Friday, November 16, 2012

Mitt Who?

If it did not have to be applied liberally, Romney could market vanishing cream.  Romney is a nowhere man.  He has no geographic base.  He lost his birth state of Michigan, where his father was governor, his home state of Massachusetts, and the situs of his other two homes, New Hampshire and California.

He has no ideological base.  Although Goldwater and McGovern suffered crushing defeats, as a leader of an ideological wing, each had a long lasting impact on his party.  Romney, not so much -- he had ambition but lacked conviction. His proposed 20% tax cut will go the way of 9-9-9.  He offered 5 trillion in tax cuts, but believes he lost because of Obama's "gifts" of low interest rates on student loans, and coverage for young people on their parent's health plan.  Mitt was on bended knee with a 5 carat diamond, and the country went for the promise ring.

He might have lead a new, pragmatic, numbers driven wing of the Republican party, but for his analog clock getting cleaned, by Obama's digital campaign.

Most losing candidates have a long accomplished political career which casts a warming light on their exit from the stage.  Romney lost when he ran for Senate.  His only political service was four years as governor of Massachusetts, the last two of which were devoted to his presidential pretensions.  At the end of his term, his popularity was so low that reelection was unlikely.

Decades from now some may remember that Romneycare, was a forerunner of the wildly popular Obamacare.  But they will probably attribute it to his much more accomplished father.

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