Romney's campaign focus this week: Out of the blue?

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File

(CBS News) Mitt Romney's choice of political themes this week - welfare and religion - raised a few eyebrows among political observers, considering their lack of prominence in the campaign to date.

Earlier this week, the Romney campaign launched a multi-pronged attack criticizing the president for allowing states to apply for waivers on work requirements for welfare. On top of that, the campaign released an ad that slammed the president's mandate requiring health insurers to provide free contraception, saying Mr. Obama is waging a "war on religion."

While the two issues distract from the prime focus of the 2012 election -- the economy -- strategists say they are timed to appeal to certain conservative voters just as they may be losing some interest in the race.

As Republican strategist Terry Holt explained, there are several acts to a presidential campaign, and this period before the Republican and Democratic conventions is a bit like an intermission.

New Romney ad hits Obama on welfare
New Romney ad says Obama is waging a "war on religion"

"The primary campaign -- the first and second acts of the presidential campaign -- are about winning the nomination, talking to the most active, most attentive voters and winning on that battlefield," said Holt, who worked as a senior communication strategist for George W. Bush's 2000 and 2004 campaigns.

"Then we pause and reorganize," he continued. "People tend to look away for a time, live their summer life. As we approach the convention, certain voter groups become more aware again, more active... We want to keep our base interested, organized, and motivated to vote."

The ads Romney introduced this week are tailored to those issue voters that Republicans want to bring back into the conversation -- social conservatives, as well as those interested in government reform.

The welfare ad - and Romney's subsequent statements on the campaign trail, saying the president "took the work out of welfare" - revived an issue that has been virtually non-existent on the campaign trail. The president issued the executive order nearly a month ago, but it received little attention other than from conservatives who said the waiver gutted work requirements - a claim the administration denies.

"It's not an issue that's been on the radar screen," Republican strategist and former McCain presidential campaign strategist Terry Nelson said, noting that he was a little surprised that the Romney campaign raised it.

However, Nelson said welfare reform is a hot button issue that appeals to people across the political spectrum. It could be especially effective, he said, if the Romney campaign cast the president as offering people a handout. "If they can do that this would be a successful issue," he said.

The religious freedom ad launched by the Romney campaign this week invokes Pope John Paul II and former Polish President Lech Walesa, whom Romney met during his recent trip to Poland. Although the contraception mandate went into effect last month, it has not been an issue on the campaign trail since the Republican primary, when it came up during the candidates' debates.

A Romney aide said the ad is considered "outreach" to voters who care about religious freedom, but also to an enclave of Polish voters in a few battleground states, including Wisconsin.

Republican strategist Whit Ayers noted that the ad will also appeal to Catholic voters. His firm released a poll Thursday that shows Catholic voters are evenly divided between Romney and Mr. Obama. Ayers says if Romney can make up even five percentage points, that could make a difference in swing states.

"It won't hurt," he said.

While social conservatives have already made up their mind to vote against Mr. Obama, Holt said, "These ads give them more reason to work their hearts out for the Republican nominee in the fall."

CBSNews.com reporter Stephanie Condon contributed to this report.

[marcie10000]

Even getting rid of the rolled-up sleeve light blue/gray tattersall and windowpane shirts will not make you, Mr. Romney, relate to me, a common working person. You need to RELEASE YOUR 2000 - 2009 TAX RETURNS OR STEP DOWN AS THE NOMINEE! How did you amass so MUCH money in your 401K? Did you undervalue Class A stocks? Did you take the 2009 amnesty? I so wish Governor Jon Huntsman was the nominee!!!

[nearl451]

It is rather difficult to see the rationality of addressing all of these emotional touchstones at this time.....and with so much dishonesty.

THe economic expertise message was frankly working for him earlier...so why the break?

[DinFla]

Romney has no plan. He is running a campaign based solely on his base's disdain for Obama. His business record is full of holes and lies and America seems to be sticking with Obama seeing that he inherited a huge mess, the GOP has blocked him at every turn, but the economy is slowing gaining speed. They know he is out for more than the top 1%, he won't take us back decades on women's rights, immigration or gay rights. Romney said he is an extreme conservative..believe him. He is out of touch and not well liked even by his own party. All he can do is come up with baseless attacks that don't stick because they have no basis in reality. Even Newt said they had no proof Obama would gut welfare reform. He hasn't for 4 years why would he now.

[Eugene2012]

Unfortunately, the Romney campaign is now "Lost in Space".

