Mitt Romney Constant Attacks Display a Lack of Leadership

Churning and shaking what little faith we have in the economy isn't leadership -- it's the reverse: bad for our country, and for each of us. Yet Mr. Romney is spending big money to do just that. Rather than painting his picture of the better future he would build if elected, he's investing in our anxiety, stripping away what little hope we may have. He's doing this knowing full-well the economy lives or dies on public confidence.

While media outlets and pundits are practically telling him to hit the President's economic performance, his execution leaves something to be desired. Mr. Romney's campaign of gloom is simply unethical. He needs to change his tune unless he wants to continue a strategy that screams, "I don't give a crap about America -- I just want to win."

By the way, we're not stupid. We know things are tough, and it's going to take more time. Yet with his war chest of Super PAC money, Mr. Romney elects to saturate us with negative economic messages. He's likely feeling good about the checks he's writing, because his fear strategy is working. A new Times/CBS poll out today shows people are losing what little confidence they had in the state of the economy. Brilliant!

Imagine if he spent big to say, "We're going to lose this war." He would be criticized for giving aid and comfort to our enemies. Glad to see he's not doing that on Afghanistan. Why? Because that would be wrong. Yet our economy is a battlefield right here at home. And low public confidence is the enemy, and Mr. Romney is more than willing not only to give it comfort, but to invest in it.

Meantime President Obama's message is that there's reason for hope, that things are bad, but better than they were, and it's going to take more time. That it will take more than one term is something the President said when he was inaugurated -- it's not news.

In contrast to the President, Mr. Romney is clearly willing to sacrifice the present situation -- to make it worse -- in order to get his way. It has an impact. If you set out to convince a majority the earth is triangular, with the kind of money Romney is spending, over a period of months, you'd end up having to get NASA involved to refute it.

If Mr. Romney were committed to leadership based on strong values, he would be painting the what and how of the future he will create -- his vision, and a roadmap to achieve it.

So in Romney's war of economic words, shaking the very public confidence in the economy, so necessary to sustain its recovery, we are all "collateral damage."

David Peck is an Executive Coach and author of "Beyond Effective: Practices in Self-aware Leadership" (Trafford: 2008).

 

Comments

[Pamela Broyles]

12:51 PM on 07/22/2012

I am hoping during the presidential debates that someone get a clear answer from Willard what is economic and jobs plans are. Clear enough for everybody in this nation to hear and understand! Right now he is indeed just throwing crap and hoping it sticks.

[Lynette]

08:06 PM on 07/21/2012

Obama learned it from you Mr. Romney.

[Pastor Cheryl L Collins]

10:31 AM on 07/21/2012

THAT'S THE CLEAREST RESPONSE EVER!!! THE WRITER IS SO ACCURATE WOW!!!

[donnabella]

03:21 AM on 07/21/2012

*face palm*

[really49]

01:50 AM on 07/21/2012

Really? I see and hear more attacking and negative ads from Obama than from Romney... and No solutions from Obama ....other than there's hope.

Romney describes the poor financial mess we're in a result of Obama's leadership. The economy will not get better by hoping it will. As long as we keep borrowing more money than we make there will continually be negative pressure on the economy.

[Madmann]

12:40 AM on 07/21/2012

"If I'm not elected, the economy will go directly in the toilet for you people.

That's not a prediction, that's a threat."

[zinxeb]

12:04 AM on 07/21/2012

What stuck in my mind, Mr. Peck, is the time when the awful jobs report came out, and Romney blamed Obama for not creating 500,000 jobs a month..without saying HOW he would create so many jobs in such a poor economy...even economists said that it would be impossible to do until the economy improves quite a bit.

I'm hoping, that during the debates, some smart person remembers Romney's remark...and asks him what HIS plan would be for creating 500,000 jobs a month...right there in public...on teevee...and I'd LOVE to hear his reply!

[posie Di Sesa]

11:38 AM on 07/21/2012

when the last two jobs reports came out, the republicans and romney were practically high-fiving each other. such good stewards of our country. 'yippee!!! everyone is still suffering, especially because we refuse to do anything to ameliorate the situation. obama will be toast!! the best news we ever heard.'

[mappy3]

10:57 PM on 07/20/2012

Nailed it.

[PaulStewart]

10:05 PM on 07/20/2012

Exactly and his plan is indeed to deflate the promise, to hold back the progress and to say its the President's fault. And this is just the same thing the GOP generally and especially in congress, have been doing since before Obama was inaugurated. Mitt doesn't give a shitt about anything but himself and how he can make his hundreds of millions into billions. He does not care a wit for the American people. He cares only for himself. He does not even care about the GOP. The GOP cares about itself and its own personal goals which are (1) to take over the White House, (2) to take over the White House and (3) to take over the White House and get it back from that black man.... Its is sinful...

[Rosewren]

08:08 PM on 07/20/2012

W did the same thing in his first run for President against Gore, he was so successfull at it that he made it a lot worse than what it really was in 2000.

[posie Di Sesa]

11:41 AM on 07/21/2012

one saving grace this go-round, unlike gore who was pedantic and dull, president obama has charisma and excellent debating skills. mitt, not so much. bush was the regular guy. mitt not so much. president obama has a genuine american dream story. mitt not so much.

i hope a majority of we people can recognize this.

[NOTSONUTSO]

07:53 PM on 07/20/2012

Romney can dish it out but he can't take it. Practically every word out of his mouth about Pres. Obama's record has been a lie. But when the Obama team tells the truth about Mitt, he cries foul.
I cannot bear the thought of Romney in the White House. I don't understand why everyone can't see how artificial he is. The man is desperate to be president but he is an empty shell. As I've said before, I am a life-long Mormon but Mitt Romney does not represent me.

[posie Di Sesa]

11:45 AM on 07/21/2012

and to add salt to what, if mitt takes the white house, will be our wounds, mitt's economic policies outdo bush's on recklessness and deficit/debt increasing, while his whole foreign policy team is the worst of the bush team. so even lower taxes on the rich and corporations, no regulations, no epa, and more, don't you just love it, wars wars wars.

[The Real Tea Man]

06:28 PM on 07/20/2012

All I can say is "Mitt, show me your tax returns of the last 8 years".

Until he does, I will repeat this every day, to everyone I know.

I suggest others do it also.... Over and Over, and Over

[ReasonableGuy]

05:51 PM on 07/20/2012

Nice article. But why aren't reporters everywhere pounding on Mitt about this. Fear drives the markets down. Hope drives them up. Mitt & most all of the Republican fear mongers are damaging our economy.

Why? Because the Repubs want the weathiest to support them, to hell with the country. All that matters is the weathiest 0.5%, and the GOP.

So sad.

[Josh Crawford]

04:51 PM on 07/20/2012

I would have more faith in ANN Romney as President than I would in Mitt. And I wouldn't have much faith in Ann as President....

[rearlwriter]

04:41 PM on 07/20/2012

This article makes an interesting point, but the Republicans have been proving for four years that they don't really want things to be better as long as Pres. Obama is in the White House. They pray for financial disaster and do whatever they can to further it -- so they can say, "See? It's HIS fault."