In late February 2012, with the Republican presidential primaries in full swing, I told a reporter from The Hill newspaper that eventual nominee Mitt Romney should be more mindful of his words on the campaign trail, particularly as they related to immigration and unions. His divisive rhetoric, I said, could come back to haunt him in a general-election match-up with President Obama.  I went on about my day, confident I’d given an honest and accurate assessment. I had campaigned for John McCain in 2008 and saw then how the Obama campaign would dig up statements and use them at the most critical moments. And it’s not just the Obama campaign. In this age of YouTube and handheld cameras, candidates will be held responsible for every public utterance.

The Hill article archive.