There has been much political fodder over the role that independents play in determining the outcome of Presidential elections. However, most wise big party political strategists realize that they must at some point try to catch the attentions of this group. As NTQ! blogger, Nathan Rothwell, pointed out, this may be more difficult for the Republicans to do than they realize. How does a party that plays on identity politics sway independent voters who feel they have been let down by the Obama administration? Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers funded SuperPAC, takes the "he's a nice guy, but ... " something vague about hope, something vague about change ... approach.
Addicting Info's Jack Watkins gives a breakdown of the ad:
Slick and potent in it’s non-vitriolic tone and, I think, likely to have the effect of reaching a lot of voters and give them reasons to just stay home, rather than actually motivating people to vote for Romney/Ryan. If it succeeds, it may cause people of that mindset to not pay much close attention to the rancor and debate going on in the campaign as it heats up and, just as the Obama team tries to focus the public’s attention on the devastating repercussions of a Romney presidency to all things that matter to these people. In short, I think its goal is yet a further form of voter disenfranchisement. I think the Republicans are playing a very cynical game here. Despite what every politician says (especially when they’re losing on message), they all pay attention to the polls.
A recent poll showing Obama being favored 2-1 by the 90 million eligible voters who are expected to NOT VOTE has got to scare the hell out of the Romney/Ryan team. Heavy turnout means certain defeat. Short of an economic meltdown on the order of 2008 or some other catastrophic world event, the Romney campaign is just not capable of swaying a majority of ALL Americans – even with 8% unemployment – to dump the president. He’s just too nice a guy. Too many Americans still remember the Bush/Cheney years and, it’s no accident that those two miscreants will be nowhere near the upcoming Republican Convention in Florida.
