Mitt Romney In The Media Sun: Can GOP Voters Like Him If They Don't Trust Him?

 

It’s a big weekend for Mitt Romney – the weekend he finally lets voters see him as a person, a human being, a father with a family, a husband with quirks, a guy with an IPod and a big appetite for cereal.

In fact, you now have four excellent opportunities – Mitt Moments – to understand the former Massachusetts Governor from four very different but equally insightful perspectives:

Mitt Moment 1: “A Mitt Romney You Haven’t Seen” is the topic of a big spread in Parade magazine this weekend. It’s online here. Fresh from his boy’s weekend in Italy with George Clooney, venerable presidential consultant David Gergen says he “still wondered what made Romney tick.” To his credit, Gergen confronts Romney’s Mormon faith, which many see as a hidden concern for GOP voters.

The Parade profile is a must read for every voter.  But don’t stop there. Read what Gergen himself has to say about the interview in a separate Parade piece and in an online column on CNN. It speaks volumes that the nation’s most influential political consultant-analyst-author-commentator “still wondered what made Romney tick.” Romney ran four years ago and it’s only a month before the start of the GOP primaries, but Gergen concludes: “We can’t tell yet what kind of president Mitt Romney would be.” Ouch.

Mitt Moment 2: “Why Don’t They Like Me” is the subject of a five-page Time magazine cover story dated December 12 (available online if you subscribe.) Authored by none other than Joe Klein, the five-page piece examines the familiar litany of potential misgivings that bedevil Romney – flip-flops, Mormonism, technocratic, etc.

Klein has openly complained that he did not get the same access to Romney, his family and his campaign that Gergen was granted. His resentment may have seeped into his writing, giving the piece a negative slant. Reportedly, the Time article says of Romney: "The question always remains: Who is he really? Do we have any clues as to what he actually believes?" Sounds familiar.

Mitt Moment 3: "Building a Better Mitt Romney-Bot" is the unflattering headline of today's New York Times Magazine cover story, a comprehensive assessment of Romney's strategic choice to be portrayed as "a fixer" rather than a regular guy.

"Mitt Romney’s campaign has decided upon a rather novel approach to winning the presidency. It has taken a smart and highly qualified but largely colorless candidate and made him exquisitely one-dimensional: All-Business Man, the world’s most boring superhero," says author Robert Draper, who describes Romney as a man "puzzling his way to victory."

Mitt Moment 4: “Focus Group Weighs in on Campaign 2012” is a CSPAN question-and-answer session with suburban Republican voters in northern Virginia recorded Thursday, December 1. Less convenient than either the Parade or Time spreads, this focus group – facilitated by the legendary pollster Peter Hart – is a must-see for political junkies. It’s uncut and a great demonstration how focus groups should work.

A majority of the GOP focus group participants said they are prepared to vote for Newt Gingrich over Romney right now, despite concerns about the former House Speaker’s three marriages, ego and insider record. There was a feeling that Romney is the kind of guy who would buy his way to the front of any line. Unfortnately for Romney, some of the nation’s most important reporters and editors watched the whole session play out behind a two-way mirror.

The focus group folks are not exactly in love with Gingrich, who is getting his own dose of reality this weekend from influential conservatives George Will and Charles Krauthammer. But the frank views of real Republican voters are eye opening and worth two and a half hours of your time. The show also should be required viewing for any die-hard Democrat who still doubts President Obama can win re-election.

Trust is the most important ingredient in communication strategies that hinge on the personal brand of one leader. People will give your ideas, your business plan and you a fair hearing (and maybe even the benefit of the doubt) if they feel they can trust you as person.

It's not that Romney is disliked; it's that he is not trusted, especially among the Republican base. Those unwilling to support him by now are not likely to be swayed by his get-to-know-me-as-a-person push. They will view it as they view him – manufactured and forced. He has to overcome the misgivings of the base before he can appeal to independents and moderates in the general election.

There is growing skepticism he will get that chance.