"The Republicans" aren't a candidate; it rests totally on Romney's shoulders.

No, but the candidate will carry the Republican label, and in the absence of knowing which candidate it will be, I still need something to call them. I think you're reading too much into it. (I'd also say that even if you don't have a parliamentary system, party affiliation still isn't completely irrelevant either; but the political landscape in America has become an odd one of late. At the very least, being too closely associated with the party heirarchy may carry as many negatives as positives these days.)

I think you largely overrate Romney's appeal, particularly against a good candidate.

No; my point is that his appeal is largely irrelevant. Against an incumbent, the electorate knows what one candidate is like in office, but has to guess at the other. Their assessment of the known quantity will dominate. If the electorate does still believe that Obama's a good candidate, it's unlikely to vote in a challenger, even if that challenger is well-regarded. If Obama is on the nose, however, then he'll most likely lose to any challenger who doesn't trip over his/her own shoelaces.

Romney doesn't need to be an appealing candidate. He needs to be a candidate that doesn't make the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up, and hope that Obama's approval ratings slip before November. (Well, he needs the nomination first. Still.)

Romney has two big strikes against him with the active Republican voters--he's Mormon and while he was governor of Massachusetts he was surprisingly liberal. The rabid Evangelicals would rather the world came to an end than vote for someone that many of that ilk don't even see as Christian. To most rational thinkers, the religious angle makes little difference. To the wingnuts, it's cause for terror.

For the stern conservatives, Romney has made very drastic changes to his stated policies, and it was fairly obvious that the changes were done to position him to be favorable to the rising tide of Tea Party influence. The ones who want to embrace him tell themselves that he was only pretending to be what passes for liberal in their neck of the woods, but there are dire suspicions about which publicly stated opinion is actual the truth.

We're looking at a lot of "Well, he's not Romney" on one side and "Well, he's not Whatever Whackaloon is Staging a Poll Surge This Afternoon" on the other side. The dedicated voters are probably going to split the Republican ticket, and the vaguely unsettled and undecided voters may decide to sit out the election altogether.

Romney doesn't need to be an appealing candidate. He needs to be a candidate that doesn't make the hairs on the back of one's neck stand up

I'm curious if Americans think Romney's Mormonism is a non-factor (as they did with JFK's Catholicism) or if it registers as "off."

Americans think Romney's Mormonism is a non-factor

Most Americans put it as 'huh, weird religion, oh well.' The rabid wingnuts think it's a sign of the devil. Honestly. In parts of the South, Mormon missionaries are still getting guns pulled on them.

Skipping oh-so-many-posts (almost a week without any computer turned on in front of me! I almost expect my hands to shake when I start typing), first to apologize for missing yesterday's birthday - according to the Buffista Calendar, it was shrift's birthday.

Happy second-day-of-your-new-age, shrift! With lots of wishes for a great day and a wonderful year!

And cereal, because she deserves her special own post: according to Jessica "If the Apocalypse Comes, Beep Me" Jan 4, 2011 4:38:13 am PST today is Aeryn's very first birthday.

Happy birthday, you big beautiful girl! (Still-a-baby? Biggish-baby? Almost-toddler?) With lots of wishes for your mom, dad, older brother and all your family, as well!

shrift - hope you had a good birthday.

And I can't believe that Aeryn is a one year old! Happy Birthday Aeryn.

Happy Day after, shrift!

Happy Year Day, Aeryn!

Still-a-baby? Biggish-baby? Almost-toddler?

Oh, she toddles. But she's still my baby.

[link]

Happy first birthday, Aeryn!