Mitt Romney is out with a pretty solid new attack line, turning the S&P downgrade of US credit into a swipe at the president who did more than any other to make the downgrade happen.
“I’ll call it a triple D presidency. It’s been a presidency that’s associated with debt. And with downgrade. And with delay.”
Romney goes on to note that with 25 million Americans out of work, Obama shouldn’t be vacationing and playing golf on the vineyard. That fits with his campaign theme – Obama Isn’t Working.
Thematically, Romney is doing nearly all the right things so far. He flipped on global warming last week, but has steadily trained his fire on Obama’s economic record, which is the president’s greatest point of vulnerability. What Romney has not done well, though, is create media coverage and draw the blogs in to aid his attacks well. Every day it seems I could write four or five posts about Rick Perry without really trying, because Perry is so effective at forcing the media to cover what he’s saying. The latest example of that is Perry’s fairly obvious assertion that Social Security is a Ponzi scheme. Who hasn’t heard that line at least 10 times in your life? Who under 40 doesn’t believe that it’s actually true — because thanks to the size of the retiring Baby Boom generation, it is true? The media hears him say this and thinks “gaffe,” but everyday Americans hear it and think “Yup.” Knowing how the two very different groups will respond, Perry says what he says, the media goes a bit nuts about it, and he generates a whole lot of what turns out to be free positive coverage. And then he’ll get another day of lesser but still positive coverage as various experts come out of the woodwork to say yes, he does have a point here.
Romney has not been as effective at this. He just doesn’t seem to have the instinct for it. But this line, that Obama’s presidency is triple-D, should have some legs. It’s true and it’s easy to repeat and remember and turn into TV and radio ads.
When I saw the headline, I thought Romney was calling Obama a big boob.
I need eyebleach for that Obama-in-drag mental image.
Romney plays it very safe. Perry shoots off fireworks. Romney will come in 2nd, at best.
Finally, someone had the courage to leak Obama’s grades.
Perry is the right’s Obama. They are both polished campaigners. They are not leaders. American’s are hungry for a leader but they don’t no where to look. We are a generation that needs to be swept off our feet even when the current will take us down stream. I prefer the sensible and real. I am not the majority anymore in America. So Washington will not look much different next year when Obama or Perry sit in the oval office.
Romney 2012
Susan, you are actually right. Unfortunately, there are no Statesmen in either party that can fill the void.
Now you are left with what if choices. Another Democrat or another Republican. Either you hope that their Representative actually believes in the parties platform (assuming that you are voting for that) and vote accordingly or you give up and stay home.
We seem to be lost today with both parties. Alternatives (third parties) seem far fetched and not practical. Really, I think we have reached a point in politics that is forcing a change upon the electorate. That unthinkable third party choice just may become a reality – not this year, but in the future unless things change.
Maybe this just simply reflects the voters anyway…