Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar (Credit: CBS)
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CHICAGO (CBS) — Count former Republican Gov. Jim Edgar among those who feel the protracting GOP Primary campaign could hurt the party.
As WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports, Edgar thinks Illinois voters have shown they believe Mitt Romney is the candidate that can beat President Barack Obama. But the primary continues, and Edgar thinks the bitter tone hurts Romney.
LISTEN: WBBM Newsradio Political Editor Craig Dellimore reports
“As long as you have people attacking you, I don’t really think, in the end, it’s going to hurt him with Republican voters,” Edgar said. “But you’ve got a lot of independents and other folks out there who are kind of half-watching it. You know, I don’t think that helps.”
Edgar thinks the Republican presidential campaign has gone on too long.
Edgar also says GOP hopefuls Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have forced frontrunner Mitt Romney to run farther to the right.
“That’s been my fear. That’s been my little, somewhat, frustration, with Romney. I thought that he’s gone farther right than he really had to go,” Edgar said. “Now, the victory tonight, I think, helps him shore up; he doesn’t have to do that at this point. He won this because he talked about the economy, and that’s his strength.”
Edgar says Romney should stick to talking about the economy if he goes on to face President Obama.
Romney won the Illinois primary with 47 percent of the vote, compared to 35 percent for Santorum.
