Romney seems to have turned his sights on Obama. Is this a smart strategy?

[yellowcanine]

I don't think so.

For one, he is trying to be some kind of blue collar populist with his talk of worrying about getting a pink slip and that just doesn't ring true with working class people.

He only got 25% in Iowa in a turnout which was barely better than 2008.
He could not break 40% in New Hampshire, almost a home state for him, in a relatively low turnout primary and a fair amount of his support likely came from Republican leaning independents.

Mitt has not made the sale to the Republican base as yet. A candidate who goes after his general election opponent before he locks in his base could be asking for trouble. The conventional wisdom is that Republicans want to unite behind anyone who can beat Obama and that person is Mitt. If the convention wisdom is true then Mitt's strategy of going after Obama now might make sense. But I think that the CW is wrong. I believe the hard right is prepared to sit this one out rather than work hard to put Mitt in the WH. And conservative Democrats and many true independents will stick with Obama rather than chasing after "Obama light."

[Saving Hawaii]

1. C'mon

"For one, he is trying to be some kind of blue collar populist with his talk of worrying about getting a pink slip"

C'mon... he's never been worried about getting a pink slip. He's probably been worried a few times about running out of pink printer paper to write pink slips out on though. Such is the life of a vulture capitalist.

Thank you Governor Goodhair.

[JoePhilly]

2. Mitt's got trouble because he doesn't want to alienate the supporters

of the other candidates.

He's going to need every single one of them to win in the general.

So .. no matter who attacks him, he's going to respond as if Obama made the attack.

[JoePhilly]

6. yup ... he's going to aviod that too.

Which paints him into a tough corner ... he can't get too loud on the social issues that the fundie base loves, because that's a slippery slope to the "are Mormons real Christians?" cliff.

My bet is that when faith comes up, Mitt will try to use the "my faith is very personal to me, and so I don't talk about it a great deal in public ... " approach ... and then try to focus on very specific red meat issues ... he'll punch a few gays, hit on anti-abortion ... then run to "we need a strong military" ... then he'll say the words freedom and liberty over and over ... and voila, he's off the Mormon topic.

[great white snark]

7. And of course the MSM will be complicit in his avoidance.

Hell, he might even get compliments for his conviction.

Take your faith, pull down the magic underwear, and shove it Mitt.

[yardwork]

8. Exactly. Romney's only hope is to unite all Republicans against Obama.

[spanone]

3. romney does what his handlers tell him....

[Wind Dancer]

4. Ding..ding..ding

Yes he does.

[Johonny]

9. He has to try something his New Hampshire numbers went down post Iowa win

yeah he won in New Hampshire but once again the field went for someone other than him. Not Romney is still winning big. A few more of these will tell us if Mitt can convince the not Romney crowd that they have no hope but to accept him. When you poll in New Hampshire at 47 % and get 30 something I don't see that as a HUGE win.