As I write this, Rick Santorum has just taken the lead over Mitt Romney, slightly and only 45 percent of the votes are in in Iowa. Moments ago, with just over 30 percent of the votes in, Ron Paul, Rick Santorum, and Mitt Romney were in a three way tie with 23 percent of the vote. By the time this is published, we may know the winner.
But does it matter?
[Check out political cartoons about the 2012 GOP field.]
My bet is Mitt Romney will win the GOP nomination. My bet is also that Mitt Romney is the most difficult candidate for President Barack Obama to beat as Romney is viewed as the most moderate and will appeal to the Independents and the centrists, those who I feel will determine the outcome of the next election this November. [See editorial cartoons about Romney.]
And although the Republicans have been in Iowa for months, what do some ask today? Why is the President’s approval rating below 50 percent among voters in Iowa?
As the president mentioned to Jay Leno, “I’m waiting until everyone is voted off the island.” What voters think about the president today in Iowa doesn’t matter, it’s what they think of him in November. President Obama has the nomination of his party, he’s the guy that will be on that platform. How can we get an accurate pulse among voters when we don’t know, we can only assume, or predict, as I did above, who the other guy will be? ( And sorry Rep. Michele Bachmann, but it will be a guy this time around.)
Our economy is growing very slowly, unemployment is still high and the president has a 43 percent approval rating among voters in Iowa? Personally I don’t think that number is bad considering the financial climate here and worldwide.
[See Mort Zuckerman's 5 sure-fire ways to spur job growth.]
Another reason the president doesn’t have the highest approval ratings in Iowa? He hasn’t been there. Unlike the Republican candidates who have been literally kissing babies and figuratively kissing butts, for months now, he has been in the White House and only addressed the people in Iowa today, via webcam. (Personally I felt the president should have made the trip to Iowa, but I’m sure he’ll be Iowa bound before November; besides, why go to the island when there are so many inhabitants trying to survive? And Republicans would only complain about the expense!)
The bottom line is, I’m not worried. I’m not worried about who wins Iowa and I’m not worried about who is on the GOP platform because at the end of the day, the American people who don’t want their Medicare slashed, who don’t want to go to war with Iran, who don’t want to sit back and let people be slaughtered in places like Libya or Egypt due to isolationism, who are realists about the Middle East and the inevitability of a two state solution and who are studying facts, such as the economy is turning around and the unemployment rate is slowly coming down know there is only one guy for them. And that is the very man who is sitting in the White House, the man who we still count on for hope and change, not some consolation prize.
Remember the Republicans wanted anyone but Romney, and if Romney is on that platform, they’ll marry a guy they wouldn’t even ask to dance this past year; because they want anyone but Obama. And if they’re among the middle class, they’re cutting off their nose to spite their face, or cutting their own benefits to spite the Democrats.
- Read Scott Galupo: Why Mitt Romney Is Unbeatable
- See political cartoons about the GOP.
- Vote now: Who is your choice for the GOP nomination?
Reader Comments Read all comments (8)
Sam of FL 11:27AM January 08, 2012
John Wayne of NM 8:24AM January 06, 2012
dom youngross of OH 4:10AM January 06, 2012