Beyond the Michigan and Arizona Republican Primaries: Santorum’s got the heart, Mitt Romney sounds more like a Snake Oil Salesman!

Keywords or Terms: Michigan; Arizona; Mitt Romney; Rick Santorum; Visionary and Strong Message; Republican Party; Victory Speech; Money in Politics; Effectiveness of Campaign Message; Condoms and Birth Control; American Deficit; Team Sport; De-facto Nominee, Mineral Rights; and Inspirational Speech

Santorum gets a bad rap, but the primary results from Michigan and Arizona give the Republican voters another opportunity to re-evaluate the social conservative message of Rick Santorum. For many objective viewers, the results from Michigan and Arizona may not be considered a complete defeat of Santorum’s message; rather, a stop gap opportunity for his candidacy; an open window for him to connect and reconnect; a chance he did not allow to slip by, as he gave what can be considered a strong and visionary message of his campaign in Michigan tonight.

After listening to Rick Santorum’s speech, there is probably a consensus from some quarters within the Republican Party, that Mitt Romney has a lot of work to do; and, the closeness of the Michigan primary result give Rick Santorum a bragging right that his social conservative message is gradually percolating to the rank and file, a group he is going to need in the coming contests; and one, that has found Mitt Romney as wishy-washy. Rick Santorum has the greatest opportunity of fine tuning and re-affirming his social conservative message as the contest gradually moves into the multi-state challenge and competition. His speech tonight shows a lot of strength and his message evokes the emotion that probably resonates well with his constituency. While Mitt Romney gave the run of the mill victory speech, Rick Santorum was able to articulate the vision for his campaign and the substance of his delivery must be considered much superior to Mitt Romney. Frankly, it isn’t that Romney gave a speech tonight that was of concern, it was the flatness of the speech when compared to Rick Santorum’s; it was the emptiness of his usual promises to do what is in the best interest of the rich at the expense of the poor, a message that many voters will flee from in the general elections come November.

The simple illustration from tonight’s contests: Money alone cannot drive a campaign; a candidate must be able to connect with the voters and do it in such a way that voters find his candidacy credible; not for the plurality of his campaign structure over the federation, or spending of millions to win a state or two, or the whimsical thought of an aspirant standing up to the opposing party’s candidate, but for the effectiveness and resonance of the candidate's campaign message with a preponderance number of voters within his own party; and probably, across the nation. Romney’s campaign may have the support of the Godfather’s in the Republicans Party; however, they all will agree that their choice candidate is not a replica of the competitiveness that was found in Barack Obama’s candidacy of 2008; and or, that was found in Hilary Clinton competitive relativity with Barack’s candidacy of 2008. The uniqueness of Hilary’s connectivity with the women’s group is found in Rick Santorum’s connectivity with social conservatives; a relevance that is lost in Romney’s appeal even among rich Republicans that support him.

Making statements about smaller government or insinuating the need for leaders of integrity or a promise of prosperity in America are not enough, these alone cannot guarantee victory for Republicans in the general election. Further, the general message of prosperity and experience in creating jobs in the private sector do not suffice in an entwined or twisted Republican nomination process; neither would bad mouthing the President as a huge spender. The route to victory for Republicans in the general elections in November, 2012, is a better and consistent message on the economy, a message that no single Republican candidate has articulated yet, nor effectively communicated with the electorate. Offering a twenty percent tax cut rate, repealing the minimum tax rate for corporations and abolishing the death tax, all are but unattainable promises in the context of the huge American Deficit; this is why President Obama is still the best choice for the nation come November, 2012. Obama has articulated the message of the importance of the economy to his re-election chances and has driven home all his past effort regarding the Auto-industry bailout. He has been consistent, careful in decision making and in execution of public policy. For Romney or any other aspiring Republican for the White house to top this, must involve consistency in messaging and articulation of where the hearts of the voters are.

Offering to the electorate promises of corporate tax cut, elimination of death taxes and relying especially on the well worn-out Republican doctrine of tax cutting the nation out of an under-performing economy, without raising some form of revenue, are routes that have been tested and found wonton under many Republican Presidencies. Whimsical promises of a tax plan that will turn around America Economy overnight are nothing but, mere promises; promises that will hardly give Mitt Romney the required edge over Rick Santorum on Super Tuesday; nor offer him the opportunity to unseat President Barack Obama, as he is dreaming about. A critical step for any President to turn this economy around, must involve a combination of tax cut and revenue rising; steps that congressional lawmakers must buy into. If the two chambers of Congress are as fractionated as they are today, when “President Romney” gets to the White House, he will be just as handicapped as the current President was about a year ago, in the effort to move bills through congress. Politics, as Rick Santorum reiterated in the last Republican candidates’ debate, is a Team Sport and Candidate Mitt Romney has to get this through his head; without which, he remains a lonesome looser.

Being the de-facto nominee of the Republican Party is no longer enough in an environment of topsy-turvy primaries and caucuses results. Rick Santorum and probably the remaining Republican hopefuls are offering Mitt Romney a run for his money; or, a difficult challenge in this nomination cycle. Romney’s performances are hopeful in many of the past primaries and or caucuses; however, they have not been able to seal the deal for him as of today or eliminate the fierce contests from the remaining candidates, most especially, Rick Santorum. Candidate Mitt Romney may have beaten Rick Santorum in Arizona and Michigan tonight, but Romney has been unable to break Santorum. Candidate Mitt Romney may be surrounded by huge number of political advisers and Juggernauts, but he lacks the authenticity that many Republican voters are looking for in their nominee. That authenticity lies with Rick Santorum in this current slate of Republican aspirants.

