As last night's debacle demonstrated, the conservative primary voters in the GOP (who, as self-selected, especially in caucus states, are likely to be more to the far Right) really don't like Romney. No matter how hard he keeps campaigning to the Right, they simply don't trust a former Massachusetts governor with a track record (there) of relative moderation, squishiness on social issues, and (gasp) creator of pre-Obamacare.
The problem is, even as he chases to the Right, he's alienating independents and moderate Republicans (a still-living if relatively quiet breed), who just plain old don't seem to care for him the more they learn of him, especially as he keeps trying to run as an arch-conservative. Either he's seen as an extremist, or else a flip-flopper, and in either case he comes across as a self-entitled rich guy who's felt he "deserves" the nomination.
This may all change around once the nomination is settled … but the longer the nominating process goes, the more difficult it will be for Romney, not just in terms of the attacks on him by his opponents, but because of what he does to try to beat them. #ddtb
Embedded Link
Romney’s negative ratings soaring among independents
A new poll shows a big spike in unfavorability.