Romney's Weakness as a Candidate By Lincoln Mitchell | HuffPost | 05/09/2012 11:09 am Excerpts: When Mitt Romney emerged from the Republican defeat in 2008 as the early frontrunner for his party's 2012 nomination for president, he was viewed as a weak candidate for two main reasons. First, it was thought by many that Romney's history in Massachusetts as a liberal Republican would create problems for Romney as he sought to win votes from a very conservative primary electorate. Second, some viewed Romney's religious faith as a potential concern because they believed that people would hesitate to vote for a Mormon. Over the course of the primary, another more significant problem regarding Mitt Romney, one which is potentially much more serious, emerged. As Romney has campaigned for president, it has become increasingly clear that while he is smart, well-spoken, looks presidential and has an attractive family, he is also not a strong campaigner with little ability to build connections with people or inspire excitement from supporters. Romney's penchant for awkward-sounding gaffes that confirm what many voters fear about him is only part of this. Nonetheless, saying that he is "not concerned about the very poor," that "yes, corporations are people," or that "Ann Romney drives a couple of Cadillacs," has not helped Romney remake his image as somebody who is not simply a rich businessman who only cares about other rich people. Romney's weakness as a candidate, however, goes beyond this. The absence of any compelling personal story and a professional background that is uniquely unfitted for 2012 is also a major problem for Romney. Unlike President Obama or previous successful and unsuccessful nominees from both parties like John McCain, John Kerry, Bill Clinton or even George W. Bush, there is nothing in Romney's past to suggest triumph over hardship or personal crisis. Instead, he is simply a successful businessman who was born into privilege and then made even more money. There is nothing inherently wrong with not having an interesting or inspiring personal story, but it makes Romney a less appealing or memorable candidate. Unlike the president, Romney has difficulty relating to ordinary Americans and their struggles. While some may not warm to Barack Obama's personal style, at least the president can discuss things like struggling to repay student loans, worrying about securing proper health care for sick and elderly family members or growing up in a complex and difficult family and economic setting, which are part of the lives of many Americans, but with which Romney has absolutely no experience. Romney's penchant for, to be charitable, phrasing things badly, prickliness while campaigning, and difficulty communicating compassion or concern could end up being very damaging to Romney in what is shaping up to be a close election. Swing voters in particular will be more likely to support a candidate, and warm to that candidate's policy positions, if they identify with him, care about him or are inspired by him. Romney, for all his obvious intelligence, capacity for hard work and earnestness has proven unable to elicit this type of response even from most of his strong supporters. He has also yet to make a great speech and still seems stilted during even the most basic kinds of campaign communications. Romney's weakness as a candidate was not entirely unforeseeable. He has only won an election once; and that was a decade ago. He has also lost two major elections, a U.S. Senate race in 1994 and the presidential primary in 2008 when he could not exploit early frontrunner John McCain's early campaign mishaps. Romney's mixed electoral record did not receive much attention during the primaries because it was overshadowed by his strong campaign operation, but this campaign operation is due to Romney's discipline and business skills more than any particular gift for communicating with or persuading voters. Other Republican candidates, for example Rick Santorum, or even Rick Perry, had better personal stories, were more genuine and seemed able to relate better to ordinary people, but they never had a chance at the nomination due to their poor organization and radical views. It is a reflection on the state of the Republican Party that in 2012 the party was able to find some good candidates and some plausible candidates, but nobody who qualified as both. read: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lincoln-mitchell/romneys-weakness-as-a-can_b_1502984.html?ref=politics ...... The reasons why Mitt Romney will lose if he is the republican nomination is seen above. It is the image that we all have of this unfortunate loser of all but one political position, and is now striving through money and a businesslike campaign to become our next president. But money and a businesslike campaign does not inevitably make a president, as we will see in November. Mitt Romney has been studying how to become the president of the United States for 6 years...and if he hasnt learned it by now...when will he learn it?...After he would become president? Is he ONLY another unqualified candidate in a group of similarly unqualified candidates in trying to become president, or is the republican party hideously devoid of a winnable statesman that could bring a republican to the White House?
what another awesome and thought provoking opinion piece from Huffpo. I tend to be confused as to what is a current event and what is opinion and where threads should go
Romney is the classic weak candidate put up to lose against the incumbent. Very common pattern. Mondale, Dole, Kerry.
...... Unless you are saying that republicans have a political death wish, you would be wrong in your implication that republicans "are not in it to win it"..as they had Jon Huntsman, Ron Paul that would have been more acceptable and have a better chance of winning than Romney. He just thinks that his money can buy him the presidency.
'Tis befuddling...it's almost as if Organizing For America/HuffPo shills are afforded super special Affirmative Action privileges to do (*)(*)(*)(*) well what ever they please around here....
...... Hey, it's OK to be confused; don't feel like you are less of a person for being confused...the idea that republicans would think Romney was presidential material is confusing tooooo. Let me help you: the first thing to do when approaching a thread is check the date. (Is it current?) Then check the source to ascertain if it has been properly vetted. (The site) Then check the author ( Is he a moderate, center, or right-wing radical?) In preparing your article, you need to be able to summarize a long article, and post the opinion you are required to give per rules of Public Forum, plus all italics, and actual title so that the author gets full credit for his article. The poster gets credit only for his opinion of said article. Where to put it...any self respecting poster will put it into the mosh pit called "current events," but as previously stated, it is better to always check the date the article was written. Current events is considered within 72 hours. Independents, unlike republicans and Democrats are always willing to help.....
I really don't think it will be that hard for Romney, Obama has absolutely nothing to run on but more promises, and I think people are done with hoping for change and actually want to see some.
Obama is a snake oil salesman. He will lie, rob, cheat and pander to achieve his goal, then do as he wishes. I trust him as far as I can throw his shadow.
