Conversations / Live Q&A

Because he's not Mitt Romney. To elaborate, a lot of Republicans don't believe Romney is a real conservative. His argument that he's more electable holds less water after Santorum beat him in a trifecta of primaries. Without "electability," I don't know if Romney, even with all the money in the world, can win the nomination.

Shooting oneself in the foot is rarely the best way to win a race. This mess looks authentic to me, and I think it's due to several factors. First, I believe some potential candidates decided early on that this wasn't a good year to run because Obama would be hard to beat. Second, the fissures in the Republican Party are real. None of this means the election will be a cakewalk for Obama, by any means. But the GOP isn't doing itself any good right now. 

Anything's possible, but GOP establishment types believe Santorum would lose big time in the general election. His views really are extreme.

Obviously I don't speak for Joe but I believe Santorum's views on women's reproductive rights -- and, for that matter, on the role of women in society -- are so far outside the mainstream that he would be a weak general election candidate. There are some who believe his blue-collar vibe -- even though both his parents had white-collar jobs -- would serve him well in states like Ohio and Pennsylvania. But then again, the last time he ran in Pennsylvania he lost by historic margins.

Romney's plan, surely, is to say just what you suggest -- but after he wins the nomination. The problem is that to win the nomination in today's GOP, you have to go so far to the right that you practically leave the playing field. Either there will be a correction of some kind or the party is in real trouble.

It's not impossible. One question is whether Gingrich shows enough strength on Super Tuesday and the week after to remain a viable candidate. Another is whether Santorum and Gingrich can compete on Super Tuesday with Romney's money and his national organization. It's almost always unwise to predict a deadlocked convention, but this year it's not impossible.

If you look at the numbers, it's just not possible to win a national election with Republicans alone or with Democrats alone. You need votes from independents. Bush and Rove understood this quite well.

I don't see it. Santorum is showing the ability to appeal to the far-right basse of the Republican Party. His ability to appeal to moderate voters is a big question mark.

The GOP establishment -- which, frankly, ain't what it used to be -- is doing all it can to put Romney over the top. But if Santorum wins Michigan, even establishment types will have to wonder about the electability argument.

President Obama has tried to make the economic argument for moving toward renewables. I hope he makes the case this fall.

There could be a deadlocked convention but I'm not sure we could have a brokered convention anymore, because it's unclear to me who the brokers are. What "boss" is going to speak for the Tea Party caucus, for example?

Absolutely right. This is one of the variables that could effect the outcome of the election. In the case of an attack, Iranian oil supply would surely be interrupted. I'm guessing that the Saudis could be convinced to increase output to make up the difference. Assuming they could get that oil to market (through the Strait of Hormuz), the price spike would be mitigated somewhat. But there would still be a spike.

I think there's a far-right constituency that will never warm to Romney. His logical move, perhaps his only move, would be to move even more sharply to the center in the general.

Generally speaking, potential candidates decide to sit out contests because they don't think they can win.

No and no. Don't ask me, ask the voters. Sen. Boxer won her last reelection campaign. Santorum lost his by 18 points, a record for an incumbent senator. It's not the media but the voters who decide "electability."

I think the real reason for Santorum's rise is that GOP voters keep looking for someone who's not Mitt Romney. 

Veteran GOP operatives who are old enough to remember 1964 share your concern.

And with that, my time is up for today. Thanks for participating in a lively discussion, and I'll see you again next week.