Romney's Worst Nightmare [the Hermanator]

Daily Beast ^ | 10/14/11 | Michael Tomasky

[freespirited]

Everyone is calling Herman Cain the new “flavor of the month” without always properly emphasizing why we’ve seen such a succession of flavors—to wit, that conservatives are desperate not to have to vote for Mitt Romney. This is the central fact so far of the GOP-nomination race, and Romney’s central problem. He has two possible ways to fix it. One is to destroy Cain’s conservative bona fides. The other is to shore up his own. Both are going to be really, really hard for him to do.

With regard to Rick Perry, Romney and his people found the Christmas gift of the absolute perfect issue. If a genie had appeared to Mitt Romney’s wife and given her the option of naming an issue that would bring down Perry on the right, she couldn’t have fabricated something more perfect than in-state tuition for children of undocumented immigrants. Tea Party hatred of illegal immigrants is pristine. And Romney’s line—a “$100,000 college discount”—was brilliant. It crushed Perry. Did you see the latest Florida GOP poll? He’s at 5 percent. And behind Gingrich. “Behind Gingrich” is a rather grave marker, the political equivalent of “less articulate than Miss Teen South Carolina 2007.”

I still don’t count Perry out. It’s a long campaign. You may have noticed that he outraised Romney in the third quarter, $17 million to $14 million. But even if Perry does claw his way back, there’s a dark spot on his soul now as far as right-wingers are concerned. I kind of admired the way Perry defended that law, but I’m hardly the target audience.

Cain, however, is an altogether trickier matter for Romney. Cain appeals to right-wingers in deep emotional ways, ways that have only a little to do with his extreme political views. Conservatives just reflexively adore businessmen. This is one of the major differences between conservatives and liberals. Liberals aren’t impressed by most business people. Big deal, liberals think; I could have gotten rich, if my goal in life was peddling more Whoppers to a populace that doesn’t need them. (Cain made his mark at Burger King before Godfather’s Pizza). Instead, I wanted to educate children or defend the downtrodden and the tortiously wronged. Liberals see a rich man and think of Balzac. But conservatives think liberals and Balzac are seditious and crazy. Yes, Romney is a rich man, too. But the problem is no one knows what he does, or did, at Bain Management. He didn’t make stuff. Cain made hamburgers and pizzas. They’re rather popular. Point Cain.

Kim Kim Foster-Tobin

Cain’s race helps him too. There can be little doubt that being black has been a huge plus for him so far. First of all, even conservatives understand he grew up facing obstacles Romney, with a rich dad, most certainly did not. (Cain’s father was a janitor.) But more than that, it’s that Cain isn’t one of “those” blacks. A right-wing black man who speaks of having “left the Democratic plantation a long time ago” supplies a jolt of emotional electricity that Romney just can’t get anywhere near.

These two factors make Cain a much tougher target for Romney than Perry was. Perry is just another pol. But Cain represents and speaks for right-wing anti-establishmentarianism, and he does it with a vengeance. Even the fact that his 9-9-9 tax plan adviser isn’t a real economist is a plus. Real economists hang out in places like Cambridge and Berkeley. Who needs ’em?

Maybe Romney will find an issue. Maybe Cain employed illegals or something. But since he’s never held office and has no public record, such attacks risk seeming personal. Unless they’re obviously serious enough to stick, Cain can wail about being persecuted because he’s an outsider and so on and emerge stronger than before.

To liberals, Obama validated their idea of America’s noblest self. To conservatives, Cain may be the best to repudiate everything that Obama America stands for.

If Romney can’t effectively make Cain less attractive to conservatives, his only other alternative is to try to make himself more appealing to conservatives. The only way to do that is with policy proposals that will placate a right-wing electorate. Those very proposals are, of course, the kind that will hurt him in a general election when he’s trying to move back to the center. And it will just expose him to more charges of inauthenticity, which will be correct and will ring true.

I’m not saying Cain is going to win. But I’m not sure he fades away so easily. Romney is probably going to have to contend with him for a while. Cain might just be for conservatives what Barack Obama was for liberals in 2008—a kind of wish-fulfillment candidate. To liberals, Obama validated their idea of America’s noblest self. To conservatives, Cain may be the best available validator of their urge to repudiate everything that Obama America stands for. He’ll more likely rise or fall on whether he has it in him to be that person, that cynosure of others’ yearnings, than anything Romney does or doesn’t say about him.

 

[Meet the New Boss]

Could such a Romney/Cain ticket have a broadly-based appeal?

The establishment hasn't yet accepted the fact that Romney has very little appeal. He is well known and yet has extreme difficulty cracking the 25% level of popularity among Republicans.

He is only popular with liberal Republicans and the MSM.

The MSM likes him because Romney looks like the physical embodiment of Wall Street and the game plan is to run against Wall Street. But conservative Republicans are rejecting Romney.

The back-up plan for the MSM was to run against Perry because he looks and talks just like Bush II. But the conservative base is rejecting another compassionate conservative who loves illegals.

Cain will be the top of the ticket. He has already talked about Jim DeMint and Paul Ryan as possible VP picks.

[srajan]

I support the Hermanator.

[Polybius]

Just curious. Does his 999 plan favor one group over the other?

Well, for one, it highly favors current NON-savers over current SAVERS.

Cain's 9-9-9 Plan totally blows off the entire subject of CURRENT SAVINGS.

