In recent weeks, Mitt Romney has endured a pincer-like attack, from Newt Gingrich on the right and partisan media outlets (not to mention labor- and Hollywood-backed super PACs) on the left.
In Florida, for example, the anti-Romney drumbeat from the Gingrich camp has been given a considerable boost by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, America’s largest and fastest-growing public-sector union, and the Service Employees International Union’s Committee on Political Education. These labor groups seem to have concluded that Romney is a far more potent general-election threat than the bomb-throwing former House speaker. Even the White House has joined in on the Romney-bashing, recognizing that Gingrich might not be able to stop Romney on his own.
These sustained attacks have taken a severe toll on Romney’s standing. From Jan. 8 through Sunday — two weeks when the attacks on Romney’s private equity career proved particularly fierce — the share of voters with an unfavorable impression of Romney increased by an astonishing 15 percentage points, from 34 to 49 percent, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll.
The share of voters with a favorable impression of Romney, meanwhile, declined from 39 percent to 31 percent.
Romney thus has no choice but to reintroduce himself to voters, to present his life story in a new light. And the way to do that is by embracing the fact that he is a nerd.
The reason attacks on Romney’s wealth are so potent is that many Americans associate the drive to accumulate massive amounts of wealth with blind avarice and the desire to spend lavishly.
But that’s not at all a good description of Romney. In fact, he’s a notorious penny-pincher. His main indulgence has been the purchase of a series of spacious homes, which he and his wife use to gather their large and growing army of grandchildren.
Unlike the much-maligned private equity titan Steve Schwarzman, Romney has never been accused of, say, throwing a multimillion-dollar birthday party for himself. The fact that he piled up $101 million in his individual retirement account suggests that he never dreamed the shares he socked away as a young man would one day be worth so much.
Basically, Romney is a nerd. Instead of spending his early 20s drinking and carousing, he was married with a young son by the time he was 24. His main indulgence has long been eating multiple bowls of sugared cereal, not partying with celebrities. He is not and has never been as compelling a public speaker as President Obama, who was singled out for political stardom as a young man, and Romney’s efforts to seem “down with the kids” have invariably ended in embarrassment.
Romney has been an old man since his 20s, as evidenced by photographs of him as an earnest, clean-cut young executive. Having built up a considerable fortune early on, Romney could have enjoyed a life of leisure. Instead, he did what he apparently loves doing most: He devoted himself to turning around failing enterprises, applying his considerable intellect to the most difficult tasks he could find.
This is classic nerd behavior.
One awkward fact about Romney’s career is that all evidence suggests he could have made even more money had he remained at Bain Capital. It’s easy to see why Romney wouldn’t bring this up: He’d seem even more out of touch than he already does. But his decision to leave Bain in 1999 and pursue a career in public service, where his nerdiness would prove a huge liability, almost certainly cost him hundreds of millions of dollars.
And as Romney’s tax returns have revealed, he and his wife have donated 16.4 percent of their income to charity over the last two years. Given that the Romneys have been members in good standing of the Mormon church for their entire adult lives, one assumes that they’ve been tithing a large share of their income all along.
This isn’t the behavior of someone who earns money for the purposes of partying the night away. It is the behavior of an earnest nerd who doesn’t believe that his obligations to society come to an end when he files his taxes on April 15.
In a sense, this private giving offers a window into the Romney worldview. While government has a valuable role to play, so do voluntary associations that can tackle social problems in more demanding or more innovative ways.
If Romney does become the Republican presidential nominee, the general election will be a study in contrasts. Obama is a man who achieved great success at an early age by telling his life story in a clear and compelling manner, and by impressing a series of influential people with his charm and intelligence.
Romney is a nerd who spent decades of his life poring over spreadsheets and figuring out the best ways to get the most out of failing factories and retail outlets. It is easy to see why Romney would lose a popularity contest.
But if Romney owns up to his nerdiness, if he embraces it as his chief asset, he still has a shot at winning the presidency.
In Florida, for example, the anti-Romney drumbeat from the Gingrich camp has been given a considerable boost by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, America’s largest and fastest-growing public-sector union, and the Service Employees International Union’s Committee on Political Education. These labor groups seem to have concluded that Romney is a far more potent general-election threat than the bomb-throwing former House speaker. Even the White House has joined in on the Romney-bashing, recognizing that Gingrich might not be able to stop Romney on his own.
These sustained attacks have taken a severe toll on Romney’s standing. From Jan. 8 through Sunday — two weeks when the attacks on Romney’s private equity career proved particularly fierce — the share of voters with an unfavorable impression of Romney increased by an astonishing 15 percentage points, from 34 to 49 percent, according to an ABC News/Washington Post poll.
The share of voters with a favorable impression of Romney, meanwhile, declined from 39 percent to 31 percent.
Romney thus has no choice but to reintroduce himself to voters, to present his life story in a new light. And the way to do that is by embracing the fact that he is a nerd.
The reason attacks on Romney’s wealth are so potent is that many Americans associate the drive to accumulate massive amounts of wealth with blind avarice and the desire to spend lavishly.
But that’s not at all a good description of Romney. In fact, he’s a notorious penny-pincher. His main indulgence has been the purchase of a series of spacious homes, which he and his wife use to gather their large and growing army of grandchildren.
Unlike the much-maligned private equity titan Steve Schwarzman, Romney has never been accused of, say, throwing a multimillion-dollar birthday party for himself. The fact that he piled up $101 million in his individual retirement account suggests that he never dreamed the shares he socked away as a young man would one day be worth so much.
Basically, Romney is a nerd. Instead of spending his early 20s drinking and carousing, he was married with a young son by the time he was 24. His main indulgence has long been eating multiple bowls of sugared cereal, not partying with celebrities. He is not and has never been as compelling a public speaker as President Obama, who was singled out for political stardom as a young man, and Romney’s efforts to seem “down with the kids” have invariably ended in embarrassment.
Romney has been an old man since his 20s, as evidenced by photographs of him as an earnest, clean-cut young executive. Having built up a considerable fortune early on, Romney could have enjoyed a life of leisure. Instead, he did what he apparently loves doing most: He devoted himself to turning around failing enterprises, applying his considerable intellect to the most difficult tasks he could find.
This is classic nerd behavior.
One awkward fact about Romney’s career is that all evidence suggests he could have made even more money had he remained at Bain Capital. It’s easy to see why Romney wouldn’t bring this up: He’d seem even more out of touch than he already does. But his decision to leave Bain in 1999 and pursue a career in public service, where his nerdiness would prove a huge liability, almost certainly cost him hundreds of millions of dollars.
And as Romney’s tax returns have revealed, he and his wife have donated 16.4 percent of their income to charity over the last two years. Given that the Romneys have been members in good standing of the Mormon church for their entire adult lives, one assumes that they’ve been tithing a large share of their income all along.
This isn’t the behavior of someone who earns money for the purposes of partying the night away. It is the behavior of an earnest nerd who doesn’t believe that his obligations to society come to an end when he files his taxes on April 15.
In a sense, this private giving offers a window into the Romney worldview. While government has a valuable role to play, so do voluntary associations that can tackle social problems in more demanding or more innovative ways.
If Romney does become the Republican presidential nominee, the general election will be a study in contrasts. Obama is a man who achieved great success at an early age by telling his life story in a clear and compelling manner, and by impressing a series of influential people with his charm and intelligence.
Romney is a nerd who spent decades of his life poring over spreadsheets and figuring out the best ways to get the most out of failing factories and retail outlets. It is easy to see why Romney would lose a popularity contest.
But if Romney owns up to his nerdiness, if he embraces it as his chief asset, he still has a shot at winning the presidency.
