With Gov. Mitt Romney having taken the title of presumptive Republican nominee, it’s fair to say that this week has been the first of the general election. And it just so happens that both general election candidates gave speeches Friday that highlighted the central messages of their respective campaigns: ‘freedom’ versus ‘fairness’.
Both President Obama and Governor Romney opened their speeches by setting up the election in November as a choice between two vastly different visions for America. Here’s a mashup of the two speeches:
Obama’s speech on trade policy contained a number of allusions to economic fairness and the need to build an economy where “everybody gets a fair shot.” And though he didn’t directly reference the Buffet Rule, he did speak about growing the economy “not just from the top down, but from the bottom up.”
Romney, speaking to the NRA’s annual meeting in St. Louis, spoke on the importance of protecting freedom in America (Romney used the word freedom over 20 times in his speech) and the ways in which Obama’s administration had encroached or disregarded them.
Both candidates also ended their speeches on a positive note by praising America.
