David Gergen, (Photo credit: Berkman Center for Internet & Society)
What I’ve always liked about David Gergen is his clarity of thinking, something that also leads to clarity of writing. He is always rational and it’s clear that he strives to be as non-partisan as possible, characteristics that have made him an asset in advising four Presidents. His assessment of Mitt Romney and his campaign meets these criteria and it includes some shrewd analysis of the politics that are shaping our times. I simply offer it here as well worth your time:
— Mitt Romney’s narrow victory in Ohio inevitably brought back memories of Woody Hayes, fabled football coach at The Ohio State.</blockquote>
For years, Buckeye teams methodically ground out victories with an offense affectionately called “three yards and a cloud of dust.” Few long passes or acrobatics — just keep slogging and adding a few more points on the board.
For the full article, please follow this LINK.
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I’m at a loss to explain why Romney fails so miserably to connect with people. I know a very well-to-do banker, definitely one of the 1%, and yet he fits easily into any group, indistinguishable if he’s not in his pinstripes. He has hundreds of employees, yet can call them all by their first names and speaks about their families as though he knows them personally (and he very well might). Romney’s disconnect is not because he’s wealthy; it’s because he’s Mitt Romney.
And yes, Gergen is refreshingly straight-forward and fair. Increasingly rare attributes in the media.
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As usual, Gergen, gets it correct. But you must read the entire article to “get it”.
The way the GOP primaries are constructed (as Gergen says, maybe the worst way in a long time, if ever) is the reason for the “three yards and a cloud of dust”. As well the allusion to Hayes, a brutal taskmaster and ultimately fired for such, I recall) is “political spin” in my view. Pick the “right” order of states, more moderate stated such as Mass, CA, etc., to go first and Romney could well have the nomination locked up by now. But probably driven by very conservative and southern elements in the GOP, he has to slug his way thru both the South and the Rust Belt before going for the big prizes, out west in particular on the “left Coast”. His Washington caucus victory indicates such I believe.
Romney can “connect” with all sorts of moderate GOPers. It is the very conservative element of the GOP where he struggles. Simply reason for such is he is NOT very conservative. He is a political moderate, still right of center but moderate in comparison to the right wing and very vocal wing of the GOP.
Laugh if you like, but I am “moderate” in comparison to many in the GOP. And Romney “connects” with me quite well. I have been “endorsing” him for months now and remain hopeful that he will win the nomination.
But he better hurry up before the GOP self destructs over the obvious split in the Party at this point in time. I again refer to the more moderate or mainstream Dems in 1972 that got steamrolled during primaries which resulted in the very left leaning McGovern that won the nomination and lost 49 states against the disliked, even hated Nixon.
Anson
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I agree, Anson, that Romney is more moderate than his GOP rivals. It is the extremism of the separate factions represented by those three that is hurting their party’s chances in the national election. It should also be scary to Democrats at Gergen’s mention of Senator Portman. I heard Portman speak on Andrea Mitchell’s program at noon yesterday. He sounds calm, intelligent, and well, moderate. Made me wonder where they’ve been hiding this guy? But then, the problem’s not lack of talent, it’s the radical nature of the fractured party. If Romney seems to have a split personality it’s because he is trying to please too many people at once. That’s their problem and Romney’s problem.
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To Jim and any others,
I hope, of course that Romney pulls it out and soon. If Gingrich in fact drops out, which I don’t believe he will for another month or so, I am very concerned that Santorum will garnar the benefits of those voting for Gingrich and thus push him to the top of coming primaries. To me that would be like what happened in 1972, putting McGovern into the general election.
But, if Romney does win the nomination, I can imagine the arguments that will ensue in these local Globe blogs alone. The left, particularly the EC will repeat, repeat, repeat how radically right Romney “is”. I will be writing hard showing his moderation and ideas much closer to the American political center, not at the center but more close thereto than is President Obama.
Actually, I might even attempt to show it as a Clinton/Obama positional argument with Clinton (Bill) much closer to the center of political America than the left leaning Obama.
Jim and I might agree at this point, but once the GOP in fact reaches a decision, well, may the best man and writer win in the coming “battles”, politically..
Anson
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