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After Conventions; Is Mitt the Ultimate Weapon?

by John F. Tamburo, Editor in Chief, Publisher
Originally Posted: 9/7/2012 11:26:30 AM

President Obama spoke last night at the Democrat National Convention. It wasn’t his best effort by far. Pundits from both sides of the body politic have concluded that the speech "didn’t close the deal." Who reasonably could have concluded that, in 2012, in an election that is separated by 0.3 points according to the September 7, 2012 RealClearPolitics Poll aggregator (Rasmussen, the most reliable pollster, shows Romney +1 in his daily tracking poll, Gallup is at Obama +1 with suspect internals, CNN is tied) that a convention speech would close the deal? Sounds like wishful thinking has replaced reason on the Left.

What the numbers say is that neither candidate received a huge convention bounce. True, the Obama final numbers are not ripe, but I suspect that these numbers won’t move much before the debate(s). Time to commence the nail-biting. Or, perhaps not.

This DNC showcased the delegates booing God, usually not a good thing for attracting the faithful among the Democrats’ base (African Americans and Hispanics). This DNC also blatantly touted Leftism unlike any convention since the nearly-as-Orwellian 1984 DNC, where Mr. Mondale’s policy resulted in a 49-state GOP blowout. I can hear the Left shouting, "Romney is no Reagan!" They’re right. Mitt Romney is Mitt Romney, and just may be the perfect weapon against Barack Obama.

Perfect weapon? Yes. The Obama / Axelrod playbook is thin. Very thin. When Mr. Obama ran for the U.S. Senate in 2004, he faced a primary challenger named Blair Hull. Suddenly, previously confidential divorce papers surfaced, raising a question of Mr. Hull abusing his wife. Mr. Hull exits, on to the general election. Jack Ryan, married to Jeri Ryan ("Seven of Nine" in Star Trek Voyager) was winning comfortably, when a scandal from divorce papers again surfaced, accusing Mr. Ryan of trying to force his wife to accompany him to swinging sex clubs. Exit Mr. Ryan. Alan Keyes carpetbagged himself into the race, losing in a landslide.

In 2008 as Mr. Obama ran for president, he had to clear away two potential contenders: Edwards and Hillary Clinton. The Rielle Hunter sex scandal broke. Exit Mr. Edwards, and any chance of splitting the anti-Hillary vote, leaving Mr. Obama a clear path to the nomination.

The general election was tainted by false accusations that Sarah Palin had actually faked giving birth to her youngest son to conceal the pregnancy of one of her daughters. The accusation was the most ludicrous thing aired in a political campaign in 75 years or more. Moreover there were sex scandals that tarred the GOP generally: David Vitter, John Ensign, Larry Craig.

The historical record shows that the Obama modus operandi is to use sex scandals to discredit candidates that are likely to beat Mr. Obama. So… Romney and Ryan just may be the ultimate weapons against Mr. Obama.

Mitt Romney is cleaner than a Boy Scout. Not only has he been married to the same woman for over 40 years, but he is obviously in love with and totally devoted to her. He is the model of monogamous loyalty, and an unassailable example of an excellent husband. There is no sex scandal to be had. If there were, the primary campaign would have sussed it out. Herman Cain’s bimbo eruptions did him in, Newt’s well-known liaisons of the past resurfaced. Even Rick Santorum’s wife was not exempted from the attacks, as Axelrod sought to by stealth eliminate any true Conservative from the nomination.

Luckily for us, Mitt Romney came through. He then chose for a running mate the next great Boy Scout, Paul Ryan. Not only is he intelligent - even brilliant - and he is also loyal to his wife. Part of me suspects that Mr. Romney made a clean sexual / marital record a primary qualification to be his running mate. If he did so, that proves just how smart and tough our next President is.

Mr. Obama has never encountered a tough opponent with a clean moral record. Hence, his criticisms of Mr. Romney are contrived and/or based on envy ("Romney is a rich plutocrat who wants to put his thumb on your neck!"). The president has nothing else. He tries to excoriate Mr. Romney’s record at Bain Capital, but there he treads dangerously. Mr. Romney can point to a gigantic number of jobs that the company he founded either saved or created. Think of Staples, Dunkin’ Donuts, Domino’s Pizza, Burger King, Brookstone, Sealy Mattresses, among others. It is likely that Mr. Romney’s Bain Capital only net job creation stats outshine Mr. Obama’s as President (to the extent that a President is actually responsible for job creation).

Moreover, Mitt Romney has, as is his wont, been careful with his campaign money, has been raising more than the President, and has positioned himself handsomely for a home-stretch run - after the President woefully deficit-spent his campaign (sound familiar?) in a futile effort to nip Mr. Romney’s ascendancy in the bud.

Ultimate Weapon. Mitt Romney. Sounds more plausible by the second.

Independents who have not decided by now are likely to break for Mr. Romney 3-1. That gives Mr. Romney a solid victory in both the popular vote and the electoral college.

Supporting that conclusion are facts such as this: Todd Akin, who is running for Senate in Missouri, and made a significant and quite insensitive gaffe about abortion and "legitimate rape" went from a comfortable GOP lead to down 10 against Claire McCaskill. As of 9-7-2012, the last poll, from 8-27-2012 by none other than PPP (a Democrat leaning outfit), shows McCaskill’s lead back down to +1 on suspect poll internals of GOP 35, Dem 33, Other 32. Rasmussen’s data is five days older. Todd Akin will probably win Missouri’s Senate seat, heralding 2012 as the year that the voters finish cleaning up house on the Leftists.

In a GOP second-wave election, I am having trouble seeing how President Obama manages to stay in office. In a close election, I am in the same position. If I am Mitt Romney, I am getting ready to measure the Oval Office for new draperies - except for the fact that Mr. Romney is frugal and will likely not spend the extra money!