Republicans and Democrats Agree, Romney is the Most Likely Candidate

David Axelrod, President Obama’s chief political strategist, is not losing sleep over Michele Bachman’s potential GOP nomination.  Neither does he seem quite stressed about Rick Perry, or any of the other possible contenders for that matter, except one:  Mitt Romney.  It seems that a number of factors have caused Axelrod’s reelection team to begin going on the offensive against what it perceives to be a viable Republican opponent.  Axelrod has, for instance, made an overarching criticism of Romney’s political career, saying that he is a “flip-flopper.”  Such criticism can prove lethal, as the term invokes the famous political advertisement made against the Kerry campaign, during which the narrator utters the following phrase:  “…whichever way the wind blows.”  It is impossible to measure precisely how Kerry suffered from the advertisement in terms of electoral votes, yet it is abundantly clear that the candidate lost momentum.  Ultimately, such action from the Democratic camp is a good indicator that Mitt Romney will likely acquire the Republican nomination by virtue of his ability to contend in a general election. 

And apparently, the Republicans are beginning to agree with the Democrats on that point.  Not only are many important donors making sure to throw support behind Romney, as described in a previous blog post dated October 7, 2011, but elected officials are publically showing their support for the candidate as well.  Having Romney in place as a stable nominee for the Republican establishment is a source of comfort for many party members, though it is a source of vexation for the angry Tea Party activists.  Recently, Republican Senator Thad Cochrane, along with former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, announced support for Romney as the candidate most likely to succeed in a general election.  Philip Rucker of the Washington Post was able to secure the following quote from Sen. Cochrane regarding the candidate:  “It’s all coming together for him.  People are beginning to be impressed with himand his thoughtful comments about the issues.”  Perhaps most significantly, New Jersey Governor Christopher Christie officially endorsed Romney as well, further entrenching him as the establishment candidate.  According to Christie, he is the most pragmatic choice for Republican nominee.

With that idea in mind, the potential inadequacies that Mitt Romney may represent to a Tea Partier could quickly fade in the context of the overall goal.  That is, the only thing many angry Tea Party activists want more than to have one of their own in office is to beat President Obama in the upcoming election.  Since potential nominees such as Bachman, Perry, and Cain are volatile in terms of their political maneuvers and popularity, stability seems to be one key thing that is lacking in any “pure” Tea Party candidate.  Without this stability, it becomes that much more difficult to acquire enough electoral votes to defeat a sitting president, who has already raised upwards of $70 million for his campaign.  What CNN journalist Gloria Borger describes as “political reality” must sync up with the ideological goal of any movement, or else the movement itself will not yield a tangible product.