Ann Romney: "We've given all you people need to know."

[_EAllusion]

Publicly? Or behind the scenes? The latter may be happening, and you just don't know it.

I don't think it would've got this far, but even if it did, the argument was the more you see Republicans calling for him to release his tax returns...

Yeah, if you see a lot of that, then it ain't the end of the world.

Is Rove a big Romney supporter? I ask because I simply don't know.

He's a big Republican supporter.

Yeah, and isn't that explosive enough in the current climate? Really?

He can get over it. Things like that play an absolutely tiny role in voter behavior.

[_Kishkumen]

It seems to me that Romney's support from Republicans has been consistently tepid, and this includes the support of party leadership. I also think you underestimate how problematic a symbol of plutocratic excess and lack of compassion Romney actually is. I have not seen a less sympathetic Republican presidential candidate in my short life. In fact, he probably exceeds the many awkward Democratic candidates in lack of, or negative, charisma. Having said that, Al Gore won the vote, so I guess you have a point.

[_Madison54]

Rove knows how to play ball.

Is Rove a big Romney supporter? I ask because I simply don't know.

Not that this makes a big difference, but while Rove is not Mormon, he was raised amongst the Mormons in Salt Lake City and educated at the University of Utah. I remember hearing him say that he was very familiar with Mormonism and its doctrines and that he had many friends growing up (and now) who are Mormons.

But again, that doesn't mean he's a big Romney supporter.

[_harmony]

He can get over it. Things like that play an absolutely tiny role in voter behavior.

I think things like that play a HUGE role in voter behavior, at least in some sections of the country. Marie Antoinette comes to mind.

[_Kishkumen]

Not that this makes a big difference, but while Rove is not Mormon, he was raised amongst the Mormons in Salt Lake City and educated at the University of Utah. I remember hearing him say that he was very familiar with Mormonism and its doctrines and that he had many friends growing up (and now) who are Mormons.

But again, that doesn't mean he's a big Romney supporter.

Yeah, I know Mormonism better than Karl Rove, and I am not a big Romney supporter. If McCain had run again, I would have given him a second chance. I feel like I gave Romney a chance, but I have too much self-respect to support a candidate who lies so blatantly and poorly.

[_harmony]

I feel like I gave Romney a chance, but I have too much self-respect to support a candidate who lies so blatantly and poorly.

He obviously hasn't learned the value of a good lie. Maybe he should listen to conference more often.

[_EAllusion]

It seems to me that Romney's support from Republicans has been consistently tepid, and this includes the support of party leadership.

Romney won the nomination almost exclusively on the back of his support from the establishment Republican leadership and its funding mechanisms. His lack of support comes from religious right leaders, which play a major role in ground organization.

I also think you underestimate how problematic a symbol of plutocratic excess and lack of compassion Romney actually is.

I think you overestimate how impactful things like "issues" are on voter behavior. Romney could be found blatantly cheating on his taxes and it wouldn't move his support more than a point after the temporary impact died down. Sure, this feeds into a narrative of plutocratic excess, but if people don't latch on to that, it will be something else. Assuming we are just talking about him being stereotypically rich, the worst thing about this is that it controls news cycles with negative Romney coverage for a bit, which is why Republican advisers are calling for Romeny to get it over with in the doldrums of summer.

[_Jason Bourne]

I believe Rove is a Romney supporter.

[_sock puppet]

It seems to me that Romney's support from Republicans has been consistently tepid, and this includes the support of party leadership. I also think you underestimate how problematic a symbol of plutocratic excess and lack of compassion Romney actually is. I have not seen a less sympathetic Republican presidential candidate in my short life. In fact, he probably exceeds the many awkward Democratic candidates in lack of, or negative, charisma. Having said that, Al Gore won the vote, so I guess you have a point.

Voters vote for one of the two jokers that the parties nominate every four years.

[_EAllusion]

I think things like that play a HUGE role in voter behavior,

That would go against decades of poli-sci research. Most voters are predominantly controlled by a sense of partisan loyalty, even among many self-identified independents. That's why shifts in party behavior - such as becoming pro-torture or flipping on indefinite detention - can have rapid, broadly reaching impacts on the self-described beliefs of the public. Almost no one has a coherent political ideology and this is especially true of swing voters that tend to decide presidential elections. They are most significantly affected by their vague sense of how things are going in the country compared against how long the incumbent party has been in power, which in turn is controlled by economic indicators, their mood, etc. A disturbing % of them simply flat guess at the booth, believe it or not. It is literally true that whether it is raining on the day they vote or whose name appears first on the ballot has more of an impact on who wins the election than something like this.

Edit: It is true that how people gut feel when they think of a candidate has an impact on voter behavior. And if Romney's tax returns make him look like a plutocrat taking advantage of the system, that doubtless will be used in attacks against him to drive up negative feelings. That's what negative political ads are about - much more so than the individual issues being brought up in them. It's about the spooky black and white photos, haunting music, and concerned narrator. But no one is made of teflon and if that isn't the issue Democrats use, then it will be something else. This is just a placeholder that would be happily taken up by something else if it were not available.