Leadership and Perspective

Recently a few of those in conservative circles have been calling upon Mitt Romney to lay a knock-out punch on Obama, believing that the timing is right with the Supreme Court ruling and Obamacare. They further perceive weakness in the Romney team, which has not been as assertive as they might want in this regard, and consequentially the team needs an overhaul or shake-up. There is no question that a certain weakness exists in Obama because of Obamacare. To some degree, within the recent Supreme Court ruling and public animus toward Obamacare there is a window to capitalize upon. Even so, as to weakness in Obama, take your pick! Fortunately or unfortunately for us, there are many points of weakness in Obama: detachment; failed leadership; foreign policy (or lack thereof); security leaks; unbridled spending; obviation of Constitutional checks and balances through imperious edict and czars; Fast and Furious; immigration; burdensome debt and consequential intergenerational theft; lack, or undermining of trade policy; undermining of religious freedoms; abandonment of fundamental American values wherein he has undermined our social fabric by not defending marriage, family and life; failed economic and job policies; attempted purchasing of society; overburdensome and oppressive regulation, just to list a few. Appreciating the many conservative voices in the mix and the want to take out Obama now, we must recognize in our want for instant gratification that it is a process – a week is a lifetime in politics. If we can glean anything from history, within the political process, campaigns will experience innumerable ups and downs – and a week does not necessarily make or define a campaign – perspective.

Notwithstanding the dynamics of the process, the key constant and stratagem of a successful campaign must remain in a critically focused message, appreciating the want for static knock-out punches along the way. If there is any measure attributable to Mitt Romney and his team, it is focus, focus and focus! This does not presuppose the campaign should not and will not be agile and responsive to attacks or opportunities as they arise. However, amid the commotion and voices from the right or left the message is and remains, the economy! With the recent employment statistics and those that are sure to follow in the ensuing months, the economy will continue to be the key catalyst for change on November 6th.

Parenthetically, an interesting metaphor that harkens my thoughts and further applies to the commotive voices – when Israel was victorious over Egypt in the 6-day war. Notwithstanding the breadth of its border with Egypt, Israel’s strategy was to identify Egypt’s weakest point, line up its tanks and penetrate the border and then disperse. It was an elegant strategy for victory. The Romney team has similarly identified Obama’s weakest point (much to the suffering of America), the economy, and is laser focused on its message.

Surely, there will be many voices – Obama, his campaign and PR machine chief among them, that will seek to distract the message away from the economy and Obama’s record. Whether it is immigration, Mitt Romney’s character and personal wealth, 99:1 and class warfare, Obamacare or whatever, Romney’s campaign needs to keep its primary focus on the catalyst for change, the economy and jobs. People in America are ‘tired’ and ‘suffering’ and unlike Obama, Mitt gets it.

Mitt Romney has assembled a great team whose depth and resources are second to none. As the general election cycle continues, the team will continue to expand as was recently announced with Kevin Madden being elevated in his role, or as resources are culled and called upon for the evolving campaign dynamics and/or the Vice Presidential candidate. Gratefully, we have a candidate and support team that understands the process and is earnestly steadfast in what matters. They listen, gather data, adapt, and press forward with purpose in the message. What is the phrase – too many chefs in the kitchen spoil the broth? I am just saying… With so many passionate, interested and influential voices speaking simultaneously, and further compounded with the Obama campaign and public relations machine, the Romney campaign must remain adherent to a clarion voice of purpose, message and focus. Can they do better in communicating the message with clarity and passion? Yes. Does it require a shake-up and overhaul? No. Will the campaign be sufficiently agile in drawing upon needed, adaptive and experienced resources? Yes.

Our anxieties and wants to get Obama out now can encumber and cloud our perspective, especially if we allow it to seep into the cracks of our faith, or our understanding of ‘enduring’ campaigns. Gratefully and confidently, Romney has been sufficiently steeled in his experience to have the wisdom necessary to filter the voices of commotion; and is further endowed with the key leadership capacities to listen and guide his campaign and our country to victory in November. To paraphrase Ann Romney, with Mitt Romney the country wins, with Barack Obama, we lose!

Appreciating the quarterbacking from so many and the need to express critically constructive opinion, now is the time to stand as one, unified and aligned with Mitt Romney, that we might take back America and restore our economy and freedoms; he remains our hope for America’s future. Even so, as we are wont to offer constructive thoughts, we must do so with consideration for Obama’s PR machine and how they might seek to use our commentary as a further divide to fracture our party and nation. Without any doubt, now is the time to raise our voices with purpose and measure! Now is the time to draw upon the strength of America and Americans, coalescing all interests behind Mitt Romney to take back what we have lost in the Obama Era – restoring freedom, liberty, our economy and America’s exceptionalism.

Follow David Parker on Twitter @dparkersrs