Reno, Nevada (CNN) – Based on the details that his campaign is willing to release publicly, Mitt Romney is keeping a light event schedule this week. Still, a top aide to the GOP nominee maintains Romney is campaigning “very vigorously.”
But a look at the campaign’s recent itineraries suggest otherwise. While Romney has put in long days over the past week, he’s held only a handful of events.
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Romney started this week with a single rally in the battleground state of Ohio on Monday and then traveled to Chicago for an evening fundraiser.
Tuesday’s schedule was no more hectic. To mark the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks on the U.S., Romney flew four hours from Chicago to Reno, Nevada, to speak before a group of National Guard members. On the ground for little more than an hour in the Western swing state, Romney then hopped back on a plane for a five-hour flight to Jacksonville for a fundraiser Wednesday. Late Tuesday, Romney aides added a lone public event on Wednesday at the candidate’s campaign office in Jacksonville.
Despite the fact that the campaign has only hinted at a few additional public events for the rest of the week, a Romney spokesman insisted Monday the GOP nominee will “continue to keep up a pretty good pace.”
“The governor’s been campaigning very vigorously and we’re going to continue to campaign very vigorously,” Romney adviser Kevin Madden told reporters in Ohio on Monday.
But in recent days, fellow Republicans from former New York Gov. George Pataki to conservative talk show host Laura Ingraham have openly expressed their frustrations with Romney’s campaign strategy.
"If you can't beat Barack Obama with this record, then shut down the party. Shut it down. Start new, with new people," Ingraham said on her radio show Monday.
On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, Pataki said Romney needed to simplify his 59-point economic plan so that families in Ohio could understand his proposals. But Romney has done just that. In recent speeches, he has ticked off five main economic goals for a Romney administration. That boiling down, it seems, may need more time on the stove.
Romney's light schedule has not only been confined to this week.
After last Friday's government report on unemployment reaffirmed the nation's anemic jobs market, the Republican candidate spent nearly the entire day flying back and forth from a single event in Iowa, leaving precious little time on the ground to comment on the latest economic news. His second event of the day in New Hampshire began nearly a half-day after the jobs report was issued.
One top Republican strategist suggested it's time for Romney to step it up.
“Romney needs a busier schedule to make clear what he's fighting for. He can't afford to waste the three weeks until the first debate,” CNN political contributor Alex Castellanos said.
“Romney needs a narrative, a story, so voters understand he's going to bring change to a country that 70% of them believe is on the wrong track."
Others in the party want to see Romney sharpen his message.
Jennifer Rubin, a conservative blogger with the Washington Post, took issue with Romney’s foreign policy speech, marking the 11th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
The speech, before the National Guard Association, was supposed to give Romney the opportunity to address the war in Afghanistan, a subject he left out of his Republican convention speech, to the dismay of some in his own party.
“This was a wasted opportunity when he could have shown some mettle,” Rubin wrote on the Post web site. “His foreign policy message, not unlike his domestic policy message, is getting put through the Boston blender, it seems, coming out mush. That would be mush with no flavor.”
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Ouch!!! Mitt, with friends like this...
Mush with no flavor is a pretty good description of the Romney/Ryan white bread ticket. They're proposals are indeed leaving a bad taste with the public.
Aww, even Romney is not in it anymore. He can't wait to go back to Bain Capital firm once this election is over with so he can buy firms and loot its assets, then outsource more American jobs to overseas. Vulture capitalism at its finest. Time to charge him and his ilk 39.6 percent tax on unearned income just like it was during Clinton administration.
Romney is the scapegoat of an obstructionist GOP bent on defeating President Obama at any cost. Americans can see the obvious treason to the country and against the very citizen they are trying to convice to vote for them. I am registered Republican and there is not one in office that I can believe is honest anymore. I say backoff try a different approach in 2016.
Mush with no flavor is a pretty good description of the Romney/Ryan white bread ticket. They're proposals are indeed leaving a bad taste with the public. Ryan has cut money for veterans in his budget.
