With the new backing of Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney now has the support of nearly all of his former Republican opponents. But the presumptive presidential nominee still faces a disconcerting divide with voters: They just don’t find him that likable. A new USA TODAY/Gallup poll released Monday found that just 31% of voters found him likable, compared to 58% for President Obama.
So what's the problem? Romney is smart, successful, polite and even handsome.
The answer may be hiding in plain sight. From the offhand comments muttered in homes and happy hours, to the repeat jokes on late-night comedy sketches, it seems some in America are asking if Mitt Romney is just too much of a dork.
“He was really awkward,” Otterbein University student Carissa Reed said of her experience sitting on stage with the former Massachusetts governor two weeks ago. “You could tell he was out of his element. … I was just, like, 'Should I clap?’ None of us knew what to do.”
Reed was witness to what may have been Romney’s most awkward speech of the year, with the least crowd response. During much of the 40-minute Otterbein address, students from various universities, who were on stage with the candidate, openly yawned, looked at their watches, sent texts or e-mails and in at least one case, appeared to fall asleep.
Romney, in a somewhat self-deprecating way, began the speech by pointing to problems on stage. The students were sitting behind him, facing his back. The blackboard he wanted wasn’t there. His voice trailed off as he spoke of the issues. In the body of his speech, the candidate made some significant philosophical points but drove few ideas home with impact.
He was not connecting.
The Romney campaign did not respond to CNN’s questions about the Otterbein speech and the idea that its candidate may be awkward, or dorky, in public.
“I got the impression that he’s someone smart, but who’s genuinely uncomfortable in front of a crowd,” said Otterbein political science professor Allan Cooper. “You actually see him standing up there … trying so hard to connect with these young people and failing so miserably at it.”
Cooper, who advises both the college Democrats and the college Republicans on campus, insists he is not partisan. He believes that Romney’s inability to connect is a significant issue and that it lost the support of all the swing voters in his class who saw him speak.
At the University of Virginia, political scientist Geoffrey Skelling says it is a combination of speaking style and the ability (or inability) to relate to people.
“I do think the average voter looks at Romney and sees someone who really doesn’t have much personal knowledge of the Main Street situation,” he said. “If you watch video clips of Romney at events … if he’s uncomfortable, people can tell. Versus if Obama is uncomfortable, you’d never know.”
But there is an alternate view.
“Women love a dork! Are you kidding me?” asked Romney supporter Elizabeth Blackney.
The Portsmouth, Virginia, mother knew about the Otterbein speech and saw Romney speak in her hometown over a week later.
“He definitely connected here,” she said. “It was very different.”
Her theory? That in Virginia, in front of an outdoor crowd of supporters, Romney was less hesitant about being himself – about being a bit of a dork, which Blackney says he needs to do more often.
“I think he just needs to give himself permission to be that guy, ” she told CNN Radio.
Right now, Blackney believes Romney isn’t dorky enough. He needs to be more genuinely his awkward self and worry less about trying to seem cool, she said.
“He doesn't want to come off as arrogant and I think that's what holds him back. I think he should just embrace (the idea of being a dork) because the thing most women are looking for is that healthy relationship and someone who is a healthy role model for their children. Give me a geek.“
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Romney is pathological liar with lots of pious baloney.. this coming from GOP.. what exactly is the guy going to add value to our nation? we had one brain dead president bush and it cost us 1.5 trillionn.. GOP wants to bankrupt this country and boehner will be in cayman island
Not only is he a dork, but he's also a weasely fat cat in the pocket of big money. He refuses to release his taxes so that no one will find out what other countries he's hiding his money in besides the Caymans.
I just wish Romney would invest in America, both figuratively and literally. I bugs me that someone who sends his money overseas to avoid U.S. taxes wants to be the guy who figures out how to spend my tax dollars.
Did you get that from Media Matters?
Obviously didn't get it from you...
I just want to know who the 31% are who find him likable? I'll never vote for him, but someone can at least make an argument that he's educated, family oriented (his family), and scandal-free in his personal life, but likable? There is no "there" there to like.
What's to like about a clown like Obama who slow jams the news? Is that likeable? I think its embarrasing for ANY leader of a country, let alone the United States to degrade the highest office like that
And on jimmy fallon's show? Have some self respect.
@JRL – I think you need to get a sense of humor. It is not degrading the office of the Presidency but is reminding us that he is a real person. At least he doesn't play in a hockey match like Putin!
