COLUMN: Romney’s unwanted balance best bet in general election

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Bill Clinton once said, “Each and every election we see a new slate of arguments and ads telling us that ‘they’ are the problem, not ‘us.’ But there can be no ‘them’ in America. There’s only us.”

Failure to heed this wisdom could very well determine the outcome of the 2012 presidential election.

As the Republican Party chooses its candidate to challenge President Barack Obama, they need to pick someone who not only represents the party, but someone who has a chance at winning the general election.

So far the frontrunner in the field of candidates has switched on an almost monthly basis, with no clear leader being established. Consistently performing well has been former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, an overall conservative, with enough moderate tendencies to attract some independent voters.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann, and Georgia businessman Herman Cain have all had their time in the lead as well, with Herman Cain currently enjoying the front spot in the polls. Perry and Bachmann both faded quickly, something that has not happened to Cain.

Eventually Cain’s lack of political experience will likely be his downfall, and Mitt Romney will probably come out as the GOP’s nominee, but crazy things can happen in elections, and nothing is set in stone.

Romney certainly stands the best chance of beating Obama in the general election, and this is something Republican primary voters need to take into consideration in order to be successful in the general election, at both the presidential and Congressional levels.

Republicans will have to show they have been more than just the Party of “No,” and that they have put forward, in good faith, ideas to help get the country back on track.

The success of the GOP in 2010 was not so much Americans voting for the Republicans, but rather against the Democrats, so the Republican Party is in no position to be overly confident about next year’s elections.

If the party as a whole can prove they have been committed to bringing ideas to the table instead of just shooting down the ideas of their opponents, the Republicans have a chance at the White House and possibly more control of Congress. To win the White House, they need a strong candidate who can unite the moderate and conservative branches of the party as well as attract independent voters.

If a Republican wins the presidency, he or she will have to be willing to work with Democrats in Congress in order to have a successful term and turn the country’s economy around.
Mitt Romney seems to best fit this role, but it remains to be seen if the Republican electorate agrees.

Editor’s note: Nathan Inks is the current president of the College Republicans.