Romney not Out of the Running Yet

       There is wide speculation that because of Romney’s “47%” comment made in early May, his campaign is over. I think this is being hard on Mr. Romney, I mean he can’t be the only one to say something “ineloquently”, right?  I decided to research this topic and found an interesting article in the New York Times Romney is latest in a Long Line to Trip Over a Tongue; this article verified my thought, and gave me a good laugh in the process. 

       

       One first needs some background to understand Mitt Romney’s current predicament. At a closed fundraiser in May, he was tape recorded saying that nearly half of the people, or 47%, do not pay taxes and therefore will not vote for him. He said these people are, “dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them” (Rutenberg, Parker). Many Democrats and some Republicans were upset by this statement. Romney stands behind his statements, giving an interview with Fox News saying “The president’s view is one of a larger government; “I disagree, I think a society based on a government-centered nation where government plays a larger and larger role, redistributes money, that’s the wrong course for America.” Romney is hoping bringing up the large number of Americans dependent on government will help define the philosophical choice for voters in the upcoming election. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/19/us/politics/in-leaked-video-romney-says-middle-east-peace-process-likely-to-remain-unsolved-problem.html?ref=politics&_r=moc.semityn.www 

       So, the big question is, is it over for the GOP Presidential Nominee? I am going to turn to history for the answers. In the race for the White House, 47% of candidates have had self-inflicted blows to their reputation.   In 2008, Senator John McCain said “The fundamentals of the economy are strong.”  This was not what Americans wanted to hear from a presidential candidate, considering this statement was made in the midst of the collapse of Lehman Brothers and one of the worst economic recessions since the Great Depression. During a college event in Pennsylvania in 2004, John Kerry had this to say about money to pay for operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, “I actually did vote for the $87 billion, before I voted against it.” After George W. Bush’s campaign exploited this comment, it caused Kerry to be thought of as confusing an unreliable. The cause of Al Gore’s reputation an embellisher was a quote during a CNN interview, “I took the initiative in creating the internet.” Critics leaped at the chance to exploit Mr. Gore’s statement and with some minor misstatements during a debate, well let’s say the Electoral College doesn’t like a liar. President Clinton had a confession to Americans during a Houston Fundraiser in 1995 “You think I raised your taxes too much. It might surprise you to know that I think I raised them, too.” Although he made both Democrats and Republicans angry, he won re-election easily with some good opponent attack strategies. In 1980, Ronald Reagan said, “Approximately 80 percent of our air pollution stems from hydrocarbons released by vegetation.” The Democrats used this statement to try and cast Reagan as an extremist goof, but between Americans being fed up with the economy and the signature, “There you go again” rebuttal to Jimmy Carter during a debate.

 http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/09/21/us/politics/20120921-memo.html?ref=politics#index

       With these examples of successes and failures, it is clear that Mr. Romney is not out of the running quite yet.  I think it depends on how he handles the situation- I think he made some good choices in not denying or negating his statements. It was also very good strategy in choosing Fox News as his first and only interview on the subject. I also think how he handles the rest of his campaign will be crucial in his success- and to be honest I am excited to see how it all ends in November!