In response to probably the most fragmented primary and caucuses victories in recent time in the states already contested, it is still feasible to see Mitt Romney stumble and probably falter on the trail to Republican Party nomination of a flag bearer for the November 6^th contest. Based on comparison of the speeches given tonight by the two Republican front-runner candidates, Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum, one is apt to believe that the substance of Rick Santorum’s message is solid and can easily be embraced by many working class Republican voters, while Mitt Romney’s message leaves much to be desired among this group. For example, While Santorum articulates his vision for his campaign and the substance of his candidacy carrying some sparks among a well-represented group of Republicans, Mitt Romney’s message tonight seems flat, repetitive of past speeches, loaded with incongruent promises and unfulfilled dreams.

To many Republicans, Mitt Romney is not conservative enough; and, is more of a fair weather candidate, who blows wherever the wind carries him, if you ask the Tea Party faction in the Republican Party. To this latter group and some, Mitt Romney’s candidacy and message are unconvincing, considering his inability to articulate a consistent set of dependable message or strength that the current time demands. Worse still, because Mitt Romney has often been unable to articulate the vision of his campaign, even after double victories like those tonight, many prospective supporters and supporters, find it difficult to embrace him and his candidacy. To this group and many who yearn for an alternative candidate to Mitt Romney, the speculation that Rick Santorum is not electable in a general election, must now be re-assessed, as Mitt Romney barely sneaked past this venerable and passionate messenger of social conservatives. There is even the possibility that at the end of the count in Michigan tonight, the thirty delegates may have to be split between Romney and Santorum.

Furthermore, critics of Candidate Mitt Romney maintain that he is neither able to speak with conviction nor offer coherent and concrete case for his candidacy before blue collar Republicans; and, his speeches and Gothic look before the press, are unappealing, even after some victories. He can hardly articulate for middle class Americans, a message of relevance or a principle of equanimity for their desire to remain in this group or move into upper class America. Sadly, Mitt Romney appears not to be able to connect with many working class Americans in most exit polls; but, does well with the rich and affluent members of this society. These and more are the reasons why some conservative Republicans are still scratching their head, imagining if there could be another viable candidate, but Romney.

Finally, if the speeches offered by Mitt Romney as compared to Rick Santorum tonight were the criteria of being the future Republican nominee, Rick Santorum beats Mitt Romney hands down. Not only does Santorum's message carry the effectiveness of reaching the intended wider audience, it portrays Santorum as lively and in torch with the desires of social conservatives; and, may be readily competitive against President Obama. Tonight, Santorum had the smoothness that makes him convincing and not contracting, the way Romney is; and Santorum delivered his somewhat of a victory speech with a commendable oratory that is probably close to President Barack Obama. He talked about  economic opportunities, division of properties and freedom of mineral rights and development; he talked less about condoms and the other social divisive issues that drives some voters away from him. He offered very significant and inspirational statements that can really endear voters to him in the coming huge Super Tuesday contests. To this effect, there are some within the Republican Party, who believe that, were Santorum able to recalibrate some of his excesses in social conservatism or message, he may be a better Republican candidate against the President of the United States.

A Perfect Eulogy: When Kevin Costner hit the ball out of the Park at Whitney Houston’s Funeral!

Keywords or Terms: Entertainers; Eulogy; Whitney Houston Funeral; Kevin Costner; Frailty and fragility of life; Mother’s love; Successes; Triumphs; Courage and sacrifice; Demons and Devils; Life and Living; Challenges; Celebration of Life.

When it comes to emotions, hardly many from Hollywood ever wanted to wear those on their sleeves; but one unique man, one very emotional actor this morning at the going away celebration of the life of Whitney Houston, gave a rather befitting eulogy. Closing his seventeen minute remarks at the New Hope Baptist Church, Newark, New Jersey, that nearly moved me to tears, Actor Kevin Costner said: “Whitney if you can hear me now, you weren’t just good enough”; and with a cracking away voice and few minutes to spare, hit the ball out of the park, when he added: “When you sing before Him, don’t worry, you’ll be good enough.” These final words not only made the water under my eye lid swell, my wife couldn’t just hold it back as she screamed: “Thank You, Bro….ther!” The agony in her voice told me something, this woman loves Whitney Houston’s voice, just like millions over the world, and couldn’t imagine she could be gone at such a tender age. The blog today, is about the fragility of human life; the frailty in the time we all get to spend here and the sacrifice that mothers make.

As my wife sobbed, never mind she cries over everything, I had to console her, she wondered what crazy demons get into so many of our successful entertainers, artists, actors, musicians, painters and the rest, that they just throw it all away at very tender age. Maybe an answer to this question is better found in Ms. Houston’s own words to Oprah Winfrey: “I am my own devil.” The demons and devils that destroy so many entertainers, professionals and non-professionals, are found in their addiction or weaknesses to drugs and many other vices that so many of us like to deny, until the unfortunate, the unimaginable happens: Death! This is a very sad day and thing; but, man is known to engineer despair for himself once he reaches the pinnacle of success; or, when he imagines himself as being on that unexpected and probably undeserved throne. At that time, he or she never understands why they are only saved, by his grace! Did I hear, Amen?

