Florida proves that what electorate wants is an electable candidate

By Charlie Wolf for the Daily Mail
Updated: 16:04 GMT, 1 February 2012

If the Florida Primary demonstrates anything it is that voters want electability over perceived ideological purity - and in their opinion, Mitt Romney is the man to beat Barack Obama in November.

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Romney's win was down purely to better organisation. He is consistent in his message,image and looks and acts presidential.

A second lesson from the contest so far: One can learn a lot more about a candidate when they lose than when they win. Of all the candidates, Newt Gingrich is the sore loser. Instead of re-grouping, re-focusing, adapting to the situation and moving forward, Gingrich takes it personally and looks smaller and smaller in stature. His post-primary speech last night being a prime example.

Triumphant: In Florida's opinion, Mitt Romney is the man to beat Barack Obama in November

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post described it as "graceless" and noted that Gingrich (as of 9.30 PM US time) had not rung to congratulate the Romney camp. She goes on:

"The speech was vintage Gingrich, comparing his predicament to Lincoln at Gettysburg and vowing to conduct a “people’s campaign.” He made one small run at Romney, calling him “the Massachusetts moderate,” and then wandered into a rather trite recitation of his commitment to change.

He rambled a bit, getting nostalgic about his Contract with America and assuring us he’d been studying “how to do this” since 1958. (He was running for president as a child?) He is going to get rid of White House czars, move the U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem and halt the war on religion. If there was a theme in there, it was hard to spot.

"He obnoxiously ended by pledging: “My life, my fortune, my sacred honor.” But he’s not doing any of that. And it’s quite an insult to American patriots who have said that and meant it.

"Gingrich has been reduced to a smaller-than-life figure. He’s a guy with a lot of words and very little appeal, whose meanness got the best of him and helped to wreck his campaign on a heap of attacks, insults and downright vile accusations (the latest being his claim that Romney is hostile to religion)."

Disappointment: Gingrich seemed to take defeat personally and is looking smaller and smaller in stature

For all his talk about being the heir to Ronald Reagan, he is nothing like the Gipper. Reagan was famous for his sunny disposition, belief that it was Morning in America. Reagan was better at destroying his opponents through self-deprecating humour.

He had a turn of phrase that was whimsical with shades of American Gothic about it. "There you go again," he said to Carter in a debate, it worked because Reagan could deliver a line with class. (Actually, in debates so far, it is Ron Paul who has delivered some of the best whimsical and self-deprecating lines.) Meanwhile Newt complains if there is no debate audience, or the wrong kind of audience (maybe he should work for Network Rail).

Imagine Gingrich up against the Obama billion-dollar-smear-machine in the autumn. Gingrich brings with his steamer trunks full of baggage for Axelrod and company to pick apart, never mind a negative perception with the public that makes Hilary Clinton of old look like Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz (Clinton has turned her negatives around and is now much respected probably more-so than Obama).

Will Gingrich be reduced to claiming the president is against Kosher food or maybe for Halal? Will he stay focused on the task of beating Obama and all he stands for or blame Democratic dirty tricks for his slip ups?

According to the people of Florida, Newt may be more 'conservative' (and much of that is a personal definition) but he is not electable. This year, with the thought of four more years of Obama and the bankrupting of America, electability is all that counts. Newt doesn't have it. Santorum has more of the conservative qualities and the consistency, but he lacks the stature to go up against a sitting president.

"Gingrich has been reduced to a smaller-than-life figure. He's a guy with a lot of words and very little appeal"

Romney has the looks and stature, he has also proving that he has the money and organisation, and the ability to adapt to changing situations and to recognise and correct his own mistakes (his taxes for instance). The people of Florida are not stupid, they have made a pragmatic conclusion and it is Mitt Romney.

I don't expect any of the candidates to leave the race at this stage - nor should they. But as time goes on it will be harder and harder for Gingrich to do so with any grace or his reputation intact.

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