WASHINGTON — Republican nominee Mitt Romney seems to be pulling double duty these days — as both the candidate and the campaign CEO.
He reviews TV ads and polling data on an iPad. He writes many of his own speeches. And he habitually talks like a consultant.
One instance of that gave him particular trouble last week, when a secretly taped speech he gave to donors in the spring was posted online — just as polls show him narrowly trailing President Barack Obama.
“Here are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them,” Romney said at the May fundraiser. “And so my job is not to worry about those people — I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
Democrats quickly accused Romney of writing off half of the country. But he insisted he was just talking about the polls and trying to make the point that 47 percent of people will likely back Democratic President Barack Obama, no matter what their reasons.
Some Republicans grimaced, saying Romney’s explanation underscored a key problem with his campaign: Romney is trying to do too much. These critics argue that Romney’s job is to inspire voters, not manage every detail of his campaign.
“He was talking about the electorate as if it were a ledger sheet,” said Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist who worked closely with Romney on his 2008 campaign. “It diminishes him.”
More broadly, the episode illustrated Romney’s leadership style — honed over decades in the private sector, where he was an actual CEO — and provided hints about how he might lead the country as president as he tried to balance two sets of duties: the ceremonial, symbolic and inspirational one with the nitty-gritty of running the country.
Romney spokesman Kevin Madden defended Romney’s approach.
“It’s his campaign,” Madden said. “On a campaign like this, everything is derived from the candidate’s vision, and the reason they are offering their leadership to the American people.”
During three decades in private business, Romney made big money turning around struggling companies with hands-on leadership and a laser-like focus on the smallest details.
Romney insists all is well with his campaign despite enduring several rocky weeks and critics urging him to mount what could be his highest-stakes turnaround yet.
“It doesn’t need a turnaround. We’ve got a campaign which is tied with an incumbent president to the United States,” Romney told “60 Minutes” for an interview set to air Sunday.
Like most presidential candidates, Romney keeps a close circle of aides and advisers that he relies on for counsel. These staffers describe campaign decision-making at the highest levels as collaborative, an ongoing discussion where top advisers have the opportunity to offer opinions to the candidate, who takes it all in. Romney does delegate responsibility, like tapping longtime aide Beth Myers to run his search for vice president.
He reviews TV ads and polling data on an iPad. He writes many of his own speeches. And he habitually talks like a consultant.
One instance of that gave him particular trouble last week, when a secretly taped speech he gave to donors in the spring was posted online — just as polls show him narrowly trailing President Barack Obama.
“Here are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them,” Romney said at the May fundraiser. “And so my job is not to worry about those people — I’ll never convince them that they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
Democrats quickly accused Romney of writing off half of the country. But he insisted he was just talking about the polls and trying to make the point that 47 percent of people will likely back Democratic President Barack Obama, no matter what their reasons.
Some Republicans grimaced, saying Romney’s explanation underscored a key problem with his campaign: Romney is trying to do too much. These critics argue that Romney’s job is to inspire voters, not manage every detail of his campaign.
“He was talking about the electorate as if it were a ledger sheet,” said Alex Castellanos, a Republican strategist who worked closely with Romney on his 2008 campaign. “It diminishes him.”
More broadly, the episode illustrated Romney’s leadership style — honed over decades in the private sector, where he was an actual CEO — and provided hints about how he might lead the country as president as he tried to balance two sets of duties: the ceremonial, symbolic and inspirational one with the nitty-gritty of running the country.
Romney spokesman Kevin Madden defended Romney’s approach.
“It’s his campaign,” Madden said. “On a campaign like this, everything is derived from the candidate’s vision, and the reason they are offering their leadership to the American people.”
During three decades in private business, Romney made big money turning around struggling companies with hands-on leadership and a laser-like focus on the smallest details.
Romney insists all is well with his campaign despite enduring several rocky weeks and critics urging him to mount what could be his highest-stakes turnaround yet.
“It doesn’t need a turnaround. We’ve got a campaign which is tied with an incumbent president to the United States,” Romney told “60 Minutes” for an interview set to air Sunday.
Like most presidential candidates, Romney keeps a close circle of aides and advisers that he relies on for counsel. These staffers describe campaign decision-making at the highest levels as collaborative, an ongoing discussion where top advisers have the opportunity to offer opinions to the candidate, who takes it all in. Romney does delegate responsibility, like tapping longtime aide Beth Myers to run his search for vice president.