Posted on 04/03/2012 8:56:15 AM PDT by throwback
Last week was a pretty good one for Mitt Romney. He moved ahead of Rick Santorum in the polls in Wisconsin. His lead in national polls of Republicans increased as well. And he continued to get prominent endorsements from star conservatives like Marco Rubio and Paul Ryan, indicating a party moving in his direction. But despite all this encouraging news, there was a cloud on Romney’s horizon: his terrible approval ratings.
How terrible? According to a new ABC News-Washington Post survey, only 34 percent of Americans view Romney favorably (“the lowest for any leading presidential candidate in ABC/Post polls in primary seasons since 1984”). And 50 percent of Americans rate Romney unfavorably—that’s higher than any unfavorability score Obama has received ever.
Needless to say, this is not what you want to hear when you’re still busy courting your party’s most extremist voters in an effort to nail down the nomination. In fact, Romney’s record-low ratings probably have a lot to do with this year’s extended primary. John McCain, for example, was doing much better at this point in 2008, with a 54-40 approval/disapproval rating—but he had already won the nomination. According to ABC/Post, Romney’s unfavorability score has been exceeded “by only one top candidate in 28 years, Hillary Clinton in 2008.” It’s no accident that the past candidate who actually exceeds Romney’s unfavorable is Clinton, who was also still in a highly competitive nomination contest at the end of March.
A big part of Romney’s problem, as ABC’s Gary Langer explains in his analysis of the new poll, is that “core Republican voters” don’t much like him—in sharp contrast to Obama, whose troubles with the Democratic base seem to be over:
(Excerpt) Read more at tnr.com ...
Good work GOPe
You have handed the nomination to the biggest loser possible. Congratulations, we might see Obama and the Democrats win 40 states at this rate.
Mittens RINOmney was a vapid dork ten years ago.
He remains a vapid dork today.
He will be a vapid dork tomorrow.
The Repulsicans had better ditch this idiot and nominate a real male with real cojones soon.
After all, we’ve had enough of the mutant ninja castrata quota baby currently pretending to be a president.
Who would want the mess not to mention the media's scrutiny? Good men aren't going to step into the sludge so we get those who seek power first and foremost with little regard for the populace.
Obvious not only is the country populace divided, but clearly a demarcation line between Politicians and the Public. "Them" and "Us"....and it's broad and wide.
Who would want the mess not to mention the media's scrutiny? Good men aren't going to step into the sludge so we get those who seek power first and foremost with little regard for the populace.
Obvious not only is the country populace divided, but clearly a demarcation line between Politicians and the Public. "Them" and "Us"....and it's broad and wide.
I really doubt that the poll is manipulated. Most Republicans do not like Romney - just look at his vote totals in the primaries. Other than the Mormon bloc who is supporting Romney because of his Mormonism, is there any other group of enthusiastic Romney supporters? The low favorability ratings are consistent with simple observations and the incredibly low enthusiasm levels in the Republican Party.
Look at all the "hold my nose and vote for him" sentiments on this forum. By the time the Democrats get done demonizing Romney, half of those people will probably join us that won't vote for Romney for any reason.
“There’s no enthusiasm for Romney.”
There was little or no enthusiasm for Nixon in either 1968 or 1972 either. However, the prospect for many voters of avoiding two dyed-in-the-wool socialists like Humphrey and McGovern led to Nixon’s victories (and a landslide in 1972).
That movie is hilarious. Thanks for reminding me of the ‘Brawndo has what plants crave’ scene. It’s my favorite.
If Romney’s unfavorables are low now, wait till Axelrod is done w him. His own mother probably won’t end up voting for him. If he’s the nominee...thank you very much, GOP. You pushed a loser and the country will pay dearly.
Why should we accept this poll when we know the way the WP polling system works?
I am one of those conservative Republicans who will enthusiastically support Mitt if he’s the nominee.
That would make Newt and Santorum worse candidates than Romney.
The reality is that the vote was split between Hucksters then and Santorum/Newt voters now.
I have a hard time believing that any conservative can enthusiastically support Romney. Can you name one conservative political position that Romney has taken? If you fudge every action the man has taken, you might claim he is a moderate. If you're honest, you have to conclude that he is the most liberal Republican since Nelson Rockefeller to a major candidate.
If conservatives claims that "they'll hold their nose and vote for Romney", I don't agree but at least, they have their eyes open.
As for me and my household, we won't vote for Romney. Personally, I won't be part of surrendering the conservative movement to the GOP-E. A 10% improvement over Obama is not worth destroying the conservative wing of the Republican Party. The moderates in the Republican Party have forced Dole and McCain on us but Romney is infinitely worse. During the Reagan Revoluation, Dole and McCain were in the trenches fighting for the Gipper, even if their hearts weren't entirely in it. Where was Romney? By his own admission, he was at best AWOL and most likely was fighting on the other side.
And Newt just had to much baggage to overcome for most people.
But in the end, all that matters is ... we are going to choose as our nominee, the person that lost badly to the person that lost badly to Obama.
Which in my book is a recipe for disaster.
"Who “approved” of Romney in the first place?"
The Vichy Republicans who play along with the Fascist Democrat party and don't even want to challenge Fascist rule. How else can you explain decade after decade of democrat control of Congress with only the Newt counter attack as an exception?
Just like France after the Nazi invasion, the Vichy want a share of control over the little things, the trappings and benefits of power for themselves, and otherwise have no intention of resisting the Fascists other than to occasionally make a problem in order to dicker over the details of the Vichy share at the graft trough.
I could respond to your question, but what’s the point? My enthusiasm comes not from Romney, but from the fact that Obama is the most dangerous person who’s ever sat in the White House. As Palin suggested today, Mitt would be “infinitely” better than Obama.
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