Many successful entertainers find themselves in a blessed drain-pipe and hardly understand how to crawl carefully, or crawl out of a logjam, when they reach the pinnacle of success. A few of them understand that challenge; and, attempt to live carefully, modestly and judiciously, crawling without misspent days of life, enjoying more years on earth than they can ever pray for. However, others are bemoaned by the devil of addictions and rarely understand how to get themselves out of whatever demon or spells they are under. A few behavioral corrective institutions and family members are able to redirect their fortunes, if they can quickly get to them, or when they are given the opportunity to turn back the clock of time. However, sometimes, something just has to give; and when it does, it leaves a trail of sorrow that none of us likes to share.

Once bemoaned or hooked, often times, the test of courage becomes rather to live than to die; and some of them in the middle of the crisis, fail to appreciate life or learn to live, knowing fully well that we all have just one chance! Like my old man often says: “None of us ever understands life’s misery, none therefore, should attempt to die with the hope of coming back, just because we find the challenges of living, encapsulating!” Many of our lives are tossed between riches and poverty; and when fortune arrives; we must remember not to enjoy it in vagrancy, else we die an untimely death, leaving behind grief and sorrow for our loved ones and those who truly admire us. Life can be rich, poor, nasty, short or long; but none of us, ever wishes away the sunny side of life. That’s why when the sunshine of life is here, let us be prudent, let us be careful, let use live life tenderly, so we do not bring despair or continual woes to our family, friends and admirers. At least, we owe them that!

Success is ephemeral; and, nothing can exceed the vanity of existence but the folly of exuberant celebration of success itself. Success makes a man or woman, estimable and often serves them as a pedestal to fame. However, fame itself is a terrible gift of hard work or luck; so let us appreciate life and enjoy success with care; else we succumb to the strongest poison ever known to man or woman. Let us therefore, not live life, in pursuit of self-high or elevation, celebrating successes cheerily without caution, for happy is the man or woman who has not made his or her loved ones, suffer the misfortune of death or the sorrow of loosing them at a tender age. To see Ms. Houston (Senior) propped up by two mourners on the center aisle of the New Hope Baptist Church, was a spectacle of pain and grief; both of which none of us would ever wish our enemies. Can I hear, an Amen?

Mothers are loving, mothers are caring, they are the pew we all sit on, the stool we all stand over; and the strong shield, we mostly hold onto whenever we all screw things up; or, about to screw them up. Mothers are trusted warriors, they are the couch on which all infants sleep and always remain dearer to us all, as we all grow older. Let us therefore never let them suffer the pain of carrying out caskets or the distracting grief of burying us at any age. To say of a mother, let no angel hold forth is to fail to appreciate the sacrifices many mothers make. So for the sake of our mothers, let us all enjoy our successes and triumphs with trepidation, not out of fear, but for the sake of our mothers who have labored so hard that we turn out to be better human beings. To say all is well of a grieving mother, is to lay all our frailty and failures at the doorstep of our creator and abstain from due personal responsibility. However, who of us is so clueless as to want to stop the singing in our mother’s heart when all is well and we gracefully bid our time at siphoning the luxury of successes? To the wise, a word is sufficient!

Another day has gone, another funeral service for another famous entertainer has come and gone, let all on the treadmill of life, appreciate the sacrifice that has got us this far. Let us appreciate the sacrifice of many mothers, who have unselfishly yielded to our fragility and worked hard to make sure that a day like this does not come; and God-forbids, repeat itself! We must never fail to appreciate the sacrifice and cost that many mothers have had to bear, so many of us can live that abundant life we all crave for. For the famous and the soon-to-be famous, let us celebrate our successes with caution so that the hand that rocks the cradle does not lift the casket!

I reiterated to any who says, we should hold our breath, we should not throw the first stone, that we all have fallen short of expectation and that only by his Grace are we all saved. On this, I beg for your forgiveness, endurance or accommodation: what has to be said, must be, no matter whose groin is being lined. The grief of a child's burial by a parent says just too much to be overlooked or ignored at moment as this.

Today, I pray that our heavenly father assuages the anguish of bereavement for the Houston’s family and clan. I pray that we all enjoy and cherish Whitney Houston’s memory in all the songs she has left for us to enjoy. May her gentle soul rest in peace!

Future Shocks for the Republican Front Runner: What the Maine Caucus Results May Mean?

Keywords or Terms: Republican Primaries; Republican caucuses; Mitt Romney; Rick Santorum; Ron Paul; Newt Gingrich; Campaign Strategy; Michigan; Arizona; Super Tuesday; Jeb Bush; Chris Christy; 


The last few Republican Party primaries and causes in a couple of states have been a source of reflection and challenge for many Republican hopefuls for the party’s nomination for the November 6 contest. The successions of triumphs and failures for some candidates have been a source of encouragement and or discouragement for others. Some candidates have dealt with their failures better than others; and, while some primary and caucuses results have shown the dexterity of the front runner, Mitt Romney, others have shown a fundamental weakness in the campaign strategy of each of the candidate and the prospect for change in order to win the trophy to represent the Republicans in November, 2012. The blog today explores the implication of the Maine caucuses results for the entire slate of the Republican candidates seeking to compete against the President of the United States.

