lot of time in 2006 campaigning across the country for Republican gubernatorial candidates. While he did not run for reelection as governor, in 2004 Romney set up a federal political action committee (PAC) called the Commonwealth PAC, which raised 2.71 million during the 2006 election cycle. On January 3, 2007, his next-to-last day in office as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission. He officially announced his candidacy for President about a month later. Romney was the first candidate in either party to start running [[television]] and [[radio]] ads. The ads focused mainly on his record as governor, running the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, and his work as a very successful businessman. Romney's five sons have been actively campaigning for their father, traveling around in a campaign bus called the "Mitt Mobile, A Five Brothers Bus." |
| | + | ==[[Ames Straw Poll]]== |
| | + | On August 11, 2007, Mitt Romney won the Ames Straw Poll. He received 31% of the vote at the Straw Poll, a larger margin that then-[[Texas]] Governor [[George W. Bush]] received in 2000. Former [[Arkansas]] Governor [[Mike Huckabee]] came in second with 18%. |
| | + | ==Fundraising== |
| | + | Mitt Romney has done well in fund raising. During his first fund raiser as a presidential candidate, he raised 6.5 million dollars when his goal was to raise 1 million. During the first quarter Romney raised more money then any other Republican presidential candidate with $23 million. |
| | + | ==Opinion polling== |
| | + | Mitt Romney leads in all the early primary states such as [[Iowa]], [[New Hampshire]], [[Nevada]], [[South Carolina]] and [[Michigan]]. He also leads in [[Idaho]], [[Utah]] and [[Wyoming]]. However, Romney is behind Mayor Giuliani and Senator Fred Thompson by narrow margins. A poll taken August 13, 2007 in South Carolina showed Romney (17%) moving up to third place behind Giuliani (18%) and Thompson (22%), though with the margin of error all three candidates were effectively tied. |
| | + | ==Endorsements== |
| | + | ===Congressional=== |
| | + | * Former [[Speaker of the House]] [[Dennis Hastert]] |
| | + | * Senator [[Bob Bennett]] of [[Utah]] |
| | + | * Senator [[Orrin Hatch]] of [[Utah]] |
| | + | * Senator [[Larry Craig]] of [[Idaho]] |
| | + | * Senator [[Jim DeMint]] of [[South Carolina]] |
| | + | * Senator [[Wayne Allard]] of [[Colorado]] |
| | + | * Former Sen. [[Jim Talent]] of [[Missouri]] |
| | + | ===Governors=== |
| | + | * Missouri Governor [[Matt Blunt]] |
| | + | * Former Colorado Governor [[Bill Owens]] |
| | + | * [[Rhode Island]] Governor [[Donald Carcieri]] |
| | + | * Former South Carolina Governor James B. Edwards |
| | + | * Former Massachusetts Governor Bill Weld |
| | + | * Former Montana Governor Tim Babcock |
| | ==Criticism== | | ==Criticism== |
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