The left is seizing on the President's "empathetic / buddy image" and in contrast are relentlessly trying to portray Mitt Romney as a wealthy individual who is out-of-touch with struggling Americans.
The media is clearly helping. How many times have we heard about "a couple of Cadillacs" compared to in-depth discussions of Obama's tax returns and his $790,000 income?
(Last time I checked, $790,000 dwarfs the income of everyone I know).
Does all of this matter and is it possible for Mitt to bridge the gap? How will these sentiments actually impact the vote this fall?
I would argue that although "likeability" is an important influence in the way people vote, the November election is going to be driven by a yearning for economic stability.
Fortunately for Mitt, his experience in driving the economy and his record of job creation completely overshadows the President's dismal record of addressing these very issues.
I truly believe that Mitt Romney's experience will be the game changer of this election.
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Fox News and CNN released polls last week which although supported the evidence of the likability gap, the polls also showed that Romney was viewed substantially stronger on the economy. When asked, "which candidate do you think has the best experience to fix the economy?" Mitt Romney won every time.
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| AP Photo/Jae C. Hong |
Americans are tired and we are yearning for improvement. We are aching for economic stability. We are longing for prosperity and we are desperate for something better.
So for now, it appears that the election is shaping up to be a choice between "likability" and "qualifications."
What will be the tipping point?
A few reasons why I believe that the White House should be nervous:
1) The Economy
Mitt Romney will continue to make the case that our economy is fragile and that three years of economic performance under this President has been disappointing and dismal at best. The truth remains: recovery from the recession has not happened, millions of Americans are still out of work, millions of people are still losing their homes and job creation in this country remains unpredictable.
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| Image source: InlandPolitics.com |
And it is not as if President Obama hasn't tried to fix it.
Obama's unprecedented $4 trillion stimulus didn't work. It only demonstrated that spending borrowed money doesn't effectively stimulate the economy.
In contrast, Mitt Romney's 25 years of job creation will inevitably portray him as a seasoned-economic manager whose skill-set has time and again led to unprecedented economic growth and opportunity.
2) Immoral Deficits
For decades, we have watched our government borrow and spend unthinkable amounts of money. Money which is burdening our citizens and forcing a risky dependency on foreign countries. The debt today stands at $15 trillion (US Debt Clock). Can it ever logistically be repaid?
Under this President we have watched our government place huge bets on very expensive and unproven programs. The impact of his policies has been insignificant and weak. As I argued here, the President asked us to place a $4 trillion bet with tax payer money. We have nothing to show for it.
In contrast, Mitt Romney's approach to the economy is much different. His resume unveils a seasoned manager who has years of being accountable with other people's money. He is a disciplined leader who responsibly identifies "Wants vs. Needs."
His influence will be a refreshing and moral approach to our government's spending habits.
He did it as Governor of Massachusetts. He eliminated wasteful programs, he combined inefficient government agencies and he successfully closed a $3 billion dollar budget shortfall. He did it without raising a single tax. He did it without borrowing a single dollar.
These are the kinds of results that are possible under the direction of a disciplined, economic manager who understands how the economy works.
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| Image from mittromney.com |
One of my favorite Mitt Romney campaign slogans is, "We have a moral responsibility not to spend more than we take in."
I couldn't agree more and I believe that message will resonate with voters.
3) Empathy vs. Solutions
A recent Washington Post/ABC News poll finds that 49 percent of those questioned think that President Obama "better understands the economic problems people are facing in this country."
It would appear on the surface that President Obama has the upper hand on the "Empathy Factor."
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| psychicbutsane.com |
So how does Mitt address it? I would argue that he simply needs to ask one simple question, "Does caring about someone's problems grant that person the ability to know how to fix those problems?"
The answer is of course not.
While I believe that President Obama truly cares about our economic problems, his attempts to fix those problems have failed.
Under this president's watch, social welfare programs for the poor have nearly doubled. Furthermore, more than 2.6 million Americans have dropped out of the middle class and are now living below the poverty line. (CNN poverty rate index report).
The truth remains: Empathy doesn't grant an ability to solve problems.
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I firmly believe that this is why the White House should be nervous. This is the message that will resonate with voters.
Perhaps this is why a CBS News/New York Times poll released Wednesday, found Mitt Romney in a dead heat with President Obama for the White House.
2012 is a pivotal election year. The future of our economic prosperity and stability will hinge on its outcome.
Although President Obama may be a likable guy who is concerned about the poor, his efforts haven't been able to help us emerge from the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Mitt Romney simply needs to remind Americans that we deserve better, that prosperity is attainable and that we should not be content with the state of this economic recovery.
America deserves more.
Americans will see that we can benefit from Romney's resume and I would argue that voters will see that it is time to let a professional to do the job.
Go Mitt!
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