Warning: Don't let Willard Mitt Romney get a free ride

[NewYorkerfromMass]

I see no shortage of posts attacking Giuliani and McCain. I do however see a lack of posts on Mitt Romney.
PLease understand this: Whenever you attack the other two, you are helping Mitt Romney.

IMO he is the most dangerous candidate the GOP has, because he is is something of an empty vessel that people can ascribe whatever hopes and dreams they may have for the next president. It helps that he is tall, good looking, and has a good head of hair, and the people love this kind of shallow imagery in choosing a pres. It helps rationalize their choice.

I think we are grossly 'misunderestimating' Romney's chances when we laugh off his Mormonism and flip flopping.
In case you don't know he scored the highest with people who watched the first debate. Watch again tonight.
People like him. Beware!

[Taverner]

1. He is the most dangerous HOWEVER

The GOP is shooting themselves willfully and knowingly in the foot by being intolerant of his Mormonism.

I love it!

[skipos]

2. I disagree.

MSM can't portray him as a hero (unlike Dame Rudy and McCain), Repubs don't like him (unlike F Thompson), he has flip flopped on every position he has ever had, he will lose his homestate easily, and his mormonism will cost him some votes. Some evangelical radio DJ just said a vote for Romney was a vote for Satan. That's what I like to hear.

Yeah, women may find him hunky, and he can speak well, but that's not enough to save him. Who would be easier to beat? McCain and Dame Rudy still do pretty well in the polls, and MSM is reluctant to tarnish these mythical heros.

From Rasmussen...

Romney (29%) Edwards (55%)
Romney (37%) Obama (52%)
Romney (41%) Clinton (50%) <= If we nominate a weak general election candidate like Hillary, I could see Romney doing well.
Romney (34%) Richardson (42%) <=Richardson is probably LESS known that Romney and still beats him.

Who would be easier to beat (besides Newt)?

[Awsi Dooger]

3. I agree, leave Romney alone

He's extremely vulnerable in a general election. You can kill him with clips of the flip flopping. He doesn't change the dynamic in vital states, like Rudy does.

Plus, I've posted on many balanced sites and many right wingers shun him due to the Mormon aspect. That's what is going to prevent him from getting the nomination, but if he did get it Romney would be a relatively weak nominee.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

4. Scanning Dailykos' post debate thread:

I am apparently in good company:

What are the odds that Romney pulls off the nom?

I can't shake the feeling it will be him....

I didn't see the debate

But, I'm getting the same sinking feeling. It's like the fix is in or something. You can almost smell it, like when the decider was chosen.

He's such a package. Classic looks, a little grey at the temples, as moldable as play-doh. He blows with the wind and has no standards at all. If it weren't for that little Mormon problem. Hell, he's changed every other thing he believes in, he might as well have a conversion....

They'll drink the kool-aid

They buried Bush's past. They'll forget about Mitt "Stepford" Romney's Mormonism.

Jesus, he creeps me out. "Gosh, I love America" might be the most disturbing political response I have ever heard. It speaks volumes about who Romney is - a huge freak. It's possible he's the devil...I'm not certain; that's just the vibe I get.

Of course, I can imagine horns sprouting forth from any of the heads collected on that SC stage last night. My feeling is that it won't be McCain or Giuliani. It will be whoever gets the diehards and it won't be either of them. Even then, I could see the "base" dividing itself up among a number of the 2nd and 3rd tier candidates.

The problem with all of the viable candidates is that they have big problems. McCain has become a caricature of himself; Guiliani is parroting Bush's 04 schtick while hoping he can survive the "Moral Values Gauntlet;" Romney is a scab waiting to be picked....

Folks,

Romney's going to win this thing by default. We had better start preparing to defend against him....

Romney will win.

The GOP loves the slick, manly-man, I'm-one-of-you macho bullshit. And Romney is king of that....

Romney's being sold

to us pretty hard. I don't mean just to the Repub's, I mean all of us. We're being told he looks the part. (And what matters except how things look in Repub la-la land?) No one seems to notice that what he really looks like is an oversized Ken doll. I don't think I've ever seen another candidate that looked so much like they were made out of plastic....

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/15/223545/669

[windy252]

5. I agree with that poster's quote.

Bob Perry's guys always seem to get in and that's who I think is going to "win" the Repub nomination, possibly regardless of how the Repubs actually vote.