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Is Romney electable?

SheWolf

SheWolf

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Do you think Romney is the best candidate?

The more the primary goes on, the worse Romney looks. I don't think he is very electable. The GOP base doesn't really like him, he misspeaks all the time, he looks out of touch, and I think Obama is going to wallop the guy when Obamacare and the current birth control/Catholic debate is brought up because he flip flopped. Obama doesn't look out of touch and he has experience being the president already, and weather or not the right want to admit it, he does have areas where he can brag (foreign policy, killing Bin Laden, and his base loves that he ended DADT).

I don't think Romney is electable, and he is going to have problems in the general election cause he is going to debate Obama. He can argue in the primaries that Obamacare isn't based on his ideas, but when Obama says otherwise, he is going to have a hard time arguing with that. It's going to be funny, and he doesn't do well when under pressure either.

I kind of think Santorum might be the most electable. At least the base actually likes him. Paul is a great candidate, but I don't think the social conservatives will like him as much as Santorum.
 
SheWolf said:
Do you think Romney is the best candidate?

The more the primary goes on, the worse Romney looks. I don't think he is very electable. The GOP base doesn't really like him, he misspeaks all the time, he looks out of touch, and I think Obama is going to wallop the guy when Obamacare and the current birth control/Catholic debate is brought up because he flip flopped. Obama doesn't look out of touch and he has experience being the president already, and weather or not the right want to admit it, he does have areas where he can brag (foreign policy, killing Bin Laden, and his base loves that he ended DADT).

I don't think Romney is electable, and he is going to have problems in the general election cause he is going to debate Obama. He can argue in the primaries that Obamacare isn't based on his ideas, but when Obama says otherwise, he is going to have a hard time arguing with that. It's going to be funny, and he doesn't do well when under pressure either.

I kind of think Santorum might be the most electable. At least the base actually likes him. Paul is a great candidate, but I don't think the social conservatives will like him as much as Santorum.
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This is a discussion of relativism.... IMHO, barring a reversal of economic fortunate (which can happen), no one in the Republican field is electable. Each of them have huge warts that will not survive the scrutiny of a long campaign. Given that each side will have a 47% base, no matter who they run, there are three key components to winning an election 1) turning out your base; 2) "hoping" the other guy does not turn out HIS base and 3) wooing the middle 6%.

If one must pick from a bad lot (as Republicans must do) then Romney is the most electable of the Reps as he will best appeal to the middle 6%, do ok with base turn out and not sufficiently freak out the Dems such that their base gets out. Santorium may do the best at turning out the Republicans, but he will not help with the middle 6 and will so freak out the Dems that their base turns out. Paul is not a serious candidate and Gingrich's warts are so grave that he will fail on all three of the aforementioned criteria.
 
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upsideguy said:
This is a discussion of relativism.... IMHO, barring a reversal of economic fortunate (which can happen), no one in the Republican field is electable. Each of them have huge warts that will not survive the scrutiny of a long campaign. Given that each side will have a 47% base, no matter who they run, there are three key components to winning an election 1) turning out your base; 2) "hoping" the other guy does not turn out HIS base and 3) wooing the middle 6%.

Romney is the most electable of the Reps as he will best appeal to the middle 6%, do ok with base turn out and not sufficiently freak out the Dems such that their base gets out. Santorium may do the best at turning out the Republicans, but he will not help with the middle 6 and will so freak out the Dems that their base turns out. Paul is not a serious candidate and Gingrich's warts are so grave that he will fail on all three of the aforementioned criteria.
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Not this year.
 
MaggieD said:
Not this year.
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I started my discussion by stating none were electable.... but if you had to chose the most electable then Romney. I made my point per the above post clearer.
 
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Romney is possibly electable. He is the only one of the Republican candidates that concerns me in the least....depending on how things are going, I can see Romney giving Obama a run....but I think Obama still has the edge.
 
I think Obama will beat Romney. But...it depends on who Romney names as VP, don't you think? A strong VP may be able to push him ahead.
 
