Mitt Romney effectively assumed the helm of the Republican Party on Tuesday after five primary victories across the Northeast solidified his stature as the presidential nominee-in-waiting who is trying to unite conservatives and persuade independent voters that Obama does not deserve a second term.
As Romney received a significant boost in delegates from New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Delaware, moving closer to the total needed to formally secure the nomination, he marked the milestone by outlining themes of the fall campaign in a visit to this battleground state.
?Americans have always been eternal optimists,? Romney said during a speech. ?Over last three and a half years, we have seen hopes and dreams diminished by false promises and a weak leadership. Everywhere I go, Americans are tired of being tired.?
Romney, who fought back challenges from a Republican field that once included nearly a dozen rivals, has been shifting his campaign toward the general election since Rick Santorum left the race two weeks ago. But as Newt Gingrich indicated a new willingness to reassess his candidacy after his defeat in Delaware, a primary he considered crucial, the formal end to the race finally seemed at hand, giving Romney latitude to assert control over the Republican National Committee and concentrate on how to confront Obama.
The Romney campaign, which has been expanding rapidly, is settling on a message for the fall campaign. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, laid out a succinct argument for his economic leadership and urged Americans to consider whether they are better off now than when Obama took office three years ago.
?President Obama is not going to run on his record, but we are,? said Ed Gillespie, a senior adviser to the Romney campaign. He said Romney would detail his economic vision as he prepared to challenge Obama, declaring, ?It?s not just about the last three years, but the future.? More than 200 delegates were at stake on Tuesday. With the outcome of the nominating contest no longer in doubt, Romney barely campaigned in the states, but he was expected to win the lion?s share of the delegates and accelerate his effort to reach the 1,144 required for the nomination.
?Is it easier to make ends meet? Is it easier to sell your home or buy a new one?? Romney asked, ticking through a litany of challenges facing Americans. He added, ?If the answer were yes to those questions, then president Obama would be running for re-election based on his achievements and rightly so, but because he has failed, he will run a campaign of diversions and distractions and distortions.? Although Romney often talks about how he and the president offer competing visions of the country?s future, he will try to turn the focus to a contrast between his vision and Obama?s record.
