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Democrats aim to blunt Romney bump

Sep 1st 2012, 12:56

Mitt Romney greets supporters Thursday at the Republican National Convention.

Mitt Romney heads for Isaac-affected Gulf Coast; Paul Ryan stumps in Virginia
Romney adviser: "We didn't need to move a mountain. We just needed to push forward"
As the nominee, Romney now is free to spend big bucks on ads
Democrats' convention will aim to blunt whatever bounce Romney gets

Charlotte, North Carolina (CNN) -- Mitt Romney departed Tampa, Florida, on Friday hoping to ride any momentum he had built up over the past week as he makes the final turn into the November election.

Romney's acceptance address won't go down as often quoted but it got the job done. He introduced his version of himself to America after months of his persona being defined by President Barack Obama's campaign and allies. He and running mate Paul Ryan tried to plant a seed of doubt about the next four years of an Obama administration. They didn't offer much in the way of specifics about how a Romney administration would shift the sluggish economy into a higher gear but had plenty of reasons why Obama's administration hasn't.

Even Romney's advisers weren't predicting a slingshot out of the convention, but they didn't sound as if they were expecting one.

CNN contributors: Did Romney gain ground?

"We didn't need to move a mountain," a Romney adviser told CNN's Candy Crowley. "We just needed to push forward, move the ball down the court, and he did."

Presidential candidate Mitt Romney delivers his acceptance speech on the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Thursday, August 30.

Attendees celebrate as confetti and balloons drop after Romney's speech.

Romney and vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan take the stage with their families at the end of the night.

People bow their heads for the benediction to wrap up the GOP convention.

Romney and Ryan wave to the audience after Romney's speech, which described a future of opportunity and promise for the nation.

Romney greets supporters as he enters the arena Thursday.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio introduces Romney after his speech.

Delegates wave signs on the final day of the RNC.

Actor Clint Eastwood speaks as a surprise guest.

Mitt Romney's wife, Ann, and son Josh sit in the VIP box.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush speaks on stage.

A man holds an American flag in the audience.

Pam Finlayson speaks during the convention.

Jane Edmonds, the former Massachusetts secretary of workforce, delivers remarks.

Olympians and gold medalists Michael Eruzione, Derek Parra and Kim Rhode stand on stage at the convention.

A woman clasps her hands during the program.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and his wife, Callista, speak during a tribute to former president Ronald Reagan on Thursday.

Callista and Newt Gingrich take the stage during the final day of the Republican National Convention.

Delegates listen to the national anthem at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry applauds during the final day of the convention.

U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, R-Florida, speaks on stage during the final day.

Law enforcement officials work to free protesters with Earth First, who had connected themselves to each other in front of the Big Bend TECO Power Station in Apollo Beach, Florida. Substantially fewer protesters took to the downtown Tampa streets Thursday.

GOP vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan addresses the Republican National Convention on Wednesday night.

Paul Ryan's wife, Janna, is flanked by her sons Charlie, left, and Sam during Ryan's keynote address Wednesday night.

A woman grasps her hands during speeches on the third day of the GOP convention.

Paul Ryan and his wife and children exit the stage after the biggest speech of his political career.

Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice speaks at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Wednesday. She accused President Barack Obama of yielding the nation's leadership role in the world.

George Engelbach, dressed as President Abraham Lincoln, attends the GOP convention.

Mike Huckabee, a Republican candidate in the 2008 presidential primaries, backs his one-time rival Mitt Romney.

A woman snaps an image with her iPhone during Wednesday night's events.

Former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty takes the convention stage.

Delegate Carlos Mendez of Puerto Rico watches Wednesday night's program.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez delivers remarks. Her speech emphasized her belief in the American Dream.

Delegate Crystal Berg of Hartford, Wisconsin, cries while watching the George H.W. Bush tribute Wednesday night.

Arizona Sen. John McCain, who was the 2008 Republican presidential nominee, speaks to the audience.

As Sen. John McCain speaks, some audience members display happy birthday posters.

Sen. John McCain, who was a POW during the Vietnam War, addresses the crowd.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention.

Col.Oscar Poole of Georgia puts his arm around Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.

Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention. His father, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, was one of the hopefuls for the 2012 nomination.

Former President George W. Bush is shown on the giant screens at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

A woman gestures during the third day of the Republican National Convention.

Rosemary Edwards of Austin, Texas, kisses the face of Texas Gov. Rick Perry.

Sen. John Thune of South Dakota speaks during the third day of the Republican National Convention.

A woman holds a campaign sign.

Sen. Rob Portman of Ohio speaks at the podium.

Delegates from Maine and supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul chant "As Maine goes, so goes the nation" after they staged a walkout at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Paul Ryan speaks during a soundcheck Wednesday.

