Just Accept it: Romney was not a good candidate

Despite the circular firing squad among Republicans, following the fallout of the 2012 election, some open-minded reflection is needed. One of many prominent Hispanic Republicans, Senator-Elect Ted Cruz  of Texas shared in post-election interview that the GOP must not seek the middle of the road, but state the obvious: “Our ideas work. Their’s don’t.” British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher brought the Conservatives out of the wilderness with a similar pitch: “Labour isn’t working,” followed by the seventeen year dominance of the Tories in Parliament. Romney didn’t work.

Nevertheless, Republican leaders in the South Bay still believe that Romney was a “great” candidate. He was not. Charles Krauthammer was right: the GOP Presidential primary field was weak. Michele Bachmann got the debate going, and Newt Gingrich packed real firepower. Rick Santorum was the “not-Romney”, a Mike Huckabee –lite who coalesced religious conservatives. Texas Governor Rick Perry outlined his views on limited government which made Ron Paul look like a moderate. His support for the Texas DREAM Act turned off Republican voters, although today they are rethinking this strict immigration stance.

The extended 2012 primary, with twenty debates, only exaggerated the limitations of the field, fanned more flames than focused the electorate.  Debates fire up the base, but cool swing voters, independents, and Democrats who seek a calm and collected message. All that talk focused too much attention on talking points, narrowing the opposition instead of the President with no record to run on. Congressman Paul got too much attention, whose invincible integrity peeled off enough supporters to near-revolt on the floor of the Republican Party Convention.

Finally, Romney’s “self-deportation” comment gave him the nomination, but stole the election, along with his other “flip-flops”. Peggy Noonan had to fire a warning shot just to get Romney to do something more than “wait out the clock.” But Romney had been running for ten years. After expending that much to get something, clearly Romney lacked the spirit to capture the electorate. Romney was playing a part that he was never meant to fill. It’s not that he was not conservative enough, but that he was inconsistent in his conservatism, much like another moneyed candidate who ran for Congress in the Santa Monica Bay.

And Romney pulled his punches. A sense of guilt pervades conservatives, as if being rich and helping other people to prosper is a “bad thing.” His primary opponents certainly made it seem that way. Republicans denigrate each other more than the opposition. Of all the GOP talking heads who exemplified the proper fighting spirit, former New Hampshire Governor John Sununu commanded the greatest respect. He sparred with the t liberal and elite journalists. He pulled no punches. He was not afraid to call out President Obama’s slimy politics and grimy record. He should have run for President.

The GOP does not need purity, but consistency and focus. Voters like a consistency grounded in reality. Ron Paul did not deliver on that, as libertarianism unbridled is as unlikely as socialism prosperous. Romney could have, if he had spent less time redefining himself. From his “severely conservative” remark at CPAC-2012 to shaking and folding his arms during an interview with Sean Hannity, Romney was out of place, overshadowing his years of spending and canvassing for the job. A President has to be born and bred into this role. Romney was born to make money and do more for his community, but not to be President.

This weakness of definition and deployment defined the GOP field. Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels could have run, yet he refused to let the media expose his private life. Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour conceded that the demands of running for President were too great. The mainstream media too easily intimidates better candidates. And another culprit is surfacing, the factional dominance in the GOP dictated how candidates must present himself. Even into April, GOP voters were hoping for a brokered convention, that another dark horse candidate would unify the GOP and attract the swing voters. This begging for brokering broke their chances throughout the primaries.

 The next Republican candidate needs to turn away from himself and the base to reach out and represent all Americans. No more ideological purity tests. Voters want a candidate who has a record of truth and accomplishment. Not perfect, but good. Massachusetts Romney, ignoring the radio personalities and blah-blah bloggers, would have commanded respect, but not the base.

Primary voters wanted the purest candidate. In their perennial search for perfection, the “best” was the enemy of the good. Romney was the “best of the rest”, and for that reason, party operatives must put to rest the notion that demographics, handouts, or bigger government were the real culprits. Romney’s “47%” followed by “Obama bought reelection with gifts” discredit a party which cares about people, yet believes that people care better than government can. The Republican leadership needs to respond to the values of their party with pragmatism and poise, not to the populist outrage of different interests within the party. Romney failed that lesson. Hopefully, the next Republican won’t candidate won’t.