Your Improving Economic Situation Is Interfering With Mitt Romney's Plans

OK here's the way it works: People want good lives. They want to live in peace, make a decent living, breathe clean air, drink clean water and look out for their children's future. Now, there's no simple way to do all that, no single way either, so in a democracy when it comes to electing people who will be responsible for creating policies that move the nation towards these goals, there's bound to be disagreement.

Candidate A says, I know how to do this, we'll yadda yadda yadda, blah blah blah a bunch of suggestions, ideas and opinions. Candidate B says, no that's not it, we need to blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda a bunch of suggestions, ideas and opinions. And the electorate has to say, "Let's see, which of those plans makes the most sense to me?" One thing voters can be sure of though is that both candidates agree with the fundamental goals of the nation, and even though they disagree on the path to get there, they want to make things better for everybody in the long run. It's called public service for a reason, after all.

Well, unless one of those candidates happens to be a republican.

Mitt Romney’s presidential campaign asked Florida Governor Rick Scott to tone down his statements heralding improvements in the state’s economy because they clash with the presumptive Republican nominee’s message that the nation is suffering under President Barack Obama, according to two people familiar with the matter. 

"We were concerned that people might get the mistaken impression that just because things are improving, they're getting better," said a Romney spokesperson. "This misconception might interfere with Mitt's plan to get Mitt into the White House."

What’s unfolding in Florida highlights a dilemma for the Romney campaign: how to allow Republican governors to take credit for economic improvements in their states while faulting Obama’s stewardship of the national economy. Republican governors in Ohio, Virginia, Michigan and Wisconsin also have highlighted improving economies.

"The last thing Mitt needs is policies that work," said Mac Stipanovich, a political strategist and lobbyist in Florida. "It's almost like you're saying improving the lives of ordinary people is more important than electing Mitt president. Is that the America you want to live in?"

The state Republican party ran a television ad in March crediting Scott, who is a year and a half into a four-year term, for drops in the unemployment rate.  “The first time I saw that ad I initially thought it was an Obama ad,” said Brad Coker, managing director of the Washington-based Mason-Dixon Polling & Research. “They’ll have to tamp it down.”

"Right," agreed Stipanovich. "Do we really want people voting for candidates who actually want to do something about the problems common people have? I mean, you start down that road and pretty soon there'll be nothing for insanely rich people with too much time on their hands to do. Is that the America you want to raise your children in?"