Kristen Soltis: One Approach, For Two Audiences

Having weathered the tense, topsy-turvy contest for the Republican presidential nomination, Mitt Romney now moves into the next chapter of the 2012 campaign. But how that next chapter reads is yet to be determined.

The departure of Rick Santorum from the race has sparked debate about how much Romney will need to “fire up the base” as he moves forward in order to turn out very conservative voters in November. Yet as voters grow increasingly frustrated with both parties, it is disaffected voters and disappointed independents who will be most decisive in this coming election.

The great news for Romney is that, no matter how you slice the electorate into target groups, the economy and jobs are the top issues on voters’ minds.

This is not an election that will be decided on social or cultural issues.

Despite Democrats’ efforts to turn fundamentally economic and fiscal issues into cultural issue wedges, the election will not hinge on issues like free contraception or funding for Planned Parenthood.

The White House will go to the candidate who voters believe truly has a plan to create jobs and grow the economy.

As President Obama travels the country this week talking up the “Buffett rule,” without a clear case for how raising taxes on millionaires will create jobs, he will be on the wrong topic. It is critical for Romney to stay on the right one.

The post-primary phase of a campaign will involve changes in how the campaign allocates its resources. The focus will shift from the next state on the primary calendar to the swing states, and the audience for Romney’s message will broaden to the full electorate.

Staying focused on economic issues will allow Romney to play to his strengths and make the compelling case to very conservative and swing voters alike that he has what it takes to get America working again.

(Cross-posted, with permission of the author, from New York Times’ “Room for Debate”)