Romney's biggest problem

There has been a fair amount written about how and why Mitt Romney can’t seem to climb above 25% and how the campaign has since the beginning boiled down to Mitt and the search for a not-Mitt.  Most of this analysis has focused on Romneycare and doubts as to his authenticity as a conservative.  These are valid points.

But I’ve realized in the last week or so, that this is only part of it.  Romney hasn’t been able to close the deal because Romney is just deadly dull.  The more I see him the more he reminds of the person who can’t help sucking all the fun out of any conversation.  You get the sense that even outside of politics he would come across as entirely scripted, the kind of person who if he were invited to a picnic would go out and buy picnic clothes.

This may seem like a trivial failing and in many ways it is, but it shouldn’t be overlooked.  Like it or not—almost entirely not—a President is thrust into our midst for four years.  This is the one disadvantage that an incumbent has, that by the end of the first year we’re sick of them.  Romney’s problem is that everyone can pretty much sense that he’ll be an unwanted guest before the first year of his presidency is over.