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As the South Carolina primary approaches, Mitt Romney has been struggling to respond to the blistering attacks from Newt Gingrich and a super PAC that supports his candidacy.

Gingrich opened up a line of attack on Romney's past work at Bain Capital, depicting Romney as a heartless capitalist, a "corporate raider," who made his money off other people's misfortunes. "Their greed," says the narrator of Romney and others like him, "was only matched by their willingness to do anything to make millions in profits ..."

Romney spent the final days of the New Hampshire primary trying to respond. He tried to turn the attack on its head, presenting himself as defender of the market economy and Gingrich as someone who was unexpectedly sympathetic to "European" ideas about government.

Although the response served its purpose, Gingrich has exposed Romney's greatest vulnerability in the campaign against President Barack Obama. Gingrich took Romney's greatest strength -- his background as in the world of business -- and turned it into a weakness.

Romney, Democrats will argue, embodies the kind of ruthless mindset that they say defines Republican policy, an indifference to the unemployed and chronic poverty, a mindset that has fueled growing inequality and economic hardship.

Although much of the criticism on Romney has centered on accusations that he is a "flip-flopper," Gingrich's words are most likely to dominate the campaign in the fall, if Romney is the nominee.

The former Massachusetts governor will provide a foil to Obama, who in recent months has been developing a theme about being the champion of the middle class. This can be a potent theme in the current economic environment. According to a new survey by Pew Social and Demographic Trends, the number of Americans who perceive conflict between rich and poor people has risen from 47% in 2009 to 66% in 2012.

Turning a candidate's greatest strength into his or her weakness has traditionally been one of the most effective ways to win an election.

In New Hampshire, Gingrich skillfully exposed what line of attack Democrats can take on Romney should he win the nomination. The Democrats will try to tap into the immense anger about the ways in which the economy has left so many Americans behind and rendered families vulnerable to joblessness, bankruptcy and foreclosure.

If Republicans are not careful, Mitt Romney will become the face of a party that voters think doesn't care about ordinary Americans. Former Republican candidate and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee famously said that Romney "looks like the guy who fired you." If Republicans don't figure out a response, by picking up on Huckabee's point, Gingrich has pointed to the criticism that very well might give Democrats another four years in the White House.

Romney has a lot of work to do. Newt Gingrich created an opportunity, which Democrats are taking advantage of, to frame Romney as the kind of businessperson who has little concern for jobs, workers or middle-class America. http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/16/opinion/zelizer-romney-weakness/index.ht
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