Monday Jan 23, 2012
A look at the reports in today's WSJ and elsewhere indicate that Gingrich cic not just beat Romney in S Carolina, he whalloped him across the board in multiple categories. Now Romney plans yet another series of 'attack ads' on Gingrich in Florida. Hmm, didn't that just fail in S Caroilina?
Socionomics is the new social science of prediction based on endogenously produced social mood.
While we are not $2,000 a day political consultants, we can make these observaitons.
Voters in the S Carolina Rep primary are probably political junkies, which is to say rabid fans who follow political websites and such, as evidenced by the very fact that they voted. With a religious profile, they voted for Newt in spite of his checkered background of multiple marriages, supposed ethics violations and such. Why? Clearly what Newt is saying resonates with the group. They feel marginalized by the media, the kind of look down your nose questions posed by Stephanopolous and Diane Sawyer, and their frustration that the media never seems to ask Barack a tough question.
Romney' lack of sharp responses is the reason he is not resonating with this group. His lackluster defense of Bain, and the overall perception that he is just not up to the brawl coming up for the nominee, has left him wtih only tiny New Hampshire for a victory.
The better idea would be to take the best of Newt, (Barack is the biggest food stamp president in history) andincorporate those bits into his campaign. Perhpas Newt is pugnacious and given to spinning into outer space but voters are deciding that may be the better tactic than another Ford, Bush I, Dole, Bush II, finally losers all line up.
Attacking Newt at this point will be like throwing Brer Rabbit in that famous briar patch, it is where Newt is most comfortable.
In summary Romney needs to tap into the social mood for Newt, not fight it.
Comments