Romney Campaign Seeks Payback and Confrontation

Romney's nearly empty circling campaign bus and surrogates at Obama/Biden events were apparently the tip of the dumb campaign strategy iceberg.

The Romney campaign is into "payback" despite the fact that the Left and Obama people know how to do disruption so much better than any Republican. (Can you say "Wisconsin"?)

The Romney campaign seems to be doubling down on dumb. Byron York reports that today Obama adviser David Axelrod and other Democratic speakers faced "about 100 Romney workers, supporters, and volunteers [who] showed up to chant, shout, and heckle the speakers every step of the way." [emphasis added]

"It was the kind of tactic that is usually repaid in kind on the campaign trail, and it seems likely -- certain, actually -- that Romney surrogates, and perhaps Mitt Romney himself, will soon face similar actions at their events. But Romney aides aren't worried, saying what they did was both payback and a message.

"'They heckle us at every single event we go to,' says a well-connected Romney aide. 'Just last week, Romney did a speech at the bridge to nowhere [in New Hampshire] and alluded to the "Greek chorus" that was off to the side.' Indeed, as Romney talked about government waste, a group of Democrats stood at some distance and shouted 'Obama! Obama! Obama!' Romney faced a similar scene at another event in New Hampshire, in a fishing village, when he and Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte were hounded by pro-Obama protesters. And pro-Obama forces also staged a big protest when Romney gave his speech on the economy in Detroit in February.

"So Team Romney views the Boston event as payback. But they also, by striking back bigger and louder, want to send a message to Team Obama that Romney is ready to fight. Romney aides characterize the Axelrod event as a 'sneak attack' in Romney's home territory. 'The Obama campaign thought they were going to come into our own turf and launch a dishonest sneak attack on Gov. Romney's record,' says the Romney aide. 'We're not going to allow that to happen. We are going to hold them accountable every single time.'"
[emphasis added]

Not worried? Bigger and louder? Good luck with that.* The Romney campaign staff may turn out to make the 2008 McCain campaign staff look not so bad after all.
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*Unfortunately the Obama team is not made up of the same kind of gentlemen as the Gingrich team was. They are more the kind that bring a gun to a knife fight.