Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
A new Wall Street Journal poll has both bad and good news for Mitt Romney. The good news is that he has regained the lead he lost back in November and made major inroads among voters who he was having trouble winning over, including conservatives. (Others are reporting that the contest is over, that Romney will trounce on Super Tuesday and effectively end the nomination battle.)
The poll also shows that President Barack Obama's approval rate is the highest it's been since May. But that's not the bad news.
Romney is the least-liked front-runner in decades (and no, it wouldn't be better with Santorum or Gingrich). You might remember the enthusiasm that greeted Bob Dole when he got the "It's my turn" nomination back in 1996. But he was only -4% on the negative/positive thermometer. Romney is -12%, with 40% of Americans reporting a negative view of him.
In the latest poll, Mr. Romney gained support among pockets of his party that so far had been tough for him to win over. His backing among tea-party supporters jumped to 35%, up from 21% in January, while his support among Republicans who call themselves "very conservative" nearly doubled, to 32%. He also saw a surge of support in the South, where Mr. Gingrich's own backing plunged to a third of what it was just six weeks ago.
Overall, [Peter] Hart said, "Romney has done what he would have wanted to achieve in the last five weeks."
But the poll just as vividly illustrates the challenges Mr. Romney faces, even if he does well on Tuesday and continues to widen his delegate lead, as Republican leaders expect.
Not since the 1996 presidential candidacy of Republican Bob Dole has a party's likely nominee been viewed negatively by a plurality of Americans at this point in an election. Yet Mr. Romney's challenge in building a favorable image is steeper than Mr. Dole's was then.
So are you all ready for this to be over and have Mitt Romney as your nominee? Either way, the experts are saying you better be! And does anyone have a comparison between Dole's opponent in 1996 and Romney's opponent in 2012? Was Clinton more or less vulnerable than Obama at this point in 1996? I don't quite remember.
Also, I can think of nowhere else to share this so I just have to add that I talked to my mother, a long-time Romney fan, yesterday. And she was actually giddy with excitement over how he's doing. Of course, she was also giddy about Bob Dole back in 1996, so I'm not sure what that means.
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Comments:
Dec '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
At least Romney has enough money that he'll never have to do Viagra commercials to get by after his loss.
Cue Derbyshire.
Mar '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
The thing I remember most about the 1996 GOP convention was Elizabeth Dole's speech. By the end of that campaign many of us wanted her on the ballot instead.
There are over 1000 delegates to be claimed still and Romney isn't Dole unless he wins the nomination. I pray he doesn't.
Jun '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
Do you want someone who's going to give it the old college try, or someone who's going to rip it up? Mitt will give it the old college try, and Newt could, and would, rip it up. Maybe both ways, we lose. But I'd rather go down putting up a fight.
Aug '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
After also watching THIS this morning, I find myself increasingly angry at anyone who supports Mitt Romney. So I'd probably better shaddup.
Jan '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
The comparison between Dole and Romney makes sense, but so too does the comparison between Obama and Clinton. Even though people found Clinton to be a weasel, the economy was pretty good, and we were at relative peace.
Why is Obama growing stronger in the polls? Because he's out of the spotlight. When he stays in the spotlight, he drops like a rock. It's pretty clear that the White House learned its lesson. Back during the healthcare debate, pundits pointed out that he had given a huge number of speeches to promote it - and support dropped with every speech. The conservative pundits pointed out that people really don't like Obama, and the more they see of him, the less they like him. Well, the White House finally figured it out, and kept him away from the cameras.
Mar '12
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
I think it would be a good idea for the administrators of Ricochet to add a new section tab called "The Cry Room." It would be a place for all the anti-Romney people to go and pout while the rest of us go one with the job of trying to win.
Dec '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
Danny Westneat summed it up perfectly in the Seattle Times this weekend:
Jun '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
Romney is not Bob Dole. Newt is not Ronald Reagan. Santorum is not an amalgam of Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill and John Paul II.
I'm really trying to understand the reason for posting this discussion other than it's simply sour grapes that Romney keeps winning primaries and caucuses. He is a decent man who has promised to repeal Obamacare on his first day in office. He has promised to lower the tax rate. He has promised to strengthen the military. He has promised to reduce the size of the federal government. But hey, let's keep comparing the guy to lackluster Republicans who were less articulate and forthright. Is Romney my first choice? No. My first choice isn't running. But he'll do very well.
Shouldn't we be focused on comparing Obama to Carter or V.I. Lenin? Might be a better use of one's time.
Dec '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
I'm thinking that the political landscape will look very different come October, especially if the modest bump in the economy turns out to be due to a warm winter and people foolishly pulling their credit cards out to snap up Christmas deals. And if Afghanistan keeps blowing up for months on end. And Syria. And Iran. Perhaps the debt ceiling will need to be raised as well.
Romney may not light a fire under anyone, but with a decent convention speech, he might look pretty good to the independents.
Dec '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
Because bringing a wiffle ball bat to a gun fight is such an effective strategy.
Mar '12
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
The King Prawn
Because bringing a wiffle ball bat to a gun fight is such an effective strategy. · 0 minutes ago
It beats whining.
Dec '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
Done.
Dec '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
Horace
The King Prawn
Because bringing a wiffle ball bat to a gun fight is such an effective strategy. · 0 minutes ago
It beats whining. · 1 minute ago
I've never lost peacefully.
Jun '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
In the Stalin era, many Russians thought, if Stalin could just be told how brutal his government was, how they're hurting his people, he'd put a stop to it right away. "If only he wasn't so busy...he could come to our rescue." They thought he was the fire department. They didn't know he was really the pyromaniac.
Jan '12
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
There is something in life that works. Positive Thoughts. . If you have a goal and don't have a positive attitude about it you will certainly fail.My head is not in the sand --- I realize our Candidates are not that popular in the polls ---But there is something to be said for a group of powerfulPeople united in a common goal!! We Can Win in November but Not if we have a negative attitude and are not willing to go all out and work to Get nominee elected.
Mar '12
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
The King Prawn
Horace
The King Prawn
Because bringing a wiffle ball bat to a gun fight is such an effective strategy. · 0 minutes ago
It beats whining. · 1 minute ago
I've never lost peacefully.
And you've probably never won by stomping your feet and complaining, at least in politics.
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
It's really amazing that this GOTV strategy employed by Romney fans hasn't been more effective among Romney skeptics!
Just kidding -- but I always think that Ricochet should be viewed as a safe area to try to convince others of what you believe. Just because I'm not a Romney enthusiast (and can only envision supporting him from the transactional case for him) doesn't mean you can't try to convince me or deal with the substance of this post.
Focus on how to improve his net negative approval rating -- how do you think he and his supporters should improve that reality?
Dec '10
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
Horace
The King Prawn
And you've probably never won by stomping your feet and complaining, at least in politics. · 10 minutes ago
Pointing out Romney's considerable weaknesses does not qualify as a tantrum.
Dec '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
Your petty malice reinforces the idea that there is no place in the republican party for me.
Mar '11
Re: Is Mitt Romney The New Bob Dole?
I agree that unless Newt or Rick drop out in the next week, this is over. And that fact is a real bummer.
But in the event Romney is the nominee, I will deal with that reality. I will vote for Romney, and hope and pray that he turns out to be a real limited-government conservative after all.