Michael Gaynor
Those Republican presidential hopefuls putting ego first
By Michael Gaynor
If Obama is re-elected, Santorum and Gingrich will have made it possible.
After Super Tuesday, the Associated Press Republican delegate count gave Mitt Romney 415 and all his present and former rivals or the 2012 Republican presidential nomination together 330.
Rick Santorum has 176.
Newt Gingrich has 105.
Romney is America's candidate.
Romney's won in the North, the South, the East, the West and the Midwest.
Santorum's won only in the Midwest.
Gingrich won in adjacent Georgia and South Carolina.
Ron Paul hasn't won anywhere.
On Super Tuesday, Romney won six states, came in second three times and came in third once.
Santorum won three states, came in second five times, came in third once, and failed to make the ballot in Virginia.
Gingrich won one state, had one second, two thirds and five fourths, and failed to make the ballot in Virginia.
But, like punch drunk fighters without managers smart and caring enough to throw in the towel for them, Santorum and Gingrich will continue.
Who will benefit from prolonging the race?
President Obama.
Those self-described Obama opponents who describe Mitt Romney as a weak candidate because he hasn't won even more primaries, caucuses and delegates are not only minimizing Romney's accomplishments but implicitly demeaning all of his rivals.
The goal must be to make Obama a one-term president, not a two-term president.
The two states that Gingrich won are states that the Republican presidential candidate carries in the general election.
The three states that Gingrich won on Super Tuesday are states that the Republican presidential candidate carries in the general election.
Romney won key swing states on Super Tuesday — Virginia and Ohio, each of which was won by Obama in 2008.
A few days earlier, Romney won two other key swing states — Michigan (won by Obama in 2008) and Arizona (in play this year without its senior Senator, John McCain, not in the race again).
Romney is the strongest candidate whom the Republicans can nominate.
Team Obama knows it.
Santorum and Gingrich are deluding themselves, at best.
Neither Santorum not Gingrich can match Romney's demonstrated business expertise and executive experience.
Gingrich has so much personal baggage (for which he has his own selfish choices to blame) that he makes Obama look good.
Santorum doesn't have that personal baggage, but he's a career Washington politician who comes across as an angry warrior instead of a happy warrior and makes voters worry that, like Obama, he would impose his own personal values as soon as he was in a position to do so.
Catholic voters are critical in presidential elections and both Santorum and Gingrich are Catholics.
Telling, non-Catholic Romney has been winning the Catholic vote.
If Obama is re-elected, Santorum and Gingrich will have made it possible, but claim that they were right that they could have won.
That's what happens when politicians drink their own Kool-aid.
© Michael Gaynor
March 10, 2012
If Obama is re-elected, Santorum and Gingrich will have made it possible.
After Super Tuesday, the Associated Press Republican delegate count gave Mitt Romney 415 and all his present and former rivals or the 2012 Republican presidential nomination together 330.
Rick Santorum has 176.
Newt Gingrich has 105.
Romney is America's candidate.
Romney's won in the North, the South, the East, the West and the Midwest.
Santorum's won only in the Midwest.
Gingrich won in adjacent Georgia and South Carolina.
Ron Paul hasn't won anywhere.
On Super Tuesday, Romney won six states, came in second three times and came in third once.
Santorum won three states, came in second five times, came in third once, and failed to make the ballot in Virginia.
Gingrich won one state, had one second, two thirds and five fourths, and failed to make the ballot in Virginia.
But, like punch drunk fighters without managers smart and caring enough to throw in the towel for them, Santorum and Gingrich will continue.
Who will benefit from prolonging the race?
President Obama.
Those self-described Obama opponents who describe Mitt Romney as a weak candidate because he hasn't won even more primaries, caucuses and delegates are not only minimizing Romney's accomplishments but implicitly demeaning all of his rivals.
The goal must be to make Obama a one-term president, not a two-term president.
The two states that Gingrich won are states that the Republican presidential candidate carries in the general election.
The three states that Gingrich won on Super Tuesday are states that the Republican presidential candidate carries in the general election.
Romney won key swing states on Super Tuesday — Virginia and Ohio, each of which was won by Obama in 2008.
A few days earlier, Romney won two other key swing states — Michigan (won by Obama in 2008) and Arizona (in play this year without its senior Senator, John McCain, not in the race again).
Romney is the strongest candidate whom the Republicans can nominate.
Team Obama knows it.
Santorum and Gingrich are deluding themselves, at best.
Neither Santorum not Gingrich can match Romney's demonstrated business expertise and executive experience.
Gingrich has so much personal baggage (for which he has his own selfish choices to blame) that he makes Obama look good.
Santorum doesn't have that personal baggage, but he's a career Washington politician who comes across as an angry warrior instead of a happy warrior and makes voters worry that, like Obama, he would impose his own personal values as soon as he was in a position to do so.
Catholic voters are critical in presidential elections and both Santorum and Gingrich are Catholics.
Telling, non-Catholic Romney has been winning the Catholic vote.
If Obama is re-elected, Santorum and Gingrich will have made it possible, but claim that they were right that they could have won.
That's what happens when politicians drink their own Kool-aid.
© Michael Gaynor
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