Pew Research as a survey out today that is one taken after Romney became the presumptive nominee for the GOP.  It compares its numbers to a survey taken while the GOP’s nomination was still contested.

Pew entitles it’s piece about the survey, “With Voters Focused on Economy, Obama Lead Narrows”.  It subs it with “Social Issues Rank As Lowest Priorities”.

Hello out there GOP – are you reading this?  There’s your campaign.  What to stress.  What to avoid.

Any chance they’ll actually figure that out?

I mean so far we’ve talked about sluts, contraception, race, wars on women, stay at home moms, even about dogs riding on roofs (well at least the Romney’s didn’t eat the dog).

We’ve been distracted by the outrage of the week – Rush Limbaugh, Hillary Rosen, Ted Nugent, Bill Maher, etc. 

That’s the left’s game plan, for heaven sake – Obama has a dismal, in fact awful economic record.  Horrible.

And yet the GOP is walking into every distraction trap the left sets like they haven’t a clue.

As I’ve been saying for months, once the nomination is settled, regardless of who the nominee is, and the focus begins to turn on Obama and his record, there will begin a shift in voter preference that should (note the word) carry the GOP nominee to the White House -  if the GOP plays its cards right.

Should.

Here’s what I mean:

Obama’s lead over Romney has narrowed since last month, when he had a 12-point advantage, though it is comparable to margins from earlier this year. While Obama’s advantage has declined since March, there is little to suggest a specific problem or campaign event as having a critical effect.

While there have been debates over issues related to gender, the rise and fall in Obama’s support has largely crossed gender lines, with a fairly consistent gender gap over time. For example, since March, Obama’s support among both men and women has slipped five percentage points.

Independent voters remain up for grabs. In the current survey, 48% favor Romney while 42% back Obama. A month ago, it was 47% Obama, 44% Romney.

If anyone would not expect an incumbent president to have some sort of  lead at this point, I’d say you don’t know much about American politics.

That said, as you can see by the change in a month, the lead is at best tentative, soft and narrowing. 

But … there is still a way to absolutely screw up this chance at making Obama a one-term president and, unfortunately, I wouldn’t be surprised to see the GOP manage that.

That is, to concentrate on the wrong issues.  They have a track-record of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory doing exactly that.

I’ll make it as simple as possible.

Limit the main issues of the GOP campaign to three themes: the economy, jobs and the debt.  Talk about how to improve the first two and reduce the third.  Talk about getting the hell out of the way while giving business the green light to lead us out of this economic morass.  Declare the war on fossil fuel to be over.   Talk about exploiting our natural resources and the jobs that will bring.  Put confidence back in the business sector that expansion and hiring will be enabled and supported, not killed with more and more regulation.  Talk about repealing ObamaCare and draconian regulations.  Talk about bringing America back.

Once the incumbent has given his concession speech, talk about whatever else tickles your fancy then. But discipline yourself until then.  Until then narrow the focus and be relentlessly on message.  Refuse the distraction traps.  Just flat refuse them.

Do that and the GOP has a shot.  The numbers will continue to improve.

Fall into the distraction traps and kiss victory goodbye.  If the other side is allowed to frame the campaign and establish the narrative and avoid examining Obama’s record,  the GOP loses.

We’ll see which course they choose.

~McQ

Twitter: @McQandO