Romney seems to have gone into a defensive crouch, leaving many Republicans feeling like football fans who watch their team move to a ‘prevent defense’ to protect a fourth-quarter lead and dread losing all of it. Their nerves are being jangled even as they acknowledge that outright disaster has so far been averted.
“For some reason, he has slipped into this ‘I’m trying not to lose’ mode — and that’s when you do lose,” said Republican strategist Keith Appell, who is not aligned with any of this year’s presidential candidates.
It’s important not to overstate the perils Romney faces. He is still by far the best-funded candidate in the race. He has a state-by-state infrastructure that is the envy of his rivals. Even if he were to lose Saturday's South Carolina primary, he would likely remain the overall favorite to clinch the nomination.
But the procession of errors has been striking nonetheless — and it has raised concerns among many in the GOP about his vulnerabilities in a general election contest with President Obama. ...The Hill
I think (and have said this before) that the Republicans are trying to create -- or have already created -- a better candidate off-stage. One obvious option is Mitch Daniels who will try to wipe Obama off the map with a counter-State of the Union Address and then step into the Republican primary with the full backing of the Republican establishment. Just a guess...
Meanwhile, the president is aware of how important this particular speech is.
President Obama held a conference call late Friday afternoon to "solicit input" from state, local and tribal leaders on the State of the Union address, according to attendees on the call. ...The Hill