[thebob-bob]

The Bible says you women should serve your husbands and care for their children. Vote for Mittens, he'll make sure you do.

[PMaxUT]

Funny comment of the week........"The topics raised eyebrows".
What topic is Obama talking about?
Why not religion and welfare........and especialy welfare. We cannot continue to pay
The Obama campaign has talked about everything they can to divert attention from a very weak 3 3/4 years in office. Let us also remember that Dems had control of the House and Senate for two years previous to Obama and check the veto record for Bush. They did nothing!!!
Obama is a good guy just in over his head, pure and simple.

[dj_chi]

Dems did NOT have control of Congress for two years. About two months? Yes.

[MrEthiopian]

Mitt we the citizens of the USA are waiting for you to come clean and tell us the truth, we all know your hiding something in your tax returns that you don't want America to see. I don't care new message you have for us this week or the next because you still need to answer the questions surrounding your questionable time at Bain and the 101 Million in your IRA.

Release your tax returns for the last 12 years.
In case you missed it, Mitt.
Release your tax returns for the last 12 years.
Release your tax returns for the last 12 years.
Release your tax returns for the last 12 years.
Release your tax returns for the last 12 years.
Release your tax returns for the last 12 years.

Do you understand Mitt? or is this over your head?

MrEthiopian

TH3

[Zyphxion]

"War on Religion" = "It's unacceptable that our laws and culture aren't based solely on my interpretation of the christian bible."

[dj_chi]

One religion to rule them all... and in the darkness, bind them!

[elSurfeador]

One claim (welfare)is documented as a complete lie. Other claim (war on religion) is laughable. 98% of Catholic women have used contraceptives but the Catholic church wants to force non-Catholics who work for them at non-religious institutions to be forced into adopting Catholic dogma. The war on religion is being waged by Obama (as Romney wrongly states), it's being waged by the Catholic church on non-Catholics.

[twodm]

Romney has had MORE than enough time to "define himself". He has flip-flopped on major issues including health care, abortion and gay rights. When challenged on poor behavior, he claims he "doesn't remember" or attempts to blame someone else. He offended many nations in his foreign tour-hardly something a great leader should be doing in this day and age. He COULD easily put the tax question to bed-but has refused to do so. He has released a tax plan that, once again, gives billions to the rich and does less than nothing for the rest of us.

What is left to define? This is a man with no actual principles other than seeking election as President. He will change his views at the drop of a hat-so we don't know what he stands for. He will evade or avoid answering direct questions-so we don't know what he stands

[nonpolitico]

Really? Romney is coming out of the blue on Welfare is he?
Correct me if I am wrong, (and I know the liberals will try to correct me even if I am RIGHT!), but isn`t the GOP SUPPOSED to be against uncontrolled Welfare??
Welfare spending is mentioned a lot, but thanks to misinformation is also misunderstood.
When the Brits were beginning their campaign against the 13 States in 1775, was the cry "We can`t fight them, we`ll lose our Welfare Check", or was it more like "Give me Liberty or Give Me Death"?
Well, we see Mitt belatedly introducing a major topic, Welfare, next we need some talk about LIBERTY!!!
We get NO SAY when the IRS tkes its cut from our earnings and Gives it Away to people IT chooses as "Needy beneficiaries".
As far as I am concerned, MY FAMILY is the only Needy Beneficiary dammit!
Lets have some discussion from Willard about where he STANDS on ANYTHING of interest to Americans!!
How about the Constitution?
How about the misuse of "Executive Orders"?
How about moves to restrict or prohibit gun ownership?
How about the $TRILLIONS debt(Which the Dems and GOP argued about rather than solved?
How about the cuts aimed at the Military?
How about our education system, undermined by Left wing ideas?
How about all the other cockamamy Socialist things Obama has introduced with help from his Democrat elite?
We already KNOW that Obama has no principles..other than to be re-elected...and Mitt Romney has only a short time to get the real message across.We need a team of backroom boys in the GOP unafraid of upsetting the opposition.
Americans are accustomed to "Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"!
Not much in our lives apart from worry, our liberty has been under attack since the Patriot Act, yet Obama followed same path, and how can any American be happy with how America has continued to be attacked since 2008 (From without and within).
Obama said in 08, "Yes We Can"....and we all know we Can`t even more than in 08!
I feel sorry for all the African Americans who believed all his spin. I wonder if they will still vote for him, knowing he spun `em all a big fat lie??
ABO in November y`heah!!