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The bad news for Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney is that the central focus of his campaign — job creation — happens to be his weakest issue. In both the public and private sector, Romney’s record on jobs is just atrocious.
The good news for Romney is that the bad news isn’t well known, and he’s so far presented himself as having a strong jobs record without the public simply laughing in his face.
Slowly, this is beginning to change. Take Jon Huntsman’s new offensive, for example.
At a South Carolina fundraiser last night, Huntsman, the former Obama administration official, took note of Romney’s failure on jobs during his one term. Without mentioning any names, Huntsman noted that Massachusetts ranked 47th in the nation on job creation during Romney’s tenure.
The frontrunner’s campaign responded that Romney is “proud” of his record, which included a “dramatic” turnaround in the job market. Huntsman’s team didn’t flinch.
Huntsman Spokesperson Tim Miller quickly shot back with a fiery tone never before seen by the campaign. He told ABC News: “”You know your job creation record is bad when you brag about leapfrogging a state ravaged by Hurricane Katrina.
“The reality is Mitt Romney’s record on job creation was abysmal by every standard. Governor Huntsman will run on his record of cutting taxes, reducing regulation, and passing free market health care which resulted in Utah becoming the #1 state for job creation. We assume Mitt Romney will continue to run away from his record.”
Ouch.
This is pretty interesting from a variety of angles. Most notably, it’s really the first meaningful shot at Romney we’ve seen all year — and it’s coming from a candidate who recently promised to never go negative.
But perhaps most importantly, Huntsman’s criticism is accurate. Romney’s record on jobs really is “abysmal by every standard.”
If Huntsman keeps this up, other candidates join in, and Romney develops a reputation for being the anti-jobs candidate, it’s a real problem for the frontrunner’s campaign. He already has to try to convince GOP primary voters to overlook his record as a pro-choice, one-term moderate who supported gay rights, gun control, immigration reform, and a center-left health care reform plan.
Can Romney credibly ask voters to overlook the jobs issue, too?
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Holmes on July 12, 2011 12:42 PM:
Multiple choice Mitt didn't run for reelection in Mass. because he had a 35% approval rating. The very people who saw his governing up close wanted nothing to do with him after 4 years.
Danp on July 12, 2011 12:46 PM:
Governor Huntsman will run on his record of ...reducing regulation
That might explain why there are still no criminal charges in connection with the Crandall Canyon mine disaster. If I were Huntsman, I wouldn't be throwing rocks or mentioning reduced regulations.
square1 on July 12, 2011 12:46 PM:
Interestingly, Steve Benen accepts without comment Huntsman's claims for WHY Utah was better at creating jobs than Massachusetts: "cutting taxes, reducing regulation, and passing free market health care".
Maybe it's just me, but I fail to see the benefit of knocking out the GOP frontrunner if it is achieved by further convincing the electorate of the wisdom of neo-liberal economic policies.
To me, the benefit of a guy like Huntsman is that he has the potential to inject a modicum of sanity into the GOP race. But if all he does is pander to the GOP by regurgitating tired GOP talking points, then who gives a damn whether he knocks Romeny down a peg?z
c u n d gulag on July 12, 2011 12:46 PM:
Poor Huntsman, I don't think he read the tea leaves correctly after 2008, thinking maybe the country had gone further left than it really had, so he's running a less rabid than needed campaign to interest the Republican base.
In all fairness to him, those tea leaves weren't in teabags yet.
He may be " America's Last Rational Republican."
Or, semi-rational.
foosion on July 12, 2011 12:59 PM:
The good news for Romney is that Obama proposed cutting Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. If Romney can win the Republican primary without appearing too insane to the general public, he could be our next president.
It's not as if Obama can convince the general public that he's better on jobs.
Algernon on July 12, 2011 1:03 PM:
Except for the cheap shot at the end, I don't consider it negative at all since the criticism is valid. Policy is fair game.
zeitgeist on July 12, 2011 1:11 PM:
square1, it is "Political Animal," not "Policy Animal." Even if every Republican was identical in result, the more infighting among them, the better for anyone not a Republican. They point out each others flaws, they expend resources - there is no downside. After decades of Democrats being the punchline in jokes about not being an organized political party, or about circular firing squads, take a moment to enjoy it happening to the other side for once.
it appears that Huntsman has come to the realization that hit T-Paw a few days ago: you cannot carry two non-rabid, rich Mormon businessmen who even look a little similar for very long in the primary season, just like you can't carry two Minnesotans of limited experience pandering to the right. The filed will undergo a series of "mini-primaries," where only one rich Mormon and only one Minnesotan will be viable beyond the early states.
Th on July 12, 2011 2:25 PM:
We should all be thankful Romney is attacking Obama on jobs or there would be no thought to jobs from this administration at all.
Lance on July 12, 2011 3:21 PM:
Isn't the fact that Huntsman's argument is true make it inappopriate for a Republican?
JS on July 12, 2011 3:38 PM:
People ought to remember that Huntsman is really running for 2016 (i.e. - this time he's running to make a name for himself).
Part of his strategy is to not have a failed Morman candidate from Utah lose the '12 election, because he's planning to ask the GOP electorate to nominate a Utah Morman in four years. So Huntsman's goals for this cycle are to position himself as "the next in line" for 2016, while preventing Romney from getting this nomination.
(Oh, and hope the GOP electorate gets a little less crazy after losing two elections to a 'Muslin terrorist pal-er arounder'.)
Ravi Joshi on July 12, 2011 3:49 PM:
I think Huntsman might just an Obama plant :)
Greg on July 12, 2011 8:37 PM:
Center RIGHT health care plan. Lest we forget, Romneycare and the ACA followed a proposal drawn up by Senate Republicans in Clinton's first term.
TCinLA on July 13, 2011 12:31 AM:
Romney's "record" as Governor on jobs also made the front page of the Los Angeles Times. I'd say it sounds like "dum-da-dum-dum - dummmmm" time for moron boy.