Romney on a roll

Golden state GOP embraces Yankee aura | Hugh Hewitt

The third week in August found three would-be 2008 GOP nominees campaigning for contributions and friends in Orange County, Calif.: Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, his Virginia colleague George Allen, and Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.

Each has a following, and each brings significant advantages to a race that includes two other top-tier candidates, former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and of course Sen. John McCain, a frontrunner in media eyes but perhaps last in the love of his party's faithful.

Amid a gaggle of events and gatherings one stood out: a Romney event on Aug. 18 at a coast resort. Nearly 1,000 people showed up and Romney's CommonwealthPac garnered more than $1 million. The locals were stunned: Where did that come from?