Romney's Perry plan: Don't panic - Politico
Burns: Mitt Romney is finally facing an opponent who looks capable of halting his march to the GOP nomination. With his record of job creation and down-the-line conservative politics, Texas Gov. Rick Perry is menacing the Republican frontrunner in a way that other candidates – from Iowa straw poll winner Michele Bachmann to wealthy New Hampshire-dweller Jon Huntsman – have proven unable to do. But you wouldn’t know it from listening to Romney or his backers. It’s not that they don’t take Perry seriously. Rather, Romney’s supporters believe that the Bay Stater’s tortoise-like strategy will play to one of his essential strengths – durability over the long haul – and show Republican primary voters that he’s best prepared to go up against a vulnerable incumbent president. That’s why since Perry joined the 2012 race last weekend, Romney and his advisers have been conspicuously gentle with the newest presidential candidate. On a visit to New Hampshire, Romney told reporters that his business experience – “having worked in the real economy” <a href="http://www.salehandbagsbags.com/"><strong>cheap Chanel handbags for sale</strong></a> – would give him an advantage over Perry. But Romney did little to disparage his just-announced challenger. Instead of changing direction in response to Perry’s announcement, the Romney camp is hewing close to its existing strategy: focusing on the economy, continuing to attack President Barack Obama and increasingly touting the private-sector record that they say sets Romney apart from his freshly declared opponent. “Mitt Romney considers Rick Perry a friend and believes he will add a lot to the discussion during the primary. But, he is going to stay the course and keep his focus on President Obama’s failed economic policies. This country needs a president who understands how the economy works and has private sector experience. That is why Mitt Romney is running,” said Romney communications director Gail Gitcho. And/but, it's not pure choice, as Alex wisely observers: To some extent, Romney may not have much of a choice but to stick with his existing strategy. Distrusted by many social conservatives and branded a flip-flopper <a href="http://www.salehandbagsbags.com"><strong>lv handbags</strong></a> during his 2008 run, he doesn’t have the option of running to Perry’s right. And he could pay a high price for tweaking his strategy in a way that reinforces the impression that he’s a political opportunist. But the steady-as-she-goes approach has served Romney well in the 2012 campaign, allowing him to run a tightly focused bid that avoids engaging his GOP rivals. Continue Reading
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