Call Me GOP

After three weeks and more than 4,000 votes, our tournament is finally over.  No surprise here: you’ve decided that Mitt Romney should speak for the G.O.P.  He held a commanding lead over all his opponents, knocking out Eric Cantor in the final round by slightly more than 900.

So why Romney?

Many of you have singled him out as the candidate with the best chance of unifying the party in a way the McCain/Palin ticket failed to in 2008. Mike noted that, unlike Palin or Rush, Romney doesn’t “stir up” passion among Republicans, yet he’s often sought after as a voice of reason and intelligence.

In fact, many of you pointed to his patient positions regarding issues such as health care that paint him as a rational, reliable choice. The ideal candidate, you said, is competent, not extremist. For now, while most states identify with the Democratic Party, the G.O.P. must attract independent and crossover voters to grow stronger. The party’s looking for a more moderate leader to take them forward, and it seems Mitt is the man.

Is this an accurate summary of what I’ve learned these past few weeks? What would you add that I might be missing?

Tim Pawlenty fought the good fight while Jim DeMint didn’t even have a chance. The people have spoken, and it’s Eric Cantor vs. Mitt Romney in the championship round. Well, Romney was probably a given, but are you at all surprised by the wild-card candidate facing him in the final?

You’ll have a few days to vote on these two guys, and then we’ll finally be done with this tournament. Next week, I’ll announce whom you’ve chosen as the voice of the G.O.P. That’s when the work really picks up. Together, we’ll be putting the G.O.P. through a series of exercises we use on our clients to help them identify and tell their stories. Let’s see if we can fix this thing!

So get your votes in over the weekend, and tune in Monday to find out what happens.

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The Final Four ends tomorrow. This tournament has dragged on long enough; I think it’s distracted us from our original goal. By its sheer nature, a contest like this polarizes people more than it brings them together.

Yes, there are many different points of view even within the G.O.P. itself, but a few principles hold it together. One that’s been identified here time and time again is the idea of personal freedom, which is a huge part of the party’s belief system. But if it’s true that those that yell the loudest are the ones that get the most attention, the message of personal freedom and self-determination seems to be somewhat lost in the din. How can the G.O.P. promote this idea and unite over it more effectively?

Tomorrow we’ll find out which two Republicans will face off in the championship round. While Eric Cantor and Tim Pawlenty battle it out, Mitt Romney has a commanding lead. What is different about his message and the way he gets it across?

And hey, who knows? Maybe one of these underdogs will steal the title away. I just want to step back and hear what you guys have to say. So vote on the Final Four while you can and tune in tomorrow for the results.

Tim Pawlenty took a shot at Mitt Romney attacking Massachusetts’ health-care program. Maybe he heard about our tournament? More likely he’s thinking about bigger things, like the 2012 Republican presidential nomination, for which both are strong contenders.

There’s been a lot of noise about Romney here but not as much enthusiasm for Tim Pawlenty, who’s in a fierce race to beat Eric Cantor in the Final Four. Why would or wouldn’t Pawlenty be an appropriate voice for the G.O.P.? What qualities does he posses (or lack) that would affect your support of him, and why?

To quote one of our Final Four contestants, Eric Cantor:

“Reaching out to the Muslim world may help in creating an environment for peace in the Middle East, but we must insist as Americans that our policies be firmly grounded in the beliefs of the Judeo-Christian tradition upon which this country was founded.”

Does religion have any place in politics? Why is it constantly a subject touched upon — by both parties? And what gives one religion more weight than another?

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Tim Pawlenty was elected vice-chairman of the Republican Governors Association, giving him a position that could help advance presidential ambitions. So why is he losing out to Eric Cantor in our Final Four?

The results are finally in! After a week of voting and over 1,000 votes, you’ve chosen the candidates for the Final Four. Who won? Eric Cantor, Tim Pawlenty, Mitt Romney, and Jim DeMint. While it was clear Mitt was in early on in the game, I must admit I’m a little surprised by the other nominees — they seemed like the underdogs in the Republican tourney.

But that’s just me. How do you feel about the results? As always, leave your thoughts in the comment box to tell us why you voted how you did. We’ll be using these insights to create a stronger platform for the Republican Party.

Come Monday, we’re going to start organizing these insights — so come back for that. As for now we just have two more rounds to get through to find out who should lead the G.O.P. Ready, set, vote!

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It’s your last day to vote on the G.O.P.’s Great Eight! While Mitt Romney has a commanding lead over Joe Scarborough, Eric Cantor and Colin Powell are literally neck and neck in a fierce battle to make it to the next round. Don’t let your voice go unheard: vote now!

House minority whip Eric Cantor slipped up last night regarding Obama’s opening pitch before launching into a discussion on the Democrats’ health care plan. (Check out this flow chart a group of Republicans put together.) The man who was “looking forward” to working with the president is now serving up a lot of criticism. Of course, being critical is always good thing, and he seems like an agreeable guy. So what do you think about Cantor? Do you think he’s a strong leader…or does he need to toughen up?

Rep. Eric Cantor R-VA, the # 2 Republican in the House  predicted a 2010 victory, in an exclusive interview with ABC News recently:  “I really believe we’ve got a shot at taking back this House because you see what’s gone on here with the unfettered ability of this administration and Nancy Pelosi to run this Congress.  The American people see that this agenda is way far out of the mainstream. They want a check and a balance on this power. And I think at the end of the day that’s what rules come November 2010.”

The Democrats have a 257-178 majority, meaning Republicans would need a net gain of 40 seats to win control of the House. Daunting but not impossible: In the 1994 elections the Republicans had a 54-seat gain, giving them control back of the house.

What would the Republicans do differently, right now at this point in history, if they had the same control as the Democrats? Remember, the goal is to find insights into the strengths of the Republican party, so be constructive please. What do you think?