Time Magazine: Romney Is 'Too Focused' on the Economy

It might sound ridiculous, but Time magazine writer Michael Crowley actually grumbled in an article on Monday that the GOP presidential candidate is “One-Note Mitt” Romney, whose campaign defines this year's election as merely “a referendum on Obama's handling of the economy.”

The author then noted that with “almost comical discipline,” Romney “steers virtually every topic” back to the incumbent Democrat's economic record.

In a speech to Latino leaders last week, for instance, Romney dodged some key immigration policy questions while harping on Obama’s failure to create more jobs: “Is the America of 11% Hispanic unemployment the America of our dreams?” he asked.

Crowley turned his attention to two recent elections that “are remembered primarily as referendums on an ailing economy,” Ronald Reagan's 1980 victory over Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton's win over George H. W. Bush in 1992.

Defeating an incumbent in times of economic distress might require campaign themes that go beyond the economy, the author wrote.

Reagan pounded Carter over foreign policy and the size of government. Clinton was brimming with policy ideas, including a major health care plan. And, crucially, in both cases the challengers were more likable–or at least seemed so on television. They were the guys most Americans would rather have a beer with.

Crowley stated that “it’s obviously ominous for Obama that both those incumbents lost. But it’s possible that Romney is doing him a favor with his light touch on issues other than the economy.”

Conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh weighed in on the topic on Tuesday, calling the criticism of Romney “a concerted effort” by the “mainstream” media and the White House being carried out because Obama is “getting hurt too much by a bad economy.”

“Now the economy doesn't matter, presidents have nothing to say about it, and Mitt, you're overdoing it on the economy,” Limbaugh said while summarizing the Democrats' strategy.

He added that Romney is being called a “one-note samba” who should “move on to the social issues or something.”

Also, Breitbart.com author John Nolte referred to the Time article as an example  of “media desperation” to “shift the conversation of the presidential race away from the economy and on to the turf that might win their failed president a second term.”

Nolte defines the Democrats' alternative strategy as “the identity politics of race, which has been disguised as 'immigration policy' and has been an obsession of Obama's Media Palace Guards for the last ten days.”

However, Romney knows that strategy is a trap and refuses to play along.

As a result, the media's narrative focus has now laughably turned away from immigration policy and towards Romney refusing to talk about anything but the economy.

The author states that the media has two reasons for coordinating with the White House. First, “polls show that the last ten days have done nothing to move the needle in Obama's direction.”

Second, if the focus stays on the economy, Obama loses.

“The media wants specifics for the same reason Obama wants specifics: to use as weapons to bludgeon Romney to death with,” Nolte stated. “The corrupt media and White House have created an Immigration Death Star to destroy Romney with should he be foolish enough to play their game.”

“No good can come from Romney giving the corrupt media the specifics it demands,” the writer noted.. “Only pain.

“Conservatives should rejoice over the spine of steel Romney is showing under this pressure and not let themselves give into it,” he added.