Rush Limbaugh's campaign to press presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney to focus on issues other than the economy just might lead to President Barack Obama's re-election.
Polling confirms that jobs and the deficit represent Obama's Achilles' heel. The campaign contest is between Romney's efforts to focus exclusively on these economic issues and Obama's efforts to redirect the debate. Limbaugh's urging to dilute Romney's economic issues focus may help Rush's ratings, but doing so would play into Obama's hand.
The key to successful campaigns is focus. Obama's success in 2008 was a result of an unbelievably focused campaign. He talked about only one thing: change. Change you could believe in, change you could hope for -- but always change. The message appealed to the electorate's weariness from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and eight years of George W. Bush. Obama was elusive about what change meant, and it was his avoidance of complexity and focus on a singular message that propelled him to victory.
What change was to Obama in 2008, the economy is to Romney in 2012. In the meantime, Limbaugh is diluting Romney's message with complexity and advising rhetoric on the big government versus small government ideological divide.
If Romney subscribes to Limbaugh's advice, he is effectively gift-wrapping votes to the Obama campaign.
Electoral success for either campaign requires the delicate balance of energizing the base to activate donors and volunteers while appealing to the middle -- the independents -- who ultimately will decide the electoral outcome. The clear contrasts on same-sex marriage, immigration, and health care should be sufficient to energize both sides. The decisive factor will be advancing issues that 80 percent of voters agree on, not just harping on those issues where there is nearly an even electoral divide.
Selling Romney's record of nurturing job growth and fiscal balance as a partisan-tinged choice limits the message's appeal. Romney's credentials on job growth in the private and public sectors are most effectively advanced to people of all ideological backgrounds as the essential skill the times demand.
Indeed, the real breakout opportunity that exists for Romney is not to be more ideological, but less. His commitment to do whatever action is necessary to address the fiscal cliff that confronts Americans immediately after the election would positively impact both his prospects and those of the nation.
Inaction threatens a debt tsunami similar to the one that is now flooding Europe. Uncertainty about whether the nation's fiscal condition will be addressed keeps company cash on the sidelines instead of invested in job growth.
A commitment by Romney -- a former Republican governor from the bluest of states -- to work with whoever controls Congress could allow him to break out from today's virtual tie race. This is an unmatched opportunity for Romney to be a leader committed to pragmatic, collaborative solutions -- the sort of leader America desperately needs.
It is often said that it is not Wayne Gretzky's speed that makes him the greatest hockey player the game has ever known. Rather, it is because he skates to where the puck will be. Barring a major crisis, the electorate will be focused on the economy in November. In the time remaining, Romney must focus on that puck and let Limbaugh's ratings go where they might.
Mark R. Kennedy leads George Washington University's Graduate School of Political Management and is Chairman of the Economic Club of Minnesota. He previously served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and was Senior Vice President and Treasurer of Federated Department Stores (now Macy's).
Follow Mark R. Kennedy on Twitter: www.twitter.com/MNMarkKennedy
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 |
|
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Electoral Votes (270 to win) |
332 | 206 |
| Obama | Romney | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 65,899,660 | 60,932,152 |
| Percent | 51.1% | 47.2% |
| Democrats* | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Current Senate | 53 | 47 |
| Seats gained or lost | +2 | -2 |
| New Total | 55 | 45 |
| Democrats | Republicans | |
|---|---|---|
| Seats won | 201 | 234 |
HP has moved Ohio from "tossup" to "Leans Obama."
Romney can't win without Ohio.
Undecided voters by their nature are not Ditto heads.
Romney's people should be turning Rush off.
Harsh voter theft law will be blocked. Over one million REGULAR voters will be blocked ! Great strategy by the
GOTEA. If people don't want you? ROB THEIR VOTE ..
Then where will the tea party get their daily "anger" fix?
If he ever actually took a position on anything, other than "Obama bad..me good" he would certainly lose, and he knows it.
1) lower the tax rates on capital gains, interest income and dividends. BTW, Romney and the other 1% all get their money from capital gains, interest income and dividends. This is the same plan Bush used when he lowered the capital gains tax from 25% to 15%, and the country tanked shortly afterwards.
2) Repeal Obamacare. The same Obamacare that's based on Romneycare, and proved successful in Massachuetts. That is one of the true indications (along with gay rights, abortion and immigration) that Romney has sold his integrity and his soul to be the Republican candidate.
The reality is that no one is voting for Romney since there's nothing there to vote for, they're voting against President Obama. And after four years of deceipt and lies on Fox News and hate radio, Republicans hope that will be enough.
He tried to raise a fee for blind people to register their disability.
Huh??? Romney is selling rat milk cheese made in China, no thanks!
Rush is a comedy.
THUFFERIN THUCCOTASH!