Political analyst and Democratic pollster Doug Schoen tells Newsmax that Former Mass Gov. Mitt Romney may have carried Florida with a double-digit margin on Tuesday night, but his victory revealed weaknesses among key groups of conservative voters.
“A big win to be sure for Romney but he showed weakness with evangelicals, with very conservative voters and with those who believe that the nation’s economy has hurt them and hurt their economic position,” declared Schoen in an exclusive interview on Tuesday.
Schoen, who provided analysis of the Florida primary for the Fox News web site, said that former House Speaker Newt Gingrich remains a viable alternative to Romney.
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“Romney has to develop a narrative — not why Gingrich shouldn’t be nominated but why he should be elected. It’s a tall order. He can do it. He has yet to do it,’ insisted Schoen.
He was critical of Gingrich’s campaign in Florida and said that the former speaker should focus on what he offers America as a conservative president.
“His campaign in Florida was unfocused. It was diffuse and it wasn’t clear,” observed Schoen. “He came across as angry. He has to come across as a visionary with not only a record but an agenda for change.”
Schoen added that it will be difficult for former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum to continue in the race based on his third-place showings in Florida and South Carolina.
“It’s very hard to stay in when you get 13 percent over and over — week after week,” Schoen explained.
He added that the big winner in Florida may have been President Barack Obama —perhaps collateral damage from the negative campaign advertisements that flooded Florida airwaves.
“Close to 40 percent of Florida Republicans said they want another candidate and what that reflects is the enduring weakness of the Republican field — the divisiveness of the contest and the desire voters have for a different vision for America,” said Schoen. “Absent a different vision, they’ll stay with what they have.”
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