Republicans Have Found Their John Kerry...
Willard Mitt Romney won his second straight primary (is a caucus technically not a primary?) and is leading in the polls in South Carolina and seems like he will cruise to the nomination. Have the Republicans found their John Kerry?
I see strong political parallels between this year and 2004. In both cases, there was an incumbent president who for different reasons was vulnerable and had a strong grass roots campaign against them, but the field of contenders for the opposing parties nomination was not very strong; Kerry won the nomination and Romney will get the Republican nod because the alternatives (Dean, Clark, and Edwards) in 04 and (Gingrinch, Paul, Perry, Huntsman and the other losers) could not pass the "presidential" test. Romney and Kerry both have the experience and the "look and feel" of a president. However, they both have a hard time connecting with people, creating enthusiasm for their campaign, and connecting with the grass roots opposition to the incumbent. Both Kerry and Romney has the "empty suit" quality about them and can easily been attacked as not having a strong convictions and changing their beliefs on major positions. For example Kerry being done in with his "I voted for the Iraq war before I Voted Against it" line which might make sense in Senate speak, but sounds like a wishy washy flip flop to the average voter. Or Romney who has changed his views on big issues like abortion and created a universal health care system in MA and now campaigns against one; he justifies this by going with states rights which might work in political speak, but again sounds like bullshit to the average voter
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