Silly. As much as he's virtually nobody's favorite around here, he may very well crush Obama if nominated. Really, the only thing that could get in his way is a massive lack of enthusiasm on the right. Given the disgrace now sitting in the White House on the beach, there isn't much chance of that. The few evangelicals that will never vote for a Mormon and the Jim Robinsons of the world, will be dwarfed by the number of independents that never would have voted for Newt, Paul, Bachmann, Perry..., but will vote for Romney.
It also wouldn't be surprising if Romney tacks right and starts talking more like Newt if he is the nominee. After shying away from red meat rhetoric in the primaries, he may be liberated to play to the base in the general, without turning off anybody in the middle. No way Obama survives hard hitting campaign from a candidate the institutional left can't destroy with scandal.
IBTZ
Jim, I saw you were mentioned but not pinged.
Just who are those independents who wouldn't vote for Newt, Bachmann, Perry (forget Paul) who would be moved to vote for Romney? Are these the fabled "moderates" who never vote for a Republican...but would somehow vote for Romney?
After shying away from red meat rhetoric in the primaries, he may be liberated to play to the base in the general, without turning off anybody in the middle.
Why would Romney have to be "liberated" to play to the base? Why does he have to wait until the general election? Why can't he do it during the primaries?
No way Obama survives hard hitting campaign from a candidate the institutional left can't destroy with scandal.
How can Romney mount a "hard-hitting campaign" if he can't attack Obama on Obamacare?
You may well be right, Minn, that Romney can overcome all his negatives and still beat Obama. But he's far from a strong candidate. We're talking about a guy who couldn't even beat McCain in 2008, fer cryin' out loud.
You’re saying that 0bama is a failure and with that I have zero argument. I’m saying that half the people in the country see themselves as failures and thus they identify with failure and the government’s perceived ability to correct that failure. The proof is the life 0bama gets to lead on the back of government despite his many failures. Moreover, they resent the financial and in general moral success of Romney. For people to switch from an 0bama vote to a presumptive-nominee Romney vote, they are going to have to choose non-failure. I don’t see it happening. I genuinely hope I am wrong.