Keywords or Terms:
POTUS; Press Conference; Republican Primaries and Caucuses; Mitt Romney; Rick
Santorum; Newt Gingrich; Ron Paul; Delegates; Political contributions and
Money; Political Strategy; Iran; CNN; Alaska; Massachusetts, North Dakota; Ohio, Virginia; Vermont,
Oklahoma, Georgia; Tennessee; and Idaho
Volumes
have been written about Republican Primaries and Caucuses since November 2011. Discussions
regarding strategies, failures and triumphs of many of the Republican aspirants
have been exciting, dull and sometimes, downright discouraging and
exasperating. Truthfully, some of the contests in already decided states
indicate that the battle for the Republican nomination is not as clear cut as
many political gurus had predicted at the beginning of the contest. The
overwhelming perception that the current slate of Republican candidates has not
given many Republicans the needed excitement in their nomination process, has
made some voters, even ardent supporters of conservative Republican values, to
rethink again the feasibility of a win come November 2012, if their party fails
to get it right.
Why
a Presidential Press Conference on a day like this? Well, who knows? Aspiring
Republican candidates for their party’s nomination find themselves having to be
second or taking a backseat to President Obama’s first time press conference
this year. Democrats applaud the President for drawing attention to imminent
issues, or dangers, from the suspected rumbling in some quarters regarding the
possibility of a war with the nation of Iran. Republicans say this Press Conference
is not coincidental but usual politics; an affront to their effort to choose
their prime candidate for the November, 2012 context. Democrats insist that the
issue of Nuclear Iran, spiking costs of domestic fuel, and the nagging Israeli
Prime Minister concern for a potential strike on the Islamic State, are worthy
of consideration at this time; and the fact that the President is having this
Press conference is an indication of how the President is concerned about the
welfare of Americans.
President
Obama sees the huge Super Tuesday contests among Republicans, an opportunity to
remind the voters that Democrats are around and are deserving of all the
attention or love they can get this season. It is an opportunity for Democrats
to energize their base. Republicans may hate the supposed intrusion, but how
else can Democrats halt the love for the Republicans in this season. By the
time all the trending political news and election results are in for the
Republican primaries and caucuses tonight, the so much desired excitement for
the Republican contests might still remain elusive. For now, what is known is
far from the unknown; and, preliminary results from across the ten contested
states as tracked by CNN, indicate that Romney seems to be ahead of the
delegates’ harvest, with likely spread showing Romney wins in thirteen states,
with 396 delegates; Santorum wins in seven states with 158 delegates, Gingrich
wins in two states with 103 delegates and Ron Paul harvesting 60 delegates,
without a single state victory.
In
the eye of Democrats, the Republican contests have been lackluster; and it
seems rather difficult for any of the aspiring candidate to build that solid
fellowship and or conviction needed to win in a general election. The
Republican Party’s goal had been producing the front-runner candidate very soon
and coalescing around that candidate, building the required steam to jump ahead
of the Democratic Party's choice of flag bearer. Unfortunately, the required
drivers, consistency, charisma, unflinching momentum and derisive message from
the potential Republican flag bearer had not pattered out. Mitt Romney’s candidacy has
been anecdotal from what conservative Republican wants; and, Rick Santorum that
could have been a more likely substitute, has been lacking in funding and
national campaign infrastructure to do real battle with Mitt Romney.
The
primary and caucuses contests in Ohio, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Idaho, North Dakota, Virginia, Alaska, Georgia, and Vermont, show
how deficient Rick Santorum has been with shortage of funds; he was outspent in
some of these states, twelve to one, on advertisements, canvassing and pulling
likely voters to his message. While some voters like his social conservative
message, without money, it is difficult to get that same message to a larger
number of people who are willing to leave whatever they are doing to go vote for
a candidate whose message they may be endeared to. The old adage that money is
the life blood of political campaigns is just as credible today as it was a
century ago. Without money, hardly can a candidate build enough support for his or her candidacy, even if his or her message is endearing or enameling. What Rick Santorum is
suffering here is not completely the rejection of his social conservative
message; rather, it is his political campaign blood anemia. If he really wants
to turn this contest around, huge donors have to step up to have his back;
without which, there may just be too little for him come the convention in Orlando, Florida.