Ryan waves with daughter, Liza Ryan, and sons, Charlie Ryan, right, and Sam Ryan from the stage during a soundcheck.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney exits a vehicle before boarding his campaign plane. As the Republican National Convention continues, Romney will travel to Indianapolis to address the American Legion.

Laura Bowman accepts Bradley Thompson's proposal on the stage. Thompson is a production manager and Bowman is a production coordinator for the convention.

Arizona Sen. John McCain walks the floor.

Bradley Thompson kneels down to propose to Laura Bowman, who accepted, on the stage.

Journalists and media work the third day of the Republican National Convention.

Ryan gives the thumbs-up during a sound check at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Ann Romney, Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's wife, greets a crowd of supporters on Tuesday.

Mitt Romney joins his wife on stage shortly after she addressed the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Tuesday, August 28.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivers the keynote address to wrap up the first full night of the convention.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney sits between his wife, Ann, and former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice during Gov. Chris Christie's speech.

Concluding the first night of speech, Chris Christie declared Republicans were willing to face the tough issues and find solutions that work.

Delegates watch Gov. Chris Christie deliver the keynote address.

A delegate snaps a photograph of Chris Christie just before his speech.

As the crowd cheers, Mitt Romney embraces his wife, Ann, on stage during the convention.

An excerpt from Ann Romney's speech is displayed on a teleprompter Tuesday. She repeatedly referred to her first date with Mitt Romney in urging Americans to trust him to fix the nation's problems.

A veteran claps during Ann Romney's speech.

Ann Romney addresses the crowd in the biggest political speech of her life. She concluded by declaring "you can trust Mitt."

Former Republican presidential candidate Rick Santorum addresses the crowd Tuesday.

Leslie Jones of Virginia Beach, Virginia, wears a hat with tea bags attached.

Ohio Gov. John Kasich waves as he takes the stage.

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich walks the floor.

American pop opera singer Neal E. Boyd performs at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

American country and gospel vocal quartet Oak Ridge Boys perform.

Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, who is running for the U.S. Senate, speaks.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley waves on stage.

Former U.S. Rep. Artur Davis speaks. He changed his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican earlier this year.

Delegates crowd the floor after the tallying of votes during the roll call for nomination of president of the United States at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Delegates display signs in support of Mitt Romney after the tallying of votes during the roll call for nomination of president of the United States.

Scott Romney, brother of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, cheers during the roll call.

People cheer as the screen displays "Over The Top" during the roll call of delegates.

Supporters flash posters supporting Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

People hold signs that say "Mitt!" as U.S. Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, speaks.

Delegates from host state Florida face photographers and cameras as they pose for the official convention photograph.

A delegate takes a picture of the floor at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Ann Romney, Republican presidential candidate former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney's wife, stands onstage with stage manager Howard Kolins during a soundcheck.

People from the Texas delegation say the Pledge of Allegiance.

A delegate from Wisconsin sports a cheese hat at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Ann Romney leans on a seat aboard the campaign plane en route to Tampa.

Karl Rove, former deputychief of staff and senior policy adviser to President George W. Bush, talks on a phone at the convention hall.

Republican candidate Ron Paul waves to supporters at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

A woman cheers during the second day of the Republican National Convention.

A delegate checks out the convention floor before other delegates arrive at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

A convention attendee carries a bag with a Time magazine featuring Mitt Romney on the cover.

A participant walks the convention floor before the start of proceedings Tuesday. Organizers pushed events back a day because of concerns about Isaac.

The Republican National Convention officially began Monday, August 27, but the bulk of the action was delayed until Tuesday.

A woman captures the goings-on with her phone before the start of the shortened first day of the Republican National Convention.

The chairman of the Republican National Committee, Reince Priebus, convenes the convention with a bang of a gavel.

Priebus raises the gavel as he convenes the Republican National Convention.

Lynne David walks behind a group of law enforcement officers as they patrol the streets before the convention.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie walks through the convention center before the start of the abbreviated first day.

Last-minute adjustments are made to the main stage at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on the abbreviated first day of the GOP convention.

An elephant logo is featured on the side of a tent outside of the Republican National Convention at the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Two convention-goers wear plastic bags as shelter from the rain caused by Tropical Storm Isaac.

A man reads a newspaper in the empty seats of the Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Former New Hampshire Gov. John Sununu, left, stands at the podium with stage manager Howard Kolins before events begin Monday.

Men wearing cowboy hats stand on the arena floor before the start of the abbreviated first day.

Convention staff hang a Romney-Ryan sign at the Tampa Bay Times Forum on Sunday, August 26, in preparation for the Republican National Convention.

A tribute to NASA astronaut Neil Armstrong, who died Saturday, August 25, is displayed at the GOP convention as preparations continue.

Donald Trump, who accepted the Statesman of the Year Award from the Sarasota County Republican Party, answers questions in Sarasota, Florida.

