There were, basically, three potential scenarios heading into Super Tuesday. One, that Romney really crushed his opponents and swept the board, putting a definitive end to the race. Two, that he eked out a narrow win, increasing his chances of being the nominee but without really strengthening his position as a candidate in the eyes of the media and general election voters, and three, that Santorum or Gingrich surprised everyone knocked Romney off his perch.
What happened yesterday was very much the second scenario. The Just Well Enough candidate did just well enough. And really, only just: Romney's victory over Santorum in Ohio, the biggest prize, was paper-thin (he won by 1%). This is despite massively outspending his rival there, and despite Santorum's seeming determination to make himself unpopular with everyone who isn't white, male and an advocate of public flogging for deviants.
So, 'questions linger' and all that, but I will say this - I think Mitt is slightly underbought at the moment, as they say at Intrade. First of all, he is going to the nominee. There are no white horses on the horizon. Second, the Republican Party, though they are being very grouchy about Romney now, will unite fairly convincingly around him come July, because they really, really want to beat Obama. Third, he is not - of course - the soulless ogre of popular portrayals, and eventually that will out (or at least it will if he allows his campaign to warm him up a bit - I think they should fill his ads with pictures like this). Fourth, it's still true that as the most moderate candidate in the race, he is the one most likely to gain if the recovery slows down or judders to a halt come the fall and the contest becomes a referendum on Obama's economic management.
Romney doesn't need to be loved, to become president. He only needs to do Just Well Enough.
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