Posted on 12/23/2011 4:57:04 PM PST by NormsRevenge
A more confident and energized Mitt Romney is putting his people skills to the test in New Hampshire as he tries to fix a likeability issue that hurt his failed bid for the White House in 2008.
The Republican presidential hopeful is shaking hands, signing autographs and pumping diesel in a dozen appearances over three days in a classic campaign bus tour aimed at winning the Republican nomination backed by television ads.
In an interview with Reuters, the former Massachusetts governor said he has embraced retail politics with a different mindset than in 2008 when he lost the nomination to John McCain, who was then beaten by Barack Obama in the general election.
A multi-millionaire former businessman, Romney was often described as wooden and unable to connect with ordinary people like mechanics, nurses and farmers during his earlier bid.
"I think I recognize this time, perhaps more than in my last run, that a lot of this is out of my control," Romney said on his spacious tour bus, which was manufactured in North Dakota and custom-wrapped in Tennessee with the signage "Conservative Business Leader" and "Believe in America."
"What ultimately happens is not just a function of my work, and my campaign, but also things that occur in the nation and things that occur in other peoples' campaigns. And so I'm a little more philosophical about the process," Romney said.
Romney has had some celebrated awkward moments on the 2012 campaign trail, from his "corporations are people, my friend" comment in Iowa to telling a group of jobless people in Florida that he is also unemployed.
With most polls showing him enjoying a sizable lead in New Hampshire, Romney is attempting to drive home his advantage in the lead up to the state's January 10 primary election.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
He could up his rating with me if he dropped out of the race now and endorsed another canidate and gave them funds! Other than that I have no use for Willard....
Now, here’s your future President who has seen a grocery checkstand scanner!
Less wooden? Has he inserted more rubber?
Good grief.
His photo ops remind me of the Marxist’s.
Reminds me of when Man-Bear-Pig switching to flannel shirts in the 2000 campaign.
I bet someone had to show him where the fuel tank was.
Romney will do well in New Hampshire, the Yankees up there are liberal and go for the rich goody two shoes type guys.
To me the New Hampshire primary’s are a joke.
I’d be curious to see if a ‘National Primary Day’ for both parties might serve all of us better than this discombobulated process we have now.
Romney. With the new 2.1 software upgrade he’s almost human.
Mittens has the warmth and likableness as a box of rocks. “Wooden” doesn't begin to describe him; “swarmy” describes him.
IMO just about anything would be better.
Anyone who has to work at being likable , isn’t.
It’s not something you can teach. He doesn’t have it and if he’s the nominee we can all get used to the fact that Obummer will get 4 more and our only comfort is going to be that the elite in the republcan party will be taxed more and have their wealth distributed to the democrat base.
Go to youtube and look up Mitt’s performance at a MLK Day Parade. It’s so pathetic.
After that interview with Chris Wallace last week good luck Mitt.
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