Romney spent much of the spring and summer running a low-key general election strategy almost exclusively focused on President Obama as if he were already the GOP nominee. The former Massachusetts governor was cautious as he sought to maintain a broad-based approach and avoid the bitter primary altercations that can complicate a general election campaign.
But since then, Romney has increasingly reached out to embrace the Tea Party, including singing its praises at a recent gathering in New Hampshire and culminating in this weekend’s plans.
Some within the Tea Party movement are not ready to welcome Romney with open arms.
A coalition of Tea Party groups is planning to stage a protest event about 30 minutes before Romney is scheduled to speak at the Tea Party Express rally.
Among those planning to attend the counterevent - where protesters will hold a press conference, carry signs, and turn their backs on Romney while he speaks - are representatives of New Hampshire groups such as the Republican Liberty Caucus, the Lakes Region Tea Party, the Raymond Tea Party, and Granite State Patriots.
FreedomWorks, a Washington-based group that has been at the forefront of the Tea Party movement, yesterday pulled its staff member off the Tea Party Express bus to protest Romney’s inclusion in Sunday’s event. The bus has been making its way across the country, eventually heading to Florida, where the Tea Party Express and CNN are jointly sponsoring a GOP presidential debate Sept. 12.
“It’s preposterous,’’ said Brendan Steinhauser, director of federal and state campaigns for FreedomWorks. “Mitt Romney is not and never has been a Tea Partier. He’s just a charlatan. This movement’s been going on since the fall of 2008, and he’s never attended a Tea Party rally. He’s never reached out to the movement before.’’
