Obama has honed that message for months as he has attacked Republicans in Congress and on the presidential campaign trail, contrasting it with what he has described as Republicans’ “go it alone’’ free-market views. His advisers say they hope to make Republicans seem as out of step with public opinion as they were when Barry Goldwater was soundly defeated as their presidential nominee in 1964.
Obama will again propose changes to the tax code so the wealthy pay more, despite Republicans’ consistent opposition. It is a theme the White House hopes will hit a nerve with voters after the front-runner in the Republican presidential race, Mitt Romney, acknowledged last week that he pays taxes at a lower rate than many middle-class Americans because the majority of his income comes from investments.
With most Americans registering disapproval of his economic record after three years, it is all the more imperative for Obama to define the election not as a referendum on him but as a choice between his vision and the vision of his eventual Republican rival.
Advisers and people familiar with the speech say Obama will expand again on the administration’s effort to resolve the housing crisis with both carrots and sticks to lenders dealing with homeowners behind on their mortgage payments - after yet another debate between his economic and political advisers.
The political team has long argued that most Americans oppose bold government action to stem home foreclosures, like forcing lenders to reduce borrowers’ principal, seeing it as rewarding those who had bought houses they could not afford. The economic team holds that until the housing market recovers, the broader economy cannot - and that all Americans suffer.
