The Boston Globe is out with a story about the leaked Mitt Romney presidential campaign strategy PowerPoint, 77 slides that detail Romney's strengths and weakness and those of his main rivals for the GOP presidential nomination. Scott Hellman's story in the Globe is a fascinating read, and the reader is left with the impression that Romney's team knows what it is doing and has a good plan...
The plan concedes that, with McCain and Giuliani in the race, Romney is unlikely to be the top pick for those voters looking for a "war/strong leader." His goal appears to be establishing himself as a credible second choice for those voters, but the first pick for voters looking for an energetic, optimistic, and innovative chief executive. (A page titled "Own the future" dubs McCain the past, Giuliani the present, and Romney the future. )
The case for Romney, according to the plan, is this: "Mitt Romney, tested, intelligent, get-it-done, turnaround CEO Governor and strong leader from outside Washington, is a better candidate than McCain & Giuliani to ensure that America's strength is maintained so we can meet a new generation of global challenges."
The document underscores Romney's aim to become the "only electable choice" for socially conservative voters. But the plan anticipates that Romney could face a serious threat if Newt Gingrich, the former House speaker who is considered one of the GOP's leading conservative intellectuals, decides to enter the race.
Romney is the second GOP presidential contendor whose campaign strategy document leaked to the press this year. Giuliani was the first.
As A.C. Kleinheider put it rather well: "You're not big time unless your internal campaign strategy document has leaked to press" - and Romney has "hit the big time."
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