For Romney, Iowa Vote Total Nearly Same as 2008

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney leaves Iowa with an eight-vote victory in the first GOP presidential primary contest.

However, his vote total is nearly identical to his second-place finish in 2008 and highlights his inability to win over conservative Republicans, The Washington Post reported.

“The result has some real fissure lines in terms of Romney being able to unite the party with the argument of electability,” Robert Haus, Gov. Rick Perry’s Iowa campaign chairman, told the Post. “If you can’t convince members of your own party and expand that space four years later after millions of dollars of investments, how can you expand it this fall?”

Romney had hoped that organization and strategy could overcome a lack of passion but an analysis shows that it may not be enough to connect with important parts of the Republican Party. In 2008, Romney came in second to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who won the support of social conservatives who were wary of Romney, the Post reported.