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Is Romney the Inevitable Candidate?
Vijay Vaswani
With CNN, ABC and Fox News all showing Mitt Romney in front at around 21% in the polls, has he finally regained his frontrunner status, and possibly for good this time?
When the political presidential season began a few months ago, there were many new faces. Mitt Romney however, was one of the only declared candidates that didn’t contract much attention. With McCain and Huckabee both deciding not throw their hat into the ring, it was obvious that Romney’s 3rd place win in the 2007 Republican Primaries would make him an instant contender. As he raised over 100 million dollars (30 some millions of his own) the last time around, funding wasn’t going to be an issue either. With continuous stops in major swing states since 2008, it became apparent that he would make a push for the White House again.
As the Republican Primaries inches closer, visibility, fundability and electability are a few characteristics which can help the candidate win the nomination. For these factors, this is the good side of being Mitt Romney, as he has name recognition, a well-established organization (especially in early primary states), and a pocket full of millions to continue this long-held journey.
On the other hand, his negatives have people view him as a “been there, seen that, done that” kind of candidate. They say that he’s an “old school” politician that doesn’t bring anything new to the table. Voters are looking for a fresh face, someone who can capture the audience, spark a debate and make a lasting impression. These however, are not Romney’s strong points. People are well aware of his views since 2007 and know almost everything there is to know about him. He hasn’t had any distinctive moments, nor has he done anything special to turn heads; thus, keeping him on the front page. Ironically though, there are plus sides to these negatives.
Not knowing about a candidate may spark an interest at first and get voters onboard, but the unknowns may be the very issues that soon come up and come out and as a result, have voter’s abandon ship. Many times people want what they don’t have, especially if it is new and or different. However, once they have it they seem to soon have concerns with it and end up looking elsewhere.
Michele Bachman was a new face that gained much attention on the national level in beginning. Her nature, provocative language and decisiveness helped her to win the Iowa Straw poll. Oddly, it was these very issues that also led to her down fall. Rick Perry was also first seen as different, sharp and controversial. As soon as he declared his candidacy, he shot to the top. Though with a disappointing performance in the Fox News debate, the unknowns of him were shown and voters again had a change of heart.
If these past months of political waves have shown anything, it is that stability may be the only answer for the winning candidate. By now, all Republicans know of Romney and his ideologies, and though they may not agree with him on everything (MA Healthcare bill), or like his approach, they certainly know what to expect. Looking at all the debates so far, he is the only candidate to come in 1st or 2nd; moreover, he continues to look and act presidential. Yes he has been over shadowed by different candidates, and has gone under the radar as a result. Still, those candidates were one-hit-wonders and started off strong, but soon digressed into nothing. He is the only candidate to remain with the same percentage of votes from where he began; thus, showing stability. Though he may not be a fresh face that people were looking for, or a candidate that can command the stage with catchy sound bites, he is the sole Republican to threaten Obama’s Presidency.
In politics, the bottom line is it’s not where you start, but in fact, where you finish. As Romney was not seen as a surprising candidate for president, both his negatives and positives work to his advantage. If Republican’s are looking for their best choice, they may have very well found it in their safest, Mitt Romney.
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