You don't need to be a political pundit to see that Republicans don't like Mitt Romney.
Just about every other Republican contender has, for at least a few weeks, challenged Romney's frontrunner status. Republican voters seem to want to find any alternative to this polished (too polished?) and articulate (as long as he's debating and not responding to a media query) candidate. Voters are leery of his inconsistent positions on important issues. CNN political analyst David Gergen observed in an article in Parade magazine that Americans feel as if they don't really know the candidate. He seems inauthentic and therefore not trustworthy.
Herman Cain suspended his candidacy recently after a nonstop series of women challenged his "holier than thou" image. Politicians' personal lives shouldn't sway our decisions about their competency to hold elective office, but Americans don't tolerate inconsistencies between what politicians say and do—a definite trust-buster. Frankly, Cain's other mistakes were to 1.) blame the media for taking him off message. (It's not the media's job to allow a candidate to stay on message.). And 2.) deny responsibility. (Haven't politicians learned that the electorate doesn't want to be lied to?) I am still waiting for voters to apply the same high standards to political promises that they do to personal values and actions. When that happens, all candidates—whether Republican or Democrat—will truly do what's best for all Americans.
