'Class Warrior' Obama Playing ‘Dangerous
Game’ with Romney (Financial Times Deutschland, Germany)
“These days it
is Obama, of all people, who is helping Romney raise his profile. The
president, who is currently leading in the polls, has gone so far as to kick-off
his campaign as a class warrior. ... Here’s the problem: tax fairness has no pull as a campaign
issue. Obama’s shift to the left gives Romney the
opportunity to present himself as the voice of reason.”
The face of Republican presidential candidate and former governor of Massachusetts, Mitt Romney: With Santorum out, the firld is clear for him to tack to the left.
Mitt Romney has one problem less. Now that his party rival
Rick Santorum has withdrawn, Romney’s nomination as Republican candidate for president
is virtually certain. In the last six months, the aspirant for the nomination, who
according to the polls, compared to his colleagues, has the best chance of beating
President Obama, allowed himself to be pushed to the extreme right of the
political spectrum. Now he has to free himself up to be able to attack from the
center in November.
The number of Americans who are neither registered Democrats
nor Republicans, but call themselves “independent,” has risen at the same pace
as contempt for the parties, which have been paralyzed by disagreement in
Washington. Those voters want practical solutions, not ideological templates. Romney’s
message might appeal to them. The former specialist in corporate restructuring and
organizer of the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics comes with good credentials for
presenting himself as an impartial problem solver, particularly on economic
matters.
Tax equality doesn’t move voters
These days it is Obama, of all people, who is helping Romney
raise his profile. The president, who is currently leading in the polls, has
gone so far as to kick-off his campaign as a class warrior. Obama’s shift to
the left gives Romney the opportunity to present himself as the voice of
reason. From a substantive point of view, Obama’s demands aren’t really that
radical. For instance, he is going to bat for the Buffet Rule. Named after
billionaire Warren Buffet, this is supposed to prevent the richest Americans
from paying lower taxes than their secretaries. The keyword here is: fairness.
No one can be opposed to that, and certainly not voters in
the center. But here’s the problem: tax fairness has no pull as a campaign
issue. It is true that the majority of swing voters questioned in a survey by the
nonpartisan organization Third Way felt that the rich should pay higher
taxes than the poor. However, only 15 percent would give their vote to a
candidate who made the issue the focus of his campaign. Eighty percent want a
candidate who talks about growth and opportunity. Romney’s slogan “opportunity
society” seems to more-accurately encapsulate this sentiment.
Make the pie bigger
It is by no means certain that Romney will be able to play
to his strengths. The primaries have already done a lot of damage. The uncertain
favorite made up for his lack of charisma by putting money into negative
campaigning. He overcompensated for the suspicions that he might be too far to
the left by his fellow Republicans by outdoing his competitors on the right. That
is why the once-moderate governor of Massachusetts now categorically
opposes abortion and promotes zero-tolerance toward illegal immigrants. These
are not positions that will allow him to win the favor of women and Latinos.
The topics of abortion and immigration will not, however,
decide the election. More important will be which candidate the voters trust
most to get the economy going again. Obama’s call for a more equitable
distribution of the pie may motivate voters on the left to support the president’s
campaign, but the candidate who wants to win on November 6th must communicate
convincingly that he can make the pie bigger.
