Romney shows he’s out of touch

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Updated: March 7, 2012 8:04AM

If this were a Karaoke contest, it would already be over. In the latest twist to the wildly improbable 2012 presidential campaign, the front-runners were stumping to the sound of music.

At a fund-raiser at Harlem’s Apollo Theatre, President Barack Obama, channeling his inner Al Green, crooned “Let’s Stay Together.”

Last week, Mitt Romney, Obama’s leading Republican foe, paused on the campaign trail to belt out a round of “America the Beautiful.”

I asked my Facebook friends for their vote. Obama won in a landslide.

Sandy Smith wrote: “The first thing I thought was, Romney sang because Obama sang. My vote is for Obama!!!! We got a hunk of a hottie for president!!!”

Well, I wouldn’t go as far as “hottie.” But let’s just say that Romney’s creaky, off-key attempt reminds me of a much bigger problem for the GOP. When it comes to the haves vs. the have-nots, Mitt Romney is tone-deaf.

We all know that Romney is among that lucky 1 percent. Fair-minded Americans don’t begrudge his wealth and success. We would all like to walk in his penny loafers.

Problem is, Romney was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, but he can’t seem to keep his foot out of it.

That flaw has become a major flashpoint in the presidential sweepstakes.

“I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair, I’ll fix it,” Romney said Wednesday morning in an interview with CNN. “I’m not concerned about the very rich. They’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the very heart of America, the 90, 95 percent of Americans who right now are struggling.”

By the end of the day, the Democratic National Committee was blasting the comment in an Internet ad.

Romney later acknowledged that he “misspoke,” and was focusing his message on help for the middle class.

Even GOP stalwarts were flummoxed. A Wall Street Journal editorial scolded Romney for his “artlessness” but pleaded that he “is better than he sounds.” Conservative radio mouth Rush Limbaugh said that while Romney’s words were “understandable” in the proper context, “he comes across as the prototypical rich Republican.”

Actually, Romney comes across like a guy who has a tin ear when it comes to America’s economic divide. It was Romney who said that his $360,000 in speaking fees was not a lot of dough. He’s the guy who tried to make a $10,000 bet at a presidential debate. He says “corporations are people.” And he likes “being able to fire people who provide services to me.”

And this is a man reputed to be a highly scripted campaigner who exercises iron discipline and eschews all risk.

If the economy continues to improve, that fat-cat image will be the least of his problems.