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The Spectacle Blog
I’ve been meaning to comment for a while on this fine Atlantic article in which various Republican campaign consultants opine about the awfulness of Mitt Romney’s campaign, but Peter Suderman has said most of the things I would say.
But given Romney’s political record-an incredibly complex flip flop on abortion, business fee hikes used as a cover for tax hikes, embracing the word “progressive,” and supporting a state-level model for ObamaCare-conservative policy elites were always likely to be wary of Romney. A little more outreach might have softened the skepticism, but it also might have illustrated how little Romney likes to be challenged on questions about his policy decisions, and how slippery he can be when anyone tries to pin him down. Romney isn’t struggling because of his campaign. The campaign is struggling because of Romney….
As far as I can tell, the only big vision Romney’s ever had is of himself, sitting in the Oval Office. Which seems to be more or less what his campaign is running on.
I would add only one thing: In the run-up to the 2008 campaign, starting as early as 2004 or 2005, Romney did actively try to win over conservative elites. He enjoyed a certain amount of success doing so, judging from the endorsements he received from leading national conservatives who were much more familiar with the flaws in John McCain’s record than Romney’s. But he — and they — had much less success winning over rank-and-file conservative voters, who continued to divide their votes between Romney, Mike Huckabee, and for a time Fred Thompson.
Four years later, Romney isn’t running against McCain anymore. His record is much more familiar to conservatives nationally. Obamacare makes his Massachusetts health care plan matter a whole lot more. Conservative leaders now know he was a tough sell against McCain and aren’t as eager to defend his conservative bona fides against perennial movement favorites Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. And there’s the “Won’t Get Fooled Again” angle.
Sure, I’ve been puzzled as to why the Romney campaign hasn’t anticipated obvious lines of criticism or why they seem intent on irritating conservatives by boasting of the likelihood they will win a nomination they should have already had in the bag by now. But the candidate is a bigger problem than the campaign. Campaigns matter, sometimes a lot. But they matter less than political consultants think they do.
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More Blog Posts by W. James Antle, III
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/03/20/romneys-toughest-opponent-is-m
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Al Adab| 3.20.12 @ 4:22PM
Romney is just another in an all too long line of politicians who WANT the job, but have no idea about how to DO the job. He is a clear example of those who pose as whatever the electorate of the moment want without a core compass to guide him through the maze of conflicting public demands. One cannot please every interest group.
Now we have IL about to count its primary votes. Romney will claim a great victory albeit a pyrrhic one. What does it matter who wins a GOP primary in a state which will not deliver a single electoral vote to the GOP in November?
ncatty| 3.20.12 @ 5:22PM
I would make the further point Romney and Clinto were similar in that neither had any particular agenda other than each wanted to BE the president.
RJ| 3.20.12 @ 10:19PM
Good comments, Al, as usual.
Romney reminds me of the guy running for high school class president who keeps saying "I am a leader. Vote for me." He speaks in such platitudes that I rarely remember what he has said in the debates. After a long campaign, he hasn't give us much reason to vote for him. "I love America." "I am a businessman." "I haven't worked in Washington." We deserve better, but whoever wins the GOP nomination will get my full support. I really want a candidate who will make a clear contrast to the Obama Administration's statist view on government.
hmm_contrib| 3.21.12 @ 2:03PM
Even a nominee who believes in and has implemented similar statist views but slaps the label "Republican" on them?
RJ| 3.21.12 @ 3:39PM
Because the alternative is Obama and none of the GOP candidates is nearly as bad as Obama.
Drek| 3.20.12 @ 5:00PM
Hey, we're in a recovery, don't you know?
Romney said as much the other day.
Yea, we're all enjoying economic growth?
And he wants to be the standard bearer of the GOP, and some actually think he's best positioned, most qualified, most able, to take on that jerk obama!
Reaganaut| 3.20.12 @ 8:45PM
Well....his toughest opponent certainly isn't "Sainto" or the other Rs contesting the nomination. Romney's the guy, get over it.
Drek| 3.20.12 @ 9:50PM
What would Reagan have us do when we're about to get saddled by a Rockefeller/Ford type?
You think he would advise us to just "get over it?"
Reaganaut| 3.20.12 @ 10:02PM
Well, I guess if Reagan was running against opponents who can't qualify on state ballots and don't have the organizational skills to compete, which casts some doubt on their ability to run an effective campaign against the One in November, he'd do just what Mitt is doing...beat 'em!
Drek| 3.20.12 @ 9:51PM
Romney doe have one political skill, the ability to raise money and focus that money into political ads that obliterate his opposition W/IN the party.
Who here thinks that the type of ads he's been running against men to his right he'll run against obama, who he describes as merely in "over his head?"
RJ| 3.20.12 @ 10:22PM
He probably won't. Then again, he may not have to. I am sure that there will be some well funded super pacs who will be taking on Obama. To paraphrase Harry Truman, remind people of Obama's record and they will think it is Hell.