I have been spending some time with my peers over at MNPublius, who of course are vilifying Mitt Romney. Which seemed interesting, since I am getting the feeling that he is more of a moderate than the other Republican candidates. Maybe that concerns them since this may allow him tro get more votes, maybe even stealing some from Obama.
So what do you think of Mitt and his candidacy:
- Will his Mormom beliefs prevent the Conservative Christians from voting for him?
- Is he the evil corporate raider that MNPublius is trying to paint him as?
- Are his views on healthcare reform acceptable?
- Other important issues?
If he gets the Republican nod, I am thinking he probably has a high likelihood of beating Obama. Probably definitely worth discussing.
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11 comments:
Speaking just for myself, it's Mitt's very moderation that I fear. I don't see Mitt as substantively different from Barack Obama. That's what will make him an effective general election candidate. It's interesting to me that after all the tea party stuff, the quest for ideological purity, the Republican Party is going to nominate as their candidate for president someone who could have just as easily run as a Democrat.
Go figure.
--Hiram
I guess it makes sense to me.
Though the loud Right and Left make a lot of noise, I am thinking that the citizens of the USA are pretty much a std distribution. Meaning a lot of them are close to the middle with fewer at the edges.
It seems the 2 party system exagerates or escalates the differences.
I don't think of Romney as very much of a Republican. He doesn't get support from them. I think of him more as the candidate of the establishment.
In 2010, the Republican Party actually asserted itself, overturning the establishment that had previously dominated their choice of candidates. I wondered if that would continue in 2012. It has not.
--Hiram
I believe Obama will beat Romney because he is much more likable. Romney seems uncomfortable being himself, like he doesn't know who he is. Another blog I read refers to Romney as a vulture capitalist, which seems fitting to me as much as I understand how he made his $.
Laurie,
That's funny, that's what I think about Obama... (ie the uncomfortable thing.)
For me, Jon Stewart captured the essence of Mitt Romney when he described him as the guy who fired your father. In the corporate world, Romney's are a dime a dozen, any of us who have spent any time there know the type. On the other hand, I have not thought of Barack Obama as particularly likable. I think the only president in recent years I have liked was the second Bush. But he was a horrible president, and that's one of the reasons likability isn't high in my priorities when evaluating a candidate for president.
--Hiram
Any Republican who cannot beat Obama is at the bottom of the barrel as far as presidential candidates goes, and Romney might just be that candidate. ANYBODY should be able to beat that radically leftist, narcissistic, over-educated gadfly whose ineptitude, incompetence or intentional malice is destroying our great country. And you can tell him I said so. He has a web site for that.
J. Ewing
J and Hiram,
You have me confused. If Romney seemingly has the support of many Republicans as shown by polls and votes, how can he not be the most supported Republican candidate?
Are some others splitting the vote?
Of course. In Iowa, 70% of Republicans did NOT vote for Romney. In New Hampshire, the same is true. The only thing sustaining his campaign is the supposed "inevitability" of his winning the nomination and defeating Obama, and IMHO he may be the least likely of the field to do so. If he fails to come in first consistently, or if the "anybody but Romney" vote coalesces around one of the "not-Romneys," he is done. Remember, he only has seven of the 1146 delegates required to win the nomination on the first ballot. This race isn't exactly over.
I believe that Mitt's moderation (perceived or actual, which are the same in politics) will lead to his general election defeat, just as it did John McCain's. The liberals will prefer a true liberal and vote for Obama, the conservatives will prefer someone more conservative and vote for nobody, and the moderates will break towards the candidate with the most money to spend on negative campaign ads, and that will be Obama.
J. Ewing
Why do you think Huntsman endorsed Romney?
Who do you want representing the Republicans now that the field has narrowed?
Huntsman was the other Mormon in the race, and the other "too moderate" candidate. He couldn't very well endorse one of the not-Romneys because he was a Romney himself.
Nobody "represents Republicans." One of these folks will win the GOP nomination and try to topple King Obama.
J. Ewing
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