Defining Romney

The recent spate of bad news for the President is both opportunity and temptation for Mitt Romney. The opportunity is that the President has not been able to effectively "change the conversation" as the news cycle continues to focus on his own blunders and economic jitters. This gives Romney the opening to define himself while Obama is on defense. The danger is that Romney will repeat his mistake from the 2008 primaries, failing to convincingly define himself because he thought his best opportunity was to wait for his opponents to make a mistake. Peggy Noonan reminded me of this with today's column.

Actually, it's amazing that during an existential crisis—a crisis that is economic, cultural and political, and that bears on our role and purpose in the world—both candidates for our highest office have felt free to be so . . . well, insubstantial. Neither Mr. Romney nor Mr. Obama has caught hold of the overall meaning of his candidacy, Mr. Romney because so far he's chosen not to, and Mr. Obama because he's tried and failed.
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Only when he does this will he show that he actually does have a larger purpose, and only then will people really turn toward him. He has to tell Americans why they can believe him, why a nation saturated with politics, chronically disappointed by its leaders, and tired of promises can, actually, put some faith in him.

They want to know how America can come back. Because they're pretty sure, down deep, that America has another comeback in her.

Indeed we do, we just have to see if it's after a crisis that will wilt Obama or one that will allow Romney to rise to the occasion. Believe me, a crisis is coming; we are not immune to the forces that of economics buffeting Greece. Our entitlement crisis, underfunded government pensions, and low economic growth are going to create a crisis. The only question is when, and how will this great republic respond.