Mitt Romney will win the White House this fall if he can “articulate why he should be the commander in chief” with “very simple and fundamental messages,” former U.S. Congressman Vito Fossella tells Newsmax.TV.
“It’s incumbent upon Gov. Romney to get out there and articulate why he should be the Commander in Chief and why he should be the person to occupy the Oval Office — and I think what is going to be required of that is some very simple and fundamental messages,” Fossella told Newsmax in an exclusive interview on Wednesday.
The most important message, he said, is “that this great country is the greatest in the history of the world and that it can’t be if we throw obstacles in the way with higher taxes and more regulation.”
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Fossella, who served 12 years in the House as the only Republican congressman from New York City before leaving office in 2009, described the impact of such “obstacles” on the nation.
“I know a lot of business owners who are waiting for the election to decide how and which direction they’re going to move into their business. That shouldn’t be.
“People shouldn’t be sitting on the sidelines for months waiting and determining when they should invest in their businesses,” he added.
This great frustration, Fossella said, provides “a potential — an untapped potential — that Gov. Romney, as well as the Republicans seeking the House and the Senate, can tap in to.”
And, once they do, telling voters to “ ‘follow me and be not afraid; we believe in you’ — that will be the final solution to this November, and we will have a change in the White House,” Fossella said.
This approach is part of a broader strategy, he said.
“It’s incumbent upon the parties and the candidates to tell the American people straight out what they would do and where they would lead this country.
“That’s the winning formula, because there’s so much anxiety and lack of confidence, frankly, in the direction this country's going — although the American people are true, the spirit of it all — they don’t see the message coming out clearly and concisely and with authenticity and with a passion,” Fossella said.
“The person, the candidates and the other individuals who tap into that will run away with this election. That’s not happening right now.”
Fossella is currently the managing director of Park Strategies, the New York-based lobbying firm founded by former Sen. Alphonse D’Amato.
He said New Jersey Republican Gov. Chris Christie is clear about his agenda and would make an ideal running mate for Romney.
“Gov. Christie should be proud of his accomplishments in Jersey — not just for taking tough issues head on, but one of the attributes that people find refreshing is his candor,” Fossella said.
“The reality is to be blunt about certain situations and confront them head on and I think that sort of generates some excitement not just in New Jersey but in many parts of the country.”
Fossella also turned his attention to some of this fall’s New York congressional races. Six races are considered among the most competitive in the nation and may determine whether Republicans hold their majority in the House of Representatives.
For instance, Fossella called the race between incumbent Democratic Rep. Tim Bishop and Republican challenger Randy Altschuler on Long Island“a nail-biter.” Bishop beat Altschuler by just 593 votes in 2010.
“Tim Bishop is very well regarded and respected, and Randy, being the challenger, is a solid, solid candidate and very successful business owner who has the resources, the passion, the wherewithal to mount a serious challenge.
“I think there’s a good shot that the challenger can pull off victories.”
He’s also rooting for first-term GOP incumbent Rep. Nan Hayworth, who faces Democratic challenger Sean Patrick Maloney in a district base around Putnam County.
“Nan is a very capable, smart effective member of Congress,” Fossella said. She has “paid her dues” and believes “this country needs to get back to some grass-roots and some fundamental principles.”
“She is in a very solid position and the more people see her and get to know her, aside from her expertise on healthcare and in just being a good fiscal conservative, I think she solidifies a chance for re-election.”
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