A mistake free Mitt

Is it hard to run for president?

I know that sounds like a stupid question.

It’s obviously incredibly difficult to run for president, but why do all the recent gaffes by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney seem like elementary mistakes?

There seems to be a lot of things going wrong for Romney.

There are even rumors of lots of internal disagreements with Romney’s campaign staff.

Romney’s made a couple of errors during speaking tours, and if you haven’t heard about it, then you haven’t been paying any attention to the news.

Yet Romney’s still in contention with President Barack Obama, with recent polls putting them only around four to six points apart.

So what does Romney need to do?

First of all, he needs to stop talking about his 47 percent quote.

Leave it in the past and let the voters forget about it.

At this point, no amount of explanation will change peoples perceptions of the quote.  
People who agree with the quote already embrace it, and those who disagree with it have already made up their mind.

He seemed to try to avert attention from it with the release of a portion of his tax returns, yet he’s still talking about it.

An interview on “60 Minutes” this past Sunday included his thoughts on the taped speech.

The number 47 should never come out his mouth again, unless he’s ordering 47 cases of Obama’s honey ale.

Romney needs to do well on the debates to stabilize his campagin.

The first debate is October 3 and will focus on domestic policy.

There is no room for a gaffe here, especially amidst rumors that the debate questions were released weeks ago to each campaign team, so he should be well prepared.

There will be three questions about the economy, an extremely influential issue for today’s voters, with more than 90 percent of Americans saying that the economy will influence who they vote for this election. 

If the economy is so imporant to voters, the number Romney should be focusing on during the debates is 8.3.

There are 8.3 percent of Americans who are still unemployed.

That is a number a lot of people don’t like to hear, especially when they are close to the voting booth.

Unbeknownst to most voters, the president’s main affect on the unemployment rate and economy is that it usually gets better when he says it’s improving, whether it is or not.

However, in today’s political world, presidents have to promise action in order to get the votes, even if they can’t fulfill their promises.

So promise away, Romney, because some voters will believe you.
Most simply, don’t make any more mistakes.

If that proves difficult for you, then there’s no way you can be president.

Does his tumultuous and drama ridden campaign season give Americans an idea of what his presidency will be like?

It’s unclear, but perhaps voters will never find out if Romney makes another comment about the unspeakable 47.

­— crshelle@indiana.edu