The savings you have accumulated up to now will end up being DOUBLE-TAXED out the wazoo. I will be especially hit since I just retired, on my own savings, after three decades of workaholic medical practice combined with frugality and high savings.

Although a high earner, I have always been a frugal guy and a high saver. I had the top income tax rate rate of 35% last year. So, let's do the arithmetic for $100 earned and saved in December 2010 and then spent in 2014 under the 999 Plan.

($100 earned in 2010) - (35% Income rate) = ($65 left over to put in the bank in 2010)

($65 of saved money) - (9% Federal Sales Tax in 2014) = ($59.15 of left over purchasing power)

TOTAL CUMULATIVE TAX RATE ON THAT MONEY SAVED AND SPENT: 41%

Those of us born in the 1950's who were taught the conservative values of hard work, frugality and savings will take it in the shorts as our life savings will be double taxed at an obscene cumulative rate.

Those who were taught to spend like drunken sailors without ever saving a dime don't have to worry about the double taxation on their current savings because they HAVE no savings.

The 9-9-9 Plan is nothing more than a catchy pizza price sound bite masquerading as an economic plan.

Cain claims that, under his 9-9-9 Plan, "everything will be taxed only once". Yet, Cain has totally ignored CURRENT SAVINGS.

As another FReeper commented, "The 9-9-9 Plan reads like something scribbled down on a cocktail napkin after several jiggers of Scotch."

[Netizen]

Some people would rather give ‘entitlements’ to illegals, than allow for ‘empowerment zones’ that would help to revitalize poverty stricken areas, with jobs, thus reducing welfare and unemployment among its own legal citizens. Go figure.

[Netizen]

I seriously doubt that Cain would be foolish enough to pick either Romney or Perry. He already made a joke regarding Romney needing to drop his jobs bill. He then went on to say he liked Newt for the VP spot, based on a question asking them to choose from those on the stage at one of the debates.

Newt when asked by Blitzer about a possible VP spot, said he wouldn’t say no. It would probably depend on who was doing the asking though, but he has already said that he likes Cain.
Since Newt and Callista live in Virginia there wouldn’t be any logistical problem that way.

[freekitty]

That is not good.

[Netizen]

I won’t vote for Romney or Perry in any way shape or form. There I said it!

[Watchdog85]

You will not be double taxed. Without the 999 plan you would still be paying an average of 22% hidden taxes for all goods or service you buy with your savings.

22% current hidden taxes
9% 999 plan sales tax with no hidden taxes

Which would help your dollars go further.

http://www.ipi.org/ipi%5CIPIPublications.nsf/PublicationLookupFullText/A9A7AA39F78128BB86256AB700627702

[pallis]

Cain is very likely to stay on top and win this. Romney is up against the same ceiling he faced last time around. It’s a good showing, but not a race winner.

[9YearLurker]

What people miss in talking about Romney’s electability is that Obama will have a third=party spoiler such as Trump running to help him out. And far more ill-informed conservatives will choose a Trump over Romney than they would with, say, Cain at the top of the ticket.

[BobL]

“Cain is very likely to stay on top and win this. Romney is up against the same ceiling he faced last time around. It’s a good showing, but not a race winner.”

Yea, Romney only real hope now that Perry stays viable (as in 15%) and takes enough votes away from Cain to give it to him.

I don’t think Newt or any of the other candidates would do that...but not so sure with Perry or his supporters (especially after tonight).

[wastoute]

I believe you are correct. We have “been here before”. We (at least I) always blamed the little guy with the big ears. Really, it was the GOP’s fault for pushing a RINO. The establishment GOP would rather lose than produce a real conservative candidate.

[HiTech RedNeck]

In other words, prices would ease.

[Watchdog85]

Yes, I had show evidence otherwise someone else would say “How do you know the prices would go down?”

[Savage Beast]

And not just Romney... Note tagline.

[Seaplaner]

What people miss in talking about Romney’s electability is that Obama will have a third=party spoiler such as Trump running to help him out. And far more ill-informed conservatives will choose a Trump over Romney than they would with, say, Cain at the top of the ticket.

Excellent observations and analysis my FRiend.

.

[9YearLurker]

Thanks. ;-)

[pallis]

I don’t think Perry is going to recover, but who knows? It would surprise me. ...If Romney pulls this off, it will be because conservatives get duped into the dog and pony routine, rather than support Cain. First we had the hangers on for Palin, which was somewhat understandable, and now we have the hangers on for Perry. I can appreciate the loyalty, but we need to focus on winning now, and we can do that with Cain.

[BobL]

“I don’t think Perry is going to recover, but who knows? It would surprise me. ...If Romney pulls this off, it will be because conservatives get duped into the dog and pony routine, rather than support Cain. First we had the hangers on for Palin, which was somewhat understandable, and now we have the hangers on for Perry. I can appreciate the loyalty, but we need to focus on winning now, and we can do that with Cain.”

That’s a good point. At this point, I think all that’s left for conservatives, as far as undamaged candidates other than Cain, is Santorum, and he hasn’t budged from next to nothing. The others have managed to cap their support in one way or another.

1) Perry...heartless - will never unify the base
2) Gingrich...too much history (and not good history)
3) Bachmann...simply imploded on herself
4) Paul...a cook, has both upper and lower limits of support.