Early state GOP voters seek signs of electability
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - October 1, 2011
It's a potentially beneficial development for Texas Gov. Rick
Perry and former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who lead in
national polls despite records that break with conservative
orthodoxy in some areas. And it spells trouble for rivals like
Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, businessman Herman Cain, former
Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and others who have rock-solid
conservative credentials but have struggled to break through and
seemingly have a narrower base of support.
At least in Iowa and New Hampshire, some Republicans are
shifting toward Romney and Perry - at the others' expense.
"If we keep focusing on immigration and gay marriage, we're
going to lose," said Kathy Potts, an Iowa Republican who had been
a key volunteer for Santorum until switching to Perry in September.
"He may not be perfect. But he can win. That's the most important
thing."
In New Hampshire, Scott Hilliard was leaning toward supporting
former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who has claimed he's the most
electable but is struggling in polls. But now Hilliard says the
times are tailored for Romney, a former CEO with decades of
business experience.
"I don't agree with all of his positions on issues. But I
really think our country is in dire need, and you can't solve any
crisis until you have an understanding of it, and he understands
it," said Hilliard.
Less than four months before Republicans start the series of
nominating contests, the party's primary race has become a two-man
affair with Republican voters moving toward someone who can beat
Obama, who has a vastly different view of how to fix the economy
than Republicans.
The 2012 race began taking shape amid a drumbeat of bad economic
news: No net jobs were created in August, the government's
long-term debt rating received a downgrade and the economy grew
over the first half of 2011 at the weakest pace since the recession
ended two years ago. Obama's answer is a jobs bill that includes
$447 billion in new spending and higher taxes for wealthy
Americans, the opposite of the spending and tax cuts Republicans
favor.
Romney, who led in national GOP polls until Perry got in the
race in August, is arguing that he's the strongest candidate to
beat Obama because of his business background. He's hoping
Republicans latch onto that message and put aside their doubts
about his authenticity, reversals on some cultural issues, anger
over the health care law he signed in Massachusetts that mandated
coverage and skepticism about his Mormon faith.
Perry is laying claim to being the most electable by pointing to
job growth in Texas on his watch. He's working to persuade voters
to look beyond the bill he signed in Texas to allow undocumented
immigrant children pay in-state tuition at Texas universities if
they meet certain requirement, as well as his proposal to require
sixth-grade girls in Texas to be vaccinated against a sexually
transmitted virus that can cause cancer.
Voters are turning toward them both.
Bruce Keeney of Iowa was supporting Bachmann, but is now backing
Perry, primarily because of his winning record in a big state.
Keeney, who came to hear Perry speak in Jefferson this month,
disagrees with Perry's opposition to building a fence on the U.S.
border with Mexico. But he admires Texas' economic growth under
Perry and respects the governor's electoral prowess, including
fending off a primary challenge last year. "I can live with the
other stuff," said Keeney.
Iowa Republican Mitch Hambleton was drawn early to Cain's
business background and evangelical profile.
But Hambleton doubts Cain can raise the money to compete for the
nomination or challenge Obama. Hambleton, who calls himself a
strong social conservative, is supporting Romney, despite the
former governor's conversion to opposing abortion rights. "I can
look past that," Hambleton said. "I know where he stands."
Mindful of what voters are craving, Romney and Perry are trying
to cast each other as unelectable.
Romney has sought for the past several weeks to undercut the
argument that Perry can win, assailing the Texas governor's support
of wholesale changes to Social Security, a federal program millions
of American seniors across the political spectrum depend upon.
Perry has argued that Romney can't overcome the fact that he signed
the Massachusetts health care law that Obama based the national one
on - and that's woefully unpopular.
That Republicans are putting electability over purity recalls
the 2004 Democratic primary race.
The Iraq war was unpopular with Democratic primary voters. But
activists in Iowa had doubts about anti-war outsider Howard Dean's
chances against then-President George W. Bush and nominated
Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry, who voted for the resolution to go
to war.
Today, Republicans have an equally unifying issue, the economy,
which has only worsened since the campaign began in earnest last
summer.
Struggling to remain relevant, Bachmann has started trying to
convince conservatives to stick with one of their own.
Days ago, she warned that sacrificing principle for electoral
expedience comes with a cost, saying: "When you settle, you may
find out you're going to have some negative consequences to pay."