The Mitt Romney Issue

If you have been following the GOP presidential primaries, as I would think many of you have, you are aware of the dilemma currently confronting the party. We are having a little trouble deciding who will run as the Republican presidential candidate in November. There is a simple reason, but not a simple solution for this problem. For the past few years there has been a growing split within the Republican party. The divide between social and fiscal conservatives continues to grow. There is not a clear divide, and not even complete separation between the two camps, but unless they can come together this November, we are surely looking at four more years of a Democratic administration.

Hypothetically speaking, this primary season should have been an easy one for Mitt Romney. He has run a presidential campaign before, he has name recognition, and has been the front runner from early on. Besides those things he has what is necessary to run a successful campaign. He has money...a lot of money.

Why then has the Republican Party not selected their candidate?

Because the political power and resolve of the socially conservative voting bloc is being overlooked by the party establishment in Washington. They have become out of touch with the base of the Republican Party.

Its not that the base of the Republican Party does not care that Mitt Romney can run a company, and that he can save Olympic games, and he can win an election as a Republican in what is arguably one of the most blue states in the country.
Its that they will only care about those things once they are convinced that he is a genuine conservative. And for  many voters, their minds have already been made up. The flip-flopping on important social policy questions that Mitt Romney has done has cast a permanent doubt on whether he truly shares the conservative values that they hold. His authoring of Romneycare is too similar to Obamacare for comfort. And his seemingly daily statements about how rich he his just reinforces how out of touch he is with the average American. Many Republicans want a president that they can identify with. Someone who has gone through the troubles they go through, and someone they know will be their greatest advocate in Washington.

While Mitt Romney has been able to win many states primaries, I would make the argument that this is because of his large bank account and his "perceived" front runner status. He can outspend any of his opponents and buy enough commercials bashing his fellow Republicans that many voters feel like their is no one else that they can vote for.

This long primary season is not good for the Party's image. While there are some who believe it makes a candidate "stronger", I believe it makes a candidate easier to attack in November.
Mitt Romney is the establishment candidate, the head Republicans would be pleased if he was the party's nominee in the general election.
But what the Party needs to stop doing is trying to shove Mitt Romney down the throat of voters. Even though I believe the Republican base would never go so far as to vote for a Democrat, I do believe that there are many who would rather stay home then go out and vote for someone they obviously do not like.