AEI Election Watch 2012, Session 4: The Race Goes On
Karlyn Bowman, Norman J. Ornstein, Michael Barone, Henry Olsen
March 20, 2012

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Post-Event Summary
At Tuesday’s Election Watch event, the fourth in a series at AEI, a panel of experts provided insight into the close and still raging GOP primary battle between Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul.   Karlyn Bowman referenced recent polls showing highly unfavorable ratings for Republican frontrunners Romney and Santorum.  According to Bowman, the polls likewise indicate that Americans do not like intrusive government in the health care realm.  Henry Olsen explained that Romney is losing rural voters, using the locations of sports franchises as an analogy. All in all, Romney is not effectively connecting to many Republican voters — whereas he has been carrying the “somewhat conservative” vote in most states, Santorum has been thriving in the areas that voted for Mike Huckabee in the 2008 GOP primaries.  Michael Barone elaborated on the topic of Romney, claiming that wealthy voters are kindred spirits with the candidate.  Moreover, the categories from which Republicans draw their electoral strength are changing.  Norm Ornstein concluded the discussion by saying that the Republican Party is suffering from having veered too far to the right, and highlighted the GOP positions on minimum wage and illegal immigration as two examples of this phenomenon. 

--Jennifer Marsico

Event Description
Rick Santorum's pair of wins in Alabama and Mississippi not only bolsters his run for the Republican nomination, but also further fuels the argument that many Republicans are unhappy with the prospect of a Mitt Romney candidacy. Does Santorum's recent spate of primary victories firmly establish him as the conservative alternative to Romney? What could happen in Illinois and the other upcoming contests? And what does the future hold for Newt Gingrich?  

Join AEI’s Election Watch team for a reflection on the races that have already taken place and a look ahead to the contests to come. Celebrating its 30th anniversary, AEI's Election Watch series is Washington's longest running election program for a reason: serious historical commentary and insights that can't be beat.

 

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About the Author

 

Karlyn
Bowman
  • Karlyn Bowman compiles and analyzes American public opinion using available polling data on a variety of subjects, including the economy, taxes, the state of workers in America, environment and global warming, attitudes about homosexuality and gay marriage, NAFTA and free trade, the war in Iraq, and women's attitudes. In addition, Ms. Bowman has studied and spoken about the evolution of American politics because of key demographic and geographic changes. She has often lectured on the role of think tanks in the United States and writes a weekly column for Forbes.com.
  • Phone: 2028625910
    Email: kbowman@aei.org

  • Assistant Info

    Name: Andrew Rugg
    Phone: 2028625917
    Email: andrew.rugg@aei.org
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Norman J.
Ornstein
  • Norman Ornstein is a long-time observer of Congress and politics. He is a contributing editor and columnist for National Journal and The Atlantic and is an election eve analyst for BBC News. He served as codirector of the AEI-Brookings Election Reform Project and participates in AEI's Election Watch series. He also served as a senior counselor to the Continuity of Government Commission. Mr. Ornstein led a working group of scholars and practitioners that helped shape the law, known as McCain-Feingold, that reformed the campaign financing system. He was elected as a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2004. His many books include The Permanent Campaign and Its Future (AEI Press, 2000); The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track, with Thomas E. Mann (Oxford University Press, 2006, named by the Washington Post one of the best books of 2006 and called by The Economist "a classic"); and, most recently, the New York Times bestseller, It's Even Worse Than It Looks: How the American Constitutional System Collided With the New Politics of Extremism, also with Tom Mann, published in May 2012 by Basic Books. It was named as one of 2012's best books on pollitics by The New Yorker and one of the best books of the year by the Washington Post.
  • Phone: 202-862-5893
    Email: nornstein@aei.org

  • Assistant Info

    Name: Jennifer Marsico
    Phone: 202-862-5899
    Email: jennifer.marsico@aei.org
Show More | See Full Profile

 

Michael
Barone
  • Michael Barone, a political analyst and journalist, studies politics, American government, and campaigns and elections. The principal coauthor of the annual Almanac of American Politics (National Journal Group), he has written many books on American politics and history. Barone is also a senior political analyst for the Washington Examiner.

    Follow Michael Barone on Twitter


  • Phone: 202-862-7174
    Email: michael.barone@aei.org

  • Assistant Info

    Name: Andrew Rugg
    Phone: 202-862-5917
    Email: andrew.rugg@aei.org
Show More | See Full Profile

 

Henry
Olsen
  • Henry Olsen, a lawyer by training, is the director of AEI's National Research Initiative. In that capacity, he identifies leading academics and public intellectuals who work in an aspect of domestic public policy and recruits them to visit or write for AEI. Mr. Olsen studies and writes about the policy and political implications of long-term trends in social, economic, and political thought.
  • Phone: 202-828-6024
    Email: holsen@aei.org

  • Assistant Info

    Name: Bradley Wassink
    Phone: 202-862-7197
    Email: brad.wassink@aei.org
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