In the primaries, my wife said she liked Romney cause he was ruthless and sneaky. Freepers asked "where is the guy who nuked Newt?" We'll I think you're seeing him. The first race tape, then Telemundo's "Fast/Furious" exposé, now this race tape---if I didn't know better I'd say that the Romney campaign was behind this. :)
You might be on to something, but here’s my take:
1. Your wife’s description isn’t apt (actually I’m surprised that ruthless and sneaky are attractive to her in a future President (Are you a pirate?). When I hear that I think LBJ, FDR, Clinton, etc.).
Romney’s a businessman. You have to have a killer instinct to succeed. We’ve all met salespeople who cannot close. You have to close and you have to win to eat. To do that you have to begin with an end in mind.
An election is like a marketing/sales campaign. You do a SWOT analysis. Deep pockets bury the competition, but in business execution is more important than money. Think of Perry or Cain or Newt or Santorum. They all executed their campaigns poorly.
Romney knew the field, understood his strengths and weaknesses, along with the opportunities and threats including all of the previous for each of his opponents. In politics second place might as well be tenth.
I don’t suspect that Romney is behind this all. He should use it and exploit it to its fullest. The reality is that Obama’s own policies, moral blinders and intransigence brought this about. There isn’t a natural affinity between any of the groups in the Democrat tent. They all have quite large differences in goals and objectives. Blacks and Hispanics have a long, long running animosity that goes both ways. Romney didn’t do that.
As a successful businessman or a successful politician, you don’t create the landscape you use it to your benefit. That’s how you win.