President Obama with former competitor Hillary Clinton
Do I really need to remind you that only four years ago Hillary Clinton and Barrack Obama fought tooth and nail through the Democratic Primaries before Obama emerged with his party’s nomination? Do I need to remind you that Obama went on to win the Presidential election rather handily against a weakened Republican party? Do I need to remind you that the Tea Party activism wave that swept Republicans back into leadership in the House of Representatives and severely cut into Democrat leads in the Senate didn’t start gaining momentum and news coverage until the Summer of 2010?
Mitt Romney
I ask these questions because you would think the state of the Republican presidential contest were in free fall the way “pundits” are discussing recent polls on the cable news channels and talk radio. There is increasing discussion of a possible brokered convention for Republicans thanks to the surge in popularity by
former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, and the subsequent fall in popularity of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.
First of all polls are not news. Though the news agencies do their best to tell us they are. Second the reason you are hearing so much about this stuff is because there is so little else to report right now. Their have been no primaries for over a week, and there won’t be any for another week. No news on who has momentum, no news on who is going to secure the nomination and by when. The news media is like a hungry dog. If you don’t give it something to chew on, they’ll find your slippers and have at-it.
Republicans have no cause to worry about a brokered convention. Romney still has the money and the expectation of getting the nomination and I think he will. Santorum has too many quirky little missteps in his past to survive the scrutiny he is only now undergoing for the first time in the political process.
Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich isn’t even trying to win in upcoming primaries in Michigan and Arizona; pinning all his hopes on a good showing Super Tuesday March 6th in numerous southern states. Gingrich has only one win under his belt, in South Carolina. Not running in all the states, like Romney is, is a sure way to give up the state during the general election. And giving up swing states like Michigan, Nevada, and Arizona, none of which Gingrich competed in, shows you are not prepared to lead the whole country.
Those who cling to fantasies of Sarah Palin
, Jeb Bush, or Chris Christie stepping forward at the Republican National Convention in August and then sweeping into the White House are smoking too many Florida Chads or something. Had these Republican luminaries had the belly for running for President they would have done so. But they didn’t. So that settles that. Even if Romney or Santorum fail to reach the 1,144 delegates to secure a nomination, you can expect some wheeling and dealing between what candidates hold delegates to come up with a nominee from among the three remaining. (Yes, three. Paul doesn’t count. Paul has never counted.)
My money and currently my vote remain with Romney. And Republicans don’t need to hurry up and get to where I already am. They can take their time. In the end, November is what counts. Beat Obama.
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