At Keiser University here on Wednesday, Romney stood before a banner that read "Economic Turnaround" with the sleeves of his white dress shirt immaculately rolled up, and spoke about how his successful career in the private sector made him ideally suited to be the steward of an uncertain economy.
"I didn't spend my life in politics, that's not how I got going," Romney explained. "I spent 25 years in the private sector, in business."
While Romney has made his business background a part of his presidential run from the beginning, his image as a corporate turnaround artist was obscured as he aggressively courted social conservatives and attempted to prove he was tough on national security.
As the former venture capitalist talking about the scourge of global jihad from his front lawn, or as the recently converted pro-lifer touting his support for the Human Life Amendment, Romney came across as artificial.
In the early nominating contests, voters who wanted an authentic social conservative went with Mike Huckabee, and those who were looking for a strong commander-in-chief during a time of war got behind John McCain.
NOW, SEIZING ON growing economic unease, Romney has begun to employ populist rhetoric, and frame every issue as an economic challenge.
"The things I'm hearing from people as I go from town to town and city to city are actually pretty similar as I go across Florida," he said. "People are concerned about the economy, what's happening to jobs...A lot of families are feeling an economic squeeze."
