The Electability Myth

     Over the past nine months I have heard pundits on the right, from talk show host Michael Medved to author Ann Coulter, expounding the virtues of Mitt Romney's electability. The narrative they promote is that Mitt Romney is more electable than any of the other Republican presidential candidates. I can't understand why otherwise intelligent people can be so wrong. The only candidate in the 2012 presidential race that isn't electable should be Barrack Obama. With real unemployment at 15% and the economy slated to grow at a pathetic rate of 1 to 2 percent over the next two years, this election should be a slam-dunk for Republicans.
     I'm not quite sure why some people on the right feel that Mitt Romney is more electable, after all he has only won 10 out of the 26 political contests he has been involved with to date. His positions shift like the desert sands and he has a real problem connecting with people on a personal level. And, of course, he has that healtcare issue that will be an albatross around his neck in the general election. Repealing Obamacare is an important issue for over 60 percent of voters, according to recent polling. Mitt Romney not only supported an individual mandate, which is the cornerstone of Obamacare, but he implemented the predecessor to Obamacare in Massachusetts. The two plans are so similar that they both use the same terms to describe the different tiers of coverage. Norm Coleman, an advisor to the Romney campaign, recently stated in an email that they have no plans to repeal Obamacare once in office. His email stated that they would work to improve and change the existing law. This is contrary to what most Americans want the next administration to do.
     In order to win the Presidency, the Republican candidate will need to mount a strong attack against the policies being implemented by the President and his party that are sinking this country in an ocean of debt. The successful candidate will need to show how these policies are eroding personal liberty and creating a Greek-style dependence on government for more and more Americans. Mitt Romney has not shown that he can do this in any way, shape, manner or form. His weak-knee'd criticism of the President and his policies will only ensure another four years of Barrack Obama.