McCain didn't have any. Dole didn't have any. Being the veteran, sensible establishment guy can help you win nominations, but people that don't inspire passion in at least a large cadre of their supporters don't win elections. Reagan, Clinton, Bush, all had legions. Obama has them. Romney doesn't. Kerry didn't. GHWB didn't either, for that matter, that was leftover Reagan love.
Now, it may be that Palin's troops are just the Goldwater / McGovern vanguards, but it may not. She may find a good running mate that inoculates her to the center. Someone the right hates but will tolerate only because she's at the top of the ticket. (The same way that many people here voted for her, even though they despised McCain).
Going with boring old Joe Biden actually helped Obama quite a bit, insofar as putting a tried and true old hand in the number two seat, making Obama's ticket at least appear to be more seasoned and venerable to the independents. Palin may need her own 'Joe Biden', so to speak, to make her more palatable to the independents, but that's an easier task than trying to be the #1 turkey on the ticket trying to fly on the wings of their #2 eagle.
Either way, Palin and Obama have got decisive advantages over Romney, as far as excitement and passion goes. You need that to win. I just don't see anything in Romney's character, delivery or record that will enable him to challenge either on that front.
I think you’re right! (And thank you for your non-hysterical opinion, btw.)
My concern is that Romney has a RINO machine from his last effort, and as you say, he is DOLE in spades. Palin won’t throw down and hasn’t left FOX, so I don’t think she will run. Failing to commit does not build a machine. The question is the primary. Who will RINOs and Independents nominate. They don’t want Obama. In the clutch I am afraid they will take bad Romney policy over Palin history tours.
Obama has a huge problem that Sarah does not. There are millions of voters that helped to elect Obama that, for various reasons, have buyer's remorse.