Mitt Romney as Regular Joe? Lessons from the Al Gore campaign

Tellingly, Gore/Kerry-like characterizations of Romney are already emerging in the media landscape. This morning, the Washington Post ran a must-read story about Mitt Romney’s personality out on the stump. Philip Rucker writes:

"When voters exposed themselves emotionally, Romney offered little empathy. When they sought his support for their causes, Romney didn’t show them that he cared. Romney was scripted when he could have been spontaneous. He was boardroom cool when he could have been living room warm."

Nor is Romney facing this assault from Democrats alone. As POLITICO’s Mike Allen wrote in his ultimate DC insider “Playbook” after the last GOP debate:

During fight night in Vegas, Rick Perry went HARD and EARLY at Mitt Romney over the inadvertent hiring of illegal immigrants as lawn-care workers at his former home in Belmont, Mass, which was revealed by The Boston Globe in 2006. THE REASON: Perryworld believes voters will see it as a PERSONAL CHARACTER issue rather than simply a POLICY question. Although Perry does not appear to have new facts about the episode, his aides think it helps them portray Romney as a HUMAN WEATHERVANE.

So how could Romney save himself from a Gore or Kerry-like fate? Pfeifle thinks it’s less Subway sandwiches, more straight talk:

"After all the economic chaos of the last three years, people want someone to shoot straight with them. President Obama, in many people’s estimations, isn’t doing it. The first Republican candidate to grab hold of the authenticity mantle will likely win the primary and - if unemployment remains high - the presidency as well."

Go beyond:

• Read Jonah Goldberg’s March 2000 piece from the conservative National Review: “Al Gore: Weird, not Boring.”
• Check out Priorities USA’s video “The Romney Rule” which argues Mitt Romney pays a lower tax rate than most Americans even considering his vast wealth.
• Follow Mark Pfeifle on Twitter.

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