GOP: Draw voters in without irking base

WASHINGTON — WASHINGTON The Republican Party, having lost the popular vote in five of the last six presidential elections, confronts a dilemma that's easier to describe than to solve: How can it broaden its appeal to up-for-grabs voters without alienating its conservative base?

There's no consensus yet on how to do it. With the next election three years away, Republicans are tiptoeing around policy changes even as they size up potential candidates who range from tea party heroes to pragmatic governors in Republican- and Democratic-leaning states.

There's a partial road map, but it's more than two decades old, and the other party drafted it. Democrats, sick of losing elections and being tagged as out-of-touch liberals, moved their party toward the center and rallied behind Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton in 1992.

Strategists in both parties say Clinton's achievement, however impressive, may look modest compared to what a Republican leader must do to construct a new winning formula, given the nation's changing demographics.

"Our challenge was to get voters back," said Al From, a chief architect of Clinton's political rise. "Their challenge is harder: get voters to come into a new coalition."

An array of Republican campaign veterans agree. They say the party's loyal base of conservative activists -- including evangelical Christians, anti-tax crusaders and anti-abortion advocates -- is too big, ideological and vital to be treated with anything but great care and respect. Republicans will go nowhere if they lose a hard-core conservative every time they pick up a new unaligned voter with a more moderate message.

While they circle that conundrum, Republican leaders hope for a charismatic nominee.

Several veteran strategists say Republicans should focus less on modifying their ideas than on improving their campaign mechanics and finding nominees with broader personal appeal than Mitt Romney, John McCain and Bob Dole.

"The foundation of the party as a conservative party hasn't been the principal liability, but the principal asset," said GOP campaign strategist Terry Holt.

Arizona-based Republican consultant Eddie Mahe said finding a charismatic candidate is more important. Given Americans' low opinion of politics, he said, "to sell the party as a party is nonsensical."

A 97-page post-mortem, commissioned by the Republican Party after Romney's loss last fall, said the GOP "is increasingly marginalizing itself, and unless changes are made, it will be increasingly difficult for Republicans to win another presidential election in the near future."

The report emphasized messaging and outreach more than possible changes to policies and proposals. "The party should be proud of its conservative principles," the report said, but it also must be more "welcoming and inclusive" to young voters, minorities and women.

From -- who founded the Democratic Leadership Council, a key proponent of Clinton's 1992 agenda -- says Republicans are on the wrong track. They must be more open to adjusting their policies, he said, if they want to win presidential elections.

Clinton's 1992 team believed "if you get the argument right, people will vote for us," From said. "Republicans don't have the argument right."

Clinton campaign aide Paul Begala said parties that win presidential elections are "always more mainstream and more unified. Right now, the Republicans are neither."

Begala said liberal activists made only modest complaints about Clinton's shift toward the political center because they were sick of losing elections with nominees such as George McGovern, Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis.

Begala said Republicans might need one more presidential loss to create a similar level of frustration, which can open the way to pragmatism and moderation. Nominating a tea party-leaning "true believer" such as Sen.

Ted Cruz of Texas could do the trick, Begala said.

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Paul Ryan aims to convince voters of readiness

TAMPA – After 14 years in Congress, Paul Ryan has become the Republican Party's brand name for conservative economic policies: low taxes, reduced spending and entitlement reform, all wrapped into a GOP budget plan that bears his name.

By Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan speaks at a campaign rally in Powell, Ohio, on Saturday.

By Jack Gruber, USA TODAY

Wisconsin Rep. Paul Ryan speaks at a campaign rally in Powell, Ohio, on Saturday.

As he prepares to give the most important speech of his career tonight as the Republican nominee for vice president and introduce himself to millions of Americans, the 42-year-old congressman from Wisconsin must sell voters on a different proposition: his own readiness to become president of the United States.

"Can he step in and do the job? That's really the only thing that matters," said Romney pollster Neil Newhouse.

For voters, it's a calculus that takes into account not only his age and experience, but the intangibles of his confidence, competence and preparedness.

The question bedeviled Geraldine Ferraro in 1984, Dan Quayle in 1988 and Sarah Palin in 2008.

As the freshest face among the four men atop the Republican and Democratic tickets, Ryan has the best opportunity to make a first impression — but the shortest time to prepare. He's been a national candidate for 18 days.

"You have to pass a threshold plausibility test," said Joel Goldstein, a law professor at St. Louis University and leading expert on the vice presidency. "Do they have the credentials or the résumé significant enough that you can see him as president?"

Ryan's years in the House of Representatives provide the foundation for that résumé. After serving as a congressional staffer, he first ran for Congress at age 28 and has served 14 years. He catapulted past more senior members to become chairman of the House Budget Committee in 2011 on the strength of his reputation as a budget "wonk."

Age: 42

Hometown: Janesville, Wis.

