Not Time for the Coronation, Mitt Romney

 

 

You can almost hear the trumpets – a coronation is about to take place.  Karl Rove and the rest of what's left of the Republican Establishment, are ready to pronounce the GOP nomination process over

Mitt Romney will win.  End of story.

The only minor wrinkle in this tidy enthronement scenario are the voters.  It would seem that contrary to the pundit chatter, the avalanche of establishment politicians' endorsements and the claims of an unassailable Romney Machine of electoral inevitability, the actual people who vote have a different idea.

Of course, Romney's Iowa “landslide,” as John McCain called it in his bizarre endorsement speech, is being leveraged in the media as the beginning of the end of the GOP race.  Yet this contest is very much in play.

Enter Rick Santorum.  By this point, the shock of having this relatively unknown figure sweep into a practical tie with the slick, well-funded Romney is starting to wear away.  Yet the contrast in campaigns, the passion against Romney that has elevated a marginal figure like Santorum to potential Romney-killer slayer, says more about Mitt's weakness as a candidate than it does about Rick's strength.

Don't get me wrong -- I think Santorum is a viable candidate in his own right.  He embodies many of the qualities that the social conservative and Tea Party wings of the GOP are yearning for.  He is unabashedly religious, articulating the Catholic Church's social magisterium with the language and passion of a true believer.  You may disagree with Santorum's positions, but it's hard to doubt his conviction.  This man speaks with genuine emotion.  He seems sincere and unpackaged. 

By contrast, Romney's very ideological “core,” as the Obama campaign's attack-line goes, is being questioned not just by the president’s surrogates, but more importantly, by voters.  While Mitt Romney won Iowa (or so it seems), the fact remains that 75% or so of voters picked someone else.   Millions of dollars of advertising could not close the deal with Iowans skeptical about Romney's true beliefs, his political philosophy or vision for America.

While pollsters report that Romney is the most electable candidate in the GOP field, nevertheless a vast majority of Republicans in Iowa voted against him. 

Add to the scenario the squeamishness of some Evangelicals for Romney's Mormon faith, and you have in Santorum a solid vessel for the anti-Romney vote.

My crystal ball is foggy at best – I got on the Gingrich bandwagon back in November – but this moment feels different.  Gone are the polls and the 24/7 analysis.  We now have real voters engaged.  If I had $10,000 to bet, I would put it on Santorum to win the nomination.

While the laundry list of Romney's structural advantages – money, establishment support, money – is daunting, in the end, Americans vote with their hearts.  They want to believe -- even in these days of cynicism and single-digit approval of government institutions like Congress -- that America’s best days are ahead, even if the path to get there is shrouded in Great Recession uncertainty and anxiety. 

The fervor that candidate Barack Obama unleashed in 2008, and its doppelganger in the Tea Party victories of 2010, shows an electorate disillusioned but looking for that leader, a Franklin Roosevelt, a Ronald Reagan, who can transform a very dark time into a brighter future.

Is Rick Santorum that man?  This weekend's duo of debates in New Hampshire, plus the moment of truth next Tuesday when voters cast their ballot, will answer the question. 

 

 

 

 

Comments




  • While pollsters report that Romney is the most electable candidate in the GOP field, nevertheless a vast majority of Republicans in Iowa voted against him. Espuelas


    It is a rare event that a candidate for anything gets overwhealming mojority of the votes.  It is quite common that political races are just that disputed contested races. 


    What really matters is that Romney won whether you like it or not.  I would prefer Santorum but I know he can never win because too many gays, Latinos and Blacks oppose a truly pro-America president.  So, Romney will have to do.


    With Barack Hussein Obama's record anyone can win no matter how many lies Democrats will come up with.   

    john_mccarran, 1 month ago | Flag
  • You can almost hear the trumpets – a coronation is about to take place. Karl Rove and the rest of what's left of the Republican Establishment, are ready to pronounce the GOP nomination process over. Espuelas


    Espuelas your hollow rehtoric want to it appear as if the Republican party is near extintion.  You are purposedly trying to diminish Republicans falsely placing the party of Lincoln and Reagan false light of irrelevance based on your own unsupported suppositions.


    Mitt Romney will win. End of story.


    Espuelas, you should admit you were dead wrong when wrongly assured that Newt Gingrich was going to be the nominee.  Admit it.


    Of course, Romney's Iowa “landslide,” as John McCain called it in his bizarre endorsement speech, is being leveraged in the media as the beginning of the end of the GOP race. Yet this contest is very much in play


    I have not hear or read that Iowa was a landslide for Romney, in fact it was pretty tight with Santorum. 


    I got to tell you though, the best thing that could have had happened to the Republican party is Obama's Presidency because it has "exposed" wide open the ineptness of liberal Democrats to lead.  Obama has worsen our economy and failed to pass any legislation that would allevialte the crisis, in fact made 3 times deeper.  Inept Obama had 2 years of absolute control of the Congress and the Senate but the poor soul lacked leadership and imagination to have done enything at all, except of course to blame everybody else but himself, but wait a minute didn't Obama say"DREAM and HOPE" and PROMISE to straight up the economy.  Didn't Obama say that he was to end the Iraqi war yet he did not, and when it came to an end it was because Bush had disposed it that way.  Your protege Obama in fact did nothing but to worsen our economic crisis.


    Also, Espuelas you of all forigners should know and admit that the culprit of the actual economic crisis was mainly created by Democrats that pushed, forwared and promoted the sub-prime home purchase loans to mainly minorities full-well-knowing that with their misery level wages could not repay those loans but Democrats promoted those loans anyway?


    Hundreds of Thousands of home purchase loans were issued to Borrowers that could not repay.  Banks didn't care because they could always reposses or foreclosed and re-sell those homes and that explains why Banks preferred foreclosure over and above modifying the loans. 


    13 Congress persons worked with Fannie and Freddie promoting no down loans and home purchase loans for ILLEGAL ALIENS using only a TIN number. 


    This corruption was NOT new though.  This started with Democrat Jimmy Carter from then on and became a cancer on our economy that escaped the Reagan administration, Clinton's and the Bushes' administration mainly because when Democrats like Barney Frank were questioned they as good Democrats would LIE and say that home purchase loan lending was in no trouble.  Republican John McCain demanded and investigation of Fannie and Freddie but fell in deaf ears.


    In short the economic crisis is due mainly to Democrats including Barack Obama he got money from Fannie and 2 or 3 corrupted Republicans as well.


    The demise of the Democrats is coming though.  The American people is fed up with Espuelas of the country and want accountability from their politicians.  The only thing that gives power to Democrats are their lies. misrepresentations and false promises of taking from the haves and freely gift it to the have nots of which too many are either immigrants.  The import of poverty must end....

    john_mccarran, 1 month ago | Flag

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