Judd Gregg Felt Sidelined By Romney Campaign's Ego, New Book Claims

According to a new biography of GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, former Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) felt pushed aside by the former Massachusetts governor's 2008 campaign, citing his staff's "ego" and an aversion to outsiders.

"The Real Romney," a new book by Boston Globe reporters Michael Kranish and Scott Helman, reveals that Gregg, who had been acting as Romney's national campaign cochair, felt sidelined by a campaign team who believed Romney had the New Hampshire primary all locked up.

[Gregg] felt out of sync with the campaign of which he was national cochairman. He appeared at some events and sometimes introduced Romney, but he was otherwise mostly shut out of the decision making. The Romney campaign "didn't want me or my organization to do anything," and, he said, he didn't try to push his way into the inner circle. Asked why a campaign wouldn't take advantage of one of the most experienced political operations in New Hampshire, Gregg responded with a single word: "Ego." He explained, "In these campaigns, people tend to be very resistant to outsiders. So my decision was not to get involved in how to run their campaign because they didn't appear to want to know."

Gregg, who has also endorsed the former governor for his 2012 campaign, told Kranish and Helman that he was "shocked" by the campaign's hubris during a meeting in Boston a few weeks prior to the primary.

Settling into a seat in a conference room, Gregg listened to Romney's advisers describe how easily the candidate was going to win the New Hampshire primary and the nomination. Gregg was shocked. From his years of experience, he knew all too well how a candidate could gain or lose twenty polling points in New Hampshire in a matter of days, earthquake-type shifts that depended on momentum and emotion.

In the days following Romney's victory in New Hampshire on Tuesday, he has made several media appearances, including an interview with Fox News in which he defended Romney's corporate record.

 

 

Comments

[macapple8]

12:41 PM on 01/15/2012

The reason why Romney did not let the Gregg machine involve it self in decision making was simple. Since 1964 the candidates that the Gregg family backed almost always lost. They backed Regan 76 and Ford won. They backed Bush in 1980 Reagan won. They backed Bush II and McCain won. Judd won many a campain in New Hampshire but they lost or backed many loser in the New Hampshire Primaries. In this last primary we never saw Judd .In New hampshire we only saw Sunnunu probably becasue Judd is being bashed for his lobbyist connections. Oil Interncontinental Exchange. OIL . A company asked to leave the USA by Congress in 2006. Hired by Goldman Sachs .BANK .After he was only 1 of 6 Republican Senators that voted for the TARP bailout which made billions for GS. Now as the Defense Budget is changing to more a high tech security future Judd just joined a company that is all about high tech security that is getting government contracts. Embarrassing is the only word i can describe.You may win a few elections but someone like Senator Gregg is all about greed not something Mitt really needs more of.

[hearmeloudandclear]

07:53 PM on 01/14/2012

Judd --- his ego will be quite altered after he losses to President Obama; then you can renew your friendship in earnest. He's on "cloud 9" for now.



OBAMA in 2012 - VOTE !

[nana-anne]

03:19 PM on 01/13/2012

Oh Gregg, just move over because there will be a lot more joining you. Romney has a Bain Mafia, who will get first dibs on prime positions.

[butchie65]

01:53 PM on 01/13/2012

Judd seemed to like him when he was on C-Span/ Washington Journal the other day. He did get his rear kicked a few times from the callers.

[TSRVT]

01:12 PM on 01/13/2012

Aww, poor Judd. You lie down with dogs you wake up with fleas,