Mitt muddle looking messy

Republican candidate Mitt Romney's critics say he lacks the common touch. Picture / AP

No doubt about it, the Republicans are in a mess.

It had more or less sunk in after his wins in Florida and Nevada that Mitt Romney was going to have to be their nominee this November because everyone else just wasn't viable. Or, less politely, the non-Mitts - Rick, Ron and Newt - were scary, nuts or both.

But there is a problem here and it came into focus on Wednesday. What if the grassroots of the party just can't stomach Mitt whatever the media and the party elders tell them? What then?

This could be the conundrum now. Romney was a retread candidate even before the nomination race got under way in Iowa last month. Wasn't he on the menu last time around?

He fell flat in 2008 and eventually had to cede the game to Senator John McCain because he was wooden, elitist, too rich and unable to connect. And conservatives were suspicious of his past positions on social issues. So what's changed?

What's changed, remarkably, is that he is doing even worse among Republican grassroots voters than four years ago. Or, at least, he did on Wednesday. Fighting McCain, who became the nominee, Romney got 60 per cent of the vote in the Colorado caucuses in 2008. This time, against foes that would seem far less formidable, he achieved 35 per cent in this state. This is not a good sign.

I was on a balcony above his left shoulder as he gave a speech on Wednesday. Put simply, he stank.

We hate to break it to the Republicans but this Mitt is the same lousy candidate he was four years ago and don't kid yourselves that he isn't.

Get out of this muddle if you ca

- INDEPENDENT