Romney at risk of losing edge on deficit
Voters have long favored President Obama over Mitt Romney for handling terrorism and advancing the interests of the middle class. Romney, however, has consistently enjoyed a wide advantage on only one issue: the nation’s gaping budget deficit.
But now the Republican presidential nominee, who tried to bolster his deficit credentials by picking a budget hawk, Rep. Paul Ryan, as his running mate, is at a significant risk of losing the edge on the policy area that voters have trusted him most on. It is an issue that dominated the political debate last year and will again immediately after the election.
Two recent national polls show a narrow gap between Romney and Obama on the deficit. Romney seems to have lost his advantage after weeks of being pilloried by Democrats for his policies, which they claim would cut taxes on the rich, raise taxes on the middle class and cost seniors more for health care.
Conservatives and independent analysts, meanwhile, have been increasingly questioning whether Romney’s proposals are detailed enough to justify their claims.
The cumulative effect seems to be taking a toll on Romney’s reputation as someone who will fix the nation’s debt burden. Just as voters are beginning to pay close attention to the election, the fiscal problems of Europe are dominating the headlines, and the end-of-year “fiscal cliff,” with a recession-inducing series of tax hikes and spending cuts, comes into focus.
full: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/romney-at-risk-of-losing-edge-on-deficit/2012/09/16/f434038e-fc1f-11e1-8adc-499661afe377_singlePage.html
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