Family: Wife Janna, a tax attorney, and three children

Religion: Roman Catholic

Education: Miami University of Ohio, bachelor’s in political science and economics, 1992

Career: Economist for Senate Small Business Committee, 1992; Speechwriter for Empower America, 1992-1995; Aide to Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., 1995-1997; marketing consultant, 1998; U.S. House of Representatives, 1999-present; Budget Committee Chairman, 2011-present

From that position, Ryan authored the Republican budget plan passed by the House earlier this year that included deep spending cuts and a restructuring of Medicare that has become a flashpoint of debate in the political campaign season.

"From that standpoint, he's at least in the ballpark" of the kind of experience voters expect a vice president to have, Goldstein said.

President Obama— then a first-term senator after eight years in the Illinois Legislature— faced similar questions about his readiness in 2008, a fact Ryan now reminds voters of.

"Obviously, I have a lot more experience than Barack Obama did when he became president," Ryan told Fox News' Sean Hannity last week.

Republicans most hope to contrast Ryan's experience with Vice President Biden's. Though a seven-term senator, two-time presidential candidate and sitting vice president, Biden's extemporaneous speech is often looser than Ryan's carefully measured statements.

Ryan "says what he thinks — but not in the same way Joe Biden does. I think Paul has been relatively gaffe-free," Newhouse said. "I think you're defined more by your mistakes than by your accomplishments or your record, and that's where Joe Biden is lacking."

A USA TODAY/Gallup Poll taken right after Ryan was named showed 48% of Americans thought him qualified to serve as president — higher than Quayle or Palin, the two modern candidates closest to him in age, but lower than prior vice presidential nominees.

'The Bentsen test'

As Ryan begins introducing himself to a national audience tonight, Goldstein says his most important goal is addressing the "Bentsen test."

By Carolyn Kaster, AP

Ryan, who chairs the House Budget Committee, holds up a copy of President Obama's proposed fiscal year 2013 budget on Feb. 16.

In 1988, Quayle — a year younger than Ryan is now — said his 12 years in Congress meant he had "as much experience in the Congress as Jack Kennedy did when he sought the presidency." That led Democratic nominee Lloyd Bentsen to famously blistering retort in a debate, "Senator, you're no Jack Kennedy."

The lesson, Goldstein said, is that the length of experience isn't as important as how voters judge the quality. And when Ryan debates Biden on Oct. 11, he will, like Quayle, be facing an adversary decades older, who occupied senior leadership positions in government while his younger opponent was still in school.

Ryan's backers say tenure isn't everything.

"Twenty-five years of experience can be 25 years of making the same mistakes over again," said former Education secretary William Bennett, a mentor of Ryan's at the conservative group Empower America.

"Readiness is all," he said, quoting Hamlet. "And I think he's ready."

"The Budget Committee is pretty big time," Bennett said. "He knows what a full day is. He's agile and smart and prepared. Whether you're a Republican or a Democrat or for him or against him, you know that he has serious ideas and he means business."

Democrats have picked at pieces of Ryan's record, noting his lack of significant foreign-policy experience and his failure to push a legislative agenda through a mostly divided Congress, but the thrust of their attacks has been more that Ryan is a conservative extremist than a lightweight.

A background document on Ryan circulated by the Obama campaign contains six items attacking his foreign-policy pedigree — and 26 on abortion and women's rights.

It's Ryan's positions on federal spending, taxes and fiscal policy that have made him the Republican gold standard.

Rep. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., is probably the Democrat who knows Ryan best — so much so that he's been tapped to play Ryan during Biden's preparations for the vice presidential debate.

As the ranking Democrat on Ryan's Budget Committee, he and Ryan have enjoyed an unusually collegial relationship. He said Ryan is easy to like but difficult to work with. "There's a big difference between collegiality and a willingness to compromise on policy issues."

Attacks on Ryan started within minutes of him being named to the ticket and have helped to polarize public opinion on him. Heading into the convention, Ryan was the most controversial running mate in a generation: 38% of Americans view him favorably, but 36% have an unfavorable view, according to a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll. That's the highest unfavorable rating at the convention of any non-incumbent vice presidential candidate in the 20-year history of the poll.

Ryan doesn't have the typical vice presidential résumé. Indeed, parties have rarely looked to the House to fill out a ticket. The last sitting House member nominated as vice president was Ferraro, a three-term New York Democrat picked by Walter Mondale in 1984 as the first woman to run on a major national ticket. The last Republican was Rep. William Miller, R-N.Y., Barry Goldwater's running mate in 1964. Both lost.

Yet Ryan's rise is proof of how influential House Republicans have become to the GOP, said Guy Harrison, the chief strategist for the House Republicans' campaign operation.

"We have a House candidate as our vice president. I think that shows you a pretty good idea of how House Republicans are going to be involved in the presidential race," he said. "We take a lot of pride in Paul Ryan."

Is the jump from the House to a national ticket too high a hurdle? Ryan has never run for statewide office, and each House member represents only about 0.2% of the nation's population.

Senators tend to get much of the attention on Sunday talk shows, especially on foreign policy, but Ryan is a veteran of the TV circuit, getting more Sunday morning face time this year than any member of Congress but Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., according to a database of appearances maintained by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.

