Romney Campaign Faces Challenge in Unifying Republican Party After McCain Endorsement

Strategic Insights -

Mitt Romney and Senator John McCain participated in a highly choreographed endorsement event in Manchester, N.H., where they praised each other and presented a united front. However, their awkwardness and lack of eye contact highlights the challenge ahead for the Romney campaign in unifying a deeply splintered Republican Party. The event was a crucial moment for Romney, who has struggled to connect with voters and prove his charisma on the campaign trail.

Key Takeaways:

  • Romney's public appearances can still feel "oddly dutiful and flat," with the campaign struggling to show his personal charisma and ideological heft.
  • The McCain endorsement, strategically delivered in New Hampshire, was a significant boost for Romney's campaign, expanding his commanding lead.
  • Romney's campaign handled the Iowa victory in a self-deprecating tone, referring to his razor-thin margin as a "landslide" and nicknaming his top adviser in Iowa "Landslide."
  • Romney faced tough questions on several of his least favorite topics, including his "corporations are people" statement and his Massachusetts health care program.
  • The young man from the Occupy Wall Street movement asked Romney if he would modify his statement to "corporations are 'abusive people,'" and a Chinese-American woman criticized his economic plan, saying, "My tin can is still empty."
  • Romney then turned to a school-age boy, who asked him about a military alliance with Iraq, but quickly turned the question over to McCain.
  • McCain's support for Romney was not without limits, with him deftly dodging a voter's inquiry about serving as Romney's vice president and expressing a lack of enthusiasm for the idea.

Statistics:

  • Romney's campaign bus was referred to as the "Landslide Lounge," a nickname that reflects his campaign's attempt to capitalize on his narrow victory in Iowa.
  • Romney's lead in New Hampshire is commanding, thanks in part to his endorsement from McCain.
  • 8 votes: the margin by which Romney won the Iowa caucus, which his campaign referred to as a "landslide."
  • 20 years: the length of time during which, according to a Chinese-American woman, Ronald Reagan's economic policies, including trickle-down theory, have failed to help her.

Sources:

  • The New York Times, "Romney Seeks to Reinvigorate Campaign After Steal of Iowa Caucus"