As expected, the former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney left his rivals far behind at the republican primary in Florida. He received 47 percent of votes whereas his nearest rival, ex-speaker of the US House of Representatives Newt Gingrich got 32 percent. Two other aspirants left in the republican campaign performed poorly in Florida. The Former Pennsylvanian senator Rick Santorum got 13 percent and the congressman from Texas Ron Paul got 7 percent.
After his victory in Florida Romney regained the status of the leader of the republican presidential race he had lost on January 21 in South Carolina. Then Gingrich had won the primary. The fact that Texas governor Rick Perry had quitted the race had contributed to his victory since Perry asked his supporters to vote for his conservative colleague.
Moreover, the victory in Florida is important since this state is essential for primaries as well as for the presidential elections: there are a lot of retirees there who actively participate in the elections. The candidate who won in Florida will receive the votes of 50 delegates out of 1,144 at the national Republican Party congress in August. There they will decide on the presidential candidate from the Republican Party who will give a dare to Barack Obama in November.
When speaking to his supporters after the primary results in Florida were announced Mitt Romney declared that he was ready to head the party and lead the country and promised to give a “winning ticket” to America if he wins the presidential election in November. The crowd welcomed his words that President Barack Obama “demonizes and denigrates almost every sector of our economy.” “Mr. President, you were elected to lead, you chose to follow, and now it’s time for you to get out of the way,” Romney addressed Obama.
The analysts think that Romney gained Florida’s confidence because of his economically stronger election program. The millionaire Mormon known by his business acumen promised the Americans: “My leadership will end the Obama era and begin a new era of American prosperity!”
The observers remark that Romney’s success in Florida does not mean that Newt Gingrich does not have any chances; it might give the former governor a chain of further victories.
Romney and Gingrich had an uncompromising struggle in Florida personally accusing each other. In all of his speeches Romney called Gingrich a backward politico and Gingrich accused Romney of using his personal funds for buying the popularity among the electors.
Mitt Romney has nearly unlimited finance, great staff and the support of a significant part of the republicans’ leaders. The former governor has spent 15 million dollars for advertising over the last 10 days whereas the former speaker only 4 million. Both rivals actively used the television commercials. Besides, all of 3,276 commercials paid by Romney, and 4,969 commercials paid by his political action committee Restore Our Future were negative. Meanwhile, Gingrich managed to make only 1,012 commercials and nearly all of them were negative. His political action committee Winning Our Future paid for 1,893 commercials and most of them were negative.
The polls prove that Romney has the highest chances to beat Barack Obama in November as compared to other candidates. However, a lot of conservative republicans are suspicious the fact that Romney is a Mormon. Besides, they do not like the way he governed the liberal state of Massachusetts. One of Newt Gingrich’s accusations is that Romney is a “secret liberal.” In the past Romney repeatedly changed his position concerning such issues as abortion legalization, sexual minorities’ rights, and control of sales of weapons. He carried out the health reform in Massachusetts that became a portent of Obama’s federal system reform hated by the republicans.
COMMENTARY
As known, the republicans have always looked favorable upon Ukraine. The observers have always remarked that the republicans have a strategic thinking and it is easier to talk to them. If Obama stays in the White House he will probably pursue his “reload” policy.
Is the victory in Florida enough for Mitt Romney to be nominated the presidential candidate from the Republican Party? Will he be able to beat Obama who is looking forward to being re-elected? Will the republican candidate’s victory be more profitable for Ukraine?
Oleh SHAMSHUR, former Ukrainian ambassador to the US:
“I think now the republicans still have few chances and this campaign will be very quick. In all probability, it will last for some time. Previously, the republican primaries had a rule: the one who won the primary in Florida got all 50 votes from this state. Now the system has slightly changed. The number of delegates to the Republican Party congress is selected differently in every state. In most of the states the candidates take as many deputies as they can, respectively to the votes received in this or that state.
“In my opinion, Romney’s victory is more important from the psychological point. However, I think that Gingrich will mess around for some time. It is clear that quantitatively this victory is not enough to nominate Romney as the republican presidential candidate. It is not enough from the political point either. We should probably wait for “super Tuesday” on March 6. It will be clear then who will win the republican primaries.
“As for the fact that Gingrich presents Romney as a ‘secret liberal,’ this does not help Romney and certainly hinders him at the stage of running for presidential candidate. However, we should pay attention to the fact that a lot of Americans who participated in primaries and like Gingrich admit that they look at Romney from the point of his electability. They think that Romney has more chances to beat Obama than Gingrich. The fact that Romney is more moderated and liberal hinders him at this stage.
“Now I think that Obama certainly has more chances to win this election. However, the main factor that will show the winner is the state of the economy.
“Now it is too early to speculate about the policy of the US towards Ukraine if a republican comes to the White House, first of all because the republican candidate has to formulate his foreign policy program concerning ‘our part of the world’ as well. Obviously, it will not happen earlier than the period of preparation for the Republican Party congress. Then we will see and draw conclusions.”
