George Will: Romney is the Republicon Dukakis

In a stinging comparison that is sure to leave a mark, on Sunday’s This Week With Christiane Amanpour, George Will said the rise of Herman Cain had a lot to do with Republicans coming to the realization that Mitt Romney is their Michael Dukakis. “A technocratic Massachusetts governor running on competence, not ideology,” Will observed.

Will made the provocative analogy as This Week‘s panel was discussing Cain’s strengths against Romney in the race for the nomination. “I think Cain is not just a flavor of the month, I agree with him,” said Democratic strategist Donna Brazile. “I think he’s going to present a real problem for Mitt Romney, who I think is struggling to gain some traction.”

Matthew Dowd thought Cain’s rise wasn’t due to his 9-9-9 tax plan but in fact because of his positive attributes as a likable outsider which have endeared him to the Republican base. “I think he has a huge forgiveness factor in this Republican electorate,” Dowd surmised. <...>

Will’s comparison of Romney to the 1988 Democratic nominee is probably not one the former Massachusetts Governor wants Republican voters to think of before casting their ballots. Mediaite

Will forgets to mention that Dukakis actually believed in something, though, and didn't change his positions like Zelig. Mediaite is right, though, that the comparison is going to hurt Romney among republicon voters. A lot.

I'll take a Republican Dukakis over a Republican Kerry if that is what they want to do.

Too much compassion, kindness and sense to even think of doing that - I would bet.

Why else would there be a different front-runner or close runner-up week after week? The republican rank-and-file are flailing about frantically for someone other than Romney to run next year, but in the end, I predict that Romney will the nomination by default, and that the rank-and-file will hold their noses and pull the lever (or push the button) for Mitt der Shitt.

The fundies will never go for Romneyin the primaries. And there are enough tea partiers upset about his flip-flops to insure that he doesn't go to Tampa with a first ballot victory.

I see a real chance of Cain winning the Iowa caucuses, and coming in second in NH. After SC and FL, Perry will be finished, the also-rans will be out (except for Paul, who never goes away) and it will be between Mittens and Pizzaman. Perhaps Cain won't win enough to grab the nomination, but nobody will have it.

A contentious Rethug convention is what I hope for, with a nominee that is supported by less than half of the GOP.

It's not the tea party. So sick of this meme that it's the tea party and fundies that will sink (Mitt) Der Shitt. They are the red herring, in this case.

IMO, he'll encounter problems with the people who MSM right now saying he'll appeal to- somewhat sane (if clueless) "moderates" and center rightists. They're going to be exposed to what a Derp Face this guy really is.

Thanks, George. :evilgrin:

Twitty and his panel were just discussing whether the Dems would paint Romney as "weird" and if Obama would go allow it. Guess it doesn't matter now that George has taken it upon himself to do it for us.

:7

Will is essentially right on this one.

Granted, I have no idea how Republicans think. I get it wrong almost every time I try to project their nominee far in advance, including once or twice when I've lost money speculating.

But in this economic environment with so much natural animosity toward anyone in charge, and coming off a huge net win in 2010, why would Republicans default to a guy who they already doubted and rejected in 2008? Makes no sense to me. Heck, they had reservations about McCain and he was trounced.

Democrats tried the most electable route in 2004 with Kerry and when that failed the base abandoned safe and strategic and enthusiastically got behind Obama in 2008, buoyed by big midterm success in 2006. I'd have to believe the GOP will do the same, picking someone among the extreme wing with confidence he can be comfortably packaged and sold to the public alongside Obama's low approval ratings, which are unlikely to spike considerably.

My instinct is Romney would have received the nomination against this field in any cycle prior to 2012 but this time he'll be narrowly defeated. I don't count out Rick Perry.

George Will really wants to fit Mitt Romney into that peg hole to discredit him.

...I don't see him excusing himself from that.

"George Will admits Republican voters dislike competence."