Posted on 04/16/2012 7:51:46 PM PDT by Clintonfatigued
In 2008, Barack Obama utilized demographic shifts, his campaign's unprecedented financial resources, and his unique political profile to expand dramatically the electoral map for a Democratic presidential nominee, carrying formerly deep-red states like North Carolina, Indiana and Virginia.
Four years later, Mitt Romney may have reason to believe that he can make competitive a state or two thought to be safely in the Democratic column.
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While Romney strategists declined to comment on their electoral tactics, advisers close to the campaign are privately skeptical that they can afford to mount anything more than a token effort in the Northeast -- other than in the swing state of New Hampshire.
That calculus could change, however, once the calendar turns closer to Election Day.
“I think this campaign is going to be very disciplined, and if there’s an opportunity to play some offense, I think they’ll do it,” said one Northeastern Republican who is serving as an outside adviser to the Romney campaign. “There are a lot of donors in Connecticut who would be ginned up if Connecticut came in play, and that might be a factor.”
Still, the composition of the state’s electorate in 2012 makes it an imposing challenge for any GOP nominee.
A more alluring state in the region for Romney to consider may be New Jersey, where he has enjoyed the emphatic backing of Republican Gov. Chris Christie since October.
A Quinnipiac poll released on Thursday showed that Obama’s lead over Romney in the Garden State was in the single digits, 49 percent to 40 percent. And the president’s margin would shrink by 2 percent, according to the poll, if Christie were to become Romney’s running mate.
(Excerpt) Read more at realclearpolitics.com ...
I don’t rule out Romney running better in many northern states than George W. Bush did. He may have less appeal in the South and indland West, but so will Obama.
He's black.
We get it.
The VP pick is going to be HUGE.
So ... you think it will be Gov Christie?
HA!
No, I’m thinking:
1. Rubio
2. Ryan
3. Portman
4. McDonnell
“The VP pick is going to be HUGE.”
Very true. If Romney pursues a geographical strategy, possible picks are Rob Portman, Chris Christie, and Tim Pawlenty.
Spot on CF!
Granted, it’s Yahoo!, but it’s worth a peek:
what appeal?
He is FROM the northeast for crying out loud.
He is the default candidate of the GOPe and nobody has enthusiasm for him.
Portman
McDonnell
are the two most useful picks (Ohio or Virginia)
Rubio would be very good at campaigning and picking up votes from the fastest expanding group. But he will be caricatured as not having enough experience in DC (which is probably a plus considering state of affairs)
Ryan has not won a statewide office, so his usefulness is a question mark.
The VP pick is going to be HUGE.
Maybe to you. I don’t care. I saw what they did to Palin. Anyone willing to sign on to copilot this ship is nuts.
This ship is going down like the titanic. They will Palin his running mate in the process.
I suggest anyone asked to be Mitts running mate consider what happened to Palin and the rest of us conservatives last time around.
I won’t vote Mitt no matter who he selects as a running mate.
Expand it from what, exactly? So far as I can see, he only has the liberal Republican and LDS votes locked up. That is hardly much of a base.
More Northern RiNO's? How is that "geographical" or even a strategy? Watch what happens when you send the conservatives home, RiNO boy.
And like the man said, Rubio's ineligible.
s Romney's just trying to walk past the remaining primaries. He's pretending it's locked up -- it isn't. And yeah, we noticed.
What’s so wrong with Portman?
Depressed turnout in safe GOP states doesn’t matter that much, Obama can’t win those anyway. Where it hurts is in swing states like FL, VA, OH, IA.
He should do well in his various “home states”.
I think he’ll win NH.
He’ll help run up the margin in Utah were Jim Matheson leads GOP frontrunner Carl Wimmer by only 1 point in the latest poll (and up 3 on Mia Love).
He’ll get low 40’s in MA which is better than high 30’s, that hurts Warren who needs Osama coattails to win.
Michigan is lean Osama but he would have a chance there.
Yeah he is, an if Rubio is elected VP there will be nothing you can do to stop it. Let it go and save the eligible stuff for Obama.
Considering you don't give a rat's ass about constitutional eligibility, why don't you tell me what's right with him?
You must be one of those guys who keep screaming at the BC people to shut the hell up.
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