Succession missteps among the four remaining Republican candidates pose a serious threat to their viability as the best candidate against the Democrats. Candidate Newt Gingrich espouses leadership quality to South Carolinian; Floridians saw the charade in his candidacy and he was probably written-off in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado. Candidate Romney was a darling of Florida and Nevada Republican voters, while voters in the last or most recent three contests before the State of Maine's, saw the leadership vacuum in whatever Romney is offering as a candidate. Republican Voters in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado are so focused on the social conservative message of Rick Santorum that they ignored whatever product Romney, Paul or Gingrich were selling. Results from the three last state contests just before the state of Maine, showed the frailty of the Republican front runner and probably his inadequacies in the face of credible challenge from Rick Santorum. Maybe the promise of a new day came from the contest in Maine; and probably, re-launched Mitt Romney's viability as the best Republican flag bearer, not withstanding the threat from candidate Santorum.

There are some conservatives who still maintain that despite the Maine Caucasus results, nominating Mitt Romney as the Republican flag bearer is tantamount to loosing site of the truth regarding the front runner’s numerous weaknesses. Support for Romney has shrunk in some parts of the country, while in others, the results of primaries and caucuses have solidified Romney's front runner status and encouraged some undecided voters, to just throw in the towel and say, since the Republican establishment is supporting Romney, we will just go along, not really because we prefer him to other Republicans, but because there is no other candidate out there that can muster the required organizational dexterity or financial purse to compete against the wit of President Obama. Further, some very controversial campaign messages of other candidates have just continued to distance some voters away from their candidacy; or, put strains in their relationships with the candidates. Now, for those pundits who feel its all over, it maybe too premature to write the Republican nomination process off, as there are still over eight hundred delegates out there, that still need to be contested for; and, the fact that the front-runner has done well recently in a state like Maine, does not necessarily tie the nomination up for him.

In December, the contest in Iowa upped the ante for all candidates and most especially for Romney who once seemed very inevitable at the beginning of the competition or contest. Candidate and contestant Romney faltered even if it was belated in Iowa, to candidate and contestant Rick Santorum. The inevitability of candidate Mitt Romney that was once accepted was actually challenged, if not trashed belatedly with the results coming from Iowa. While the New Hampshire contest gave a ray of hope to the front runner, the South Carolina’s victory of Newt Gingrich doubly exposed the weakness in Mitt Romney’s campaign strategy and message. Romney's triumph in Florida could have highlighted his message for those voters who did not know much about Mitt Romney; however, the series of losses in Missouri, Minnesota and Colorado, have spurred the remaining candidates to rethink the inevitability assumption of Mitt Romney’s candidacy. As a matter of fact, seasoned campaign strategists maintain that the Republican nomination is up in the air and the game is winnable for any candidate who can muster the plurality of more delegates in the upcoming contests.

Despite the message from Romney’s campaign and the recent success in Maine, there are some inherent short comings in his campaign that continue to distance voters from him and his message. The uncertainty in the Republican’s contests and results in already completed states in the union open up opportunities for the Democratic candidate. Party’s nomination process are often complex and fraught with emotions; failures and successes in one state or another; re-affirm the essence of the competition in the nomination process; and, allow some candidates to redouble on their message while others fall apart as each attempts to compete for voters' support. It is the nature of the business of campaigning for party’s nomination and the challenge all candidates have to go through to be better prepared for the general contest in November.

Are there some issues in all the candidates? Yes; however, some candidates have more issues with voters than others. Each Republican candidate at this time has to examine his campaign message and see what opportunities they have over other candidates in the race. The speedy rate at which the upcoming primaries and caucuses are about to deluge the campaign team(s) may expose the weaknesses of each candidate's message. The remaining four candidates have their work caught out for them. For example, the upcoming Michigan and Arizona primaries are new indicators or true tests of whether a candidate's message is resonating well with voters; and, which candidate's message is relevant to the needs of the individual voter in these states and which, is not. Polls in Michigan indicate that Rick Santorum is leading all other Republican candidates, including the presumed front-runner. For Mitt Romney to win and retain a genuine front runner status in the coming three weeks, when and where there are expected to be thirteen contest events, Romney must be able to do better than the lackadaisical performance and the on and off-again wins in the primaries and caucuses that have been settled.


If Candidate Rick Santorum wins in Michigan, a state considered a home state for Candidate Mitt Romney, all bets are off; the race for the Republican nomination automatically becomes a toss up, as the myth of Romney as the front-runner candidate becomes a rouse. That's even not all, if Romney splits the votes in Arizona with a 30-30 spread with candidate Rick Santorum, after yielding Michigan to the same man, then the anticipated future of Mitt Romney as the eventual nominee of the Republican Party, will completely be in doubt. Anticipated, one must expect the Godfathers in the Republican Party to re-group and probably field another of their favorite candidate; as many of them have really been lukewarm regarding the slate of candidates in the race. Some pundits indicate the possibility of drafting of Jeb Bush, former governor of Florida, or Chris Christie, current governor of New Jersey, in case Romney gets knocked off the Totem Pole. These pundits can't stand the idea of a President Santorum or Gingrich! All these events are still hypothetical and things may just be more simpler than is contemplated here.


