It was rough going, but Mitt Romney, having run the gamut of the U.S. presidential primary process, has survived. He can now be considered the Republican Party's presumptive nominee.
From the beginning, Romney had distinct advantages over his opponents. He had run before -- and had, in fact, not stopped running since losing to John McCain in 2008. He, therefore, knew the process better, and was better prepared for the long-haul than those neophytes to presidential campaigns who ran against him.
Relying on his friends and colleagues from the world of finance, Romney had, from the outset, a huge money advantage. Not only was he able to amass a substantial war-chest for his campaign, he also had at his disposal a number of "unconnected" super-PACs which spent lavishly on advertising campaigns doing the dirty work of destroying his opponents.
Given the weakness of his competitors, Romney had the support, quietly at first but then more publicly, of the Republican establishment. This support helped his organizing and fundraising efforts. While his opponents were cash-strapped and forced to focus their resources on early states or a few targeted regions where they knew they might do well, money and establishment backing assisted Romney in pre-positioning his campaign to win in the later states in the primary process.
Finally, Romney, though not the smartest, most comfortable, or most charismatic candidate in the field, was certainly the most driven and desperate -- and it was this quality that gave him the wherewithal to do whatever it took to win. Presidential politics can be a bloody business, and this year's contest was no exception. For months Romney had been pummeled by his opponents, embarrassed at times, and forced to adopt positions that were totally inconsistent with his past record. But, in the end, Romney triumphed, destroying his detractors and competitors, while re-fashioning himself as the true conservative standard-bearer -- a not altogether believable designation.
With all but Ron Paul now out of the race, Romney stands victorious, but the price of victory has been dear. An example of this high cost was on display this week. Most of Romney's former opponents, as weird and flawed as each of them were, could not bring themselves to offer a full-throated endorsement of the man who had beaten them. Some begrudgingly acknowledged that they would support him simply because they wanted to beat President Obama in November. Others maintained that while the contest was over, the struggle over the ideological direction of the party continued. Still others decried the process as flawed, griping about big money and negative campaigns as reasons why they had lost.
In addition to being a blood sport, presidential politics can be like a disease that affects the egos of those who compete. Those who enter the fray often have a serious ego problem to begin with. Even little successes along the way only serve to reinforce this problem, until it becomes out of control -- and this year's contest was a special case.
While most Republicans were dissatisfied with Romney -- and with most serious GOPers staying out of the race -- the rather weird collection who did run, ended up playing "leap frog" with each other, each taking the lead for a time until brought down either by their own inadequacies or the withering attacks from Romney's big money machine. The result of this has been a host of embittered, wounded, and over-grown egos who may still believe that they are the better candidate.
On one level, it can be said that none of this may matter since two years from now, most Americans will be hard pressed to even recall the names of all those who ran against Romney in 2012. But Romney's problem was never with these opponents, it was with the Republican base they played to. He was never the favorite of the religious right/social conservatives -- a substantial group that constitutes nearly 40 percent of the Republican base. Nor was he trusted by the activist core who formed the "Tea Party." In fact, the reason for the "leap frogging" during the primaries was the base's desperate search for "anybody but Mitt" to be their nominee. The game is now over, and the party's base is in the process of "settling for Mitt" -- but I'm not sure that they are in love with him.
During the campaign, Romney attempted to court these hard-line voters. His inclination may now be to "reset" his positions and image so as to better compete for the support of independent and moderate voters in the general election, but to do so will expose his right flank and cause his still wary supporters and past opponents to be even less enthusiastic about his candidacy.
A battered Romney held on a short leash by his party's right wing should be good news for President Obama, but with the electorate as deeply divided as it is, national polls are telling a different story. The president, it appears, may also have trouble re-energizing parts of his base and convincing some independent voters. As a result, most polls show this Obama-Romney match-up may be as close and as bitterly contested as any in recent history.
Follow James Zogby on Twitter: www.twitter.com/AAIUSA
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 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
Romney could conduct the Presidential debates all by himself at this point, having taken different sides on so many issues.
Obama doesn't even have to show up.
Thereby Romney would already be saving taxpayer money.
I wish Hillary or some other Democrat has primaried him. With him in the election, the nation will have to endure another 4 years of W. governance regardless of which candidate prevails in November.
The anti Obama movement is stronger in the Republican party than the pro Romney but with voter ID & Democrat apathy I'm not sure if the polls mean they like the President or will they actually go to the polling booths.
My, my, I thought I told you to quit discussing your mother that way. Was this copmment directed at your father? Could not be directed at your children. I heard you are incapable in that area. Go chew on some soap.
When President Obama ran in 2008 it was historic to vote for the first black President. The problem he has today is, you can only be the first anything once. Now he's just another politician asking to give him another chance.
I'm afraid the bloom is off the rose! The fire that was evident in 2008 will not return nor will the voters.
Romney is such an evil self serving toad of a cult loving alien worshipper that I can utterly understand why he is loathed so. At least Obama can sing!
The other factor the race card will favor Obama for I see him getting 99% of the African American voters and perhaps 80% of the Latino votes.
Joseph Foster, Author ‘’Seeing Red’’ ‘How America is losing the future’ Available at: http://www.amazon.com/Seeing-Red-Joseph-Foster/dp/1613468121/ my blog Stand Up For America! – Seeing Red; http://boblupoli.blogspot.com/
Their reward for this attitude is that their politicians don't take them seriously either. A politician spends the majority of his/her time chasing money ($15,000/day for the average congressman) while the lobbyists spend their time dodging politicians with their hands out. The party tells them how to vote and provides verbiage to defend their position.
But fear not, recovery from the failure of the Western economic model is just around the corner.
And, after he flips it over and shakes it, he'll discover that, this time, it simply doesn't erase...
But liberals, young, and some minorities might not vote in large enough numbers.
2010 election was a great example of this.
Republicans hate Obama, more that they dislike Romney.
Why? According to the most recent campaign disclosures, the pro-GOP powerhouse PAC has only spent about $1 million on advertising so far this election cycle. That $1 million is a drop in the bucket considering the $100 million Rove’s team has already raised, much of it from billionaire donors and their companies. They plan to spend $240 million in total in the run-up to the election, by far the most of any other independent groups — at least, any that’ve spoken publicly about their budgets.
There are other reasons Team Obama should be concerned about the power of Rove’s super PAC, aside from its massive war chest.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/clareoconnor/2012/04/27/how-karl-roves-billionaire-backed-super-pac-will-be-election-game-changer/
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2012/02/22/unions_gearing_up_to_spend_big_in_2012_election_113211.html
"Unions say they are gearing up to spend more than $400 million to help re-elect President Barack Obama and lift Democrats this election year in a fight for labor's survival."