Mitt Romney’s favorability ratings have plateaued, according to today’s Washington Post/ABC News poll. It’s not much of a surprise, considering the barrage of anti-Romney news during the past few weeks, but it still must be weighing on his mind this week as he makes his final decision on a running mate:
Mitt Romney’s favorability ratings have stalled over the course of his campaign’s bumpy summer months, with his earlier improvements as he was wrapping up the Republican nomination in the spring appearing to flat-line, according to a new Washington Post/ABC News poll.
While 40 percent of voters now say they hold a favorable opinion of the former Massachusetts governor–virtually unchanged from May–those holding negative views of Romney ticked higher in the new poll, from 45 percent to 49 percent.
Meanwhile, President Obama remained in positive territory on that measure, with 53 percent of voters reporting they hold favorable opinions of the incumbent. Only 43 percent say they feel unfavorably towards him.
The stagnant polls are a sign Romney needs a change. If he picks a dull, mini-me running mate like Republican strategists were advising in Politico today, he’ll be ceding a certain amount of control over his election chances. He may be able to keep his favorability rating stable, or bump it up a few points. But mainly, he’ll be reliant on outside factors that could suppress Obama’s favorability ratings: the state of the economy, the situations in Iran and Syria, the battles in Congress, etc.
Choosing someone like Paul Ryan (or Rubio or Christie) would give Romney a chance to completely change the dynamic of the election — to make it about the larger conservative economic philosophy instead of Romney’s personal career in business. The election would still be a referendum on Obama, but at least Romney could provide a clear and bold alternative. So far, he hasn’t been able to; and a garden-variety VP pick isn’t going to help make that happen.
The country is going down the drain, and there are people who like BHO?!
Remember P.T. Barnum "sucker born every minute"
White guilt explains much of this phenomenon. We are also being propagandized to believe that white men are inherently boring and perhaps even evil. A black man represents our salvation. It is truly frightening. This is reverse racism on steroids.
Yes, it's starting to come out on the liberal forums now–that only older white males support Romney, and they're all evil, rich, 1%, etc. n nIt used to be somewhat taboo to bring race into it, but since Obama was elected, race baiting has become quite fashionable. n nSo much for the great unifier.
Race baiting of white people has almost become the norm. This is especially true of successful white business men. And let us also not overlook the typical slander of conservative Republican women—of any color. White individuals are supposedly smarmy and boring!
Mitt Romney has been stuck in neutral since May. He hasn't chosen a running mate yet, when he desperately needed to do so a month ago to energize his campaign. Here we are – 19 days before the Republican convention – and Romney looks no different than he did at the conclusion of the primary season. And, because he looks no different, he actually looks worse. n nFor the past three months, Romney has advertised himself as unaware, out-of-touch, and uninspired. n nUnbelievably, more people like Barak Obama than like Mitt Romney. n nI fervently hope that Romney will withdraw as the Republican candidate and that the delegates at the convention will pick a winning team like Ryan and Rubio.
You are making a terrible mistake. The MSM will slime job any Republican candidate. Also, what evidence is there to suggest that he is "unaware, out-of-touch, and uninspired"? You seem to have been successfully seduced by left-wing propagandists.
Are you planning on voting for Obama if the convention doesn't flush Mitt? Because if not, I think your comment helps explain Romney's relatively low approval ratings – a bunch of folks who will vote for him absolutely refuse to "like" him. Whatever floats your boat. I don't care if people who vote for him like him or not – or, to use the language of the poll – have a positive or negative view of him. I just hope that voters like you understand the very real real difference between a President Romney and another Obama term. nAs for Romney being uninspired – I think his reaction to the "You didn't build that" comment was inspired. I'm not sure what people expect from him. Regardless, I suspect you have a specific VP candidate or two (it appears) in mind, and if Romney picks someone else you'll see that as uninspired and out of touch, too.
His problems are not about tax-returns or gaffes in Britain. His problem is that he offers no place to grab hold of. n nObama was that way personally, but not rhetorically. Attachment to Obama as potential leader was moving along nicely in 2008. n nA Romney spokesperson just claimed that Super Pac cancer patient would have had access to healthcare had she been a resident of MA. n nHe simply cannot, and should not, in my opinion, run from his legislative past. He'll have to risk alienating the base but he has to tell us what made Romneycare necessary, what would have made it better or worse, how it cannot be made a template for reform of HC nationwide, etc. n nHe cannot run. And the fact that he thinks he can or wants to speaks ill of his capacity for leadership.
To those critical of Romney–of his timing, of his VP pick, of his "gaffes"–don't forget to keep the big picture in mind. 4 more years of Obama would be a disaster for the nation–he'll get to stuff the Supreme Court with more ultra liberal buffoons like Sotomayor. He'll keep playing the race card, dividing Americans as we haven't been divided since the Civil Rights Act days. He'll target enemies (critics) the way Nixon did. He'll screw up on the international stage. n nAnyone–almost anyone–will be an improvement over this lout. Romney-Ryan (or Rubio or Rudolf the Rednose Reindeer) is a very appealing alternative and will inspire businesses to open their wallets and start hiring again, and get this country back on track.
I can't get over what people forget every four years: rarely does a VP choice make a difference. It won't this year, again. Let's face it. Romney is an atrocious candidate. Remember, when challenged by several candidates in the primaries, he never received more than a third of the vote.
Once again, everyone take breath and relax. 96% of voters have decided how they feel about Obama, only 89% about Romney. That does suggest that Romney's numbers are softer, first of all – for better or worse. And then there's the Big Question – how much does anything that happens during the summer influence the undecided voters? Those of us who follow politics obsessively are OUTRAGED!!!!! all the time – whether we're liberal or conservative. (Which is kind of a waste of life, really.) But our fellow independents go right along living their lives, blissfully ignorant of about 98% of that which keeps us glued to the computer screen. These people want to like their president, whether they vote for him or not, especially if he is "historic". That feels good, you know, like recycling paper – but it probably has a minimal impact on how they vote. To assume too much about a candidate's performance at this point in the campaign, when far more people are concerned about the Olympics than the election, is silly. And to read some of the comments coming from conservatives now, Romney should just give up. Strange, that. nTwo observations about the Veep speculation: 1) It gives political junkies something to occupy their brains and 2) it gives everyone an excuse to trash the candidate again (not that some of them needed an excuse). nAnyway, once he makes his selection people will be screaming at him for failing to pick somebody else, and will claim that NOW he's really, really doomed. I can't wait.
A few weeks ago, I thought Christie as VP would be attacked by the left as "how could he be a heartbeat away from the Presidency, when the man has anger management issues, and would hold the key to the bomb???!!! Still would get some of that, but he would rebut the outrageous claims of the Chicago team faster, and more succinctly than Romney. He could also let Romney be Mr. Positive. Good cop, bad cop could work down the stretch. Plus, indies and conservatives love what Christie has been able to pull off in Dem dominated Jersey. Bi-Partisan, effective executive, tough, and can enunciate conservative principles clearly, and wihout apology. Mitt needs to go for it with Chris.
I hope he picks a game changer like that complete moron palin