Acosta had better improve on his math. I believe it is the eleventh anniversary of 9/11
Romney's campaign is in disarray, a campaign guilty of political malpractice. Only Flip Flopping Romney can snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. He is caught between a hard place and hard rock. Attempts to move towards the center can only draw the ire of the extreme right wing of his party.
Is the campaign becoming too much for wittle Mittens?? If you're scared now, just wait for the debates!!
Poor Mitt, this whole presidential run is just not working out.
But...but... it's his TURN! He already has the china picked out!
Mitt the twit, you have already lost on foreign policy. Give it up, you are done
“Morning Joe” , I remember when he thought he might run as Donald Trump's VP. Kinda arrogant !
On MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” program, Pataki said Romney needed to simplify his 59-point economic plan so that families in Ohio could understand his proposals. But Romney has done just that. In recent speeches, he has ticked off five main economic goals for a Romney administration. That boiling down, it seems, may need more time on the stove.
Why not a 60 point economic plan , or 61 0r 62 ?
Give him a break he is an old man, besides he didn't yet think through why is running for. The only thing Mitten is sure about is that to become the leader of the free world is highly prestigious and surley match his pedigree.
Tower to Romney campaign, come in Romney campaign, do you read us? Over. You are losing altitude fast Romney campaign, pull up Romney campaign, pull up!! Romney campaign, Romney campaign, we are not reading you over.............................................................................................................................................................................
I agree whole heartly that Romney/Ryan are trashing themselves, but Laura Ingraham is an imbecile there's only 7 1/2 weeks until the election if Romney shuts down now and trys to put a whole new staff in place that will take 5-6 wks out of the 7 1/2 weeks left! The debates will have to be defaulted to Obama/Biden, because without a staff Mittens won't have a clue as to what he's supposed to comment on and what he's supposed to keep his mouth shut on. The gaffe olympics will ensue!
ALL Republicans should have stayed home during the primaries and forced the loonies in your party to come up with a better crop of candidates. You gave in and voted for trash well, this is what your stuck with so stop your whinning!!
What can I say. Mitt is just tired. It is never an easy job running for the white house. Romney is not prepared at all. He want people to do the work for him.
It's sad that two or three events a day in different states, is considered a light schedule.
Willard is tired.Ann Romney complained about willard's schedule during the republican debates.Give it up republicans Willard is a soft rich guy end of story.You overlooked the most intelligent republican,which was Huntsman.
I think he is losing. Too bad that we will have another, and more disastrous, years to come.
I suspect that many in the GOP are frustrated with Romney and very likely believe that they should have supported a true conservative like Santorum or maybe Gingrich. I don't think Paul's libertarian voters care for Romney at all and Romney is alienating the conservatives that have till now agreed to hold their noses and vote for him. I wonder if once the dust clears whether GOP supporters will feel that Romney had a wasted candidacy on their behalf.
Mitten u go boy ! He don't have a plan , sorry Gop , TEAPARTY Greeks
Romney is taking a crash course on the topic "HOW TO DEBATE PRESIDENT OBAMA AND LOSE GALLANTLY WITHOUT LOOKING STUPID".So he needs all that time to learn.Newt told him Obama has been preparing for the debates with Bill Clinton,with John Kerry as moderator.The House Leader also let him in on the fact that Obama has been studying the economy for 31/2 years,and knows much more than he's given credit for,it is said he pointedly told him that Obama is a US Economy expert.I heard the thought of debating President Obama,gives Romney the creeps.
It's nice to see the 50 shades of white still a tiny little small gathering.
First responder health care anyone? Nto according to Ryan who voted against it time and gain. Obamacare anyone, no (same as mine in MA), yes, some, no!
Does it surprise anyone on how Romney keeps showing how much he's not ready for the office of president. Even his supposedly strength are shown as weak.
Mitt the twit appears to be slinking down the home stretch. The debates will be a Rick Perry repeat for him.