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My Bottom Line: Mitt Romney's Trap

What do you feel about this article?

What a week in politics. This Republican primary is full of surprising twists and turns, even for someone who has been watching politics as long as I have. So, this week for the Bottom Line I asked you on Twitter and Facebook what you want to talk about and - no surprise here - Rick Santorum's clean sweep Tuesday night was the most popular topic. I received many questions asking how it happened  and what does it mean for the general election?

Here's my Bottom Line: Santorum took advantage of an opportunity and left Florida and Nevada to campaign instead in Colorado and Minnesota.  And as Mitt Romney said, Santorum was able to "reap the rewards of that approach" when he won those states.

But Santorum's victory was also about what Mitt Romney has not done: win the hearts of conservative Republican voters. They don't quite trust him yet. And as one Republican strategist said to me, "if Mitt Romney can't put away this field, how can he beat President Obama?"

That question was echoed by Russell Ducoff who tweeted "is all the uncertainty about the GOP nominee and the bitter campaigns going to make Obama's re-election more likely?"

Watch my Bottom Line to find out:

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35 comments

  • Me  •  Charleston, South Carolina  •  17 days ago
    You saw them allow Wall Street to steal your 401Ks and to use SCAM banking loans to further the destruction of the middle class. I know this sounds uncomprohendable, but it a fact. VERIFY the DATA. Today congress wants to reinstate earmarks in order to buy votes. And worst of all they want to allow CHILD LABOR, as we fight it world wide. Newt said on TV that he saw "nothing wrong with it". Ask yourselfs, why would you want child labor with the million and million of adults that lost their jobs and are unemployed. Slave wages, maybe?
    When Bush Sr. was in office he said "There is no Social Security fund". As of today they have wasted $6.3 TRILLION from the fund that isn't there, and told us our children would have to pay for it. This makes SS the LARGEST HOLDER of our national debt. China is third. Are they loaning us the monies produced by the jobs sent there from the US. And they call it an ENTITLEMENT program, just like food stamps. Difference, I have had taxes taken from my check and had no choice in the matter for 44 years so for, for SS and Medicare. I do feel that I am "entitled" to the money they took from me and the interest it would have earned.
    Now, Romney agrees with Obama about continuing the current rate for student loans. He said "TEMPORARLY EXTEND". Yea, until he gets elected. Last week his proposed budget came out, PLEASE look at it on yahoo from the Associated Press. His budget shows what he will do to the American people. Do a search on "guns triumph over butter", then do a search on romneys budget plan. See where Vets benefits will be cut and other public program that benefits the middle class. This last search will show where his budget adds over 6 TRILLION to the nationa debt, while helping only the rich and hurting everybody else. The way I see it China will be producing the goods and America will be fighting the wars. If there aren't enough job in the US your only choice maybe to join the military. And you do relize that we employee "PRIVATE ARMIES". If you can force Americans to join the military because they can't find a job, then you want need as many private army companies and will save money. And racism is being promoted to divide us, to help the GOP gain votes from prejudice people. The end of last year the KKK went though neighborhoods in West Ashley, part of charleston, SC putting thier propaganda in peoples mailboxes. the residence called the police and this was stopped. People know this is wrong and dangerious.
    We MUST JOIN FORCES and STOP THE INSANITY. I hope the young people will do what they did 4 years ago as it seems no one else will. Wake up America and defend your self. Occupy tried to get something started but had their freedom of speech push down their throats. When American have their constitutional freedoms taken from them, we are in serious trouble.
  • gilbert  •  San Bernardino, California  •  22 days ago
    What is my comment box doing, tucked between Robin Gibb, 'Lovestruck' Neil, and Arizona sheriff with Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum? I have a friend who must be a schemer, or can't read directions. I'm not running for election, or fame. Not with these guys!
    '
  • gilbert  •  San Bernardino, California  •  22 days ago
    History is written by the winners, not the losers
  • M.S.  •  Grover Beach, California  •  3 months ago
    "They don't quite trust him yet." And I don't trust republicans at all.
  • Citizen  •  Greenville, South Carolina  •  3 months ago
    vote republican, vote for more obstruction. Work in health care? Prepare to lose your jobs when health care industry is cut to the bone. Work in manufacturing? Prepare to be unemployed because labor laws are scuttled, right to work, means you are subject to sweat shop paces, conditions, or be fired. Want to buy a car/house? Perhaps you may want tot wait, your job security is being scuttled and credit ratings push your loan (if you can get one) interest rate is going up, up, up. Sell cars? Maybe not so much...

