Romney under fire

Three conservative groups within the Republican Party and a conservative radio talk-show host are raising alarms about the former Massachusetts governor, trying to knock him off a pedestal he has built through a campaign network, fund-raising base, and name recognition that exceeds any of his current rivals.

The strongly divergent views of Romney illustrate some of the fissures within the GOP - between the party establishment and the newer Tea Party movement - and they threaten to divide the party in a way that could have larger ramifications. Some are already worried that there would be a third-party candidacy if Romney wins the nomination. The developments demonstrate both why Romney is such a shaky front-runner and why there is still a yearning within some Republican quarters for candidates who might have a better shot at uniting the party to enter the race.

It is not unusual to have bitter primary fights - something Democrats are known for more than Republicans - but in the past the infighting was largely driven by a candidate who embodied the angst within a party. Ronald Reagan, for example, challenged President Gerald Ford in 1976. But what is happening now is that these groups, not any one candidate, are becoming the vessels for dissatisfaction with Romney.

“Since there isn’t anybody taking the fight to Romney for them, they’re doing it themselves,’’ said Linda L. Fowler, a professor of government at Dartmouth College. “In that sense, what you’re seeing is different from other intraparty factional fights that we’ve seen in the GOP.’’