"Independent voters are rejecting Romney"

[JohnnyD]

"But the fight for the right that is now the focus of these primaries is souring independents on the GOP. And the relentlessly negative ads from the Romney camp are having a particularly pronounced impact on his ability to connect with the crucial independent vote, even if he were to slog through this mud fight to win the nomination."

I've been saying this for a month now. The longer Romney panders to the far-Right in order to gain the Republican vote, the more harm he is doing to himself. This is also the reason why Santorum is doing alright in the Primaries but is completely unelectable and will be completely crushed in a general election.

"Likewise, only 32% of independents say Romney takes consistent positions on issues. And perhaps most devastatingly, only 31% of independents say Romney "understands the needs of people like you" -- 60% disagree. This spells special trouble for the GOP if the key battleground demographic of the election is middle-class voters."

When he wins the election and attempts to move back towards middle, the above underlined quote will fall even further.

Independents hold 60% of the vote now. Democrats and Republicans alike need to stop pandering to the extremes and realize this country is growing more and more moderate.