Can Ann Romney make Mitt loveable?
(CBS News) Tampa, Fla. - This week, amid the pomp and pageantry of the Republican National Convention, speakers from across the GOP will take to the stage to sell Mitt Romney's vision for the future. But one speaker faces a special challenge: Ann Romney, prospective first lady and wife of the soon-to-be nominee, doesn't just have to sell Romney's vision - she's also got to sell his personality.
"She obviously thinks he's a wonderful husband and father, and she thinks he would make a great president," said Karen Hughes, a strategist and former campaign director for the George W. Bush campaign. "In some ways her job is to illuminate for the rest of us what made him a wonderful husband and father. What drives him? What is about it that she loves?"
"She knows him better than anybody else," Hughes said. "Her speech should try to open a window into his heart."
Throughout the presidential campaign, Romney has grappled with a seeming opaqueness of character. Seemingly reticent to discuss his faith and family history, the former Massachusetts governor has shaped his political chronicle around his background in business -- a stark contrast from President Obama, whose own political narrative is grounded in his personal history.
Amid character assaults from Democrats, who paint Romney as a political shape-shifter who is insensitive to the needs of the middle-class, the candidate has struggled to connect with voters on the trail.
A new CBS News poll out Tuesday shows that half of registered voters think that Mitt Romney does not understand their problems, reflecting an empathy gap with President Obama as Romney prepares for his acceptance speech at the Republican nominating convention.
"I don't think everybody likes me," Romney told Politico in an interview on Monday. "I know there are some people who do a very good job acting and pretend they're something they're not."
"You get what you see," he added. "I am who I am."
Giving Romney a "family face"
Romney doesn't necessarily have to feel voters' pain, analysts say. But he does have to show them who he is.
"Not everybody has to like him, but it's important that he be known," said Noelia Rodriguez, former press secretary and director of communications for Laura Bush.
"Some people are just natural-born nerds and there's a place for those people," she continued. "But voters need to know Romney's not being cared for by servants 24 hours a day. They need to know that he knows how to wash dishes and clean up after himself. It matters that people know who he is, and that includes who he is in his downtime. And Mrs. Romney is the one who knows him best in that way."
"I know she will put a family face to Mitt Romney," said Rosie Tripp, a Republican delegate from New Mexico. "She'll let people know what he's like as a husband and a father and a grandfather, and just an all-around genuine American citizen. I feel like the average voter just doesn't see him in that capacity."
First ladies have been used in the past to introduce their partners' most charming sides. They can share flattering stories without appearing self-serving, and can speak from the heart about personal matters in a way no one else can.
According to first lady historian Myra Gutin, the role of political spouse has recently evolved into one of storyteller. "The spouse is always the best and most effective person at telling people why their husband or wife is likeable and honorable," she said. "And if that's done well, the first lady or first lady aspirant narrative interfaces with the vision of the campaign."
Hughes recalled working with Laura Bush on Bush's convention speech in 2000, when she told a story about George W. Bush reading "Hop and Pop" to his young daughters, Jenna and Barbara.
"She talked about the family in very personal terms; she related the experience in her family to the broader American family," Hughes said. "Those are the kind of things that I hope Ann Romney will do Tuesday night."
Sarah Haley, Ann Romney's press secretary, hinted that she will attempt to do just that.
"Mrs. Romney is excited to have the opportunity to share her heart with millions of Americans," Haley said in an email. "Her speech is still being finalized, but you can expect Mrs. Romney to talk about her relationship with the Governor, and his role in the home as a father and husband."
A prime-time test
The convention speech will be without a doubt the biggest public appearance of Ann Romney's life.
"Obviously it's a big stage and that's a very nerve-wracking speech. It's the biggest audience I'm sure she's ever spoken to before," said Hughes. "In Laura Bush's case, she was talking about the person she loved more than anyone in the world. Why is it that she loves him? If Ann Romney approaches it from that perspective - which I'm sure she will and hope she will - I think that mitigates the pressure in some ways."
"I think she's one of Mitt Romney's best assets," added Hughes. "She's warm, she's personable, and she can speak clearly to other wives and mothers at a time when there's a significant gender gap in the race. I think it's a very important speech."
Rodriguez argued that Romney has an opportunity to do more than just boost her husband's family-man image - though she says Romney needs to do that too.
"She has the opportunity to actually expand her portfolio if you will - be a true voice for the campaign. Take that opportunity to parallel what we've seen from the campaign over the last couple days about the power of the family and the power of relationships, and translate what that means not just for Latinos but also for women and other voters," she said. "She also has the opportunity to talk about herself."
Even if Romney knocks the speech out of the park, the power of the family testimonial only goes so far, according to Stuart Rothenberg, editor of the nonpartisan Rothenberg Political Report.
"I think the spouse can help humanize the candidate," he said. At the end of the day, though, he says it's the candidate people are focused on.
"When you get to October, people are thinking about Obama and Romney," he said. "And I'm talking about Barack and Mitt - not Michelle and Ann."
