Palin: Romney's Greatest Strength is Also His Greatest Weakness

COMMENTARY | Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was asked recently to evaluate a fellow former governor, Mitt Romney, as a candidate for president. Her assessment will not be welcome by the Romney camp but is rather in keeping with conservative belief.

In essence, despite media hype to the contrary, the Obama campaign is most keen to run against Romney, according to Palin, as reported by Human Events. The theory is that because of his wealth and his management of Bain Capital, Romney can be depicted as an out of touch, evil capitalist who very likely threw many thousands of people out of work due to his predatory investment practices.

This is certainly in keeping with traditional Democratic practice. Despite being the home of uber rich office holders such as the late Teddy Kennedy and Sen. Jay Rockefeller, the Democrats have always pulled the wealth card when the Republicans run a successful person, especially for president.

It is a strategy with a mixed result. Both Bushes got the treatment but still managed to win, the younger Bush twice. Several more middle class candidates such as Bob Dole and John McCain, were beaten in detail when they ran.

Of course, if Palin had decided to run, she would have been an example of a candidate of working class origins, albeit with earned wealth due to her media endeavors.

None other than former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is pulling the wealth card, according to The Hill, by claiming Romney as head of Bain Capital "looted" companies. Romney responds he created 100,000 "net jobs" while at Bain Capital, a claim The Blaze finds dubious at best.

< p>Romney is being attacked by Gingrich and will be attacked by Obama, should he get the nomination, for the one quality he boasts about as he runs for president -- his financial and management acumen. Romney's pointing to this ability is hardly a false of frivolous gambit. It will take a deep knowledge of economic issue and management experience to dig the country out of the hole it has descended into during the past five or six years. But suggesting that these things are evil is in keeping with the popular perception that captains of industry are essentially unfeeling and immoral.