The Corvette That Couldn't

This post is dedicated to the Renos.

Recently I tweeted: Watching the Romney campaign is like watching someone drive a Corvette in only 1st gear. (Assuming there's an engine under the hood).

Romney is a candidate who looks and acts expensive but just is not moving as quickly as you would expect him to. He hasn't yet won all the states expected of him. He's still reeling from Santorum's three state win a couple weeks ago. However, tonight's debate in AZ was bad news for Santorum and may spell the end of his fad, thus continuing the pattern of this primary: each candidate in the spotlight then falling away. We will see what the sentiments are like in a couple of days and we will see what happens in the AZ and MI primaries to each.

Back to the analogy, he and his campaign have spent colossal amounts of money but just can't catch fire yet. They aren't taking advantage of many of his qualities/capabilities. While it's still early on, for the supposed front-runner he has not been doing much running at the front. Many pundits have said as much.

He needs to get better at explaining sound economics; he needs to demonstrate that he can be a real human being; his hair needs to be messy occasionally; he needs to aggressively fight against those who lambast him for being too rich; he needs to point to his record of turning around the 2002 winter Olympics; he needs to emphasize his management skills. Etc. There's a record there that is not being utilized. Maybe he's saving up for the big general election push. But why?

Another aspect that is hardly talked about: having a mormon in the White House would be historical. It's never happened before, it's a religion formed in America, it's a belief group persecuted vehemently at one point in recent American history, yet they overcame those odds and have been quite successful. I think there's something to that.

He did well in the debates tonight with concise, pointed answers. This was a good night for him. Maybe, after all, he is learning and the Romney will start zooming. I think the elements are all there. We will see.