What Held Him Back

摘要

In conventional political terms, Mitt Romney's challenge in picking a VP presented a complex puzzle. With the GOP Convention in Tampa less than a month away, he was running 4 to 6 points behind Barack Obama in the national polls. Mitt was hurting with women, hurting with Hispanics, hurting with blue collar whites. His standing in the industrial Midwest and the West was shaky. The Republican base remained un-enthusiastic about him, and the middle of the electorate unimpressed. The quandary was which of these maladies he should try to heal with his running mate. For many members of the Republican smarty-pants set, one thing was increasingly clear: Rom-ney needed a game changer.