The foreign policy question

Obama and Biden both earned their foreign-policy stripes by serving on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, a résumé gap with the GOP ticket that Democrats hope to exploit.

"Whether it's the Cold War or the age of terror, to not have someone with national security credentials is unusual," Goldstein said.

In addressing his foreign-policy experience, Ryan has noted his votes in favor of wars in Afghanistan and Iraq — "that's a vote you take very seriously, very solemnly," he said in New Hampshire last week — and his work on the budget, which proposes maintaining robust defense spending.

While addressing the Alexander Hamilton Society, a neoconservative group, last year, Ryan tied the nation's fiscal underpinnings to foreign policy and national defense: "Our fiscal policy and our foreign policy are on a collision course; and if we fail to put our budget on a sustainable path, then we are choosing decline as a world power."

Ryan also has noted his congressional travel has focused on the Middle East, including trips to Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus shrugs off questions about whether Ryan is ready, telling USA TODAY that Ryan has been preparing for this moment his entire career.

"He tries to win the mission every day. He works hard, he waits on God's timing and generally good things happen," he said. "I've seen Paul on big stages. There is no doubt that Paul will hit it out of the park."

Contributing: Jim Norman in McLean, Va.; Susan Davis and Jackie Kucinich in Tampa

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Wisconsin voters keep Walker after recall election

PEWAUKEE, Wis. – The political themes in Wisconsin turned from divisive and contentious to healing and concensus after state voters decided to keep their embattled Republican governor, whose drive to end collective-bargaining rights for most state workers resulted in a caustic recall campaign.

By Darren Hauck, AP

In heavy voting, Gov. Scott Walker turned back the challenge from Democrat Tom Barrett. Walker had defeated Barrett in the 2010 election.

By Darren Hauck, AP

In heavy voting, Gov. Scott Walker turned back the challenge from Democrat Tom Barrett. Walker had defeated Barrett in the 2010 election.

In heavy voting, Gov. Scott Walker drew 53% of the vote to Democratic challenger Tom Barrett's 46% in Tuesday's recall election. The results were a virtual reprise of the 2010 election, when Walker defeated Barrett, Milwaukee's mayor, 52%-46%.

"Bringing our state together will take some time, but I hope to start right away," Walker said in a victory speech. "It is time to put our differences aside and figure out ways that we can move Wisconsin forward."

Barrett conceded in a telephone call to Walker. "Now we must look to the future," he said. "We are a state that has been deeply divided. And it is up to all of us, their side and our side, to listen to each other and to try to do what's right for everyone in this state."

The race was closely watched nationally for clues about fallout for other elected officials who cut workers' benefits to ease crunched budgets. There also could be implications in the presidential race between President Obama and Republican rival Mitt Romney in a state with 10 electoral votes that both would like to win.

By Tom Lynn, Getty Images

Tom Barrett speaks with members of the media after voting in Milwaukee on Tuesday.

Romney issued a statement saying Walker's victory "will echo beyond the borders of Wisconsin."

Walker "has shown that citizens and taxpayers can fight back — and prevail — against the runaway government costs imposed by labor bosses," Romney said. "Tonight voters said no to the tired, liberal ideas of yesterday, and yes to fiscal responsibility and a new direction."

Charles Lipson, a political science professor at the University of Chicago, said Walker's win is "a big deal" because "it squashes the Democrats in the most important by-election of the year."

The results also suggest "suggest that Republican and moderate Democratic governors can retain voter support even if they take on public-sector unions - and perhaps because they take on public-sector unions."

Lipson said Wisconsin's results spell "big trouble for unions," which have already lost power in private industry. He also believes some unions will blame Obama for the loss.

"The unions would rather keep Obama than deal with Romney, but the fizz has gone out of that champagne," he said.

Walker's win "suggests that Wisconsin's in play" in the presidential race, said Barry Burden, a University of Wisconsin-Madison political scientist. "This is a state that's competitive."

Other analysts said Walker and the state's Republican Party will be strengthened after winning the rematch with Barrett.

"He's empowered and emboldened" after withstanding the Democrats' efforts to recall him, said Kathleen Dolan, a political scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"He withstood as much heavy artillery as any governor could," said Brandon Scholz, a Republican lobbyist and strategist based in Madison. Other elected officials, he said, "will take that lesson and apply it in their state" with austerity proposals.

"People are going to realize the presidential race and U.S. Senate race and the Legislature are up for grabs," says Paul Maslin, a Madison-based Democratic pollster.

The recall election was the culmination of a bitter battle that began in February 2011, when Walker announced his plan to erase a $137 million budget shortfall in part by requiring state workers to give up collective-bargaining rights and pay more for health insurance and pension benefits.

Recalls of four Republican state senators also were on Tuesday's ballot. The results in those races could shift control of the Senate, which is now divided 16-16.

Walker's proposals triggered massive protests in the state Capitol in Madison and prompted 14 Democratic state senators to leave the state for three weeks in an ultimately failed attempt to prevent passage of Walker's legislation. He signed it into law in March 2011.