SheWolf said:
Do you think Romney is the best candidate?

The more the primary goes on, the worse Romney looks. I don't think he is very electable. The GOP base doesn't really like him, he misspeaks all the time, he looks out of touch, and I think Obama is going to wallop the guy when Obamacare and the current birth control/Catholic debate is brought up because he flip flopped. Obama doesn't look out of touch and he has experience being the president already, and weather or not the right want to admit it, he does have areas where he can brag (foreign policy, killing Bin Laden, and his base loves that he ended DADT).

I don't think Romney is electable, and he is going to have problems in the general election cause he is going to debate Obama. He can argue in the primaries that Obamacare isn't based on his ideas, but when Obama says otherwise, he is going to have a hard time arguing with that. It's going to be funny, and he doesn't do well when under pressure either.

I kind of think Santorum might be the most electable. At least the base actually likes him. Paul is a great candidate, but I don't think the social conservatives will like him as much as Santorum.
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I agree with you. I do not think that Romney is electable.

He does not excite the GOP base. In fact, many Republican voters view Romney as a liberal. He raised taxes when he was governor of Massachusetts. He created RomneyCare.

If he is the GOP nominee, he will have problems in the general election because of his past with Bain Capital, because of his offshore bank accounts, and because of his statements about the poorest Americans.

On top of that there was a poll saying 20 percent of Americans refuse to consider voting for a Mormon.
 
Depends on how you define the word. Romney IS only electable in the sense that he could beat Obama in an atrocious economic environment. In an environment like that (9 or 10% unemployment, with no signs of hope), the American people would want anyone but Obama, as long as they pass the competency test. Romney would pass it. (Others like Cain and Bachmann and Palin and perhaps Perry...would not have passed it and Obama could have beat them even in the worst of conditions.) Romney is NOT electable in the sense that he is not personally appealing enough to take on a popular (or even mildly popular) incumbent. Right now Obama's approval seems to be, on average, in the 48-50% range. If he doesn't go lower than that, he will beat Romney with ease. If he goes higher than that, he will win in a landslide. Romney's flaws are many - he seems insincere, he has a ton of flip-flops, and perhaps most importantly, he can't connect with the middle class in the slightest.

So Romney is electable only in very very bad economic conditions and declining consumer sentiment. If the positive trajectory of the economy continues, Mitt Romney will never be president.
 
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Out of the present GOP field, he's the most electable
 
Any GOP candidate that will "Excite the base" is definitely NOT electable. The base of the GOP is so extreme right-wing that any candidate that would excite them would completely alienate the moderate/independent base that you need to win. Santorum? LOL......he would get slaughtered in the GE.
 
disneydude said:
Any GOP candidate that will "Excite the base" is definitely NOT electable.....
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McCain could not excite the base. McCain lost.

Mitt Romney is this year's version of John McCain.
 
johnny_rebson said:
McCain could not excite the base. McCain lost.

Mitt Romney is this year's version of John McCain.
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That comparison is not a fair one. Republicans were coming off a president with approval ratings under 30, while democratic approval ratings were sky high. Therefore, Obama pulled in almost all the independents. Obama's not nearly as popular as he was then and I seriously doubt a more conservative candidate would've done any better than McCain in '08.
 
Anagram said:
That comparison is not a fair one. Republicans were coming off a president with approval ratings under 30, while democratic approval ratings were sky high. Therefore, Obama pulled in almost all the independents. Obama's not nearly as popular as he was then and I seriously doubt a more conservative candidate would've done any better than McCain in '08.
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How often does Missouri vote for the winner of the general election in the presidential race?

The fact the Romney got trounced in a key state like Missouri says a lot.
 
Everyone in our state knows that primary is meaningless. That Romney lost there is also meaningless. Even if Romney loses Colorado tonight, he is still the best chance to beat Obama. But as far as that goes, doesn't the fact that Romney won Florida by so much mean just as much for the election?
 
Romney can get votes from the liberals on the east coast.