So now they're trying to label him a dork? I don't think so, he's very intelligent. that's why he'll fix this economy and put money back in our pockets. We're so use to O bama and his style that when someone like Romney comes along without any of the "Flash, and the "cool" talk, people forgot how to handle a real person. So they call him a dork.. Ha ha you'll see, he's not a band aid to the economy, he's the CURE.......
"At least he'll put money back in out pockets" – So, you're now expecting handouts like Bush gave us with tax refunds. Look where that got us since we couldn't afford them. Also, when did Obama take your money??
Is this CNN or the ONION?
Is there even a difference anymore?
Romney is not a dork, he is oblivious of the everyday problems each American faces. He is a rich little brat that brags way too much about his money. His wife is just as bad.
In this economy, not one American wants to hear about his Cadillac in every port when the average person is struggling to put gas in their car. That's my take on it. He is just as detached as Obama IMO, but at least Obama does not going around bragging on his money. Perhaps that is due to the media, perhaps not.
The other thing that bothers me about Mittens is the fact that I do not know what he stands for!!! I do not see him out championing anything, I personally do not see how he received so many votes and nods.
I am so in the middle of the road on both. I really do not like Obama because of his false promises and blame game... On the otherhand, I do not like Romney because I have no clue what he stands for and cannot stand braggers.
Good take on it. I can't connect to Romney either and I don't really know why is that. I'm going with Obama because at least I know what he is up to...most likely nothing, but that's better than something bad.
Mitt is going to fix the country's problem in 3 years with the same policies as George W? Really? Tax cuts for people like himself and austerity measures and "sacrifice" for everyone else.
Yeah, Romney is a successful business man and Obama is a do-nothing jive-asss with absolutely no executive experience at all, who's only qualification to be President was the color of his skin, and Romney is suppose to be the dork.
Yet another glaring example of how CNN is in bed with the government. The headline story is how Romney is a "dork" – no doubt part of the media's strategy to assist the Obama administration in winning over the youth vote. It's an obnoxiously juvenile and presumptuous tactic to convince young voters that merely calling the other guy a "dork" is sufficient to overcome any valid criticism that candidate may have of the current administration, such as being the only president in the last century to have sustained unemployment rates exceeding 8%, with only marginal decreases due to the fact that so many Americans are simply dropping out of the labor force altogether, thereby being taken out of the equation. With 70% increase in the number of Americans on foodstamps can there be any doubt that, along with the assistance of the media and CNN, we will soon resemble Socialist France? This story is just silly and intended to wreak havoc among simple minds.
Mitt, you have already lost. lost the latino vote, lost the majority of the women vote, lost the LGBT community vote, the black vote for sure. No matter how hard you try, everything you have said in the past or future will be on tape, audio or video and yes even youtube, You can have your stoolies change Wikipedia, post garbage on CNN and talk **** on faux news. ALL That will not help you win.
Hope and change working for you? Come on MaryM, Obama has had more press conferences, radio, and TV than any othe president I can remember.. There are so many promises made during his 08 campaign where he said, Bush was unAmerican and unpatriotic for running up a debt, yet he runs one up 4x as great in 1/2 the time.. What does that make him? He said the unemmployment rate would not get above 8% if only we would pass his 1trillion dollar stimulus, well it did go above 8%.. way above 8%...
The truth is Romney has actually done something in his life other than try to pursuade people to like him and vote him into office where he can vote "absent".. Obama is out of his league... He can make a failing business profitable, run a state, save the financial solvency of the olympics and can make hard decisions..
As an aside, this Blackney chick is delusional if she thinks that "women love a dork." For better or for worse, no, most of us really don't!!! I don't know of many dorks who get much play with the ladies, and none (unless they are rich) who could hold their own against the cool guy persona. Sorry, but that is just the way of the world. (For the record, I am married to someone with some dorkish qualities, but he is also hot and charming and funny, so a very rare combo – I am a lucky girl!).
That being said, Romney's alleged "dorkiness" is not the problem. His problem is his obvious, insulting, pandering insincerity and complete failure to empathize with the plight of ordinary Americans, not to mention the fact that he offers up policies the same tired Republican policies which caused the economic crisis in the first place.
I can't connect to Romney either ways.
Oh yeah, because Sociopaths are such good role models for children. The man can't connect to anyone on a personal level because he's devoid of human emotion, that's what a sociopath is, look it up.
The guy shuts down his company so that all of his employees can scour the streets of NYC looking for an employee's daughter... that shows Romney has human emotion: CARING and STRONG CHARACTER... too bad the MSM chooses not to talk about it...