Jim Brown’s Weekly Column: Romney – If he had only listened to his instincts

Friday, November 8th, 2012
Baton Rouge, Louisiana

ROMNEY–IF ONLY HE HAD LISTENED TO HIS INSTINCTS!

Mitt Romney took the stage Tuesday night to concede that he had lost his race for president. He came on stage alone, with no family in teary-eyed support. He stood with manliness and grace, and said all the right things. He had called the President and wished him well. He told the crowd that he gave it his all. “We left everything on the field, and gave it our best.” It was his finest hour.

But where was this Mitt Romney throughout the presidential campaign? When his campaign began, his message was simple. “I’m a businessman. I know how to create jobs. I’ve done it in the private sector and I can do it for America.” His rhetoric resonated with millions of Americans, and he surged into an early lead in the polls. He was an outsider, who had been successful in the private sector, and with the economy in turmoil, he offered hope for a better way. His message was simple, concise, and hit home to many who were suffering financially.

But then he failed to learn an important lesson. Football teams that win in November develop a set game plan in spring training. They don’t change it. In an effort to pander to the far right during the early primaries, Romney got off message. His campaign became cold and cynical. His focus was almost entirely on being against the president, rather than being for just about anything.

He jumped on the auto bailouts saying the funds injected into the auto industry were unnecessary, and that GM should just go bankrupt. This looked contradictory and two-faced when he chose Ryan as his vice president, who had voted for the auto bailouts. Continue reading…..