    VOTE REPUBLICAN, VOTE INCUMBENT ANY PARTY = VOTE FOR MORE OF THE SAME

    They party, we pay, our children pay, our children's children, and their children are paying.
    • Larry 1 month 17 days ago
      I pay Anthem nearly a thousand a mo. Where would I go if I could not afford to get ripped off ? Healthcare should be a right - not a privilige for the rich.
  • Jerome  •  Denver, Colorado  •  3 months ago
    In other Party news, Republican Bob Dornan described Newt Gingrich as a lying, betraying creep of a human being and the worst person he served with in either party. An outstanding endorsement!
    • dennis 3 months ago
      Newt has gone lunar put him in a straight jacket and ship him!!
    • TheWholeTruth 3 months ago
      If you knew Bob Dornan you might hear the same comments about him...
    • Cynthia 3 months ago
      He's a politician, enough said.
  • James  •  2 months ago
    The answer to your question, George (extreme leftist), is the independent vote. You know this, of course.
  • tre w  •  Brentwood, Tennessee  •  3 months ago
    The whole time Rick, Newt and Mitt are screaming that each one of them is the most conservative, the rest of the country is screaming "we dont care!".
    • Larry 1 month 17 days ago
      Three angry white guys --- none of them have a chance!
  • Charles  •  Detroit, Michigan  •  3 months ago
    Sanitarium is a flash in the pan not the nominee like Gitrich is the problem
    not the solution
  • FORGIVENBADBOY  •  3 months ago
    Ron Paul is for sure better than them two :-)
    • Larry 1 month 17 days ago
      Why ? He is just another old white guy with no real plan for the middle class- and no foreign policy accept for isolationism - the earth is not flat.
  • tre w  •  Brentwood, Tennessee  •  3 months ago
    If the GOP really doesn't like how Obama has handled things in his first term, why haven't they put up anyone to challenge him? Newt, Rick, Mitt and the rest are better suited to be riding around in a clown car at the circus.
    • Mama Kat 3 months ago
      Now you've got it. The Repubs are afraid to win, because if they do, the country will fall so low that the Repubs will be anhiliated. So they need to keep vilifying Obama to sound like they care for the future.
    • Larry 1 month 17 days ago
      The white- right wing with their " ideology" will never be accepted as long as they pander to the extreme. Their front runners are exposing the soft underbelly of the Republican party for what it is really all about - all money is ours. "if you are poor - Its your fault"
  • Wise One  •  3 months ago
    santorum sucks... he can not be elected President... He will lose PA for certain. The good news is it looks like four more years of Barack Obama!
  • Private Sector  •  3 months ago
    Vote Romney if you want a third Bush term.
  • Mad  •  New Orleans, Louisiana  •  3 months ago
    Liberal/Progressive Political Objectives: Make the GOP nominee as weak as possible by boxing him in on every possible talking point, andthereby give BHO a textbook of positions which he can prepare for long before the general election. Paint true Conservatives as wackos to eliminate their influence on the outcome of the nomination process. Pass as many Progressive/Socialist legislative acts as possible before the general election to pander to the "Gimme" crowd in exchange for their vote. Distract voters attention from what is currently being done in Washington to eliminate individual freedoms by having the Progressive/Socialist media outlets beat a steady drumbeat of lies and misinformation about the true state of the U.S. economy.

    It is time for everyone that cares about their children's future in the United States to re-read George Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984 in order to begin to connect the dots and force change before it is too late.
  • JakeP  •  3 months ago
    Obama will be given a run by Rummies money, ,but the independents elect the president, and most of them are broke from the last GOP president messing up everything, and have watched as the GOP Congress as messed up every time the economy even showed a chance of coming back!
  • Young Black JFK  •  Morrow, Georgia  •  3 months ago
    OBAMA IS THE BEST PRESIDENT SINCE FDR.

    He got healthcare reform thru the congress.

    He got Osama
    He got Alwiki
    He got Gaddafi

    He ended Bush's bloody Iraq Fiasco.
    He is taking troop out of Afghanistan, and is peace talk with the Taliban.
    He did not let other trick him into a war with Iran.
    He will save medicare and medicaid from Paul Ryan and the the other trickle down shillls.
  • cruiser9806  •  Luquillo, Puerto Rico  •  3 months ago
    Definitions Conservative = Condom.
  • Private Sector  •  3 months ago
    The hateful right can't handle the fact the US has had 23 straight months of private sector job growth.
  • LDS74  •  Blackwood, New Jersey  •  3 months ago
    250 million "income," 100 million trust fund for kids, 15% tax rate, "Bain Capital"--do they make anything or do they move money around? Oh yeah he's a "job creator" That's why 25-35% Ivy League grads go to Wall Street instead of creating jobs, they get paid more to shuffle your money and take fees. All his Wall Street friends are bank rolling him.
    He never mowed a lawn, got his mail, shoveled snow, flipped a burger and neither will his kids. Richie Rich nails it. Vote him down and the Congress out. Over turning Obama Care and all lose. Slumdogs and "The Help" are who we become.
  • Houston  •  3 months ago
    All it really tells us is the REPUBLICAN PARTY, basically because of the Tea Party has not been able to field anyone that is better than Obama ! Since the Tea Party nfiltrated the Republican Party, NOTHING HAS BEEN ACHIEVED IN CONGRESS to help the AMERICAN PEOPLE ! This was the most costly blunder in the History of the Republican Party ! Americans will not forget it for a very long time !!!