Can Mitt Move to the Middle?

How Ron Paul and a long primary season can help Romney woo independent voters

Illustration by Hieronymus for TIME; Getty Images

As the Republican Presidential contest enters its final stage, Mitt Romney faces an interesting choice: Does he chug along to the party's nomination, sticking with the same basic stump speech that has made him the presumptive nominee? Or does he use the next two months to better position himself for what will likely be a tough general election?

I would argue for the latter. Most polls show Romney leading in South Carolina and Florida, albeit with a more tenuous situation facing him in South Carolina. Should Romney win both states--or prevail only in supersize Florida--the media's many oddsmakers are likely to...

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