Super Tuesday

And so it begins. Who will win the Republican nomination? I don't know.

Regardless of who comes out on top today, tomorrow or late in March. That candidate will need to heal the fractures and repair the conservative coalition. In my opinion that candidate is Mitt Romney.

Governor Romney has demonstrated time and again his ability to connect with voters and persuade them to his side. Contrast this with John McCain. Senator McCain has ridden a sort of natural constituency that needed little persuasion. Sen. McCain’s following is made up of Americans of his age and older that look favorably on his experience as a contemporary, no persuasion necessary. Sen. McCain is also very strong among current and retired military and military families. This is natural considering Sen. McCain’s military experience and support of the military, again no persuasion necessary. Finally Sen. McCain is strong among those for whom the war is the single overriding issue of the day. Which again is natural given his full-throated support of the war on terror and the surge in Iraq and again no persuasion necessary.

On the other hand Gov. Romney has done nothing but persuade voters to his camp. Starting with questions of his Mormon religion all the way through questions of his recent conversions on some core conservative issues Gov. Romney has persuaded voters to support him. In a Republican field with many other options Gov. Romney has reached out to a substantial block of conservatives. It is this ability of persuasion that makes Gov. Romney more capable to mend the divisions in the Republican Party and repair the Reagan coalition.

And it is this ability of persuasion that will serve him well in the general election when both parties vie for the centrist, independent and undecided voters.