Friday, February 24, 2012

Welcome Back, Mitt

There's an old saying that "Politics makes strange bedfellows" (apologies to the bard). The upcoming Michigan primary is setting itself up as a prime example of this saying in the sense that the Prodigal Son, Mitt Romney, is finding himself in a virtual dead heat with the Tea Party favorite son Rick (I never met a gay person I didn't hate) Santorum. If Mr. Romney is asking himself, "how in the world is this happening?", I'll be glad to offer my help. In my humble opinion, Mitt seems to be almost too aloof to the seriousness in front of him, starting with the way he dresses to town hall events. Here's a tip, Mitt: in times of trouble, most people are "resolute" and rise to the challenge, but at the same time, most would appreciate a hand-up by a mentor that is there to support them all the way back. Mitt, you have to present yourself as that mentor -- you certainly have the qualifications, but you give the appearance that you are trying too hard to drop yourself down a few levels to as to "relate" to those you are trying to win over, and I have to ask "why"? Here's a couple of ideas you need to implement now if you want to turn the tide: (1) Stop with the patronizing and stop with the clumsy attempts to dumb down your speeches! I'm not suggesting you talk in Harvard professor levels, but you don't have to do the silly "I love lakes...I love the trees here...I love cars!" rube. Just be yourself. Voters want to see a leader that cares but also a leader that shows he's not afraid of the obstacles in front of him and won't be distracted by the height of trees. (2) Stop wearing jeans to a town hall event. Wear a suit, but with NO TIE, just a plain open-collared look. Shows you are relaxed, but also shows you mean business. We know you have a ton of money, and sure, you're allowed to enjoy a nice pair of jeans just as much as the next guy, but you're running for POTUS, not leader of the local auto union chapter. (3) Take the Michigan voters to task! Don't ask for their vote -- TELL them you deserve their vote! You were born here, your family has deep roots here, you need to press it home that you expect them to support you because of it. Openly take offense that you are lagging in the polls. Transfer the burden from you to the voters, and watch what happens...