GOP 2012 Candidates Would Struggle in Home States

Some Republican presidential candidates, particularly front-runner Mitt Romney, have fared well in national polls against President Barack Obama. But things may not go so well for whoever is nominated in his/her home state against Obama, Politico reports.

Mitt Romney

“Just about all of the GOP presidential candidates would have a hard time winning their own states if they ended up as the party nominee, which may factor into the thinking among many Republicans that the 2012 field is lackluster,” the news service states.

As for Romney, his approval rating in Massachusetts, where he served as governor, is 40 percent, compared to a disapproval rating of 52 percent, according to a Public Policy Polling survey.

Tim Pawlenty didn’t win a majority vote in either of his two successful campaigns for governor of Minnesota.

And Michele Bachmann has never received more than 53 percent of the vote in her Republican-leaning congressional district.

John Wayne

Meanwhile, The Hill speculates that some Republican candidates will suffer from a lack of machismo — “the ‘wimp factor.’”

Mitt Romney and Tim Pawlenty are not John Wayne, according to the news service, though it’s not exactly clear why a political candidate should want to mimic the Duke — famous for wielding guns onscreen and wearing ascots away from work.

And the man The Hill identifies as the ultimate historical wimp — George H.W. Bush — was arguably one of our best presidents. History will likely treat him much more kindly than his critics did while he was in office.

Ironically enough, it is two women — Michele Bachmann, a declared candidate, and Sarah Palin, a possible candidate — who are seen as the tough guys of the 2012 bunch.