tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post2211409783608837184..comments2024-03-28T10:49:14.510-05:00Comments on Horizons: State of the Race: Romney gains with RepublicansNancy LeTourneauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12614317154146836694noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7163441833245663827.post-27156181112147121372012-10-07T09:31:30.080-05:002012-10-07T09:31:30.080-05:00Well, things were looking so bad for Romney before...Well, things were looking so bad for Romney before the debate that people were talking about retaking the House like it was a done deal. It's a possible deal, and the jobs report will certainly help because it's a tangible indicator that the broad trend is positive, not negative. There is a big deficit in the House, though, and it will be a struggle.<br /><br />Republicans, many of them anyway, seem to be inordinately dazzled by someone labeled a "winner." Romney was so-labeled, and that's a big deal for them. If he's seen as a loser, he'll convince a lot of GOP voters to stay home. A part of me feels that this vague sense of winnerness is behind a lot of the bellicosity of the right, the idea of "kicking-ass" etc. Brutal, but there.<br /><br />So, Romney will not win the Presidency by motivating self-identified Republicans, but it would have a stimulative effect on downticket races. If you get a GOP voter to the polls, they'll vote straight-ticket more than likely, and more likely than Democratic voters.<br /><br />On the other hand, it's clear that Obama's strategy was to hang back and give Romney enough rope to hang himself. We don't know yet how well it worked, but I also don't know how much a go for the jugular strategy would have helped, particularly with undecided voters possibly uncomfortable with a Black man going for a white man's jugular.<br /><br />I've been thinking also about Obama's much-discussed eloquence. I've read piece after piece about how debates are not his strong suit, partially out of preference. A lot of people talk about his speeches, but then I'll read things saying that his last great speech was x years ago, etc.<br /><br />Anyway, it's becoming fairly clear to me that Obama is at his most eloquent on paper. From what I've read about his process, it's clear that putting pen to paper is where he really fleshes things out for himself. I imagine that after his second term he will spend more of his time writing than most ex-presidents.Billhttp://freeandeasywandering.com/noreply@blogger.com