Romney not connecting with S.C. GOP voters

[Perky]

By: Lee Bandy - The State
Aug 6, 2007 08:42 AM EST

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney holds a clear lead over his GOP rivals in Iowa and New Hampshire. But for some reason, Romney hasn’t been able to connect with S.C. voters — a key primary state in Romney’s bid to gain his party’s nomination.

Romney should be more competitive in the Palmetto State. He has spent more than $1 million for television ads, staff and organization, and get-out-the-vote efforts. But he has little to show for it.

“I don’t think people are comfortable with him yet,” said former U.S. Rep. Tommy Hartnett of Charleston, a Romney supporter. Romney remains stuck in fourth or fifth position in statewide polls. A new survey released this week showed S.C. support for Romney dropped to 7 percent in July from 8 percent in June.


Romney continues upward climb in Iowa

What reasons do GOP voters give for keeping Romney at bay? They cite four.

• He’s from Massachusetts, which automatically makes him suspect among conservative Republicans.

• He’s too perfect, too slick.

• His religious faith — Romney is a Mormon — causes him problems with evangelicals, a major part of the GOP base. The Southern Baptist church, the largest Protestant S.C. denomination, called Mormonism a cult in some of its recent teaching materials.

• He has flip-flopped on bedrock issues so much that Republican grass-roots voters question his commitment to GOP ideals.

Social conservatives are concerned specifically about inconsistencies in Romney’s record on gay marriage and abortion. Romney also got himself in trouble in April when he boasted about his lifelong experience as a hunter. As it turned out, he had been on only two hunting trips. That’s a no-no in gun-savvy —and early-voting — South Carolina.
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This shows how fickle the southern vote is: Guiliani is leading in SC with the unanounced Thompson coming in second. This is probably where Thompson cuts off the Romney momentum coming out of Iowa and NH and if Romney does not win here or in Florida... he probably is toast.

But one would suspecy that Gulianis uspport must be shallow considering how bad Romney is doing amonng so-called values voters.

[beberocks]

1. Votes follow the money

I've heard that one reason Romney is ahead in Iowa is he is
spending a ton of money there. Considering his poor showing as
a fund raiser, he can't afford to lavish money on more than a
couple of states. IMO, he might win Iowa, N.H., and Utah, but
not much else.

[tularetom]

2. He's a potemkin candidate

There's nothing behind the front. He's totally manufactured and his positions tailored to fit his audience and people are not stupid enough to fall for that shit anymore. We have one on the Democratic side like that too.