Thank you NV! Our message of restoring America's greatness continues to resonate through the west & across the country #NVCaucus #Mitt2012
— @MittRomney via web
Romney sent that tweet out last week, during happier times for him. He was cruising to an easy victory in the Nevada caucuses, Gingrich beaten to a bloody pulp, thinking he was enroute to an easy nomination.
Problem was, Romney's self-congratulations were unwarranted. For one, GOP turnout numbers have been outright pathetic.
After anemic gains in both Iowa and New Hampshire, South Carolina enjoyed a significant boost thanks to Gingrich's Stop-Romney effort. But Florida began what has become a consistent and significant decline ever since.
Now let's look at Romney's share of the vote.
After six years of non-stop running for president, Romney slipped in Iowa before notching significant gains in New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida. But again, it's been downhill from there. The more Republican voters hear from Romney and his message, the less enthused they become.
It's not as if Santorum is driving out turnout, but Romney's collapse is so dramatic that it's getting easier for the Not-Mitt-Romney to notch those victories—even as fewer and fewer Republicans deign it worth their while to spend even an hour of their time to choose a nominee. All the while, Republicans have to pretend they're fired up to take out Obama when, quite clearly, they're not.
Of course, Romney has to pretend his message is "resonating." He is a candidate, after all. But no matter how many times he says it, fact is, it's simply not true.
Quite the opposite, actually.