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Is Romney shifting toward center?

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    Will candidate alienate Republican base?

  • Duration 3:40
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Presidential campaign enters a new phase now -- Romney is running as the likely Republican nominee.

He is shifting his focus toward mainstream voters in the center of the political spectrum.

Bob Cusack he's managing editor of the hill this is always a difficult shift to may is Mitt Romney first of all making it is he moving more toward the center.

After the Republican primary about.

Yes John he is on issues like student loans especially on immigration where he said he would initially.

The Vito the DREAM Act a scaled back company bill on -- immigration reform.

Then he backtracked and -- only -- -- part of itself this happens all the time Barack Obama did this in 2008 after he defeated.

Hillary Clinton and Mitt Romney is going after those independent voters that.

Embrace Obama in 2008 but then rejected Democrats and in 2010 well it was one of his campaign advisors -- -- from a couple of months ago who made that famous Etch A Sketch.

Comments he said you abuse start over in the general election you got to shake the Etch A Sketch and start over.

Is that what's going on here.

It it is a matter obviously they don't like -- to say that that term but it is I mean it they're trying to do this is very hard for Ron you know it's tricky because Democrats -- party attacked him.

As a flip flop -- so.

They're saying he's not changing his position but he is softening its tone and on -- range -- -- and congressional Republicans by and large are getting behind and now.

This is gonna irritate the Republican base and they want Obama not to get a second term.

But they don't like this shift and that's going to be something that's one to watch because I think some a lot of these Republican activists on the right.

Are gonna speak out they already have to some degree on immigration.

Right well he has always been tarred with the label of being a flip flop or that's what his campaign aids and the candidate himself have to worry about watching you watch for right.

That's right especially in this you to -- where you can look back at what he said when he.

Ran for the senate and the 1990s.

It's it's going to be a delicate one and it I think it's going to be as you see how much damage as Democrats go after him as a flip -- or.

And possibly use the script.

That George W Bush's campaign did against John Kerry in 20041.

Of the interest staying things the Romney campaign is saying now is that the Detroit bailout as practice store has put into place by.

President Obama and essentially came from Mitt Romney.

Yes.

A lot of Democrats said they laugh at that suggestion and they point op -- that Romney was riding at the time.

This is I think is about Ohio obviously the bailout affected Michigan.

But that Michigan is a blue leaning state Republicans need two win Ohio and there -- some residual effects of that.

Of that bailout that a lot of Ohio voters -- so president -- vice president Joseph Biden talking a lot about that bail out.

They think it can help them win Ohio well at the same time if any voters and I'm talking about conservatives.

Who might not like to see this candidate moving more toward the center are unlikely to cast their votes for Barack Obama are -- Now they're not the -- -- not gonna vote for Obama but it's a matter of turnout they say that.

If you move too much to -- to the -- we saw a lot of White House hopefuls like Rick Santorum.

Indicating this that you can't elect a moderate because a moderate is not going to be.

Barack Obama Democrats though have always been concerned about Mitt Romney that is the opponent they did not want to face.

Because they know he can appeal to independent voters in the poll show that right now but.

But the Romney has a tough -- -- -- got a.

Get the independent voters and not deflate the base that's going to be very very difficult and it's always very hard to unseat an incumbent especially -- president.

Bob Cusack from the -- the Bob thank you thanks --

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