GOP cannot ignore Romney

The American right, the conservative realm, is obsessed with the so-called "right candidate", which is more likely to to destroy the GOP like it did in 2008. Indeed, the GOP cannot ignore the fact that all the shake-ups that occurred since the opening of the presidential campaign, had not shaken Governor. Mitt Romney. A few factors to be considered; Gov. Romney has a strong base, built since he bowed out in 2008 GOP primary, and the Independents aren't so thrilled with the far-right of the GOP. And despite the fact that the hardcore Conservatives tried to destroy him now like they did in 2008, he remained steady and only dropped from the top just once (a couple or few points in polls). If all the indicators are accurate, Gov. Romney is the most likely candidate to appeal to Conservatives, the centrists, the moderates and some in the left like what President Obama did in 2008, in order to give the GOP the victory it needs.

Gov. Romney understands that the candidates' performances through the primary don't really matter. To win a presidential election, a candidate must appeal to the moderate Democrats and the majority of the Independents that the GOP failed to win over in 2008. It is here that presidents are elected. Obama couldn't have won the 2008 presidential election had the Conservatives held their grounds. However, it was obvious that after eight years of economic ruin and two wars that were fought without specific end-game strategies, a substantial number of Conservatives were willing to vote for a Democrat candidate. The GOP also lost the support of the Independents who felt neglected by a president whose focus instantly shifted from domestic to foreign policies and wars shortly after 9/11. Likewise, the next President has to have the same appeal while maintaining a huge portion of his/her Conservative credentials. Gov. Romney beats all of them in this.

I blogged sometimes ago and I removed it because I wanted to wait for Gov. Rick Perry's first GOP Primary debate but I didn't have time to post my analysis. I made the point in that piece that Gov. Perry had not been beaten up by the entire nation or had not come under serious scrutiny. I also commented that he was vulnerable to the media and his opponents and this is exactly what happened. Matching up a somewhat unknown candidate to a man who went through the same brutal scrutiny of the presidential battle, Gov. Romney is way ahead. By that, I mean he had been hammered about his "politics, religion, marriage, hair, money, policies, media statements, etc. and almost all voters in the Right, in my opinion, knew what Gov. Romney was and who he is today.

Unlike Gov. Romney, Gov. Perry is relatively knew to the national presidential race. He would have to go through the brutal torture of the Primary (GOP) before taking on the nation in the presidential race against the most ambitious Democrat Party. As many would recall, the reason why Perry runs is because he was dubbed the "Job creator" of America and urged by his supporters to run. He didn't jump in, he took the encouragement slowly, assessing and analyzing his positions before he made his decision to join the race.

However, after three debates, Gov. Perry's solid foundation - his conservative credentials and policies starting to rattled. Those who held him to the highest degree of respect in the Conservative realm began to have doubts whether he is the man they thought was three months ago. I compared Gov. Perry to former Presidential Candidate and former Senator Fred Thompson whose polls skyrocketed until he joined the race. His pools quickly plunged after a few debates. Realizing he had no chance to win, he dropped out. Gov. is likely to go down this road if maintained his attack on Social Security and Immigration. .

The decline in Perry's poll numbers demonstrated his inability to explain some of the most pressing issues so dear to the hearts of the Conservative right. His somewhat controversial positions on immigration, guns, health issues, and financial dealings, now beginning to emerge and now he appears a different kind of a man. Gov. Romney's attack on his "jobs creation" credential was quite effective and now his support for the children of illegal immigrants and border issues are turning against him in every turn.

The reality is - Gov. Romney is still standing. The rise and fall of Rep. Bachman and Rep. Paul, the fall and rice of businessman Herman Caine, shows that the only unstable people in the whole race are the hardcore Conservatives who don't like Gov. Romney's past "flip flops" and yes his being a Mormon candidate. This is a huge problem for Gov. Romney, but the fact that his base remain unmoved indicated that a good number of Conservatives and Independents don't have any problem with his post political leadership nor his religion. They believe that his business credentials give him the strength to lead America. If his support remained till next year, there is not reason for the GOP to overlook Gov. Romney's ability to appeal to a wider- range of voters. If the GOP nominated someone other than Gov. Romney, that would be the end of the GOP battle to unseat President Obama.