The
resulting message from the Republican contest to Democrats, is that the fight
in fall 2012, may not be a cake walk due to the campaign funds available to
Romney from the Super PAC and probably the RNC; however, if Mitt Romney
continues to be unconvincing to the conservatives in his party, the Democrats
may just take advantage of this loophole and walk all over him and his
campaign. President Obama’s reelection campaign team maybe asking themselves
the question, how can we exploit this weakness in the potential Republican
nominee, how can we reposition our campaign to solidify our base and manage
voters apathy over the economy, and how can we make our candidate capture the essence
of the Romney’s weakness or weaknesses. What is very obvious now is that there are huge
numbers of Republicans who are dissatisfied with the likely nominee and find
themselves rather disenfranchised with a flag bearer they hardly believe in,
one that hardly represents their position, one that looks more aloof or intrepid than friendly, even to those who are supposed to be like him, the true
Republican.
President
Obama’s Press Conference today delivers feedback quickly; his choice and
campaign strategy will involve taking the fight to the Republicans, arguing and
standing by his achievements and policy successes in the past three plus years.
POTUS will do damage to Mitt Romney if he ever attempts to fight for the White
House on the basis of Obama’s foreign policy; he will probably snuff Romney’s
campaign out, if Romney chooses to debate the President more than twice; for Obama
is an avid debater with the strength of use of words and valor of contextual
messaging in moments that can rouse his supporters, some say catch fire with
his base and incinerate his opponents. It is not that Obama is a great debater
that could be disabling to Romney, it is the fact that his supporters love him, much as some of them
have some reservations about his handling of the American Economy, they are still true believers, who are able and willing to go to bat for him. President
Obama is better loved by his supporters than Mitt Romney is with the Republican
base. If truth is to be told among Republicans, there are about forty percent
of likely Republican voters who cannot stand Mitt Romney and who probably believe
that another Republican candidate is much preferable. This is the real dilemma
with Mitt Romney’s candidacy; and, this is hardly a problem for President
Barack Obama among the Democratic voters.
President
Obama invited the Press to come and listen to him on a day that is supposed to
be a huge day for Republicans, and a throng of men and women in the Press
showed up in the East room or wing of the White House. When one of them asked
the question, what he will like to say to the Republican front runner regarding
today contests, all he said was: Good luck tonight! This is probably more than
words can convey; here is Mitt Romney fighting a life and death battle in the
State of Ohio with Rick Santorum, being wished
the best of luck by the President of the United States, his potential
nemesis. If Mitt Romney survives Ohio,
he’ll probably not forget the bruises. Some political gurus indicate that the
overall eleven states battles will better prepare Mitt Romney for the future
fight with the Democratic leader; however, who can really tell? This is a
candidate that is very used to gaffes, like my wife has two Cadillac, one
probably to drive to Bloomingdale or Gucci store, the other, to the Mormon Temple
(the last few words, mine)! His gaffes make him come across as a rich man born
with silver spoon in his mouth, and who could never appreciate the plight of ordinary
Americans. These are perfect flaws that President Obama can play on to ring to
kingdom come, why Mitt Romney is only campaigning for the White House out of
his interest to preserve his rich friends and class at the expense of poor
Americans. That is a debate and fight that POTUS is ready to have and one that
he has indicated in more than one way, in his ‘Good luck message to Mitt Romney’
at today’s Press conference.
President
Obama is gradually energizing his political base; and one way, is to have a
Press Conference in the middle of a Republican Party primary; or, on a day that
is supposed to be huge for Republican candidates seeking to wrestle from him
the keys to the White House. He is sharing the results of his initial stewardship
or efforts in the White House with his political base and reminding them of
what is to come, the future challenges that they must work and walk with him to
overcome as he fights the battle with Republicans who continue to denigrate
women as sluts and prostitutes, because they seek what is probably old news in
women health: that over 95% of women use birth control pills at one time in
their life time. That Republicans are choosing to be on the wrong side of history
with regard to women’s health, may just be the worst news for their nominee.
Hopefully the events of last week with regard to the conservative radio show
host, Rush Limbaugh, comments have taught Mitt Romney and his campaign
strategists some lessons. If not, they would probably go back home to mama crying
with their marbles, come the end of the general elections!
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