Where's the Enthusiasm for Romney?

News sources from the New York Times to the Washington Post have begun to dwell on the fact that Mitt Romney is never quite a source of excitement for the Good Old Party.  He has, for sure, been a strong presence for over five years as a presidential contender.  Nevertheless, few are ever truly ecstatic about his candidacy.  When Texas Governor Rick Perry entered the race in August, the excitement in the Republican ranks was palpable, and the media coverage was overwhelmingly positive.  The potential for New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to join the Republican primary race is likewise eliciting intrigue for the party.  As for Mitt Romney:  he continues to just be there, to be a contender.

In Philip Rucker’s Washington Post article “Mitt Romney,never Republicans’ dream date, hopes to be the one they marry,” the journalist acknowledges one possible explanation for the hopeful presidential nominee’s current situation.  He claims that, whereas some of the more high profile candidates may hog the limelight with dramatic statements, Romney is not exactly prone to saying “incendiary things.”  Rucker likens the candidate’s strategy to the tortoise and the hare parable, indicating that Romney prefers to pace himself, and to keep his head down in a firefight.  In a competitive general election, the strategy could prove invaluable, assuming it allows him to dodge the many attacks from rival GOP presidential hopefuls.

The intense competition Romney is facing in the Republican Party also tends to improve his quality as a candidate.  With Perry almost instantly moving to the front of the line, for instance, Romney has been forced to step up his game.  His performance at the recent Republican debates is one example of this improved performance.  Being able to adapt to such competition and cautiously proceed is an important skill that he has seemed to acquire.  That is, whenever an exciting, new candidate appears on the horizon, Romney simply braces himself for the storm.  The novelty soon wears off, and he finds himself once again at the head of the pack.  Certain pundits, as described in Rucker’s article, believe Romney to be the candidate the Republican Party needs, but not always necessarily the one they want.

Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times quoted former Minnesota governor and GOP presidential candidate Tim Pawlenty on the subject in his article, “Romney Endures More GOP Flirtation with Alternatives.”  The former governor justified his endorsement of Romney, asserting that “It’s human nature to think the grass is always greener somewhere else.”  Romney has been known to govern liberally in the past, which is a point of contention for conservatives.  The Massachusetts healthcare legislation he signed into law, as well as his history of supporting abortion rights tends to rob the former governor of support.  As the ideology tends to the extremes in primary races, it is no wonder why Romney fails to be the hot topic.  If he can stick it out until the general election, however, his moderate history could afford him the swing voters that could give him the presidency.