The most specific and prominent promise Mitt Romney has made on the nation’s finances was a promise to keep the word “God” on America’s hard currency.
It was the latest in a string of Romney moves refocusing his attention on the culture war, including an appearance with Pat Robertson and a hearty endorsement of GOP red meat purveyor Rep. Steve King (R-IA).
Never mind all that, the Romney campaign insists — the election is still about the economy.
“The Romney-Ryan campaign understands Americans struggling in the Obama economy will determine the outcome of the race,” Romney pollster Neil Newhouse wrote in a “state of the race” memo Monday.
Despite their recent highlighting of non-economic issues like the motto stamped on bills at the U.S. Mint, the Romney campaign insists it’s the Obama campaign that’s trying to change the subject from the economy.
“President Obama is desperate to run a ‘change the subject’ campaign,” Fehrnstrom told BuzzFeed. “The subject has been the economy, is the economy, and will be the economy. Mitt Romney doesn’t want to change the subject, he wants to change the economy and that’s what he’s going to do as president.”
This week the Romney campaign could find itself focused on social issues yet again. On Friday, Paul Ryan is scheduled to speak at the Values Voter Summit in D.C., an annual gathering of social conservatives hosted by the Family Research Council.
The Democratic Party platform — which was amended in Charlotte to include the word “God” and to affirm support for Jerusalem as the capital of Israel — is sure to be a focus, as is the Missouri Senate race. The FRC and other social conservative groups have promised to support Republican nominee Todd Akin, while Ryan and other more establishment Republicans have called on Akin to quit the race after his “legitimate rape” comments.