Before the vote, the state's sharp divide was evident in the Democratic stronghold of Madison. The house across from the governor's official residence displayed a "We Stand With Scott Walker" sign. The house two doors down: "Tom Barrett for Governor."

"Unfortunately, Wisconsin has become in some ways a microcosm of the partisan wars that have been raging nationally," said Dolan, the political scientist.

Regardless of the election outcome, she said, it will take time for the state to recover from the divisive debate and revive bipartisan spirit in the Legislature. "We really are at a place of sort of paralysis," Dolan said.

The amount of out-of-state money flowing to the campaigns here and the appearances of high-profile supporters of Walker and Barrett were evidence of the race's national overtones. More than $62 million was spent by the candidates and outside groups. Much of the $30 million raised by Walker came from outside the state. Barrett has spent about $4 million; most of his donors live in Wisconsin.

Former president Bill Clinton campaigned with Barrett, and fellow Republican governors Chris Christie of New Jersey and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana appeared with Walker.

No Republican presidential candidate has won Wisconsin since Ronald Reagan in 1984. Obama defeated Republican John McCain here in 2008, 56%-42%.

Scholz, the Republican strategist, saw Walker's victory as "a significant blow" weakening the clout of the labor unions that provide campaign cash and infrastructure for Democratic presidential candidates.

Dolan cautioned against reading too many presidential implications into Wisconsin's political fight. "Will Obama's chance of winning Wisconsin be made harder if Walker wins? Sure, maybe a little," she said. "But what's going on here is so episodic and so idiosyncratic."

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Romney eager to connect with Southern voters

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Eager to connect with Southern voters, Mitt Romney burnished his business credentials — and his new-found love for cheesy grits — as he sought support for his Republican presidential campaign in a region that presents significant challenges for the former Massachusetts governor.

Romney greeted the crowd at a town hall meeting Friday with a hearty "Morning, y'all!"

"I got started right this morning with a biscuit and some cheesy grits," he said. "Delicious!"

With voters in Mississippi, as well as Alabama, headed to the polls on Tuesday, Romney is battling against his perceived weaknesses in the Deep South. He focused heavily on his private sector background while answering voters' questions, and sought to cast himself as the Republican candidate best-suited to tackle the nation's economic problems.

"In business, you have to be a fiscal conservative. If not, you go out of business," Romney said.

Romney spoke as the latest jobs numbers showed the economy added 227,000 jobs in February, though the unemployment rate was unchanged at 8.3 percent, largely because more people streamed into the work force.

Romney did not directly address the fresh economic data, but he criticized President Barack Obama for failing to bring the unemployment rate back below 8 percent.

The GOP front-runner also faced a question about who he would pick as vice president. He side-stepped the inquiry, saying only that the party has excellent governors, senators and former leaders and that he would pick a running mate who has the capacity to serve as president.

Romney holds a solid lead in the race for delegates to the party's summer convention as the primary race turns to the South. While Romney's campaign says the delegate math makes it almost impossible for his rivals to catch up, both Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich see the Southern states as an opportunity to make up ground in the race.

One of Romney's top surrogates in Mississippi said that while the former Massachusetts governor may be an underdog in Tuesday's primary, his campaign infrastructure in the state gives him the opportunity for a strong showing.

"We are the most organized campaign in Mississippi," said Austin Barbour, a national chairman for Romney's campaign. "We're an underdog in Mississippi, but we're a fighting underdog."

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Blue-collar voters elude presidential hopeful Romney

BOSTON (Reuters) - Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney is finding it tough to connect with lower-income voters in his own party, a record that bodes poorly for success in a potential general election contest with President Barack Obama.

A stream of memorable gaffes on the topic of wealth - Romney is one of the richest men ever to seek the presidency - has cast the former venture capital executive as out of touch with the concerns of working Americans.

"Romney is the most 'gaffe specific' candidate in recent memory. Typically candidates scatter their gaffes among different topics, but for Romney it's only when he talks about his wealth that he stumbles," said Dan Schnur, who was communications director for Sen. John McCain's 2000 primary campaign against George W. Bush.

Romney won the Ohio Republican primary on Tuesday but trailed former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum by 11 percentage points among voters making between $50,000 and $100,000 a year and by 6 points among those in the $30,000 to $50,000 category. A similar scenario played out in states that have voted so far in the Republican race to find a challenger to Obama.

"One thing we've seen in virtually all the exit polls is that Romney does less well, regardless of opponent, among lower income voters," said Charles Franklin, visiting professor of law and public policy at Marquette University Law School.

"That's happening within the Republican primary, rather than in the electorate as a whole. It could be expected to be an even bigger problem in the general election."

Lower-income Republicans are more likely to vote on social issues like opposition to abortion and same-sex marriage, where Santorum scores highly. Some also have a suspicion of their party's northeastern business elites, said Franklin.

Ultimately, most Republican primary voters who opted for Santorum or former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich are likely to unite behind Romney in the spirit of partisanship, if he becomes the candidate.

GENERAL ELECTION VOTERS

But independents, whose support tilts the balance, arguably do not have the same type of "anyone but Obama" mentality of many Republicans.

