NBC Wonders If Romney Overseas Trip 'A Week Lost' In the Campaign
Talking to special correspondent Tom Brokaw about Mitt Romney's 10-day
international tour on Thursday's NBC Today, co-host Savannah Guthrie
suggested the effort was a mistake: "Is it a smart idea, an
opportunity to look presidential? Or is it a week lost when he could be
driving that message on the economy?"
Brokaw's first reaction was to gush over Barack Obama's 2008 trip
abroad: "I actually interviewed President Obama, then-Senator, here in
London after a very successful trip. Times were different. There was no
Arab Spring at that time, Europe was not yet in an economic meltdown,
this was a fresh face after eight years of George W. Bush, who was not
popular." Brokaw then added: "But it's mandatory for a presidential
candidate to make these kind of tours."
Brokaw also touted anonymous GOP sources fretting over Romney not making an effective case against Obama:
I've been hearing it from almost all the senior Republicans that I know who are not directly attached to his campaign....One of them said quite simply he has to persuade the American people, who hired President Obama, they now have to fire him. And he hasn't done a very good job of that, primarily because he's not stepped forward in a way that they believe he must.
In a report prior to Guthrie's exchange with Brokaw, campaign
correspondent Peter Alexander began by touting President Obama's poll
advantage on foreign policy: "The latest NBC News/Wall Street Journal
poll shows that by a double-digit margin more Americans trust President
Obama than Mitt Romney to handle foreign policy issues. And on this
trip, Romney's hoping to close that gap with a show of statesmanship."
Alexander
then chose to highlight Obama campaign attempts to tear down one of
Romney's strengths: "In London through Friday's opening ceremony, Romney
is hoping to highlight his own Olympic experience, reviving the 2002
Salt Lake City games...But now even that success story is being used
against him, with a pro-Obama super-PAC spoofing Romney's business
background in this new ad."
A clip played of the ad, mocking Romney's leadership at the winter
games: "There's Mitt Romney, who ran the Salt Lake City games, waving to
China, home to a billion people, thousands owe their jobs to Mitt
Romney's companies."
On Thursday, the International Olympic Committee demanded
that the pro-Obama group that made the ad, Priorities USA, take it down
immediately: "The Olympic Games are a celebration of friendship,
excellence and respect....the attacks, using Olympic themes and images,
need to stop."
Near the end of his report, Alexander took another Olympic shot at
Romney: "Here at the games, the Romney's literally have a horse in this
race. Ann Romney's horse Refalka will compete for the U.S. next
Saturday, in the exclusive sport of dressage."
Here is a full transcript of Guthrie's July 26 exchange with Brokaw:
7:08AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Tom Brokaw is an NBC News special correspondent. Tom, good morning, it's good to see you.
TOM BROKAW: Good morning, Savannah. It's good to be back here.
GUTHRIE: Well, Romney's here for a week on his overseas trip. Candidate
Obama did the same thing four years ago. Is it a smart idea, an
opportunity to look presidential? Or is it a week lost when he could be
driving that message on the economy?
BROKAW: Well, there was a big debate within the Romney campaign about
whether he should come four years ago. I actually interviewed President
Obama, then-Senator, here in London after a very successful trip. Times
were different. There was no Arab Spring at that time, Europe was not
yet in an economic meltdown, this was a fresh face after eight years of
George W. Bush, who was not popular.
But it's mandatory for a presidential candidate to make these kind of
tours. The big stop will be Israel. We'll see a lot of Governor Romney
in Israel, probably with Bibi Netanyahu, very close, and prominent
Jewish fundraisers who want to peel away the Jewish vote from the
Democratic Party on this cycle.
GUTHRIE: One thing we saw in our recent NBC News/Wall Street Journal
poll was that both candidates have high negative ratings. Obviously the
campaign is taking a toll with some voters. First of all, do you think
that the attacks on Romney on Bain have been successful? Secondly, do
they hurt President Obama on the one issue where he's been pretty
consistent, which is voters say he's likable?
BROKAW: Well, it's a double-edged sword. Very senior Republicans who've
been at this a long time are very worried about the success of the
Obama campaign and the President himself defining Governor Romney.
That's the last thing you want to do in American politics. On the other
hand, it probably has lowered the public estimation of President Obama
personally. They just don't like negative voting. A lot of this will
change once the conventions get under way. We'll have a whole
redefinition of this campaign beginning in late August, after the
Olympics, Savannah.
GUTHRIE: And you've reported that some senior Republicans are worried that Romney's not counterpunching harder.
BROKAW: No, that – in fact, I've been hearing it from almost all the
senior Republicans that I know who are not directly attached to his
campaign. They've been around a long, long time. One of them said quite
simply he has to persuade the American people, who hired President
Obama, they now have to fire him. And he hasn't done a very good job of
that, primarily because he's not stepped forward in a way that they
believe he must.
GUTHRIE: Well, one thing that's clear about this race is it's been
remarkably static the last few months, they've been just within a few
points of each other. What's the game-changer that's going to shake it
up and be determinative here?
BROKAW: Well, a couple of things. First of all, the conventions will,
what happens in the economy, and I think it'll stay pretty much where it
is. And then the Commission on Presidential Debates announced yesterday
that they would have a series of debates. Those will be paramount in
the American public's eyes about determining, "Is that someone I'm
comfortable with? Is that someone who I think can fix what's wrong with
the country?" So we have a long way to go, Savannah.
GUTHRIE: We do indeed. Tom Brokaw, good to see you. Thank you so much.
BROKAW: Always good. Thanks.
GUTHRIE: And by the way, Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann, will be with us
live tomorrow on Today and we'll also talk to the First Lady Michelle
Obama, who's leading the U.S. delegation here.
