Home About Us Donate Archives Contact Us  The Narrative Gap  In
the middle of a relentless beating from negative ads by
President Barack Obama' campaign, Mitt Romney seemed to regain
his footing last week when he hit back after the president
belittled the achievements of people who built their own
businesses. It was the first time in months that the Romney
campaign managed to land a blow against Obama in a campaign
where the candidates appear to be locked in a dead heat. But
that counterattack, unlike the attacks on Romney from Obama, is
not part of any single over-arching theme. The result is a
narrative gap in which the Obama campaign maintains a distinct
advantage.  Obama's attacks on Romney provide voters with a
narrative -- that is, a three-dimensional explanation and
rationale -- for the specific charges made against Romney. The
argument is that Romney is the very source of America's economic
problems: He's a rich businessman who outsources jobs; he has
secret, offshore accounts and investments; he won'