Dan Rather helps build
the hype:
Hot tip or just so much hot air?
Two individual Republican powers on separate occasions in the past 24 hours have said, on a "Don't quote me by name, but..." basis: "Keep your eyes and ears open for Mitt Romney's convention speech Wednesday night."
Romney is Governor of Massachusetts, generally described as a moderate Republican. He's also generally regarded as thirsting to run for president in 2008.
What, if anything, he might come forward with when he speaks to the Republican faithful here on Wednesday night is anybody's guess. When a reporter circulates among other Republicans asking, "What could it be, this 'Romney surprise'?" the most common response is: "Beats me."
Whatever it is, it "may be the surprise of the convention," one of the Republican honchos added.
Your reporter's own guesses? Maybe by "surprise" these honchos mean "revelation," as in: Wait `til you see how good Romney is. Or maybe moderate Romney will "surprise" by throwing the Republican faithful an unexpectedly large dose of red meat, setting up nicely Democratic Georgia Senator Zell Miller's keynote-in-the-back as a one-two punch against Kerry.
Seems like they're hoping Romney is their version of Barack.