Romney Makes Robocalls for Rubio and Kasich, But Did It Help?

By The Stream Published on March 9, 2016

Voters in Tuesday’s primary states got a double dose of Mitt Romney. The 2012 GOP nominee was heard on robocalls in the four primary states urging voters to support Sen. Marco Rubio. Another Romney robocall in Michigan urged voters to support Gov. John Kasich. Romney is not of a double-mind, but is singularly focused on stopping Donald Trump. A Romney spokesman told CNN that Romney offered Ted Cruz help as well.

In the nearly identical robocalls, Romney tells voters to “back a candidate who can defeat Hillary Clinton and who can make us proud.” Says Romney, “If we Republicans choose Donald Trump as our nominee, I believe that the prospects for a safe and prosperous future would be greatly diminished. And,” he adds, “I am convinced Donald Trump would lose to Hillary Clinton.”

Did the calls help? CNN suggested before Tuesday’s election that the calls from the Mormon Romney could actually have an impact in Idaho, which has a sizable Mormon population. They might also have proved beneficial in Michigan, where Romney’s father had successfully served as governor, and his family is still thought of affectionately.

Then again, a Morning Consult poll out Tuesday claims that Romney’s speech last week blasting Trump may have done more harm than good. In the wake of the speech, “Thirty-one percent of GOP voters said they were more likely to vote for Trump, while 20 percent said less likely, and 43% said it had no impact either way.” Also, Trump won Michigan anyway, by a 12-point margin, and Kasich finished third there, just behind Cruz. And while Trump did lose in Idaho, Rubio finished well back — 16 percent to Cruz’s 45 percent and Trump’s 28 percent.

Perhaps that’s why John Kasich was hesitant to give the robocalls his full-backing, even though his campaign footed the bill. ABC News reports he told reporters in Lansing, Michigan that the Romney calls were “not really” the scenario “that I would have liked.” “I don’t want somebody to think that he favored one person over me, because he doesn’t,” Kasich said. “So, you know, it’s his words, I don’t write his scripts.”

The Morning Consult poll did have one small bright spot for Romney. Five percent of those who called themselves Trump supporters said Romney’s speech made them less likely to vote for Trump.

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