Former Gov. Mitt Romney, R-Mass., gave a synopsis of his campaign strategy and previewed a clever line of attack on President Obama and the Democratic Party during today’s Morning Jolt on MSNBC.
“My view [about the campaign] is you just express what you believe,” Romney said. Keep your head down, talk about the issues you care about [and] hope the other guys stumble.” In practice, that strategy meant Romney emphasized his beliefs and plans for the presidency, while trying to avoid conservative criticisms of his record. “I’m not sure what [they’re] referring to,” Romney said, when Joe Scarborough asked him about some conservative perceptions that “Romney is not one of us.”
When pressed, however, Romney proposed going “issue by issue” to check his conservative credentials. And though he did not address the similarities between Obamacare and Romneycare, he did throw an elbow at Gov. Rick Perry, R-Texas. “If we were to ask, ‘which is the more conservative position on immigration?’ I think [conservatives] would say, ‘well, Mitt Romney’s is the more conservative.’”
Romney preferred to attack President Obama’s stump speeches for tax increases. “I doubt Warren Buffett’s tax rate is lower than is secretary,” Romney said.“I can tell you this,” Romney said, “I don’t want to go around and see if we can find someone to scapegoat.” And then he redirected the issue to Obama. “The president’s new campaign is that its all about, not, ‘are you better off than you were four years ago?’ but ‘is there someone we can blame?’ – ‘is there someone we can attack?” – ‘can we separate the haves and the have nots?’”
And at this point, Romney could make the mistake of looking like a rich guy mad about taxes hikes for millionaires. But, he’s better on the stump than that. I don’t want to reduce the taxes on the wealthiest one percent, but I don’t want to kill job growth,” Romney said. “If we say that [for] those who are creating new enterprises, building businesses [that] we’re going to take more of their money, you’re going to kill job growth.”
Romney wrapped up this issue with a neat little shot at the Democrats that, for my money, resonates better than the ‘class-warfare’ line. “If one’s priority is to punish highly successful people, then vote for the Democrats,” Romney concluded. “If one’s priority is to get people working again, vote for me.”
You can see Romney talking about the “Buffett Rule” below.
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