Voters in the general election will also be less wealthy, on average, than those in the Republican primaries, making it essential Romney find a way to connect. In the 2008 general election in Ohio, for example, Obama won 52 percent, compared to 44 percent for Republican John McCain, among the 30 percent of voters who identified themselves as "independent." Obama lost the non-college white vote nationally, but by a smaller margin than his two Democratic predecessors. Only 23 percent of Ohio's 2008 general election voters had incomes over $100,000, well below the 30 percent of Republican primary voters this week in that range.

In Michigan, just 19 percent of 2008 general election voters had incomes of $100,000 or more, against 33 percent of voters in last week's Republican primary.

"Romney is going to need some working-class votes in Ohio, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, Iowa and other states to win a general election," said Republican strategist Ford O'Connell.

"As long as the economy is where it's at, he has a chance to win. But he needs to keep his message on the economy simple. Mitt has literally got to roll up his perfectly tailored sleeves and say, ‘I'll work hard for you.'"

With an estimated worth of some $250 million, much of it made as a corporate turnaround specialist, Romney might always be defined by former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee's 2008 quip that Romney "looks like the guy who fired you."

MEMORABLE GAFFES

In his second bid for the White House, Romney has kept a tight focus on his jobs-and-the-economy message. But in situations where he has been forced to ad-lib, the gaffes about wealth have come regularly. Visiting the Daytona 500 car race in February, the former Massachusetts governor said he doesn't follow car racing closely but has "some great friends who are NASCAR team owners."

The owner of three homes, who is doing a multi-million-dollar knockdown at his La Jolla, California, oceanfront estate, also recently offered details of his car collection, including his wife's two Cadillacs.

Romney's offer during a December debate to have a "$10,000 bet" with then-rival Rick Perry was not quickly forgotten. Weeks later, in New Hampshire, Romney stopped for a photo opportunity at a gas station, pumping diesel into his campaign bus.

While there, he ogled a classic car owned by the gas station's manager and wondered if it was for sale. She shot back, "Sure. Ten thousand dollars."

Suggesting Romney probably has "deep-seated psychological reasons" for being uncomfortable talking about money, Schnur suggested confronting the issue head-on.

"The best thing for him might be to try to explain to voters why he sounds awkward - perhaps that he was brought up to sound modest and not claim to be better than other people. 'I'm going to sound awkward when I talk about it. I hope you will be able to look past the occasional awkward comment,'" Schnur said.

At this point, with a large lead among Republican delegates despite a voter enthusiasm gap, Franklin said Romney's best bet was to stay the course, adding that the gaffes - which he termed accidental truth-telling - about wealth reflect "the definitive nature of Romney, it's who he is." "When candidates try to shift in mid-campaign to patch over a weakness, they are rarely successful. Romney is not in a good position to pivot to a new set of issues. He's better off going back to his core strengths and hoping those are enough. Patience may win out in this case."

(Editing by Todd Eastham)

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Many NH voters have reservations about Romney (AP)

HOLLIS, N.H. – John Anderson, a New Hampshire Republican activist, is deciding between former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and Texas Rep. Ron Paul when he heads to the polls on Tuesday. Asked what he thinks of Mitt Romney, the field's front-runner, the retired construction worker wrinkles his nose.

"My problem with him is he's been on both sides of every issue that there possibly is," the resident of the town of Hollis said, citing the former Massachusetts governor's push for health care reform in his state but repudiation of a similar federal program now. "If Gov. Romney is the candidate for the Republican Party, he'll have my vote. But in the primary, most of us are having a real terrible time figuring out where to go."

Romney is supposed to be a shoo-in in New Hampshire, where he owns a vacation home and has maintained a nearly constant presence since his 2008 presidential bid. But even as polls suggest he's heading for victory in the state's first-in-the-nation primary, many Republicans say they're exploring other options and have concerns about Romney's trustworthiness and shifts on key issues.

Interviews across the state found GOP voters eager to replace President Barack Obama. But they're also disillusioned with Washington in general and wary of politicians' promises.

"I just distrust government. What concerns me in this election is honesty," Bob Decker of Rumney said, adding he was deciding between Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Romney has held packed rallies across the state, and voters crowd the stage afterward for autographs and photos. But when asked why they support him, voters don't typically say they're thrilled or even particularly excited about him.

Instead, they say, he's steady. And that's a marked contrast from other candidates who have risen in polls only to fall fast.

"He's just the sturdiest," said Brian Starling, who attended a Romney rally in Bedford. "He hasn't had any of the ups and downs."

Starling said he was undecided until this weekend, though he supported Romney in the 2008 presidential primary here.

With New Hampshire's unemployment rate at a far-below-average 5.2 percent, many voters here sounded less concerned with the national economy than they are with integrity and character of the candidates. For those voters, Romney often comes up short.

"I don't think he's as conservative as he'd like people to believe," Gilford resident Thelma Miller said, adding she's inclined to support Santorum instead.

