Ann Romney on Jay Leno: How did she do?
Ann Romney was on Jay Leno鈥檚 鈥�Tonight Show鈥� Tuesday for what NBC billed as . So how鈥檇 the wife of the GOP presidential nominee do, keeping in mind that she鈥檚 a much less experienced television campaigner than first lady Michelle Obama?
We鈥檒l agree with Bloomberg News columnist Margaret Carlson here 鈥� we think she did fine.
鈥淎nn Romney had a smooth go of it on Tuesday night, contrary to some recent appearances when her beautiful fa莽ade showed some cracks,鈥� Wednesday.
Cracks? Carlson鈥檚 perhaps referring to an incident when Mrs. Romney snapped back at GOP critics, telling them to 鈥渟top it,鈥� during a Radio Iowa interview last week.
Some commentators thought that showed the stress of the campaign might be reaching her. And Romney herself, coming out of that interview, thought she might have been 鈥渁 little strong.鈥� That鈥檚 the phrase she used when describing her recollection to Mr. Leno Tuesday night.
鈥淏ut everyone I鈥檝e seen is giving me high fives about it,鈥� she said.
Mrs. Mitt on 鈥淭onight鈥� did not come off with the polish of a seasoned pol. But she didn鈥檛 have to. Instead, she showed why a candidate鈥檚 spouse today may be their most important surrogate campaigner 鈥� as does the first lady during her own TV turns.
First, the spouse gets to repeat key talking points without having to provide detailed backup info. Asked by Leno about her husband鈥檚 comments at a fundraiser that 47 percent of Americans believe they鈥檙e 鈥渧ictims鈥� and are mired in government dependency, Romney said, 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 like those things to get misinterpreted.... We care about the 100 percent.... Two things about Mitt: He cares, and he鈥檚 competent.鈥�
We mean no disrespect by pointing out the high likelihood that Romney staffers asked Romney to repeat the words 鈥渃ares鈥� and 鈥渃ompetent鈥� as many times as possible. And on a late night show, it鈥檚 unlikely you鈥檒l get asked to unpack those assertions and say more specifically what they mean.
Romney also got in a good plug aimed at the women鈥檚 vote. When insisting that she鈥檚 behind her husband鈥檚 run 100 percent 鈥� despite having made a video in 2008 in which she looked into a camera and told Mitt she鈥檇 鈥渘ever do this again鈥� 鈥� she said that her husband had the skill to help people hurt by today鈥檚 bad economy.
鈥淓specially women. More women are slipping into poverty,鈥� she said.
But the real virtue of spouses on the stump is their ability to humanize the candidate, of course, and it鈥檚 here that Romney does best. On 鈥淭onight鈥� she referred to the time Mitt helped a dying boy organize his affairs. She talked about his 鈥減layaholic鈥� ways with their five boys when they were young. She talked about how they met, and managed to say he wasn鈥檛 a good dancer without really saying it.
鈥淵ou know, Jay, he鈥檚 gotten to be a better dancer,鈥� was what she said.
She admitted that she used to dress the boys for church the night before, so they could just pop out of bed and race to the car. And she described her husband as 鈥渃heap鈥� 鈥� a fan of Costco, somebody who turns off the water heater when they leave the house, and sometimes forgets-on-purpose to turn it back on.
鈥淗e says, 鈥楥old showers are not that bad,鈥� 鈥� she said.
Leno even showed a photo (which the campaign must have supplied) of a checklist taped in the basement of the Romney house that shows what needs to be done prior to leaving on trips, including 鈥渢ake out garbage鈥� and so forth.
Will voters buy this about someone who鈥檚 building a car elevator? Well, depending on which way they鈥檙e already leaning, they won鈥檛, or they will. The real question may be why nobody heard about this list before they heard about the car elevators, and other evidence of Romney鈥檚 wealth.
Romney鈥檚 鈥淭onight鈥� appearance is the first of a round of scheduled TV interviews, but there鈥檚 a case to be made they come too late. Her husband鈥檚 now falling behind in key swing state polls. Survey show voters find the incumbent more likeable and more empathetic than his GOP challenger.
An earlier blitz of Romney family appearances might have done more to counteract these trends. If not Mrs. Romney, who has health challenges, then what about the boys? All five appeared on 鈥�Conan.鈥� They were fine, too 鈥� and we bet every other late-night show would have been glad to host them. In July.