How can Mitt Romney get ahead of the pack and be considered the ultimate Republican nominee? Being proactive in ways that are not considered unacceptable to majority of the Republican base, especially the extreme right and probably the Evangelical Christians; escalating spending on positive campaign advertisements and media blitz; recruiting on college campuses, young and upward mobile Republicans who are not necessarily hard nosed conservatives; and, committing to a more consistent campaign message that dissuades current perception that he is a flip-flopper; and managing his press interviews, better than what has been happening in the past few months, where many of these have been riddled with Gaffes. Without these necessary changes, if Santorum ever decapitate Romney in Michigan, there would be no corporate contributions that would be enough to prevent his candidacy from being relegated to redundancy. Further, without a conscious effort to burnish his image from being a representative of the one-percenter rather than the remaining 99-percenter, his candidacy is doomed for good; or at best, going to face a steeper hill to win the nomination.


At the end of the coming March 6 contests, famously donned Super Tuesday, the competitiveness of all candidacies would have been appropriately or well defined. The exposure of potential voters to mean and dispirited campaign advertisements on the airwaves and televisions would have subsided and whoever is the most likely choice would have found himself in another race or challenge: convincing America that he is the right person to lead this great country, but President Obama. Delivering this type of message demands more accountability and expectations. To retain the confidence of the larger populace is more challenging and probably breath taking than just fighting to be the flag bearer for a national party. A strong sense of constructive discontent for the current economic status-quo becomes more of a question for that person, than the myopic question of who is more conservative enough to lead the Republican party.


Any of the Republican candidate today, who ends up being the nominee for the party, would find that the current acrimony within the party, is a small cake, compared with what to expect in a national contest with the Democrats. The National Press will begin to delve into the nook and crannies of the individual's past and a never-ending session of questioning the nominees' investments in foreign countries, if the nominee is Romney; or, why homosexuals must be denied their civil right, if the nominee is Santorum; or, why federal justices must be removed from bench because they have not interpreted the constitution the way the nominee likes, if the nominee is Gingrich; and, why America must choose the path of isolationism, if Ron Paul is the nominee. That's what makes America's Democracy unique and why there has never been a short list of candidates who want to rule this country. For many, to win the Presidency of the United States of America is to win the hugest lotto of all time; one that by default makes you, leader of the free world. That is why many are willing to kill or sell their mother to win the Presidency, or their party's nomination.

Greying in Romney’s Support for Republican Nomination: When Santorum wins Colorado Primary, Missouri and Minnesota Caucuses?

Keywords or Terms: Republican Nomination Competition; Colorado primary; Missouri and Minnesota Caucuses; Conservative Grassroots; Iowa; New Hampshire; South Carolina; Florida; Nevada; Mitt Romney; Rick Santorum ; Ron Paul; Newt Gingrich;  Anti-Romney candidate; Tea Party; Affordable Care Act; Romneycare; David letterman’ Republican Conservatives.

When an aspirant enters into competition with other candidates for nomination to be a National Party’s flag bearer, he seeks to dominate or become the dominant force in the contest; not to be dominated. The most recent results of two caucuses and one primary in the Republican contest in three states produced an exasperating result for the Republican front runner, Mitt Romney. If there was any doubt that there is or are, thriving group(s) in the Republican Party, who do not want Mitt Romney to be the Republican Party flag bearer, the primary and caucuses results from Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota probably laid that doubt to rest.  

After the Florida primary landslide result for Mitt Romney, many political pundits singled Candidate Romney as the dominant force and probably the only candidate with financing, nationwide organization and strategy to win the nomination. However, with the recent trouncing of candidate Romney by Santorum, there is probably a huge question mark, if Romney's candidacy has drawn enough support, to claim to be the only candidate that can carry the party’s flag for a worthy contest against the Democrats. Santorum’s triumph over Romney dictates that social conservatives and probably the extreme right have a huge say in who represents the Republican Party come November, 2012. No matter how you slice or dice the recent results from these three states, Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota, the presumption that candidate Romney is a forgone conclusion to be the Republican flag bearer, is probably in doubt.

Why are other Republican aspirants as competitive, if not more competitive by now, against establishment candidate Romney? Romney currently has about 102 delegates in his kitty. To begin with, that one hundred and two delegates prize is a long way from One thousand one hundred and ninety one delegates; the required delegates to win the honor to represent the Republicans in November. When the initial contest began in Iowa, many observers saw a good challenge and thought strongly of Romney’s candidacy and a better chance for him being the only candidate worthy of note. Then came the neck to neck competition between Santorum and Romney, which ultimately resulted in a belated win for Santorum. Followed is the South Carolina brawl, where Newt Gingrich outclassed the establishment candidate Romney; followed by some successes in New Hampshire, Florida and Nevada for Mitt Romney.

By mid-week, Romney’s claim to being the front runner was about going to be a joke; although, he had amassed more delegates than other Republican candidates, he could hardly lay claim to have won representation in more states than candidate Santorum. In eight contests, establishment candidate Romney has won three, his rivals, Gingrich, one and Santorum, four! Now, his campaign manager or undertakers may want to put a twist to the results from Colorado, Missouri and Minnesota as not yielding any delegate; however, the reality is, their candidate lost in four states against a social conservative. To now wake up at the gathering of conservative activists laying claim to being ‘severely conservative’ sounds more like an aberration; as some in this group, have voted against him as being too liberal; with one of his opponents in the race for the Republican nomination, labeling him as a Massachusetts liberal!

