When Romney Goes South

Mitt Romney appears headed to the Republican Presidential nomination, despite having not won a single Southern state, why is Mitt Romney so snake bitten in Southern primaries?

 First, voters in deep Southern states like Mississippi and Louisiana are largely conservative evangelicals- a group that Romney has struggled to connect with. Romney’s disconnection with Southern voters has served to draw out the Republican nomination process and give hope to Rick Santorum of forcing a convention showdown.

I think the Romney-South disconnection will resolve in the general election because the Southern United States leans heavily Republican during Presidential elections. There’s little doubt that Romney can beat Obama down south in a one on one election.

 But Romney fails to help himself with southern voters when he shoots off at the mouth about things like cheesy grits. It makes him sound really artificial and fake.

 Southerners are genuine people who don’t enjoy being talked to like their small children.

Perhaps Romney should worry more about Southern voters perceptions of him than cheesy grits and etch-a-sketches.