Can Romney win in states in the heartland of America? Tonight America answered that question with a loud NO.
 
johnny_rebson said:
Romney can get votes from the liberals on the east coast.

Can Romney win in states in the heartland of America? Tonight America answered that question with a loud NO.
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Actually, all it proves is that Missouri's and Minnesota's Republicans like Santorum more than Romney. I'd wager they'd also like Romney more than Obama come November.
 
Anagram said:
Actually, all it proves is that Missouri's and Minnesota's Republicans like Santorum more than Romney. I'd wager they'd also like Romney more than Obama come November.
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Do you make $10,000 wagers like Mitt Romney?

Romney has put his foot in his mouth too many times in the debates. All those gaffes have now caught up with him.
 
johnny_rebson said:
Do you make $10,000 wagers like Mitt Romney?

Romney has put his foot in his mouth too many times in the debates. All those gaffes have now caught up with him.
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Show me a candidate who doesn't make many gaffes. Most candidates do.
 
ive never seen romney as electable,hes just favored by the republican party because he would keep pushing the bush/obama style policies,and if he loses obama would keep pushing obama style policies.has anyone else noticed that every candidate that has challenged the political norm gets shunned by both parties?
 
Enola said:
I think Obama will beat Romney. But...it depends on who Romney names as VP, don't you think? A strong VP may be able to push him ahead.
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The VP on a presidential ticket is like an extra point in football; rarely does it make a difference. The extra point usually only makes the difference when you miss it and the other guy doesn't.
 
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SheWolf said:
Do you think Romney is the best candidate?

The more the primary goes on, the worse Romney looks. I don't think he is very electable. The GOP base doesn't really like him, he misspeaks all the time, he looks out of touch, and I think Obama is going to wallop the guy when Obamacare and the current birth control/Catholic debate is brought up because he flip flopped. Obama doesn't look out of touch and he has experience being the president already, and weather or not the right want to admit it, he does have areas where he can brag (foreign policy, killing Bin Laden, and his base loves that he ended DADT).

I don't think Romney is electable, and he is going to have problems in the general election cause he is going to debate Obama. He can argue in the primaries that Obamacare isn't based on his ideas, but when Obama says otherwise, he is going to have a hard time arguing with that. It's going to be funny, and he doesn't do well when under pressure either.

I kind of think Santorum might be the most electable. At least the base actually likes him. Paul is a great candidate, but I don't think the social conservatives will like him as much as Santorum.
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I agree Romney is not electable, but I think he is more electable than the other 3.

IMO, despite tonight's votes, I think the other three will eventually drop out in this order, Gingrich (maybe soon), then Santorum, and Paul, who will hang on to the last.
 
haha... Santorum won Minnesota, Missouri, and Colorado tonight.
 
johnny_rebson said:
McCain could not excite the base. McCain lost.

Mitt Romney is this year's version of John McCain.
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McCain had a pretty good chance...until he brought in the bimbo.
 
johnny_rebson said:
I agree with you. I do not think that Romney is electable.

He does not excite the GOP base. In fact, many Republican voters view Romney as a liberal. He raised taxes when he was governor of Massachusetts. He created RomneyCare.

If he is the GOP nominee, he will have problems in the general election because of his past with Bain Capital, because of his offshore bank accounts, and because of his statements about the poorest Americans.

On top of that there was a poll saying 20 percent of Americans refuse to consider voting for a Mormon.
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... but again, exciting the GOP base is only a part of the success formula. You have to appeal to the middle 6%, which most of the Republican candidates do not (and Romney is by far the most palatable of a bad lot) AND you can't excite the base of the opposition (which most of the candidates other than Romney will). What Santorum gives you in a base turn out will be more than offset by losing the "independents" (which is really the group of people that aren't paying attention) and promoting liberals to turn out as they will be motivated to vote AGAINST Santorum (as opposed to turning out to vote FOR Obama.)

Too much is being made of exciting the Republican base as it has consequences (in that if the guy is too conservative, he will also excite the Democratic base, leaving the middle 6% to decide the election.)
 
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