It is still early for possible Republican 2012 nominees, but they are not shaping up well for a Mitt Romney run.
One of the main issues that will plague him is his inability to connect with voters. It seems that every time Romney pops up, he is re-inventing himself. Seen as the business man during his 2008 run, he was viewed as the one who could really turn things around. A far cry from the jeans and tie-less image he is sporting now.
However, image tweaks are but only the beginning of some of the problems. As controversial as Obamacare is, Romneycare – Massachusetts health care plan – is not sitting well with conservatives and those members of the tea-party. As it continues to be a hot-button issue with both sides of the aisle, the heath care debate will stay and will be one of the things that will help decide the 2012 front-runners. And, his defense for Romneycare will certainly hinder his chances.
The other thing that will hurt Romney’s chances, the Southern state voters. While Romney doesn’t do all that bad polling wise, his ‘genuine’ factor comes into play when compared to other possible Republican options. With the likes of Huckabee and Christie, Romney will have his hands full fighting the image factor in the south. But, as he goes through his image reinvention, it will not sit well potential voters as they continue to view him as less genuine than other opponents.
Money, money, money. One thing his opponents would struggle with in comparison. Romney is personally very wealthy, and is already amounting a great deal of money to formulate another run to the White House. But, his money can also be seen as a problem. With all that money, he could be seen as buying his way in – a problem that Obama could also face as he is heavily funded by the likes of Global funding giant George Soros. And, with another round of recent donations by Romney to sitting members of Congress, it adds fuel to this question.
In the end, Romney feels that people want one thing: “People in America want to know who can get 15 million people back to work.”