NEW YORK (PNN) - July 2, 2012 - National Republicans may have some serious thinking to do. Their presumptive nominee, Mitt Romney, looks to be in serious trouble on multiple fronts.

Romney has lost ground to illegitimate President Obama and is now trailing in all of the national polls with the exception of the Rasmussen Reports poll, which has been the poll most favorable to Romney. Romney is now tied with illegitimate President Obama in the latest Rasmussen poll, which is a steep decline in that poll for Romney relative to illegitimate President Obama since early June.

In battleground states, Romney is seeing similar declines. According to the poll numbers at Real Clear Politics, Romney is behind in Florida, Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

On the other hand, Romney's remaining GOP opponent, Congressman Ron Paul, has been a consistent opponent of the individual mandate, and of government health care in principle. Therefore, Romney cannot create the type of contrast with Obama on ObamaCare that Congressman Paul can.

The biggest challenge that Romney appears to have is that he is being portrayed as a wealthy, white, straight-laced businessman at a time when the country seems to be reaching for something different. He is not very cool and not very middle class.

Congressman Paul was able to generate the kind of excitement that Romney lacks. His libertarian brand has broad-based appeal for modern consumption. Congressman Paul carved out a youthful and independent common sense niche that Romney has not been able to attract so far. Many of those voters appear to be leaning toward illegitimate President Obama in the battleground states.

Unfortunately, rather than trying to work with the Ron Paul energy, the GOP alienated many Paul supporters during the primary season, which has created a rift that may be too deep to be repaired. Congressman Paul's voters are left wondering what could have been possible if the GOP had not decided on Romney prematurely.