海角大神

Republicans know that in a battle of 鈥渃ool,鈥� Mitt Romney doesn鈥檛 stand a chance against President Obama.

While Mr. Obama slow-jammed the news on 鈥�Late Night With Jimmy Fallon鈥� 鈥� giving the show its highest viewership in two years 鈥� Mr. Romney鈥檚 biggest cultural moment of the week was ... what? Sitting at a picnic table with Republican voters in Bethel Park, Pa., in his crisp white shirt and necktie, turning up his nose at the cookies? Turns out they were from a beloved local bakery. Oops.

Maybe that鈥檚 not fair. After all, being cool isn鈥檛 a prerequisite for the presidency, even with young voters. And certainly, Team Obama is playing up its advantage. It鈥檚 not by chance that Obama鈥檚 image mavens gave Rolling Stone magazine an interview with the president, landing him on the cover of the latest issue.

But instead of just ignoring Obama cool, the Republicans are hanging a lantern on it, saying, in effect, We get it, and here鈥檚 why you should vote him out anyway.

That鈥檚 the essence of a new video out Thursday by American Crossroads, the big conservative 鈥渟uper political-action committee鈥� that鈥檚 supporting the Romney campaign. The 45-second message is mostly a montage of cool Obama moments 鈥� appearing on Jimmy Fallon, singing Al Green, calling Kanye West an expletive. Then the music stops, and the harsh statistics appear: Half of recent college grads are either jobless or underemployed. Eighty-five percent of college grads are moving in with their parents, according to a study out last May. Student-loan debt just crossed the $1 trillion mark.

鈥淲e鈥檒l likely push a version of that through online advertising as the president is taking his campaign to college campuses across the country,鈥� says Jonathan Collegio, communications director of American Crossroads. 鈥淎mericans elected a pop-culture icon for president in 2008, and in 2012 we鈥檙e seeing the results of his economy.鈥�

The video is reminiscent of one the McCain campaign ran in 2008, highlighting Obama鈥檚 global celebrity 鈥� and comparing him to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

Says Democratic strategist Peter Fenn: 鈥淚 ask my Republican friends, how well did that ad work out for you?鈥�

Plus, doesn鈥檛 a video that hits Obama for being cool just enhance the coolness?

鈥淚f at this point, a voter thinks Obama鈥檚 coolness is more important than the fact they can鈥檛 get a job, we鈥檙e probably not going to sway those people,鈥� says Mr. Collegio. 鈥淎nd there are those people out there.鈥�

But, he and other Republicans point out, not only do polls show that plenty of young undecided voters are open to Romney, but they also show that young voters might not bother to turn out this time. Four years ago, Obama beat John McCain among 18- to 29-year-olds, 66 percent to 32 percent. A Gallup poll this week shows roughly the same margin between Obama and Romney, but only 56 percent of this cohort say they definitely plan to vote. That鈥檚 lower than the other age groups.

And coolness does in fact matter when it comes to elections, especially when it鈥檚 the presidency, Mr. Fenn says.

鈥淰oting for president is the most personal vote you cast, because you really care about who鈥檚 president,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o you want to make sure there鈥檚 a connection, that they鈥檙e striking a responsive chord with you.鈥�

Is there a way to make Romney cool? Politico ran a piece recently suggesting the Obama campaign was 鈥淒raperizing鈥� Mitt Romney 鈥� that is, trying to make him into a retro figure like Don Draper on the hit TV show 鈥�Mad Men.鈥� There鈥檚 certainly a cool element to Draper, at least in the cut of his suits and jaunty angle of his hats.

But apparently Obama strategist David Axelrod had something else in mind. He recently joked that Romney 鈥渕ust watch 鈥楳ad Men鈥� and think it鈥檚 the evening news,鈥� while also accusing him of holding views from a time when 鈥渂osses could dictate on women鈥檚 health,鈥� Politico notes.

Collegio of American Crossroads suggests a redefinition of 鈥渃ool鈥� might be in order.

鈥淚 think for a broad swath of America, what鈥檚 cool is having five great kids, making a fortune in the private sector, loving your wife, and having a great record as governor,鈥� he says. 鈥淢aybe there鈥檚 a lot more substance there than style.鈥