Rasmussen Reports: “Romney is now viewed as politically conservative by 38% of Republican voters and moderate or liberal by 43%—Those figures reflect an eight-point decline in the number seeing him as conservative and a ten-point increase in the number seeing him as moderate or liberal”

December 24, 2007 in 2008, analysis, campaign communications, centrism, conservatism, election 2008, GOP, media, mitt romney, republicans, romney
Tags: botched rhetoric, impression formation, liberal, liberalism, Michael Luo, perceptions, polling, polls, Rasmussen Reports, Russ Schriefer, stupid politician trick

You can read Rasmussen’s full analysis here.

Michael Luo, from an earlier discussion:

… Nevertheless, Mr. Romney spent much of the spring and summer focusing more on bolstering his credentials as a conservative champion as he fended off vigorous criticism for his more moderate past. Romney advisers believe they have succeeded in establishing his conservative bona fides, even though lingering questions about his authenticity persist, and are able now to move on to focusing on the next layer of voters.

“If you look now and you ask, ‘Is Mitt Romney a conservative?’ People would say, ‘Yes,’” said Russ Schriefer, one of the campaign’s media strategists.

“Now as we get closer to the election,” Mr. Schriefer said, “I think we need to be focusing more on his experience. What is it about Mitt Romney that makes him unique? What is it that makes him uniquely qualified? He has the experience. He has the experience to manage big things. He’s done it before.”

Um, not so fast, Russ. Your hapless candidate is losing ground. Less people believe that Romney is a conservative, not more. So perhaps what makes Romney “unique” is his singular ability to leave his listeners ambivalent and unconvinced.

yours &c.
dr. g.d.

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Romney’s woes begin in New Hampshire—McCain suddenly within 4 points of the hapless Romney—-will Romney deliver bitterly negative attacks against Sen. McCain in New Hampshire as he has against Gov. Huckabee in Iowa?

December 20, 2007 in 2008, argument, campaign management, conservatism, election 2008, GOP, incompetence, Iowa, mitt romney, republicans, romney, strategy, stupidity, the dark soul of Mitt Romney
Tags: Bain Capital, clear channel, gov. mike huckabee, Iowa, negative advertising, negative attacks, negativity, New Hampshire, race42008.com, Rasmussen Reports, Sen. John McCain

“In many places around the country, Mitt Romney is facing a challenge from Mike Huckabee,” write the nice people at Rasmussen Reports in a story titled Election 2008: New Hampshire Republican Primary

However, in New Hampshire, Huck-a-mania never took hold. But, following endorsements from the Manchester Union Leader, the Boston Globe, and Senator Joe Lieberman, John McCain is now challenging Romney in the state he won eight years ago.

The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of the state shows Romney with 31% support, McCain at 27% and no one else close. Rudy Giuliani attracts 13% and Huckabee barely reaches double digits at 11%. This is the first time any candidate has been within single digits of Romney in several months. It remains to be seen whether this is a temporary bounce or a lasting change.

Romney now fights for his candidacy on two fronts, against two different rivals? Well, duh. We predicted this outcome weeks and weeks ago.

Romney bravely—or unwittingly—faces the gathering storm, er, we mean swarm

Whether McCain’s rise is a temporary bounce matters not in the least to the Romney tribe. Recent history predicts that Romney and his surrgoates will not simply react without judgment, but overreact, and in overreacting overreach, and in overreaching call forth a fierce and determined backlash. (To discern, to discriminate, or to reason on practical grounds—these are not behaviors in Team Romney’s limited repertoire.)

The question is not whether Romney will react, but how.

Unabashed and consistent Romney-shill Matt Drudge provides us a clue. We just wonder when the super-geniuses at National Review Online—a subsidiary of Bain Capital and fiercely partisan Blog for Mitt—will begin to insinuate that to nominate Sen. McCain would be to destroy the GOP.

And what about Clear Channel, recently acquired by Romney’s own Bain Capital?—how soon before Rush Limbaugh et al begin to savage war hero Sen. McCain with the same ferocity they applied to person and character of Gov. Huckabee?

yours &c.
dr.. g.d.

polls show Romney in retrograde; Huckabee ascends in wake of Romney’s value voters summit debacle

October 26, 2007 in 2008, analysis, election 2008, mitt romney, polls, republicans, romney
Tags: Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Poll, Rasmussen Reports

“The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Friday shows—for the first time ever–Mike Huckabee moving into the top four among those seeking the Republican Presidential Nomination” writes anonymous for Rasmussen Reports in the Friday, October 26, 2007 Daily Presidential Tracking Poll

Rudy Giuliani remains precariously atop the pack with support from 20% of Likely Republican Primary Voters nationwide. Fred Thompson is close behind at 19% while John McCain enjoys a second straight day in third place with 14% of the vote. Huckabee continues to gain ground and is just two points behind McCain at 12%. This is the first time all year that Huckabee has surpassed Mitt Romney. The former Massachusetts Governor slipped another point and he is now at just 11% nationally. No other Republican attracts more than 3% support while 18% are undecided. (see recent daily numbers).

Given Huckabee’s progress in the polls, Rasmussen Reports will add his results to the daily tracking history table starting on Monday.

Rasmussen’s findings are consonant with other polls, e.g. the Poll Watch: Fox News/Opinion Dynamics Poll that has Romney cascading back to 2nd teir with an appalling 7%.

Mr. Romney. Please call your office.

yours &c.
dr. g.d.