Geologist Hugh Conaghey said he was concerned that Romney brings "a level of gamesmanship" to politics. "So you have to consider that when you ask if you can trust him," the New Boston resident said.

Angel Pendergrass, who attended a Ron Paul rally in Meredith, put it more bluntly. Romney "flip-flops too much for me, point blank," she said.

As they evaluate the other candidates in the field, voters say they're impressed with Gingrich's intelligence, Santorum's conservative convictions, Paul's adherence to the Constitution and former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's experience in government. But nearly all said a candidate's ability to beat Obama remains a top priority.

Polling of Iowa caucus participants found Romney was viewed as far and away the most electable in the GOP field. That factor helped him narrowly prevail in the contest despite spending limited time and resources in the state.

But some New Hampshire voters remain unconvinced, insisting they are looking at a range of factors to determine the strongest candidate.

"I keep hearing about how Romney's the most electable. I like Romney, but he's not my first choice," Rochester resident Ed Cormier said, citing defense and foreign policy as his biggest electoral concerns. The medical supply salesman said he was initially attracted to Rick Perry and later Herman Cain. He's now considering Gingrich and attended a rally for him in Wolfeboro.

Vincent Balukonis, a retired airline pilot from Salem, said he thinks Romney is too moderate to rally the Republican base in November.

"He's been tainted by Massachusetts too much. He had to accommodate his political philosophy to appeal to the Massachusetts average voter," Balukonis said, adding he is leaning toward Santorum.

Some voters believe a more moderate candidate is exactly what Republicans need to win over swing voters who supported Obama last time. But many are eyeing candidates other than Romney.

"Everyone's saying, `We need a conservative, we need a conservative,' but you're not going to win a general election that way. You have to have centrist ideas," said Don Millbrand, a mechanical engineer from Bristol who is supporting Huntsman. Millbrand defended Huntsman's service as Obama's ambassador to China, saying it was valuable government experience.

Wolfeboro resident Robin Caine calls herself a centrist and said she admires Romney's family and 43-year marriage to his wife, Ann. But Caine said she was uncomfortable with Romney's shifts on issues and would support Paul instead.

"You can't waver on foundation, on values," Caine said. "Ron Paul is consistent, he's authentic. He's proven himself over 30 years."

To be sure, voters have ruled out some candidates based on electability alone.

Carol Gittzus, of Plymouth called Gingrich "one of the smartest men in the country," but said she doesn't think he'd prevail against Obama. "We're all worried about this election," she said.

Many voters express admiration for Santorum, who battled Romney to a virtual tie in Iowa's caucuses last week to emerge as a top challenger. While Santorum's near-win breathed new life into his candidacy, his strict social conservatism is seen as a liability in New Hampshire, where Republicans are far more secular than they are in Iowa.

But Gail DiMasi of Munsonville said she refuses to buy into the Romney electability argument. She said she likes Santorum's bluntness and wants to vote for someone she's excited about.

DiMasi said she believes Romney can beat Obama. "But that's not the reason to vote for someone. I want more," she said.

___

Associated Press writers Charles Babington, Steve Peoples, Philip Elliott, Kasie Hunt and Holly Ramer contributed to this report.

Follow Beth Fouhy on Twitter at www.twitter.com/bfouhy

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Romney waits on New Hampshire voters (AP)

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Mitt Romney is waiting to see whether months of campaigning will pay off in New Hampshire's GOP presidential primary, which his team has always said is a must-win contest for him.

While his rivals planned visits to polling places Tuesday, Romney had no public events scheduled.

"You're going to make a statement tomorrow. Let's take it to the next state after New Hampshire," Romney told a raucous overflow crowd at a Bedford rally on Monday night. "Give me the boost I need!"

Romney, the former governor of neighboring Massachusetts, has led in polls here for months — in recent days by 20 percentage points or more. He's been pushing for an overwhelming victory as he looks to South Carolina, a state where the conservative GOP base was uncomfortable with him in 2008, and pushes to wrap up the nomination fight as quickly as possible.

His campaign aides had been most concerned about complacency among supporters, and they launched an intensive get-out-the-vote effort over the weekend, backed by hundreds of volunteers and hundreds of thousands of phone calls.

But Romney's final day of campaigning Monday was marred by comments he made about firing people, leading to attacks from Democrats and his GOP rivals alike. Huntsman and rivals Newt Gingrich and Rick Perry all blasted him as being out of touch.

Romney and his rivals are in many ways already looking to the first-in-the-South contest a little more than a week from now. Gingrich allies are spending millions to run ads attacking Romney's time heading Bain Capital, a venture capital investing firm.

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Iowa Up for Grabs Among Republican Voters (ContributorNetwork)

The Family Leader's Thanksgiving Family Forum helped give voters in Des Moines, Iowa, an emotional look at six of the eight major candidates for president in 2012. Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman were the only no-shows. Hosted by local conservative Bob Vander Plaats, ABC News reports the Family Leader event allowed candidates to reveal stories about their religious faith and conservative values.

Here's a look at why the Family Leader event is so important to American politics at this stage in the race.

