Democrats Focus On #MittsMissingYears

The Obama campaign launches a Twitter campaign to push back against Romney’s claim to competence.

Image by DOMINICK REUTER / Reuters

As Mitt Romney heads into the general election branding himself as Mr. Fix It, Democrats appear to be testing out a new counter-punching caricature: Mitt the Incompetent.

The first shot was fired by DNC Chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz on Twitter shortly after after Romney finished his pivotal New Hampshire speech, during which he urged beleaguered Americans to “hold on a little longer.”

Wasserman-Schultz’s responded by pointing to Romney’s gubernatorial record:

Romney's failed record as governor should give voters pause. He has not one area of accomplishment from his time as governor—esp. not jobs.

— D Wasserman Schultz (@DWStweets) April 25, 2012

Then, this afternoon, the Obama campaign began pushing the message full-force on Twitter — poking holes in his problem-solving, casting him as a do-nothing governor, and even implying that his fiscal record was left-of-center.

During @MittRomney's 4 years as governor, MA gov't jobs grew 6 times as fast as private sector jobs. #MittsMissingYears

— Lis Smith (@Lis_Smith) April 25, 2012

Mitt's Missing Years:Why, in his big speech, was Mitt mute on MA? No mention of his yrs as gov, when MA plunged to 47th in job creation.

— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) April 25, 2012

When is Governor Romney going to talk about his record in Massachusetts? Left MA w/largest per capita debt in the nation #mittsmissingyears

— Stephanie Cutter (@stefcutter) April 25, 2012

#mittsmissingyears @MittRomney didn't mention his years as a failed governor in last night's Back to the Future speech.

— Michael Czin (@MichaelOFA) April 25, 2012

This isn’t the first time the Obama camp has taken aim at Romney’s governorship, of course. But the renewed focus could undercut the main attack line the Obama campaign has been using in recent weeks — that Romney’s “severe conservatism” is radical and scary.

By drawing voters’ attention to Romney’s decidedly moderate record in Massachusetts, Democrats may find fodder to slam Romney as an ineffectual do-nothing. But it will likely come at the expense of casting him as a right-wing crusader.

The caricature they ultimately settle on will betray with of Romney’s arguments they find more threatening.