He has been negative. So has Ryan. Yes, everything he has said is true, but it doesn’t seem to be changing people’s minds.
I don’t know exactly why this is; obviously most government and union workers would side with the democrats, they always have. But what should worry us is the number of college educated and professional people who seem cynically resigned to vote Obama.
I suspect that many are leaning toward Obama because they expect the economy to remain a shambles, and in the backs of their minds expect a Leviathan, a “strong-man” to take hold of things. They believe—wrongly of course— that Obama the liberal will be less ‘reactionary’ or repressive than a conservative. The connection conservative = fascist is set, hard-wired in their brains. Again, this is just one theory.
Most dems are second and third-generation immigrants. That’s why ‘bam retains the Jewish vote. Romney IS identified with WASP “1%.”
You also see the cult-like “us against them” mentality of the democrats; they’re pack animals and they follow.
Romney has to overcome this. If he continues to attack, he’ll appear to be sniping. The press will make sure the public interprets his criticisms that way. They’ll make him look like a back-biter.
I think people will always prefer an amiable incompetent to a critical stalwart; they fear him less. Perhaps.
It’s all about psychology and is irrational and complicated.
The only way Romney could overcome this disadvantage is by reassuring the voters that none will be left out, that all will profit. He can’t do this explicitly, he has to let them formulate their confidence from what he says. They have to see a prosperous future with real personal gains. They need a solid coherent image of they’re life being better. If they have this they’ll have confidence, they’ll make the leap.
Shakespeare’s Henry V provides an example in the St Crispin’s day pep-talk: “ he who fights this day with me...will on the day feast his friends, strip his sleeves and say ‘the wounds I won at Agincourt’. (or something like that.)
That’s what I mean—a future.
Good summary. Romney will need to make the political equivalent of a gesture of sweeping his arms wide and embracing the electorate. "I will be YOUR President, I will be on YOUR side."