In Phila., Romney endorses Pat Toomey

Former Massachusetts Governor and 2008 Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney endorsed Republican Pat Toomey in Pennsylvania’s 2010 U.S. Senate race Tuesday, emphasizing Toomey’s focus on limiting government spending and creating new jobs to remedy the country’s economic woes.

The endorsement, however, is “not likely” to affect voters considering Toomey, according to Political Science professor Rogers Smith. Instead, it will benefit Romney in his effort to “gain the trust of the conservative base that predominates in Republican primaries,” Smith wrote in an e-mail — which could help him in a potential 2012 campaign for the presidency.

St. Joseph’s University History professor and political analyst Randall Miller agreed that the 2012 Presidential race was Romney’s likely impetus for the endorsement.

He added that Toomey would only see substantial benefits if Romney campaigns and raises money for him.

“He actually has to do something,” Miller said.

Though Toomey faces several challengers in the Republican primary, Miller said it would be a “shock” if he lost.

Miller pointed to Toomey’s reputation as a former congressman, his fund-raising ability and his name recognition as factors that will likely help him emerge unscathed from the primary next May.

“It’s not surprising that a Republican is endorsing a Republican,” said Penn Democrats president and College junior Jordan Levine, a former Daily Pennsylvanian advertising representative.

Matthew Wolfe, the Pennsylvania Republican Party’s leader of the 27th Ward — an area which includes Penn ­— said Toomey would address the dwindling job prospects faced by college students.

Toomey said at the event that expanding trade and limiting government spending would help bring the country out of its economic tailspin, which would in turn help college graduates gain employment.

He added that government subsidization of education contributes to the overall deficit.

“The more constructive thing to do would be to create good job opportunities so that people coming out of college can find gainful employment as quickly as possible,” he said, adding that “people who work hard, save and borrow some funds can find a way to get a college degree.”

Levine, however, said he thinks “a lot of people” at Penn and elsewhere are having trouble paying for college, and called education “one of the most important things government can provide.”

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.