Mitt Romney loves America.<\/p>\n
Not just the land but the word. It dominates his speeches, appearing in some form 50 times in an address to veterans Tuesday in Nevada. Romney\u2019s campaign slogan is Believe in America. On the stump, he sings America the Beautiful.<\/p>\n
But amid the rallying call to a weary nation, Romney has been drawing a parallel portrait of President Barack Obama as someone who does not share, understand or believe in core American values. In speech after speech, Romney seems to be blowing a dog whistle: He is not one of us.<\/p>\n
The subtle effort seeks to define Obama as out of touch and to raise doubts among voters who fear the country is on the decline. If voters believe Obama shares different values, then it\u2019s easier to believe he is leading the country to ruin.<\/p>\n
In broad ways, it is a classic campaign strategy, and Obama is working his own \u201cI\u2019m more like you\u201d angle along class lines. Romney\u2019s strategy, however, must contend with the tripwires of race and religion that still surround Obama nearly four years after he became America\u2019s first black president.<\/p>\n