Romney on Obama: Appearances aren't reality

(CBS News) In the wake of an outreach to young voters by President Obama, Mitt Romney on Friday advised young voters at Otterbein University to separate "appearance" from "reality" this election season.

"Appearances do not always equal reality," the presumptive Republican nominee said. "Facts are more important than words."

Romney told the students at the Westerville, Ohio liberal arts school to be leery of smooth rhetoric, alluding to Mr. Obama's likeability and ability to deliver energetic speeches.

"You're going to hear a lot of words, but you will also have an opportunity to look at the facts," Romney said.

President Obama won voters aged 18-29 by 34 percent in the 2008 election, and he is working to maintain that margin this election season. During recent visits to college campuses in three battleground states - North Carolina, Ohio and Colorado - the president highlighted the issue of of expiring student loan subsidies.

House passes student loan bill

Polls show that Romney has a lot of work to do to win the youth vote. According to a Pew Research poll released last week, young people support Mr. Obama 61 percent to 33 percent for Romney. A separate poll by Harvard's Institute of Politics, which was released Tuesday, shows Mr. Obama leading Romney by 17 points.

Republicans are not questioning the president's cool factor, but they are arguing his appeal is only skin-deep. The Karl Rove-backed super PAC American Crossroads put out a new video this week portraying the president as cool but unable to deal with the challenges that confront a president.

At Otterbein University on Friday afternoon, Romney's comments echoed the video's broader message.

"Appearances do not conform with the facts or reality or track records," Romney said. "Words are easily malleable, but facts are stubborn."

Paul Conway, president of Generation Opportunity, a group that organizes and mobilizes young people to vote, told Hotsheet that Romney could at least partially close the gap among young voters. He said there are signs of "disaffection" with the president over the economy, a top issue for young voters as well as voters overall.

"We would call this a demographic that is in full play," Conway said. "They are feeling the impact of bad economy and we don't think they are behind one party."

[BOB-C]

"Appearances do not always equal reality," the presumptive Republican nominee said. "Facts are more important than words."

Listen to yourself, Mittens, then heed your own words.

[BlameRepublicanz]

cant believe Mitt had the nerve to say this...coming from the guy whose been distorting the facts and flat out lying since he started campaigning for President in 2007

[BlameRepublicanz]

Mr. Wal Mart is a person is using Karl rove's strategy well...yes, appearances arent reality...and Mitt being President of anything is a perfect example...it will never happen

[wbramh]

It's hard to best Mitt Romney when it comes to facts.
He's got two sets of them on every subject.

[hopetrumps]

Appearance is never reality with Republicans. Romney is NOT a successful businessman and the happy family man he pretends to be. However; Obama is genuine, he is what he is. That's why people (normal people) like him! He doesn't put on airs. so of course, Romney's only hope is to convince other that Obama is just putting on an act (exactly what he, Romney is doing!)---this is the same Machiavellian, Goebbels tactics that corrupt politicians always fall back on. It's like the Pharisee's calling Jesus diabolical. We've been through it, we've risen from the dead and they're not going to nail us again!

[jschmidt27]

ROmney not a businessman???? You must be joking. Olympics rescue, Bain Capital, GOv of Mass! A lot of business experience. Obama none.It appears Obama doesn't even know law since it appears the healthcare mandate will be tossed, he;s violated the First Amendment of Freedom of Religion, does recess appointments when COngress is not in recess and refuses to enforce laws on immigration. The worst President in history is a failure.

[BlameRepublicanz]

olympic rescue with federal funds...i thought republicans were against bailouts?...romney had the WORST job creation record in the country when governor of MA...proof that "business experience" means nothing when it comes to job creation from elected representatives

[Bucky4U]

The road to Greece was paved by Lehman Brothers and Bush de regulation of banks.

Don't worry, Romney enjoyed this climate at Bain having recieved a $10M debt forgivness from the FDIC bail out of Bank of England, robbing pensions and having the feds come in and shore up short falls and a $119 medicaid fraud.

[jschmidt27]

Bain created Staples, a very successful company. It is a business not a charity. I guess you didn't like Steve Jobs or Buffet either because they ran a business.

[fiberglass3]

REALITY:

DETROIT - Chrysler had its best quarterly profit in more than 13 years. Not bad for a company that almost died three years ago.

The company earned $473 million in the first quarter, mainly from strong U.S. sales, which rose by 39 percent from January through March.

The profit was more than four times what Chrysler made a year earlier. And it was the best performance since the third quarter of 1998, when Chrysler earned $682 million during the pickup truck and SUV boom.

"I have no bad news to tell you," Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said Thursday, adding that trends for the rest of the year look positive.
Reply to this comment .

[jschmidt27]

every 10 years or so Detroit needs to be bailed out with the white collar pensions going, and the stockholder and bondholder taking a hit. THe union own the auto companies and the Democrats.

[2happy2ride]

Mitt is absolutely CORRECT!
Romney has accomplished things in life, on his merit & hard work.
Romney will WIN by a large margin & Nov 7th we will see an IMPROVING economy based on his experience & business acumen.

[74KLM5000]

Mitt "Massive Medicare Fraud" Romney should look in the mirror and say that five times before he starts his day. We don't need an "Etch-A-Sketch" President. We need someone of substance and consistency. We need President Obama for five more years -- to finish the job he set out to do!

[occupy_cbs]

I just love how the latest republican talking point is about "hard work" and "success," when in reality, the GREED of a few in the 0.1% like willard and hedge fund billionaires is what has been destroying this country for decades.

Sorry, but over-leveraging banks and risky derivative instruments are no different than corporate raiders -- all destroying Americans and American companies for the wealth of a very few is only GREED -- certainly not "success" and "hard work" in my book!

[prohb]

You're right, occupy. Ya know, this reminds me of Amway and other pyramid schemes (which by-the-way are made of mostly conservative Republicans) where a few at the top of the pyramid get rich while convincing the suckers at the bottom to support their plan thru pep rallies ('conventions') convincing them that they can be rich and exhortions to work hard getting others to buy in to their plan and buy only their products.

[prohb]

HAhahahahaha

Sooooo Willard......"appearences aren't reality". Huh, how about your 37 and 1/2 flipflops (the 1/2 is that you did eventually admit to putting your dog on the roof of the car) from everything from abortion to first saying your Dad marched with Martin Luther King and then he didn't.

Oh,and by the way, Corporations are NOT people, my friend!

How can anyone vote for this pandering phoney??? Obama/Biden 2012!

[74KLM5000]

Prohb, excellent post. Ah the memories the weathervane candidate has given us!