Republican Candidate Romney currently has about 102 delegates in his kitty. He also has the additional advantage of a deep pocket, huge campaign chest and probably the confidence of the Republican establishment; however, what he probably lacks is the heart and the soul of the Republican Party. The GOP front runner may have moral discipline as espoused by his religion; however, he currently lacks the support of the true conservative Republicans; who consider his brand as uttermost, wish-washy conservative, at best.

What is going on with Mitt Romney? Why is his campaign and brand not catching fire? Some observers indicate that his brand is not catching the fever as expected within the Republican Party, even in Colorado, where he won handily over Senator McCain in 2008, because he is the 2012 establishment candidate and every other candidate in the Republican nomination race, is the anti-Romney, the way he was anti-McCain in 2008 contest. Other observers maintain that Romney has no promising or attention gripping message than the fact that he continues to repeat: “I have business experience, America needs me to fix the economy and that is why people must support me and vote me in! Objective critics maintain that Romney’s corporate zealousness will result in the undercutting of social programs, re-ammunition of many more Americans, voyeurism into another war with Iran or North Korea and the growing further of the nation’s deficit with  further tax relief for his ilk. These are probably issues that could make many hold back their support; however, candid conservative republicans maintain that Romney’s Mormon Religion is a huge factor for them. For conservative Evangelical Republicans, the fact that Romney is a leader  in what they consider a religious cult, not a Christian faith, make them skirmish of the possibility of Romney winning the White House and becoming the leader of the free . Plus the fact that Romney has not been upfront with his party or who he is in private, additional compounds the difficulty of warming up to him or his candidacy. In addition, the fact that Romney seems to be more of a flip-flopper, they cannot trust him to be steadfast and firm in his pursuit of public policy and conservative choices for this nation.

Majority of grassroots Republicans, especially the Tea Party group, are scrambling to figure out, if Romney is conservative enough based on his tenure as the governor of the State of Massachusetts. The fact that Romney once subscribed to a forerunner health care reform program in Massachusetts similar to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is very unnerving for this group. The grassroots Republicans cannot see how Romney can deny that he is part of a social program, the health care reform law in Massachusetts, and now for America, that he is attempting to disown for Republican Party nomination expediency. In a more robust field of republican aspirants the candidacy of Romney would not have seen the light of the day with these conservatives. And with the recent gaffs of saying he is also unemployed, he does not care about the really poor, and that he is not shy of being financially successful, probably at the expense of many Americans who are now living in abject poverty, his candidacy and candidature do not seem too promising against President Obama. Neither are his chances at winning the republican nomination in the first place.

Even before the now well-known denigration and character assassination of his republican opponents, Romney’s candidacy has shown some very deep flaws based on his past record of public governance. This was a one-term governor of a so-called liberal northeastern state, who lost disastrously to senator Kennedy in a bid to replace him in the United States Senate, a candidate that is better known for his Mormon faith, silver spoon pedigree and a business degree from Harvard, who probably has not worked as tirelessly and as honestly as many Americans he is asking to vote for him. There are just too many unknowns about Mitt Romney and he has not made it any easier for voters who may be considering a support for his candidacy, by being more elusive as he can get. No one knows candidate Romney and his aloofness on the campaign trail makes him more of a misery Republican aspirant or candidate. That is probably why many voters are finding it difficult to take on to him. Many voters, including many in the rank and file of Republican Party, sees Romney’s candidacy as a fluke. This perception will remain with this group of Republicans, as long as the party’s Godfather continues to stuff his candidacy down their throat, the way he once insinuated about President Obama’s handling of the American Economy. The Republican Party has suffered tremendously with the disavowing behavior of former President G.W. Bush, who took the nation to two wars on baseless lies, cut taxes extensively for the rich, deregulated drug-use and encouraged frivolous financial dealings, including the mortgage fiasco that nearly brought the whole world economy to a grinding halt.  Giving the job of the United Sates Presidency based on a candidate pedigree can be very dangerous, fatal and financially decapitating. That is probably one major reason; Romney’s candidacy is not catching fire, even with his Republican’s friends.

Candidate Romney is well aware of the panic among Republican stalwarts about the time he first announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination. There were many conservative Republicans who felt, and some who are now just warming up to his candidacy because there seem not to be another credibly conservative candidate on the lineup, that they can truly throw their support behind. For this group, Mitt Romney is their second choice candidate, not first; and for some in this group, they will rather stay home and not vote in the general elections because they cannot bring themselves down to voting for a candidate who supported mandatory health care insurance coverage that provides contraceptive for women. Factor out the perceived northeastern permissiveness of the not so conservative Republican Mormon, Romney seems more of a fair-weather candidate, who is so flip-flopping, even the flip-flop we wear in summer days is more than jealous. 

The challenge before candidate Mitt Romney is not only how to win majority support for his candidacy in the Republican primaries and caucuses across the nation, to move on as the flag bearer for the Republican Party come November; rather, it is his inability to connect with the average American voter. He lacks the warmth and probably the charisma of a candidate many women will like to vote for, especially when they know he is a member of a religion that relegates women to second class citizen in their worship of God; and, hardly accommodates or recognize the Blackman as an equal in its teaching or prophesy until 1978. Romney is a senior member of a religion that once considers the Blackman as an evil and probably broadcasted that same message while doing his missionary work in France. This is a fact not a fallacy that Romney can obviously not run away from.

