It’s Not Mormonism, It’s Mitt

For some of the Insiders, Romney’s well-oiled campaign and potential for moderate appeal gave him the edge. “He almost beat a liberal icon in a blue state and went on to win the governor’s race,” said one Democratic Insider. “He is a very strong general-election candidate.” “Mitt Romney is better positioned to speak to independent voters,” said another Democrat, “including key voting blocs like swing unmarried women.” A Republican strategist agreed. “Romney is more acceptable to moderate voters, especially female voters.” – Insiders Not Sold on Gingrich

There’s been a lot of writing and questions about why Mitt Romney can’t break out with his Republican base. Quite a few question or call it all being about Romney’s Mormonism. Now, there’s no doubt there are some religious bigots who won’t vote for him because of it. But that’s the minority, in my opinion. The real problem with Mitt is Mitt.

The comparison to Barack Obama is apt. After three years of his first term, the American people like Mr. Obama and his family, but they haven’t warmed to him and don’t really relate to him either. There’s no empathy, no relationship with us to speak of, which goes double for Mitt Romney and Republicans.

But at least Barack Obama is cool. Mitt Romney is just cold.

TIME magazine’s cover “Why don’t they like me?” comes at a moment when Mitt Romney’s campaign is careening.

Skating through the debates, Romney distinguished himself, but he never let voters see the man behind the politician. It’s been the biggest mistake of his campaign until his interview with Bret Baier, which was a disaster for him, confirming how unlikable his political persona is. I write it that way, because reading Mike Allen’s eBook on 2012, Romney doesn’t come off nearly as badly.

Mitt Romney’s reaction to Bret Baier couldn’t have come at a worse time. At one point Mr. Romney actually squirmed. It was similar to the White House reaction to Ron Suskind’s book Confidence Men, which turned the Administration’s reaction into a free fire barrage. Obviously, Obama’s team thought Suskind was going to play fluffer, ala Richard Wolffe. Likewise, Mitt Romney thought Mr. Baier, coming from Fox News Channel, wasn’t going to ask him obvious questions that any journalist, even on FNC, would have to ask, if only to retain his own credibility. Questions that put Mitt Romney on the spot to explain his political record that has gone from moderate to liberal Rockefeller Republican to staunch conservative.

The highlight of the Baier interview came when Mr. Baier told Bill O’Reilly (video at the link) what happened after the interview, with Romney complaining that it was “overly aggressive,” going to his holding room, then returning again to say the interview tone “was uncalled for,” according to Baier.

Did Romney actually believe his little tantrum wouldn’t make it into the press?

Another issue for Romney is that he doesn’t have any long-term relationships in the Republican Party or among the base and primary voters. That’s one reason why Newt Gingrich has come in and found it so easy to pull the spotlight.

Of all the analysis rendered recently about the possibilities of Newt sticking, besides the holiday calender that will have people tuning out in a few weeks, Mr. Gingrich’s long and enduring relationships with Republicans and conservatives is now paying dividends.

Dave Weigel’s got a smart post on Slate today talking about evangelical forgiveness and Newt Gingrich. The redemption theme of a man who has bared his soul to them, asked forgiveness, and is ready to lead after becoming a better man. It’s a human story of a man who led the Republicans to take back the House after a 40-year drought, who then fell from that mountaintop in disgrace, only to repent his sins and rise again, asking for another chance to lead.

There’s nothing about Mitt Romney that we’ve seen so far that would allow him such vulnerability and humanness. That wouldn’t be necessary if Mr. Romney decided to fight for the nomination and engage, taking on questions and doing what I suggested yesterday. Say that he started as a more moderate Republican, which made him governor of Massachusetts, with a hard core Democratic legislature, but over the years he’s had a slow and steady conversion to conservatism. That would require an openness and comfortableness in sharing himself emotionally with voters that we haven’t come close to witnessing yet.

Who knows if he can do it? However, if Mitt Romney doesn’t start fighting hard for the Republican nomination and show he wants it, and why his flip flops are actually Reaganesque, an upset could occur that would put Republicans on a glide path to lose before they even get started.

Obama’s approval rating among independents is a catastrophically low 30 percent. This is a constituency disappointed in Obama but also deeply offended by the corrupt culture of the Washington insider — a distaste in no way attenuated by fond memories of the 1994 Contract with America. – Charles Krauthammer

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