Even if Romney managed to work a good strategy to win the nomination by the time the primary season is over, what are the chances he would beat Hillary Clinton? If Romney wins the nomination it won’t be by majority wins in most states–it will purely be a strategic maneuver for delegates.
Jonathan Adler over at National Review points out some of the major flaws in Romney’s campaign. It isn’t that Romney himself is making a mistake–its just that he has spent so much time, money, and effort, yet he’s getting almost nowhere. Here’s Adler on the subject:
Romney leads in the delegate count, but I think this weekend’s results show astounding weakness in the candidate who was supposed to be the most electable conservative in the race. Consider two things: 1) Romney spent $4 million and 22 days in South Carolina, and still finished behind Fred. 2) Romney has not one any seriously contested constest. Nevada? Wyoming? Please. Where Romney has made a major investment (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina) he has failed. Michigan? No other candidate made a comparable investment or effort to winning the state, so I’m not sure that helps the case.
What’s Romney’s problem? For many folks (my self included), it is a perceived insincerity. I too often get the sense that Romney is saying what he thinks folks want to hear instead of what he believes. It isn’t just the “evolution” of his views, it is also the small things: The small, subtle exaggerations that arise when Romney is trying to ingratiate himself with various groups. (Remember Romney the life-long hunter?) The blatant pandering to the auto industry in Michigan in a way that suggests some very unconservative views. Romney’s MBA style does not help much here, as it reinforces the perception of Romney as someone who solves problems without much regard to underlying ideological principle.
Does this mean Romney’s finished? Not necessarily. In a one-on-one race, he may be the least bad option. There’s no question I’d support Romney over Huckabee (Then again, I’d support anyone over Huckabee.) There also may be many folks who would support Romney over McCain. But unless the race winnows down to a one-on-one soon, I would think Romney’s in trouble.
Filed under: Election 2008, Mitt Romney, Politics
And yet, Mitt is the only semi-conservative left in the race. Sad, isn’t it? Especially since the GOP does not win with perceived moderates. The only way the GOP can win is if Hillary is the candidate and she screws up big time (pssible).
When election time comes, I think many Americans could indeed support a Romney presidency, especially over a return to the Clintons in the White House. We need strong economic leadership ahead; this may turn the tide in favor of Romney and allow him to finally garner the support he would need to succeed.