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 ...
Romney is not my first choice for sure. But if he wins the Republican nomination, I feel that I would have to vote for him to get Obama out of office. The lesser of two evils, as I truly do not think any third party ticket could possibly win.
I am more concerned with the Republican regaining control.
I’m hoping to see Santorum and Newt beat out Romney.
Since Romney would be Bush 43 on steroids, it would be difficult to vote for him. Talk about buyers’ remorse! If he gets the nomination, there should be a perfectly organized write-in campaign for ABO and ABR. Then we should concentrate on taking over the Senate and keeping control of Congress.
I caught a clip of Mitt speaking to a NH group and making a lame joke about his “landslide” win in Iowa. Then he did a pathetic contrived laugh that screamed “used car salesman!” It wasn’t a big thing, but made me want to retch.
Romney has the good looks and slick demeanor that sells...he also benefits from a fear that Obama could win if someone is the nominee that doesnt have good looks and a slick demeanor
a sad comment on the shallowness of humanity but I think it is true
"Mitt Rominny... Yeah, I remember him. Nice looking fellow. I seen on TV that he's gonna be the Republican candidate."
- the Mindless Chattering Class
And THAT's why Mittens has the lead.
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