What good are conventions? Plenty if you're Romney — or Obama - Crain's Chicago Business
By Greg Hinz August 27, 2012
As a means to decide anything truly real, political conventions are about as useful as the horse and buggy.
We've known for months who the nominees would be. The vice presidential running mates have been selected. Any remaining fights over ideology or party platforms are being resolved in probably smoke-free rooms as you read this.
Read more of Greg Hinz on his blog.
Yet it would be exaggerating to say presidential nominating conventions lack meaning. It was only eight years ago that a little-known U.S. senator with a tongue-twisting name used a convention speech to become, well, a president in waiting.
As both parties prepare to head down south for their quadrennial gatherings, both President Barack Obama and GOP soon-to-be-nominee Mitt Romney have not only the opportunity but, in this tight race, the need to seize the big convention microphone and use it to their advantage. Each has a somewhat different path, and it's an open question whether either is up to the task or willing to accept the risk of failure.
Mr. Romney, I think, has the tougher job, but he has more potential for a breakthrough.
After weeks in which Team Obama, Missouri's Todd Akin and his own miscues have knocked him off message, Mr. Romney must get back to what counts in his campaign: money. Not to make a phrase, but it's still the economy, stupid.
“He needs to present a plan” to boost the economy and jobs, says Chicago political consultant Thom Serafin, who has worked for candidates in both parties. “The convention needs to be about business and not just rah-rah.”
The same message—be positive about himself, rather than overtly negative about Mr. Obama—comes from Chicago-based GOP consultant and activist Chris Robling. “He's got to speak to America about job creation,” Mr. Robling says. “He's got to show how he will make America grow.” That means Mr. Romney must boil down his 160-page plan for the U.S. economy to a PowerPoint presentation.
Yet Mr. Romney has to sell not only a plan but also himself. Though he's still not clearly defined to many voters, the former Massachusetts governor is dangerously close to being pigeonholed as a stiff in a suit who doesn't much care about anything except making a buck and doing whatever it takes to win.
“He's got to sort of humanize himself,” says Don Rose, a left-leaning Chicago independent who has worked both sides of the aisle. “Introduce himself,” agrees Christine Dudley, a former executive director of the Illinois Republican Party. “Flesh out the vision.”
But if Mr. Romney has to introduce himself, Mr. Obama has some reintroduction to do. Not of Mr. Obama the man, who remains relatively popular and respected. Rather it's Mr. Obama the transcendent politician who can walk on water and get stuff done who needs to come back.
I hear conflicting sentiments on how to accomplish that.
Many Democrats, such as Kurt Summers, chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, want Mr. Obama to stoke the Democratic base, particularly labor and other key groups. Somewhat surprisingly, similar advice comes from Don Haider, a former Chicago budget director who is an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention. “He has to convince people that the second term will be different,” as least as compared with what the Republicans would do, Mr. Haider puts it. “Scare 'em.”
But Mr. Serafin urges the Chicagoan who is president to be, well, presidential. “Be warm and bring people together again. . . . Be honest about budget realities. Instead of leading from behind, he needs to be a president, not a politician.”
In a race this close, both sides will be tempted to reject much of the above and play it safe, offering fire and brimstone about the other side and bromides to their own. Will either man truly step up to the pulpit? We'll soon know.
I'll be reporting from Tampa, Fla., at ChicagoBusiness.com this week—the hurricane gods permitting.
From this week's Greg Hinz
By Greg Hinz August 27, 2012
As a means to decide anything truly real, political conventions are about as useful as the horse and buggy.
We've known for months who the nominees would be. The vice presidential running mates have been selected. Any remaining fights over ideology or party platforms are being resolved in probably smoke-free rooms as you read this.
Yet it would be exaggerating to say presidential nominating conventions lack meaning. It was only eight years ago that a little-known U.S. senator with a tongue-twisting name used a convention speech to become, well, a president in waiting.
As both parties prepare to head down south for their quadrennial gatherings, both President Barack Obama and GOP soon-to-be-nominee Mitt Romney have not only the opportunity but, in this tight race, the need to seize the big convention microphone and use it to their advantage. Each has a somewhat different path, and it's an open question whether either is up to the task or willing to accept the risk of failure.
Mr. Romney, I think, has the tougher job, but he has more potential for a breakthrough.
After weeks in which Team Obama, Missouri's Todd Akin and his own miscues have knocked him off message, Mr. Romney must get back to what counts in his campaign: money. Not to make a phrase, but it's still the economy, stupid.
“He needs to present a plan” to boost the economy and jobs, says Chicago political consultant Thom Serafin, who has worked for candidates in both parties. “The convention needs to be about business and not just rah-rah.”
The same message—be positive about himself, rather than overtly negative about Mr. Obama—comes from Chicago-based GOP consultant and activist Chris Robling. “He's got to speak to America about job creation,” Mr. Robling says. “He's got to show how he will make America grow.” That means Mr. Romney must boil down his 160-page plan for the U.S. economy to a PowerPoint presentation.
Yet Mr. Romney has to sell not only a plan but also himself. Though he's still not clearly defined to many voters, the former Massachusetts governor is dangerously close to being pigeonholed as a stiff in a suit who doesn't much care about anything except making a buck and doing whatever it takes to win.
“He's got to sort of humanize himself,” says Don Rose, a left-leaning Chicago independent who has worked both sides of the aisle. “Introduce himself,” agrees Christine Dudley, a former executive director of the Illinois Republican Party. “Flesh out the vision.”
But if Mr. Romney has to introduce himself, Mr. Obama has some reintroduction to do. Not of Mr. Obama the man, who remains relatively popular and respected. Rather it's Mr. Obama the transcendent politician who can walk on water and get stuff done who needs to come back.
I hear conflicting sentiments on how to accomplish that.
Many Democrats, such as Kurt Summers, chief of staff to Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle, want Mr. Obama to stoke the Democratic base, particularly labor and other key groups. Somewhat surprisingly, similar advice comes from Don Haider, a former Chicago budget director who is an alternate delegate to the Republican National Convention. “He has to convince people that the second term will be different,” as least as compared with what the Republicans would do, Mr. Haider puts it. “Scare 'em.”
But Mr. Serafin urges the Chicagoan who is president to be, well, presidential. “Be warm and bring people together again. . . . Be honest about budget realities. Instead of leading from behind, he needs to be a president, not a politician.”
In a race this close, both sides will be tempted to reject much of the above and play it safe, offering fire and brimstone about the other side and bromides to their own. Will either man truly step up to the pulpit? We'll soon know.
I'll be reporting from Tampa, Fla., at ChicagoBusiness.com this week—the hurricane gods permitting.
From this week's Greg Hinz