There was an old song “to know know know him is to love love love him” but that Mitt Romney seems to be inspiring among many GOP conservatives is “to know know how him is to hate hate hate him” as the scramble is on to find someone who can head the ticket who is not Mitt Romney. An exaggeration? What’s unfolding now with the polls showing former House Speaker Newt Gingrich TSA-qualifying baggage heap and all zooming to the top of some polls is just that. Consider this virtually stunning news about what is now occurring in Florida:
Results from Democratic firm Public Policy Polling poll of Florida GOP primary voters: Newt Gingrich (47 percent), Mitt Romney (17 percent), Herman Cain (15 percent), Ron Paul (5 percent), Michele Bachmann (4 percent), Jon Huntsman (3 percent), Rick Perry (2 percent), and Rick Santorum (1 percent).
Further, Romney’s favorability in Florida is decreasing. When PPP polled in September, Romney had a 65 percent favorable rating and a 22 percent unfavorable rating. Now only 51 percent have a favorable view of him, while the number of those who have an unfavorable view is up to 36 percent. To me, this is curious: hate, love, or feel in-between about Romney, he’s widely considered the candidate whose background and positions are best known to GOP candidates. His campaign hasn’t had any dramatic changes in the past two months; he hasn’t made any quotes that have gone viral; and there’s been no scandals. Why then such a dramatic change in how he’s viewed?
And Romney is showing signs of becoming flustered.
Many pundits have pointed to this interview which apparenty showed that Romney is losing his cool — an interview with Fox News. How bad was it? So bad that the DNC put out an ad about it:>
Here’s the interview via Fox News’ website:
I have said this before and it’s worth repeating again: Newt Gingrich is a seasoned national politician. He reminds me of the “quote machines” I talked to when I was a reporter, political pros who would always return a reporter’s phone call, and always give a quote. Gingrich will appear on all networks. Romney is increasingly falling into the trap of the Sarah Palin model. She restricted herself to largely Fox News. Romney is trying to avoid free wheeling network interviews altogether. This indicates he will be VERY vulnerable in his battle for the nomination — and that he has a major Achilles heel heading into the general election.
The well prepared Romney of a debate is one thing. The Romney on a scripted campaign ad is one thing. But to defend his front-runner status — a status that really is no longer deserved since Gingrich is starting to lead in some polls now — and to take a national campaign to a well-funded Barack Obama who despite having an approval rating below Jimmy Carter’s still has the bully pulpit, he will have to be ready to talk with all and sundry in UNSCRIPTED interviews and appearances where you can’t just regurgitate talking points or attack lines.
Being brittle or acting like he’s disgusted people dare ask him tough questions won’t help.
If he doesn’t get his political act together soon, the Florida poll will not be a surprise but the norm since many Republicans are looking for someone they can support so they don’t have to support him.
UPDATE: In the Great Minds Think Alike Department, the Christian Science Monitor now asks whether Romney’s nomination is still “inevitable.” Here’s part of the piece:
Is a Mitt Romney nomination really inevitable?
The former Massachusetts governor is trying to create that impression. And certainly, he’s the only GOP candidate with money, organization, and consistent performances in polls and debates.
On the other hand, those same polls have highlighted Romney’s inability to go above about 25 percent among likely primary voters – and much of the other 75 percent seems to gravitate toward anybody but him, convinced that he’s not a true conservative.
How much do you know about Mitt Romney? A quiz.
“He’s a fragile frontrunner,” says Dennis Goldford, a political scientist at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. “If the anti-Romney side can’t unite around someone, then yeah, he’s got a very good chance. But if the anti-Romney side can unite around someone, it will be tougher.”
With Herman Cain now “reassessing” his campaign, that possibility looks stronger.
Though Mr. Cain speaking in Ohio Wednesday vowed to stay in the race, his candidacy is limping. And Newt Gingrich – already the frontrunner in most polls – could benefit more than Romney from a Cain demise.
Go to the link and read it all.
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.