Not Just Buttons and Stickers

It's not that Mitt Romney's campaign stickers and buttons were plastered on hundreds of Amherst parade watchers this past Wednesday (as Hillary and Rudy stickers often found homes next to each other on shirts and jackets), it's that a lot of people were exclusively showing off Romney. New Hampshire voters are moving towards Team Mitt.

Sadly, I'm not terribly surprised:

1) He's been working early primary states like New Hampshire and Iowa as hard as the rest of the field. It's this kind of retail politics that pleases Granite Staters and Iowans more than large rallies and the like; he's polling at 27% in the latest American Research Group poll of New Hampshire voters (McCain and Giuliani are at 21 and 19% respectively).

2) Romney's personal life (aside from many people's fear of his Mormon beliefs) and seemingly-perfect marriage and family are comforting to a number of conservative voters.

3) Mitt's aptitude in pulling together the 2002 Olympic Games thrust his name into the public spotlight, and his managerial skill from his time at Bain Capitol certainly establishes him as a qualified business leader.

4) He's got the financial backing of some of America's richest individuals and can afford to launch massive television advertising runs from now until the election, as well as hire hundreds of staffers and open offices around the country.

5) Finally, Mitt Romney's stances on key issues are consistent and the interests of the greater good are always above his own ambition and...

...wait!


It seems like Romney's ''presidential appearance," which has been responsible for some of Romney's supposed victories at the Republican debates so far (although I highly disagree), will help to push another manufactured candidate ever closer to the White House. Shame.