Posted on 01/07/2012 1:11:43 PM PST by neverdem
Mitt Romney has risen to the top of the Republican heap, and now leads by four points in the RCP Average. As little as a year ago, most observers considered this an impossible feat. Romney's poor showing in 2008, combined with the increased salience of his decision to sign a universal health care bill in Massachusetts that included an individual mandate, seemingly made him radioactive to the Republican Party.
Yet here we are today, with Romney potentially poised to wrap up the GOP nomination by the end of February. What made this possible? Commentators such as Ed Kilgore on the left and Erick Erickson on the right have focused on accidents of history. Both columns are worth reading in full, and they are correct that Romney’s likely nomination is due more to accident than to design. But they miss the two biggest accidents involved.
1) Romney has always been in second place. One of the interesting effects of the series of “anti-Romneys” who have come and gone during the campaign is that they have rendered Romney himself something of a FRINO -- a front-runner in name only. Consider...
--snip--
All this has really been the key to Romney’s success. Due to some historical accidents and bad luck for Republicans, their bench is incredibly weak. To be sure, some promising young governors and senators were elected in 2009 and 2010, but this gives the GOP a solid vice-presidential bench, not a particularly strong presidential one (something of the inverse of 2008, when everyone was scratching their heads over whom McCain could pick).
So, to paraphrase Jay Cost (and the great Stealers Wheel), Romney was left in 2012 with no one to the left of him and jokers to the right. The GOP appears to be stuck in the middle with him.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
Conservatives are fools for not demanding closed primaries, but that has to be done at the state level. If NY can have closed primaries, any state can.
I hope we consolidate behind Gingrich or Santorum, with no particular preference. Both have good points and some baggage.
If the GOP tries to stick me with R0mney, I will stick the GOP with a Constitution Party vote.
"He's not 0bama" just isn't good enough.
Not a primary vote has been cast yet (Iowa is a caucus) and Willard is supposedly the nominee? Does the author work for Bain Capital?
I will NEVER voe for Willard the Lib. I don’t care how many paid Romney shills tell me “at least he’s better than Obama!” and all the other BS the RINO establishment feeds us every time they nominate a Bob Dull/Juan McInsane squishy moderate.
NO RINOS! NO ROMNEY! If he wins the nomination I’ll write in Sarah.
I hope the rank and file of the GOP can coalesce around one of the two you mentioned or even Rick Perry. All would be much better than Romney, the one candidate that I will find myself on the golf course in November rather than the voting both.
Because the crony media is giving him the same b/j they gave the current rodent?
agreed
>>>I’m inclined to agree with the author. I don’t see Romney as the result of a cabal hatched out of the GOP establishment, whomever that’s supposed to be.<<<
The author makes a good case. One of the things that he doesn’t mention is the tendency for the Republicans to nominate the candidate who is “supposed” to be running. I remember Dole being in this category, and McCain as well. The Democrats did the same thing with Walter Mondale.
The election reminds me of the 1972 Miami Dolphins, with Obama being the football team. The Dolphins sat at the top of the weakest division in the NFL, and then proceeded to get the good luck of going up against weak teams in the playoffs. (I write this as a longtime Dolphins fan, too, but I recognize reality.) Obama might just win out of default, although I will hold my nose and probably vote for the Republican even if it is Romney.
After looking at the list, I wish the Palin had made different choices (I’m in Alaska right now, where it was -53 degrees this morning, and I’m a big Sarah fan), I wish that Michelle Bachmann had caught fire, I wish that Bobby Jindal had chosen to run, I wish that Marco Rubio had chosen to run. I wish the Republicans had the cajones to go after the left. Too bad hope is not a strategy. It is way beyond too bad that the Republicans have to confirm P.J. O’Rourke’s opinion that they are the Stupid Party.
God help us.
If you believe, as do I, that if we weaken or lose the Second Amendment which codifies and affirms our God-given right to defend ourselves and our loved ones from private – AND PUBLIC — criminals, it will pretty much be OVER here, better take the time to look at these:
http://sz0182.wc.mail.comcast.net/zimbra/mail?app=mail#41
Why Do They Want Our Guns?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j73SsNFgBO4
And let’s get over this every 4-year fixation on the beauty contest known as “The Presidential Race” and take out more of the trash still remaining on Capitol Hill. If we elected some folks with spines and cajones, they could stop a tyrant over at 1600 dead in his tracks!
I’m with you- If Romeny wins, I am writing in Sarah Palin
I’m with you- If Romeny wins, I am writing in Sarah Palin
Well of course. It all has to with the competition. Michele Bachmann vs five RINOs would be in the lead. The ‘conservative’ vote in Iowa was 50%, but it was split four ways. The libertarian vote was 22% and Romney was the beneficiary of the remaining RINO vote. That was enough for a narrow plurality.
Thank you for pointing that one out. That is the ONE reason I did not change my "affiliation" to Conservative Party because I would not be allowed to vote in the Republican Primary.
NY is weird though. On Long Island, here in Suffolk County, we still had Rudy on our ballot to vote for. In NYC, they still had Fred Thompson on their ballot (we did not).
Yeah, that’s pretty much it.
So I guess you want The Big-Eared Muzzie to put 3 more stoops on the SC?
I can fathom almost no scenario under which I vote for Romney. Ever.
Tagline
“Mitt Romney has risen to the top of the Republican heap, and now leads by four points in the RCP Average. As little as a year ago, most observers considered this an impossible feat.”
That is absurd, there was never any doubt who the establishment choice was, or who the front runner was, the only question then was if Palin could over take him.
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