It appears to be over for Mitt Romney (at least this year)
It appears to be over. Even if "my man Mitt" were to decide to go on (and for the record he shouldn't), it appears that 2008 was not meant to be for Mitt Romney. I've said it before and I'll say it again, sometimes the person who would make the best President, is not always the best Presidential candidate.
In some ways having this thing over will be good for my stress level (sadly) and more importantly good for my family. No longer will I have to refresh every conceivable political website every 10 minutes to get the latest news or results. At least now I can take a few months off until the convention.
In thinking about this race, it's clear that Romney lost because most people didn't believe in his conversion. His rhetoric and delivery were usually spot on. His command of the issues is second to none, but there just weren't enough people who saw it or believed it. He should spend the next four years polishing his rhetoric and "proving" his conservative credentials. There's no doubt in my mind that this is not over for Mitt Romney and he'll be a Presidential candidate once again.
That being said, he actually did quite a good job. He's going to get a "silver" when this is all said and done. Yes, he spent millions of dollars to do so, but he outlasted Thompson and Guiliani who both had infinitely more name recognition that he did and he's coming in second to someone who ran in 2000 and is the darling of the media. I don't believe in "moral victories", but the Romney campaign came a long ways from where it started.
In the end, the Republican party will continue it's trend of NEXT! Reagan in 76, HW Bush in 80, Dole in 88 and now McCain in 00. Perhaps the good news for Governor Romney is that he is the front runner in 2012 (yes I still think we lose in 2008).
KCuz
In some ways having this thing over will be good for my stress level (sadly) and more importantly good for my family. No longer will I have to refresh every conceivable political website every 10 minutes to get the latest news or results. At least now I can take a few months off until the convention.
In thinking about this race, it's clear that Romney lost because most people didn't believe in his conversion. His rhetoric and delivery were usually spot on. His command of the issues is second to none, but there just weren't enough people who saw it or believed it. He should spend the next four years polishing his rhetoric and "proving" his conservative credentials. There's no doubt in my mind that this is not over for Mitt Romney and he'll be a Presidential candidate once again.
That being said, he actually did quite a good job. He's going to get a "silver" when this is all said and done. Yes, he spent millions of dollars to do so, but he outlasted Thompson and Guiliani who both had infinitely more name recognition that he did and he's coming in second to someone who ran in 2000 and is the darling of the media. I don't believe in "moral victories", but the Romney campaign came a long ways from where it started.
In the end, the Republican party will continue it's trend of NEXT! Reagan in 76, HW Bush in 80, Dole in 88 and now McCain in 00. Perhaps the good news for Governor Romney is that he is the front runner in 2012 (yes I still think we lose in 2008).
KCuz
I think your exactly right in all points raised.
It will likely be considered "his turn" the next time around.
The only issue might be that we tend to nominate sitting governors or senators - not too many that have been out of the arena for that long (with the notable exception of Ronald Reagan).
DCuz
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I agree with the cuz blog 90% of the time but I have to fundamentally disagree on Romney as a candidate.
Romney had alot going for him this time around. Low energy in the party gave him a huge opportunity to destroy the rest of the field in terms of the amount of paid media he could buy. He had talk radio carrying his water for him since the Michigan primary.
As much as I respect Romney and think he probably would have been a good President, I think he just lacks political skill and an ability to connect with a broad enough range of voters.
Consider the fact he was rejected by Southerners for a guy who wasn't even mentioned as a serious candidate by the media anymore.
Personally I think whoever is John McCain's running mate (assuming Sanford, Crist, or Pawlenty) becomes the prohibitive favorite for 2012.
I think Romney would make one heck of a Treasury Secretary though.
Ironically, I think Romney may have run better if he never would have touched his personal fortune. It would have eliminated the perception he was buying the nomination, and it may have made him more real to people.
I should add in terms of 2012 though, look out for Huckabee if he takes the Arkansas Senate seat and spends a couple years compiling a perfect conservative record in the Senate.
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I think KCuz's line, "...it's clear that Romney lost because most people didn't believe in his conversion" nails it right on the head. At the end of the day the voters just didn't buy his conversion. It's easier to believe Romney will convert to becoming a Southern Baptist by the time we get to 2012.
DCuz
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I specifically refrained from the word "buy" because I didn't want to imply that I thought it was phony or something he was trying to sell.
I don't know the man's heart and soul an I have no clue if these are convictions or just rhetoric. I suspect most voters were like me and couldn't decide, so they went with not trusting him.
His best bet is to get into speaking engagements and become a conservative activist with hope of building momentum for another run (think Gingrich without the baggage).
As for Huckabee and the Senate. It would be a mistake. Part of Huckabee's appeal is his executive experience. It's harder to appeal to voters when you've been a Senator. It's tough to explain, but being a governor allowed him to connect with people. Being a Senator you're 1 of 100 and the only way to get noticed is to be the most outrageous or talk the loudest. I think it would ruin his folksy likability factor.
KCuz
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If Romney wants to stay relevant in the future he will have to take a position in the leadership of the RNC.
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