The 2012 Election; Barack Obama vs. MittCain

It's MittCain!

Mitt Romney has a growing problem; Rick Santorum is making this more evident as time goes on. Romney has yet to excite the base of the Republican party. Santorum's recent rise in the polls is evidence of this. Santorum is in first place for Michigan. Apparently the money Romney has amassed is not helping him much.

I consider this upcoming race (next Tuesday) to be the most important for Romney. If Santorum wins Michigan it proves that Romney can't get the Republican base. Let me put it this way, every vote for Santorum is a vote for Obama and here's why. I think that Santorum voters have a greater dislike of Romney than they do a will to vote out Obama in 2012. That is to say that if Romney gets the nomination a lot of Santorum voters will just stay home for the general election, just like they did for McCain. I believe that Romney is McCain --Part Two.

The media has been trumpeting that Romney has the money and the organization to go up against Obama, but all of the money and organization can't get him in front of Santorum? I think that the Media is more scared of Santorum than they are Romney and that's why you are seeing the hit pieces on Santorum. It's simple; Santorum excites the Republican voter base. Romney's strong point is polling well with moderates, which means nothing if you don't already have the base. And like I pointed out in my piece about moderates, you can't attract people who don't know what they stand for. Moderates will be attracted by a strong showing in the polls and and general excitement for a particular candidate (they ride the wave). The media knows this and that's why you see so many polls with slanted questions to sway public opinion; it's the moderates they're going after. Moderates are followers, it's that simple. You gain moderates by attracting the people who influence them. There is no way to know who influences them, so sticking with the base makes the most since. Because Obama now has a track record to defend more people are leaning towards a Republican candidate, regardless of what the polls show, secure those people already looking in your direction and moderates will follow.

So, to sum it up. Moderates only help Romney when he's doing well. When he's not, they scatter in all directions. You attract moderates directly at the cost of the base. It's for this reason that the base is so important. Romney has an inability to convince the Republican base that he's a true Conservative. If or until he does, he'll remain the "First 'Second Choice' Candidate".