A microphone is in place at the front of the convention hall in Tampa.

Former Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul speaks in the Sun Dome at the University of South Florida in Tampa on Sunday.

Activists hold signs mocking President Barack Obama at the Tea Party Unity Rally at The River at Tampa Bay Church.

Police officers question protesters carrying an effigy of Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney during a demonstration in downtown Tampa.

Rachel Bolch Thach tries to shelter herself from the rain in Tampa. Tropical Storm Isaac is expected to bring rain and wind to the area and has caused convention officials to delay the start of the convention until Tuesday.

Republican convention: The best photos

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Republican convention: The best photos

RNC declares Romney and Ryan nominees

Voters weigh in on Romney's speech

Democrats hope they can slow whatever momentum that comes out of Tampa with their convention that starts on Tuesday in Charlotte, North Carolina.

"Whatever there is, I think we can blunt that pretty quickly," one an official with Obama's re-election team said last week while speaking with reporters at CNN.

Perhaps bigger than whatever bounce Romney might get out of the convention will be his ability to go on an ad spending spree. Federal law prevented Romney from spend the millions of dollars he's been sitting on until he officially became the party's nominee. That will allow Romney to spread his message far beyond the campaign trail.

Republicans sent their ticket off from Tampa before Romney and Ryan split up so that Romney could visit Louisiana at the invitation of Gov. Bobby Jindal, who had been considered as a Romney running mate, to tour areas damaged by Hurricane Isaac.

Touring New Orleans with Jindal and Sen. David Vitter, Romney said he was there to "learn and obviously to draw some attention to what's going here so that people around the country know that people down here need help." Ryan went on to Virginia, where he continued a theme that emerged in his and Romney's convention speeches: that the president isn't a bad guy -- it's just that his policies are wrong.

"We are not going to go to you and say, 'Vote against the other guy because he's no good.'" Ryan told a crowd in Richmond. "We could do that because the record's no good, but we want to do more than that. You deserve more than that.

"We're offering solutions. We're offering specific ideas. We're saying here's how you take these principles that built America: liberty, freedom, free enterprise, self-determination, government by consent of the government."

John Avlon: Is that the best Romney can do?

Pushing those principles also emerged in the convention as did a common theme accusing the president of division and demagoguery -- perhaps a preemptive assault on the Democrats' message coming out of Charlotte next week.

The Romney camp knows it has to make women and young voters take a second look at the Republican ticket and shore up middle-class support if it has any chance of winning the race, which has been locked in a dead heat for most of the summer. And that was part of the plan for Tampa -- to make Romney more palatable to the first two groups and raise doubts about Obama in the third.

"You listened to the last guy running for president who laid out his plan, but he was unable to do it," Romney said before leaving Florida. Give someone else a chance. Hold us accountable."

Who won and who lost in Tampa

Obama's challenge next week is to erase any doubts among women and young voters and keep the middle class from being seduced by Romney's message.

Romney: I wish Obama had succeeded

David Frum on Romney's acceptance speech

DNC Chair: No specifics in Romney speech

To that end, former President Bill Clinton will put Obama's name into nomination. The 42nd president has been appearing in ads touting Obama's economic policies.

"He's a great validator of what we want. He's viewed as an expert on how to move the economy forward and how to build it from the middle class out," one official said. "There are few people who can speak to that authoritatively, and he's one of them -- because he's done it. He's sat in the chair."

Expect much of the program to play off the president's likeability ratings and how voters feel he can better empathize with their struggles while painting the GOP as more focused on what they call failed policies of the past; the Democrats also will likely paint Ryan's radical reform plans for Medicare and other entitlement programs as rewarding the wealthy at the expense of the middle class.

Obama told Time magazine in an interview this week that Democrats are not proposing radical solutions, and the nation doesn't need drastic changes.

"If you're willing to raise taxes on millionaires and billionaires, then you can make modest reforms on entitlements, reduce some additional discretionary spending, achieve deficit reduction and still preserve Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid in ways that people can count on," Obama told Time, later adding that the country needs "some commonsense solutions that stay focused on helping middle-class families."

"The only reason that you would have to go further than that is if there's no revenue whatsoever," he said. "And that's a major argument that we're having with the Republicans."

First lady Michelle Obama will also have a prominent role, speaking on the convention's first night.

Campaign officials said the first lady helps augment the campaign's strategy to use the convention as a way to show "what drives (the president) every day."

One of the Democrats' leading protagonists, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, said her party's convention will have a different feel from that of the GOP.

"We're gonna have the most inclusive -- very different from this week's invitation-only, special interest-funded corporate-infused affair.

CNN's Tom Cohen, John Helton, Kevin Liptak, Shawna Shepherd, Paul Steinhauser and Rachel Streitfeld contributed to this report.

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