Only a few short months ago, the Republican race for the presidency seemed to be a mere formality and a coronation for perceived front runner Mitt Romney. But new poll numbers confirm Mitt’s overtures for the Oval Office are in deep jeopardy.
A new national Gallup Poll now lists Rick Santorum as the heavy front runner for the Republican nomination, renewing concerns that Romney is not as electable as his campaign would like you to think he is.
The new Gallup Poll provide Romney with some rather devastating numbers:
RICK SANTORUM – 36%
MITT ROMNEY – 26%
NEWT GINGRICH – 13%
RON PAUL – 11%
Although Santorum has briefly led in the polls before, his lead was never as large as the 10% advantage over Romney he now enjoys. In fact, things are so bleak for Romney, further polls indicate he could possibly lose Michigan, the state of his birth and the state his father was once governor of.
The Romney campaign downplayed the bad news from yesterday, attempting to spin the idea that they don’t necessarily have to win Michigan to win the nomination. They also used the see-saw type primary as proof the race is far from over and that the front runner may change many times between now and the convention. But Mitt’s problems and, more importantly, the problems of the Republican party, go much deeper than that.
Yesterday, Mitt Romney was the GOP front runner. Today, Rick Santorum is the GOP front runner. But in reality, with numbers like this, does it even matter anymore?
FROM “The New REPUBLIC”
THE MITT ROMNEY CRISIS transcends the seven straight national polls showing Rick Santorum in the lead. It goes beyond the embarrassing reality that the son of an auto executive and two-term governor has been behind in every Michigan poll conducted since Groundhog’s Day. Even more devastating for Romney is that elite Republicans have begun to conclude that he cannot, if nominated, beat Barack Obama. About the only argument that still works for Romney among GOP insiders is that he would be less of a drag on the ticket than the strident Santorum or the mercurial Newt Gingrich.
You know I began checking out popular right-wing blogs and online magazine sites in 2007, during the lead-up to the Presidential election of 2008. I was curious and I very much enjoy differing points of views, as long as they are intelligently made and civilly expressed. Suffice it to say that over the years I have found little of either (intelligent OR civil discussions) at MOST of those sites. However, the visits have provided me with first-hand knowledge of right-wing common chatter (i.e., who right-wingers like, don't like and absolutely despise) regarding politicians. It's also given me a degree of insight into the general mindset within right-wing world.Here's what I've known for awhile: Most of the GOP *base* NEVER supported the notion of Mitt Romney as a presidential candidate, let alone Mitt Romney as President. The "inevitable" narrative was something the GOP establishment put out there early, knowning full well a mostly incompetent and LAZY news media would quickly began parroting the same. The arrogant and cynical thinking of GOP elites was as it's been over the past 40-50 yrs… Read more »