Obama comes under attack

BARTLETT, NH (AP):

This time, Mitt Romney has a clear pitch: I'm the strongest Republican to challenge President Barack Obama on the country's single biggest issue - the economy.

"He created a deeper recession, and delayed the recovery," Romney said Saturday, previewing his campaign message before Republicans in this influential early nominating state.

"The consequence is soaring numbers of Americans enduring unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcies. This is the Obama Misery Index, and it is at a record high."

"It's going to take more than new rhetoric to put Americans back to work - it's going to take a new president," said the former businessman and Massachusetts governor, essentially offering himself up as the best - if not only - solution.

In the 2008 campaign, Romney stood out by relentlessly attacking McCain and other opponents. He struggled to outline what he stood for and how he would govern. Now, he's focused on assailing Obama on the economy, as well as selling his own credentials and ideas for long-term prosperity. In doing so, he's drawing a more subtle contrast with his GOP challengers.

In his first campaign, Romney struggled to explain to Republicans why he would give the party the best chance to win the White House.

He never settled on a single campaign message. He embraced social issues even though financial ones were his forte. He picked big and small fights with opponents - specifically front-runner John McCain.

He floundered as he tried to convince voters that he was a hard-core conservative, even though he had governed a Democratic bastion as a moderate.