None of this information is the campaigns, it is Justin's interpretation of events

Regardless of what you think about "Romney the candidate"... "Romney the campaign" is unmatched in its ability to execute.

Take this last week for example. Think of it in terms of a business case study, outlining the "challenge", proposing a "solution", targeting specific "benefits" and measuring "results".

CHALLENGE: Disolve concerns about Mitt's Mormonism among Conservative Evangelicals.

SOLUTION: Highlight the Governor as the only leading candidate meeting 100% of the SoCon values and win endorsements from leading Evangelicals leading up to the seminal pre-primary "Values Voters" conference.

BENEFITS: Develop day after day endorsements followed by a good showing at the straw poll giving serious momentum to the campaign among Evangelicals and building qualified talking points to address the Mormon question.

EXECUTION PLAN

2 weeks out - Lead up to the conference. Look for "Mormon questions" addressed to Perkins, Bauer, Land and others. Rely on their even-handed past dealings with this issue as a positive sign. (check, check)

1 weeks out - Letter from Mark DeMoss addressed to numerous Evangelical leaders contrasting Romney and Rudy and laying the foundation for a larger swath of backers. (check)

5 days out - First endorsement, ideally, from far extreme of the religious right showing that anyone could endorse Romney (check - Chancellor and Dean of Bob Jones)

4 days out - Letter from James Bopp, Jr. highlighting the growing movement of Evangelicals behind Romney (check)

3 days out - Talking heads start to notice the pattern. Experts concur. (check)

(reach out to blogger base for email-only campaign for the online straw poll)

2 days out - Pull out the big guns. Lengthy, detailed article by new Evangelical endorsement laying the intellectual framework in which Evangelicals can accept a Romney candidacy. (check - Wayne Grudem)

1 day out - Endorsement by an excellent conservative Evangelical coinciding with Romney's speech to the "Values Voters" Conference in DC. (check - Dr. Don Wilton).

Day of straw poll - Final endorsement before the conference ends. This time taken from another campaign. (check - Dr. Willkie founder of a pro-life effort)

Goaline: Place or show in the straw poll to drive some good press. (check - or win it :) )

None of this happens by accident. The plan is laid, the efforts set and the execution is nearly flawless. Classic Team Romney.

Labels: endoresements, Endorse, evangelicals, LDS Mormon Romney, mormonism, mormons