The Hill: Romney Exposed As Very Weak Candidate That He Is

So what if Mitt's money still has him well positioned in the primary? That does not change the likely outcome, that the media, Axelrod, Obama and the Democrats will eat Romney for lunch. Obama has more cash than Romney and can campaign. Plus, he's an incumbent. Beating one at any level is no small feat. Bland and bumbling is not going to get 'er done!

I'm only one of many people who have been seeing and saying this all along. In my opinion, too many people have been looking no deeper than a resume, a pile of cash being thrown around, good hair and a suit. What it requires to be a strong presidential candidate is simply not there with Romney. He's a punching bag, not a heavyweight.

His political instincts are non-existent, he's aloof and can't connect and there are plenty of weak points to attack that he is absolutely horrible at defending, usually only making things worse. Read the whole thing.

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.

Most of Romney’s awkwardness has revolved around questions about his wealth. During a heated exchange during a debate last month, he ill-advisedly offered to bet Perry $10,000 that his own account of what he had written in one of his books was correct. Perry declined, saying he was “not in the betting business,” but the episode heightened perceptions that Romney is out of touch with most Americans.

The same pattern keeps cropping up. Earlier this week, he was asked about the effective tax rate he pays on his income, and managed to injure himself twice in the space of a few sentences. First, he acknowledged that his tax rate was “probably closer to the 15 percent rate than anything.” He then added: “I get speaker’s fees from time to time, but not very much.”

The first claim was almost certainly true. Romney’s income is believed to come chiefly from long-term investments rather than earned income, and that would indeed make him liable for capital gains tax levied at a 15 percent rate. But it still places the multimillionaire in a more lightly taxed band than many voters — something which Newt Gingrich tried to take advantage of with his mocking proposal to introduce a “Mitt Romney 15 percent flat tax.”

Perhaps even worse was Romney’s “not very much” comment. His latest financial disclosure form, which covered the period from February 2010 to February 2011, revealed that he earned $374,327 for speeches. The sum is approximately seven times the median household income in the United States.

Those remarks had been preceded by a televised debate at which he gave a muddled response about whether he would release his tax returns.

Romney flubbed the tax-return question for a second time at a debate last Thursday, eliciting boos from the crowd when he said he would “maybe” follow the example of his late father, former Michigan Gov. George Romney, who released 12 years of tax returns when running for the presidency in 1968.

Romney’s mangled syntax on these occasions seems symptomatic of a wider personal unease in discussing his finances. GOP consultants say he needs to get over that discomfort if he is to prove an effective candidate.

Comments

[Y-not]

Romney's campaign reminds me of Obama's: arrogant, evasive, and utterly tone deaf. He insults those who dare to oppose or question him, calling them stupid, wacky, unserious, and BIGOTS (eleventy!). And I did not appreciate his surrogate's (Sununu) thinly veiled threats leveled at Newt's Super PAC backer.

He's a one-term governor with an extremely weak record. THIS is the presumptive nominee?

I'd rather roll the dice with Newt who at least has demonstrated the ability (and willingness) to beat the Democrats on the national stage on occasion. Neither of these guys is a lock to beat Obama, but at least when Newt is campaigning he will be able to effectively communicate conservative principles on occasion.

[rrpjr]

"GOP consultants say he needs to get over that discomfort if he is to prove an effective candidate."

Yes, he just needs to "get over" being Mitt Romney. Good luck with that.

[Fred Beloit]

Sober? Bored by the humdrum duties of management and making the big dough? Monogamous? Looking for thrills and chills?
RUN FOR HIGH OFFICE. CALL TODAY FOR MORE INFO.

My interpretation of why Romney will say and do anything because he wants to be POTUS. As Judge Smails might say: "It would look pretty good on a young fella's resume."

[StrangernFiction]

The issue in this primary is not electability it is to what extent these candidates believe in limited government. I personally believe that Romney is just as flawed as Gingrich, but it doesn't matter. If Obama can win election again, after all of the injury that he has caused this country, then America cannot be saved! So why go with a statist candidate? This election is the FINAL EXAM for America no matter who the GOP candidate is.

[vanderleun]

I see that the dead end Gingrichers have gone from shooting themselves in the foot to shooting themselves in the roof of the mouth. Carry on.

[sickofrinos]

Newt can win without your vote, vanderleun.

[Observer]

Many see Newt as the only one who will take an axe to what Obama has done if he gets in. Mitt would only nibble around the edges assuming he survives the Obama machine.

[Observer]

Mitt has the establishment types saying hey just what is plan B.

[Thomas Jackson]

Spot on analysis. I am not a Newt man but have changed though I still support Santorum. But Sqantorum can't beat Obama, Newt can. Romney has a credibility problem far worse than Newt's. Romney was an awful gov, and Newt should be making this reco4rd clear.

[ConsernedVeteran]

This blog seems to be a lot like Fox News, Local news, CNN, MSN, MSNBC, And all other such affiliates.. Except you are on the only Source that truly matters (INTERNET) and we still dance around the only Grindstone tested And Congress approved candidate. As a Veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom I can even see past the smoke and mirrors of the current Regime(s) (yes, I said it, Regime(s)Obama more-so than Bush) Taking the Civil liberties away from the "Common Citizen" EVERY SINGLE DAY we pass more of this Government MANDATE SOCIETY legislature. @ OBSERVER: I 100% agree with what you say and think that "Mitt would only Nibble around the edges assuming he survives the Obama MAchine" But the only candidate that both True Conservatives and Fed-up(pun intended) with Obama Liberals alike, WILL Survive the OBAMA MACHINE.

Afghanistan Veterans for Congressman Dr. RON PAUL 2012!