Timing

The Iowa caucuses are just over six weeks away. They are the first statewide selection process for the 2012 Republican candidates. Delegates to the national convention will be selected based upon Iowa's results.

The Thanksgiving Family Forum provided a chance for voters to see and hear candidates' stances on conservative issues. It also gives GOP leaders a chance to voice personal stories about their faith. The Des Moines Register reports several candidates teared up telling their stories.

Herman Cain talked about Stage 4 cancer. Rick Santorum spoke of his struggles with his daughter's incurable illness. Rep. Michele Bachmann shared a story about her parent's divorce. Newt Gingrich told of the disabled child he knows during a turning point in his life.

The Family Leader hosted the event to give voters something more than just politics to talk about when it comes to political candidates. Often they open up as to why they share conservative values with personal stories.

Location

Des Moines is the population center of Iowa and the largest city. The metro area has around 563,000 people while Iowa itself has around 3 million inhabitants. Des Moines has between 18 and 19 percent of the state's entire population. Having an intimate event like this in a prominent part of the first voting state is crucial to gauging voter opinion.

The New York Times reported Mike Huckabee won most of Iowa, but the Des Moines area was split between Huckabee and Romney. In 2008, there were seven viable candidates as Tom Tancredo dropped out two weeks before the Iowa caucuses. Republican nominee Sen. John McCain was a distant fourth in Iowa before garnering his party's nomination.

Polling

Iowa is a conservative stronghold in America. Those candidates that showed up in Iowa may see a sudden surge in the latest polls in the state. The Christian Science Monitor reports several polls, including one conducted by Bloomberg, show a tight four-way race in Iowa between Gingrich, Cain, Romney and Rep. Ron Paul. Gaining any edge with conservative voters in a close race may be important. The New York Times also shows a close race among four candidates.

Nationally, a Reuters poll suggests Gingrich has gained eight percentage points over the past week. Gingrich came in with 24 percent of likely Republican voters while Romney had just 22 percent. Any polls taken in the next week may see a bump in candidates that showed up at the Family Leader forum. Romney's campaign has been focused in New Hampshire. Events leading up to elections can only heighten awareness for voters and make the process more viable.

William Browning is a research librarian specializing in U.S. politics. Born in St. Louis, Browning is active in local politics and served as a campaign volunteer for President Barack Obama and Missouri Sen. Claire McCaskill.

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Romney using wife's story to connect with voters (AP)

MANCHESTER, N.H. – Mitt Romney is not used to wearing an apron. But the Republican presidential candidate was not alone in cooking attire one recent morning as hundreds of potential supporters lined up for free pancakes.

Ann Romney, his wife of 42 years, stood with him, spatula in hand, wearing the same white apron and the comfortable smile of a woman who spent countless mornings flipping flapjacks for five hungry sons.

Her presence on that day, like so many others during the long campaign, is an acknowledged blessing for a 2012 White House contender who struggles to shake a robotic image. Friends and foes alike say she makes him seem more genuine.

"Believe it or not, I served pancakes nearly every morning before the kids went to school," she told supporters that morning. "I miss having my boys at home. But I do love seeing how wonderful they are now as husbands and fathers. ... I am grateful because they had such an extraordinary example."

Ann Romney is the unassuming, not-so-secret weapon in Mitt Romney's political arsenal. At a GOP gathering in Michigan on Saturday, she spoke briefly, prompting the crowd to tap their glasses and call for a toast.

The Romneys kissed, and then Ann Romney joked, ""We're not going to do an Al Gore moment," referring to a long and public kiss that Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore shared with his then-wife, Tipper, at the party's convention in 2000.

Already she's a more active participant than she was during his 2008 presidential campaign. For example, as the Romneys headed into a meeting with Michigan lawmakers, Ann Romney took note of Texas Gov. Rick Perry's uneven debate performance a few days earlier.

"It's going to happen this time," she told Republican National Committeeman Saul Anuzis. "Perry in the debate? Shocking," she said.

The Romney campaign says there will be an enhanced role for her beginning the next month, with additional public appearances, media interviews and a willingness to discuss health problems and her family's rags-to-riches story.

The 62-year-old grandmother of 16 lends an instant folksy charm to her husband. He sometimes fights to convey authenticity in the diners and backyards where presidential contests are fought in this early voting state.

He's worked to shed the image of a stiff Wall Street executive from the upper crust of America, stepping up appearances at NASCAR events, ditching his tie, shopping at Walmart, wearing skinny jeans, eating at Subway and flying on the discount carrier, Southwest Airlines.

But those efforts haven't stopped the criticism.

At a time of economic troubles, Romney's wealth and upbringing are vulnerabilities that his chief rival, Texas Gov. Rick Perry, is using against him. Perry, who grew up in a family of modest means in tiny Paint Creek, Texas, is chiding Romney for suggesting that he's a member of the middle class.

Others haven't looked kindly on Romney's efforts to portray himself as a regular guy.

"It's sort of contrived," says Brendan Steinhauser, a leading organizer for an ally of the tea party, FreedomWorks. "I've seen the whole flying Southwest thing. It's just not believable. Eating at Subway? Come on."

