In a conference call with reporters Tuesday, Obama senior campaign strategist David Axelrod launched an attack against Mitt Romney, indicating that the president’s campaign has set its sights on the former Massachusetts Governor as the eventual Republican nominee.
Bolstered by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s endorsement and a strong performance at Tuesday night’s Republican debate, Romney’s campaign seems reinvigorated. Wednesday, online trading company Intrade gave Romney a 69.8 percent chance of winning the nomination, 5.3 points higher than the day before.
Despite repeated denials to the contrary, the Obama campaign has clearly taken notice of Gov. Romney’s rise. Axelrod urged journalists to scrutinize the former Massachusetts governor’s record, citing his inconsistency on issues ranging from tax reform to health care to Chinese currency manipulation.
Axelrod emphasized that the extension of the payroll tax would result in approximately $1,500 more for the typical household, and that Romney’s opposition belies his recent effort to “present himself as a champion of the middle class.”
According to Axelrod, Romney’s plan to eliminate the capital gains tax for households that earn less than $200,000 per year would translate to an effective tax break of $50 per household.
“The most appalling thing” Axelrod said, shifting the focus of his statement, “is that just two months ago, Gov. Romney was equally vehement in support of extending this payroll tax cut.”
Romney is no stranger to “flip-flop” criticism, and Axelrod admitted as much. Alluding to Rick Perry’s less than stellar debate performances, Axlerod said that the Texas governor has made some “halting efforts [to attack Romney], but he hasn’t exactly gotten the gun out of the holster.”
Wednesday’s telephone conference suggested that the Obama campaign plans to combine specific policy differences with attacks on Romney’s character. Axelrod, who recalled his oft-quoted judgment that a presidential campaign is like an “MRI for the soul,” made a point to tell reporters that Romney’s inconsistency would cost him in the long-run.
“The question of trust is important, particularly for the middle class,” Axelrod said.
“They want to know where the the president was yesterday is where he’ll be today is where he’ll be tomorrow, and the commitments that he makes are ones they can count on.”
Axelrod’s criticism reached a crescendo during the subsequent Q-and-A session. After accusing Romney of backtracking on his position on his state’s health care policy and statements he made about Chinese currency manipulation in one of his books, Axelrod said that Romney “is as vehement and strong in his convictions when he takes one position as when he takes the diametrically opposite position.”
And although Axelrod conceded that Romney’s strategy may yield short-term benefits, he also made it clear that he doesn’t consider it a viable strategy in the long-term.
“People want to know who you are, what you believe, what you stand for, and if you can’t persuade them of your consistency it becomes problematic.”