By Rebecca DiFede — In a nation consumed by the upcoming election, leading GOP candidate Mitt Romney is coming ever-closer to overcoming the campaign king, our illustrious incumbent President Obama.
And according to a Fox News poll, he may be closer than expected.
The poll was pretty extensive, and gives a specific look at how the country is feeling about the president versus the projected GOP nominee. But the general consensus is that despite his previous lead, Obama might have some competition from the Governor from Massachusetts.
The poll has reported that Romney is leading Obama 46-44 percent nationally, which is only the beginning.
Obama’s loudest cheering section, the mainstream Democrats, only report an 80 percent support of his presidency, down from 86 percent last month. This is a fascinating development because despite his faults, Democrats had always been completely infected with Obamarama.
However, perhaps when they look at their dwindling bank accounts, and borderline useless stock projections, they have begun to come out of their daze.
Another group that is important to focus on in this upcoming election are the Independents. Because of the polarization of this election, it’s pretty much going to come down to a popularity contest, and the Independent vote is going to be crucial in deciding a winner.
The Fox News poll reported that 43 percent of independents back Romney as compared to 37 percent who back Obama. With the economy drowning and gas prices soaring to terrifying heights, this collapsing of support is becoming all too common.
In the craziness of this process, Mitt Romney has become a serious contender for the presidency in spite of himself. With Rick Santorum dropping out of the race, and Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul not gaining too much steam, Romney has found himself in the driver’s seat for the GOP nomination.
As a whole, the nation has not been totally sold on Mitt Romney, given his reputation as a flip-flopper, and his seeming tendency to shape his opinions to fit the audience he’s speaking to. But as Democrats slowly pull away from Obama and Republicans begin to realize that there is blood in the water, the anybody-but-Obama enthusiasm grows.
After all, there is no other way to oust him, so in contrast Romney becomes a relatively attractive option.
Ultimately, the November 2012 election is a referendum on Obama. And if those 67 percent of Americans who are unhappy with the direction that the country is going vote to fire him, perhaps they can finally get them some of the change for which they were hoping.
Rebecca DiFede is a contributing writer to Americans for Limited Government.
