How Mitt Lost His Mojo

I don't know how he can read the conservative blogs and still believe that Mitt ever had any mojo. He is hated by conservative.

While I’m not yet ready to strap on a bib and sit down for a meal of crow, I will confess that recent trends have me beginning to question my year-long assertion that Mitt Romney really was every bit as inevitable as he would still like us to believe. The “conventional wisdom” would have us believe that Rick Santorum was destined to rise and fall, just as so many of he predecessors did, leaving the field clear for Mitt to sweep up the pieces and slide into home. (By this time you might think I’d learned that the conventional wisdom is frequently neither.) But on the heels of his fairly super Tuesday on February 7th, the pesky Santorum appears to be thumbing his nose at political geniuses and stubbornly holding on to a slim lead in Michigan. (Or possibly a tie, depending on whom you ask.)

While we’re not talking about a huge number of delegates (which will be apportioned out among two or three people in any event), it’s difficult to brush off the impact that the Great Lakes State will have on Romney’s chances. Given his family history there, even a victory which allows Santorum to come within a few points could be nearly as bad as a loss. Such an outcome would continue the burgeoning storyline that Santorum is for real. If we’ve learned anything from past cycles, it’s that in politics, perception always trumps reality. If you can manage to change the perception, reality will follow along in short order. A growing national confidence in Santorum’s chances will lead to more money and endorsements being showered upon him, leading to a very real improvement in his prospects.

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