There are real battles ahead for candidate Romney, even if he wins the Republican nomination. Many observers consider him as too stiff and rather hostile looking. David Letter says Romney looks more like everyone who has ever fired your dad! Other Republican voters consider him just a Republican in Name; a few believe he will say anything to get elected; and, many business leaders believe he will follow in the tradition of other Republican Presidents in recent past by cutting taxes for the rich and affluent. According to Romneyexposed.com and endoftheamericandream.com : Romney is a naysayer regarding the issue of climate change; Romney was an enthusiastic supporter of Wall Street Bailout; Romney seems to be soft on illegal immigration more than others; and, Romney has raised more money for his campaign from lobbyists than all other candidates combined. There are numerous other issues that make candidate Romney unappealing to too many voters. 

For any political adviser to recommend that he opens up and talks more about his religion, is like asking Romney to divulge the reasons why so many Wall Street corporations have donated heavily toward his campaign; or, how come he still receives over ten million dollars yearly from a corporation he has left behind a decade ago. The unhappiness about Romney’s candidacy is probably as numerous as candidates Santorum and Gingrich can offer. The weaknesses in his candidature is best described in the words of a conservative Republican: Romney is a liberal Massachusetts covering himself in the flag of conservatism just for the sake of winning nomination to stand up on behalf of all Republicans; but we wouldn't let that go down easily! Both Santorum and Gingrich are on the hill of Mr. Romney; whether they will be able to undue the myth of the establishment candidate, is better left for time to tell. In an ever competitive contest, where we are about to move into the all-out-civil-war-in-the-Republican-nomination -process, one must learn to exercise patience and watch a lot of CNN, FOXNEWS and MSNBC!

Republican Candidate Romney is not concerned about the Poor!

Keywords or Terms: Republican Candidate; Mitt Romney; Donald Trump; CNN;  The Poor; The Oppressed; PACs; Major American Political Party; Moral Failure; Newt Gingrich; Massachusetts; 'Romneycare'; and Wall Street

Discountenance of the voting power of the poor, the oppressed, the abused, the misused, and supposed dregs of the earth is now back, complement of the Republican front runner for the November 6, 2012 contest. In an interview with CNN three days ago, Republican Mitt Romney indicated he is not concerned about the poor; a very callous and disheartening comment to come from someone who is seeking to rule over the greatest country on earth, with a growing population in poverty. 

Many people were stunned by Candidate Romney's comment and some conservative Republicans wondered if the front runner has not once again, stuck his foot in his mouth; after others like: Corporations are people, I like to fire people, I am also unemployed, and  I have paid enough in taxes! When record number of Americans are filing for food stamps, millions kicked off jobs and lay-offs in the public and private sectors of the economy are unyielding, a prospective flag bearer for a major American Political Party, is saying he is hardly concerned about the poor. There are today about fifty percent of Americans in poverty and one in five children are suffering from the savages of the Wall Street; yet the man seeking to rule over them, does not care about them. Wow! 

Today, the blog takes the moral argument that Mitt Romney is out of torch with the reality of the American life, the new Normal!
 

The Sideline

Things seemed to be looking up for Governor Mitt Romney after his lopsided win over his opponents a few days ago. He had just won a life or campaign defining moment in Florida; and, the powerful in the Republican Party were about to crown him as the chosen one. When and Where his opponents spent a dollar, he and his sycophants friends from his PAC, spent five dollars. Except for Newt Gingrich, no one was shocked by the primary results from Florida. Polls taken two days before the election date, showed that Mitt Romney was ahead of the rest candidates; and his venomous attacks on the integrity of Newt Gingrich, was actually going to pay off. The huge investment in destroying other candidates' integrity and character indicated the down side of the Citizens United Vs. United States Government; and if what we saw and heard about the Florida primary is anything to go by, the tactics used by candidate Romney may not be different from what to expect in Nevada and Michigan.


Newt Gingrich was enraged with Mitt Romney. Newt knew the motive of Mitt Romney and hardly was interested in congratulating him for the annihilation of Gingrich's character. The former speaker of the United States House of Representative was displeased by the growing support for Romney's candidature. It wasn't that the speaker hardly ran a full challenge to the growing support for Romney in Florida, rather, it was the same debate successes that he had in South Carolina that failed him in Florida. Gingrich wasn't looking too much over his shoulder because he lacked the financial purse or campaign chest of Romnney; but what he has, the ability to repeat sentences in clauses, wasn't good enough in a multi-ethnic and heterogeneous population in Florida; and may probably fail him in Nevada and Michighan. Many Republicans who supported Newt Gingrich knew they were fighting an uphill battle with the campaign chest carried by Mitt Romney; however, they were hoping for the impossible: call it Hail Mary chance for their candidate!


