(MintPress)—Mitt Romney has been called a lot of things during his bid for the 2012 Republican presidential nominee – “too conservative” isn’t one of them.
Despite claims of Romney being too moderate for the Republican nomination, he has elevated his position over rival Newt Gingrich in national polls and fares better than the remaining Republican candidates against president Barack Obama in head-to-head polling. So how did it come to be that Romney – who has been accused of flip-flopping on policies, has struggled to connect with voters and implemented a healthcare system in Massachusetts that is remarkably similar to that of Obama’s national proposal – has become the crème de la crème of the Republican party?
It seems to be a matter of campaign execution, circumstance and appeal to a broad base of voters.
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Mitt Romney, the populist
Despite an election cycle that has seen three different candidates come out victorious from a caucus or primary election, the general consensus is that the Republican presidential nomination is Romney’s to lose. While former candidates such as Michele Bachmann and Rick Perry both had their surge toward the top of the polls, it proved to be short-lived and they were both supplanted at the top by Romney.
Much of Romney’s campaign focus has revolved around relating to his constituents. Romney’s wealth has come into question, as his personal wealth is estimated to be worth between $190 million to $250 million. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the real median household income in the U.S. in 2010 was $49,445.
The massive wealth gap has caused Romney to go on the defensive throughout his campaign, saying he worked hard for everything he has earned. “I’m not going to apologize for being successful,” he said on Jan. 19 during a debate in South Carolina. The crowd applauded his answer, and Romney came off as a sympathetic figure.
Earlier during the campaign in Iowa, Romney faced an uphill battle with a conservative, Evangelical demographic. As a Mormon who more closely identifies as a Moderate, Romney played retail politics, shaking hands and fashioning himself as a local resident and less as politician pining for a vote. It’s a classic political strategy, but one that oftentimes comes off as more socially awkward than genuine.
Going back to his 2008 presidential campaign, Romney was caught in lies about things he thought others would want to hear. While speaking to the Nation Rifle Association, Romney attempted to relate by saying he has been a hunter “pretty much all” his life. He campaign later had to clarify the claim and admit Romney had only been hunting twice in his life.
Despite the gaffes, Romney supporters stay on board. The continued popularity could be attributed to Romney being pegged as the best chance that Republicans have to defeat Obama for the presidency. Romney currently polls 1.9 percent behind Obama while Gingrich, the second closest, is a long-shot at 11.8 percent behind Obama. And as the election turns toward a battle of electability over policies, Romney sits in a comfortable spot.
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Mitt Romney, the fundraiser
If there is any truth behind money buying elections, Romney all but has the Republican nomination wrapped up. His most recent prize has come from his ability to outdraw Obama in Wall Street donations. When it comes to donations from financial firms and banks, Romney has no equals; Romney has raised over $12 million from those sectors, while the second place candidate is just over $5 million.
While there is a large discrepancy in those figures, perhaps they should not come as a shock. Romney undoubtedly has connections in the financial sector after spending much of his life working for Bain Capital, an asset management and financial services company he helped found in 1984. Romney’s Super PAC has received $1 million donations from Edward Conrad, an investor and former director at Bain Capital; John Paulson, the founder of a hedge fund company and Bob Perry, an owner of a homebuilding company. Other donations have come from a Florida oil and gas company and hotel moguls, Bill and Richard Marriott.
In total fundraising, Romney is far ahead of his Republican contenders and has used all of it toward his advantage. At one point in Florida, between himself and his Super PAC, Romney had 13,000 ads running compared to Gingrich’s 200. Romney won that primary, defeating Gingrich 46 percent to 32 percent.
“Tonight, Romney was successful in buying his way to victory,” said Democratic National Committee chairwoman Debbie Wasserman after the contest.
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Mitt Romney, the solution
Romney is quick to point out the problem in America: Failed policies implemented by Obama, in his words. Romney has built the foundation of his campaign criticizing the current administration and promising to reverse its mistakes. After his thought-to-be-win after the Iowa caucuses, Romney tore into the president’s record while offering very little in ideas of how to fix the problems.
To be fair, Romney’s campaign website has his ideologies all laid out. He expresses what he would like to do, but offers little in how his policies would be written and the details surrounding them.
On the surface, Romney looks organized and prepared to step right into office. His website touts “five bills for day one” and “five executive orders for day one.” And perhaps that is to his advantage; disclosing too much information about policies and campaign plans leaves them open to interpretation and possible criticism. Former Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain was defined by his 9-9-9 tax plan before dropping out of the race after sexual harassment allegations.
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Mitt Romney, the opposition
At a recent event in Eagan, MN, Romney was “glitter bombed” not once, but twice. The gesture is aimed at leaders who openly oppose gay marriage. Both instances drew jeers from the crowd. It was later reported that Nick Espinosa – a notorious “glitter bomber” with ties to the Occupy Minnesota movement – was responsible for the first incident. Espinosa left the event shouting, “The 1 percent pays for hate, you’re not welcome in our state!”
What followed was Romney turning an embarrassing situation into political gain. Romney spun the gesture into a positive light, saying, “Hey, listen you guys, I’m delighted to be here with you, this is an exciting time, I’m happy for the celebration. This is confetti! We just won Florida!”
And with that, Romney demonstrated how the disdain of the minority translates into the support of the majority. In a November Gallup poll, the Occupy movement received only 24 percent support from Americans surveyed. The lack of support for Occupy means their actions will be seen more often than not in a negative light, making Romney come off as the sympathetic figure.
Despite gaffes in his campaign, criticisms from opposing parties and short-term drops in the polls, Romney has always bounced back to reclaim the top spot. There is a good chance the next time Romney sees glitter, it will be during a formal Republican presidential nominee victory celebration.
Source: MintPress
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