Enter Ann Romney.

Seemingly with no filter, she jokes about bathroom messes, cooking for a huge family and personal struggles with her husband's public life.

She reminds voters, in a most genuine way, that Mitt Romney is a father, a hand-holding husband, a high school sweetheart. He is noticeably more comfortable in her presence.

Having dealt with multiple sclerosis and breast cancer, Ann Romney also offers a powerful family story that helps her husband, the son of a governor and a graduate of both Harvard business and law schools, speak to the American dream.

"Sometimes it's like, `Mom, what did you say?' But she says things he can't say about himself, really helps humanize him," said 41-year-old Tag Romney, the couple's eldest child. "She's a very good resource. She's a good weapon. ... And she's less concerned with trying to package things so we win and more about telling the truth that this is who we are."

Political observers and voters share the characterization. They describe her, and her effect on the candidate, as a tremendous asset.

Mitt Romney often reflects on how they first crossed paths at a Michigan elementary school but didn't start dating until high school. He introduces his wife as his "sweetheart" and she introduces him as a family man and business leader. After the pancake breakfast, he didn't mention his own family's success story, depending instead on hers as he spoke to voters.

Her grandfather, the son of a coal miner from Wales, couldn't afford to send all four children to college. The children were forced to pick just one who would receive an education, Mitt Romney said. They settled on Ann's father, who would earn his diploma and later open a steel company that would employ his siblings.

Ann planned to share her story in a book during the 2008 campaign, but Tag Romney says those plans were postponed.

Political assets aside, her mere presence seems to help relax her husband. They are not shy about public affection, and he regularly squeezes his wife's hand, even when the cameras are not rolling.

"He is confident, comfortable and very effective when she is by his side or with him on a trip — the value of which cannot be understated in dealing with the pressure of a national campaign," said Jamie Burnett, who led Romney's political operation in New Hampshire four years ago.

Ann Romney's growing role is not unprecedented in presidential politics.

Spouses often become political assets or liabilities.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's third wife, Callista, helped create headaches for her husband's current campaign when news of a six-figure charge account at Tiffany jewelry company surfaced.

Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's husband, Marcus, recently defended criticism that his family's counseling clinic offered to "cure" homosexuality.

On the other side, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman's wife, Mary Kaye, is a regular attendant at political events, as is Perry's wife, Anita, who often serves as a campaign surrogate.

"Sometimes family members can really make a difference in presidential politics," said Barbara Perry, a senior fellow at the University of Virginia's Miller Center. She's not related to the candidate.

History is full of examples:

_Michelle Obama, from working-class Chicago suburbs, offered the candidate Barack Obama a more traditional family story.

_Claudia "Lady Bird" Johnson traveled throughout the South without Lyndon B. Johnson during the 1964 election to promote the Civil Rights Act.

_Robert Kennedy's mother, Rose, helped humanize her son, who was actually quite shy and didn't enjoy campaigning.

Ann Romney declined to be interviewed for this story. But expect to hear much more from her in the coming weeks.

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Voters fret about Mormonism but still favor Romney (The Ticket)

Mitt Romney has opened a sizable lead in a new poll of 2012 GOP contenders, in spite of voter reservations about a Mormon in the White House.

A new Quinnipiac Poll finds 25 percent of likely GOP voters support the former Massachusetts governor in the race for the GOP nomination. That's 10 points more than Sarah Palin, the only other potential 2012 hopeful to crack double-digits in the poll.

Romney's lead is significant as the poll finds voters continue to have serious doubts about his religion. Just 45 percent of likely voters have a favorable opinion of Mormonism, while 32 percent said they have an unfavorable view.

Asked if they would be comfortable with a Mormon president, 60 percent of voters said they would be "comfortable" compared to 36 percent who said they'd be "uncomfortable."

By comparison, 83 percent of voters said they'd be comfortable with a Catholic in the White House, 80 percent with a Jewish president and 67 percent with a president who was an evangelical Christian. Just 38 percent of those polled said they'd be okay with a Muslim president, while 37 percent said they'd be comfortable with an atheist in the White House.

Who would have the most problems with a Mormon in the White House? Democrats. According to Quinnipiac, just 49 percent of Dems say they'd be okay with a Mormon president, compared to 68 percent of Republicans and 64 percent of self-described independent voters.

Romney holds a big lead over other likely 2012 rivals, according to the poll. Herman Cain came in third in the poll, with 9 percent support. Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul both got 8 percent trailed by Michele Bachmann (6 percent), Tim Pawlenty (5 percent), Rick Santorum (4 percent) and Jon Huntsman (1 percent). Twenty percent of likely GOP voters say they are still undecided in the race.

Yet the poll also differs from an ABC News/Washington Post poll released yesterday that found Obama and Romney virtually tied in a potential general election match-up. Quinnipiac's poll finds Obama leading Romney 47 percent to 41 percent--a number that Obama's team likely prefers but is still pretty dismal for an incumbent president.

(Photo of Romney: Stephen Savoia/AP)

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