Team Obama: Stop panicking, Romney’s scarier

As polls show that surging gas prices are fueling disapproval of President Obama by a majority of Americans, the Obama-Biden campaign team is anxiously urging backers not to panic yet. Their message: ignore the polls and and let your fear of Mitt Romney energize your support for the president.

Campaign manager Jim Messina dispatched a note Wednesday following a weekend Washington Post-ABC News poll that suggested the two major media organizations were wrong. “Many other polls put the president on top,” he penned.

But his opening line was a troubling one: “If the general election were held today, President Obama would lose to Mitt Romey.” The poll found that gas prices were choking off support for the president, pushing his disapproval high and indicating that Romney would beat him.

In his memo, Messina said that the campaign can’t underestimate Romney, who lost two of three primaries Tuesday, but still leads in the GOP presidential delegate count by a wide margin. “If the idea of a President Romney scares you, it’s time to own a piece of this campaign,” Messina wrote in seeking $3 donations. His memo:

Paul —

If the general election were held today, President Obama would lose to Mitt Romney — according to the latest poll from Washington Post-ABC News.

Now, many other polls put the President on top, but all point to the same reality: We’re looking at a race that will be tighter than you think. And the other side has groups ready to spend hundreds of millions of dollars to tear down President Obama.

We cannot underestimate someone like Romney who has shown he will spend and say anything to win.

We need to turn up the pressure now.

If the idea of a President Romney scares you, it’s time to own a piece of this campaign.

Donate $3 or more today:

Of course, we have plenty of good news to celebrate, and we must not overreact to any one poll. But this one is a reminder that we have to remain vigilant — always focused on November 6th and the work we have to do to win.

Thanks,

Messina