"Grinding out a victory" is how conservative commentator, Ross Douthat, puts Romney's "solid" win in Michigan plus a squeaker in Arizona. That seems like about the right way to describe Romney.
If their candidate can keep winning contests in the West and Northeast and holding serve across the Midwest, Romney’s rivals won’t be able to stop him from grinding out a victory.
But the frontrunner did lose something in the days leading up to the Michigan vote. He lost his general election narrative. ...NYT
The problem, says Douthat, is that Romney doesn't know how to "talk about his own wealth." I'd love to know what Douthat has in the back of his mind, what clincher might be hiding in the Bain stain on Romney's record.
... Between his verbal miscues and his clumsy attempts to defend his right flank on policy, the likely Republican nominee is suddenly headed for the kind of political and ideological cul-de-sac that losing presidential candidates often end up occupying.
Thanks to the voters of Michigan, Romney’s path to the nomination is as wide open as ever. But his path to the White House has narrowed considerably. ...NYT
Romney's wealth came via a series of truly brutal business maneuvers. But his attitude when it comes to running for president seems half-hearted. Whether Mitt's "brutal then/weak now" is enough for the tea party voters is yet to be seen. They seem to prefer rude bullies.
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By the way, Olympia Snowe is resigning from the Senate, tired of rude bullies. Being a polite, nice, intelligent person, she didn't put it that way. She used code: "excessive partisanship and a dispiriting political environment."
“I do find it frustrating,” she said, “that an atmosphere of polarization and ‘my way or the highway’ ideologies has become pervasive in campaigns and in our governing institutions.” ...NYT
Losing her is not part of the Republican plan. They want more Republicans in the Senate, not fewer. We'll see.
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Anyone notice how well Ron Paul did in Michigan? 12% is the latest estimate. And, as Paul points out, he's doing better now than he did in '08. Rasmussen has Paul beating Obama if only he could get the Republican nomination...
According to a Rasmussen Reports poll released Tuesday, at the moment Representative Paul bests Mr. Obama in a head-to-head matchup by 43 to 41 percent.
The same poll has Mitt Romney tied with Obama, at 44 percent each. Rick Santorum is three points behind the president, according to Rasmussen, and Newt Gingrich is 10 points behind. ...CSM
Rasmussen has been so wrong lately that its prediction is good for a giggle.
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