The Liberals in this country, for the most part, entertain very tepid feelings towards President Obama. Most will vote for him because the alternative is even less appealing.
The Conservatives aren’t wildly enthusiastic about Mitt Romney, either. (I think we can all agree that Romney will be the Republican nominee, can’t we?) Every Conservative analysis I have recently read has concentrated on the idea that the Right needs to support Romney to prevent Obama from getting re-elected. (Here is an example.) As the we have seen, the Conservatives have been searching hard for an alternative to Romney and failing to encounter one. The Conservative attitude towards Romney can be summarized as, “Well, I guess I’ll support him if there is nothing better. . .”
The reason why Obama is not making Progressives flock passionately to his support is that – let’s just be honest about it, OK? – he did not live up to his promise that we all saw in him on the night when the election results were announced in 2008. I haven’t been able to get over him appointing Summers and Geithner to repair our broken economy, and I don’t think I ever will get over it.
The reason why Conservatives aren’t passionate about supporting Romney – even though he is the only real chance they have to beat Obama – is, in my opinion, his grievous lack of charisma. Every time I see him, he reminds me of John Kerry. Kerry said all the right things but could one really get excited over him?
This is going to be an election where people will come to the polls unenthusiastically and support a candidate for the simple reason that the alternative is even worse. In such a big country as this one, don’t you think we could do better? And by “we” I mean all of us.
Clarissa's Blog 
I’m voting absentee in this election as a Montana resident, and I am much more concerned about the state senate election between Dennis (“Denny, blech) Rehberg and Jon Tester. I worked with Tester for a while in MT, and he’s a real strong supporter of Veterans and students, and I don’t want him to lose his seat to a man like Rehberg, who is, plainly speaking, awful.
In the presidential election, I’m voting to keep the other guys out, but at least I live in a country now where I can vote for people I like.
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I am still amazed that Huntsman is not running away with the Repubenron field. He inspires trust, even though I disagree with him on almost everything. Romney does not inspire trust; he makes me want to check where my wallet is.
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I prefer to frame it a bit more positively. In settling for Obama, I’m not resigning myself to the lesser evil. I’m selflessly putting myself forward as a human shield against the bandolier of crazy bullets the GOP is shooting wildly into the crowd.
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I’ll be voting for Ron Paul in the primary, but Clarissa’s right: I expect Romney will get the nomination. Once that happens, I’ll probably vote for a third party in the general election.
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I’m not sure Governor Romney’s problem is a lack of charisma; Senator McCain had about as little and he was nominated.
The main problems seem be Governor Romney’s positions, different from one week and one audience to the next, and the perception — which I share — that he is hardly an adequate conservative standard bearer. Unfortunately, we don’t seem to have one currently.
As I recently wrote elsewhere, Governor Romney’s Mormon religion will be a plus for some and a negative for others and, as you suggest, most conservatives will vote for him in the general election because his election seems generally to be perceived as better than the alternative.
Is this the best our nation can do?
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