If Gingrich or any other Republican candidate running for the Presidency, had a stronger chance to win against Romney for the party's nomination, they probably lost it in Florida. The broader support among the residents of Florida, cannibalized the chances of the remaining contestants. Worse more, many Republican Godfathers are now getting out of the shadows and lining up behind the former Governor of the State Of Massachusetts. The Press or self-proclaimed head of the birther's propaganda machine, Donald Trump, just showed how light weight, irrelevant and inconsequential his ambition to be the third party candidate, in case the Republican Party does not field his choice candidate, by endorsement of Republican Candidate Romney in an hastily scheduled Press conference. The New York real estate developer looked more like a house boy as he pronounced his support for Mitt Romney on the podium. Gone are his bravado and threat that really meant nothing for so many people, who know what Donald Trump is all about: Self Promotion!

The Moral Failure of Romney's Choice of Words

There is a uniqueness in Romney's Gaffe regarding the poor and undepriviled, this time around. Not only does it say much about the silver-spooned child turned governor of Massachusetts and now seeking nomination of Republican Party for November contest, it practically exposes the true suspicion of many: Mitt Romney hardly understands what it is to be a member of a struggling American family. Like the good book said, the poor will always be with us! Did Romney's Book of Mormon fail to teach the aspiring candidate for the White house, anything? Elitist Romney is just too stiff to come across as a good campaigner; and, even at that, he is more of the upper crust America to be able to articulate what it means to be out of work for more than two years; or, having no warm bed to sleep on. These realities are too difficult to mask and that is why many political observers wondered why Republican candidate Romney could not differentiate between his concerns for the very poor and very rich. To him, they both are the same!

There is something Romney preaches more fervently, as more Republican voters' support emboldens him. He believes he understands the strategy to change the direction of the American Economy because he has done similar feat in the private sector. Except any voter is being fooled or bamboozled, there is hardly any chance for this man in the office of the Presidency to change the current acrimony in congress to collectively support his strategy to advance America's Economy. Except the Republicans win a landslide in both chambers of congress and they become the majority in both chamber come November 2012, Romney is only selling a snake oil! The current American Recession is just a cyclical phenomena of the American Economic System; to a larger extent, hardly can a President who falls into the trough of the cyclical dynamics do so much without infusion of government spending. Unfortunately, this spending plays into the probable ballooning of the national deficit, and the parable of Democrats being big spenders when in office; which many conservatives frown upon. This is the challenge this country is facing right now, not switching Obama for Romney.

The cyclical nature of the American Economy has to play its way out before the economy starts to take shape or pick-up. Based on what has been happening in congress lately, "Republican President Romney" would find that winning consensus in congress is a bigger and more daunting task or challenge, than getting support of your friends in a corporate boardroom or suite. The two chambers of the United States Congress are not boardroom corporate share holders' conflagration that a President may threaten with an ouster, if membership do not fall in line. While the Corporate Board Chairman or Chief Executive Officer of a Corporation may threaten an ouster of a disloyal Board member, the President of the United States has to cajole, lobby and work with Congressional Membership to achieve legislation that may make a difference in the America that we all love. Republican candidate Rooney's denigration of the poor and underprivileged shows what a poor leader he has been and what a disastrous Presidency we must look forward to, if he actually wins against President Obama. For me, Romney lacks the moral latitude to overcome President Obama's current efforts in the Presidency and this is why, I believe Obama will win reelection.

For now, it seems many Republicans are buying into the negativity of Rooney's campaign strategy against his opponents in the Republican Party. Now, take his recent gaff about the unemployed, the poor, and the disadvantaged, some of whom have been benefiting from the Patients Protection and Affordable Care Act that Romney is touting to repeal, there are no campaign managers that can reprogram or re-arrange words for political expediency, to easily pepper over Romney's dispositions in many of his Press interviews and promises. Further more, it is hard to reprogram a stiff and unfriendly looking candidate, that often looks more aloof among the crowds to easily make a change of his disposition to be easily loved. The wry smile constantly associated with the potential Republican nominee for the November 6th contest, makes him look more like a zombie and cold hearted vulture. In addition, if Romney continues to make other gaffs that put the working poor in bad light or denigrate this group, and President Obama continues to strategically position himself as the fighter for this group(s), there is no way Romney will win the Presidency against President Obama in the general elections.

Maybe we are not into the general election phase for the November contest right now; however, if we look at the crystal ball, it might just be possible that the American Economy will start moving in the direction of a peak that will allow President Obama to claim the White house and the credit for the turn around economy, come November. This is why the latest news about the employment statistics is a rather good omen for President Obama's chances come November. Many Economists have the hunch that we are not close to that peak yet; and, Obama has to continue to fight for what he believes in and hopefully the stars will be aligned in his favor come the time of general elections.


The moral failures of Republican Romney's choice of words regarding the poor and underprivileged can easily be found in how he made his millions; how he tucked away such millions in tax heavens overseas; how he continues to flip flop even over what has largely been his making in Massachusetts, 'Romneycare'; and, how recently, he disposed of the debate coach that probably helped him get over Gingrich, Santorum and Paul in Florida. Republican Romney's decisions to use and dispose of people like tissue papers is endemic of his decision making process as a corporate executive, and that is why he says he likes to fire people! Such a person is a danger to our Democracy and must never be allowed to win the White House. A former Corporate Executive who makes decisions based on profit motives, who consider the working class nothing but dispensable work horse to line his pocket, is the example of American Greed that nearly crippled our economy four years ago. To allow a man like that to take over the affairs of the nation, is to allow the fox to watch over the chicken coop!