IF you can't get the base motivated the so called Independents won't matter. Why do you think Obama has trotted out a war on women...forced churches to pay for abortions and stoked the fires on a race war in Florida? He's firing up HIS base.
And FWIW Santorum has addressed the economic issues what to do about the gas prices and even IIRC taxes.
Romney just runs attack ads and says nothing.
Again you just don't seem to get it...the Republicans running for President right now have NO CONTROL over the framing of this election...not as long as you have the media holding daily conference calls with the WH and repeating what the WH tells them to without so much as a cursory fact check.
Just look at the blonde bimbo on Morning Joe that reads texts from the WH straight from her BlackBerry on the air to counter Republican guests.
Obama is desperate; that is why he is firing up his base. However, blacks, queers and liberals are going to vote for him anyway . That comprises around 30 to 35% of the toal vote. So what. Obama will lose if the Repub candidate does what Clinton did with his "it's the economy stupid" campaign slogan. I don't have to be a media expert to figure that out.
Now to the Repub base. Most Americans are not paying attention to this dog and pony show called the Repub primaries. Only the political junkies like us are. The election is 6 months off. After the conventions the rah rah for the candidates will really begin. Unlike you, I am not worried about our base showing up. There are just too many Repubs that want the Magic Negro out and would vote for anybody to oust him.
Like I have said numerous times, I don't think Obama can win. He is running far behind in those red states he won the last time by small majorities. He will lose most of those this time around and that will spell his defeat. Those red states will determine the outcome.
I do think Romney knows what he is in for. There is a world of difference between him and McCain. Romney will go all out to win and will learn from the mistakes that a wuz like McCain made.