The upcoming Republican Convention will be Mitt Romney’s first opportunity to speak to the voters. People are speculating on whether he is going to focus on the Republican base or he will attempt to connect with the swing voters.
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Romney campaign is still acting as if it’s still the GOP primaries and its candidate is five points behind Rick Santorum. Analysts say that the fuss over the Republican base is wasted energy. The GOP base is the least of Romney’s problems because the Republicans have been waiting for a chance to vote against Barack Obama.

Swing voters have been changing their minds but recently, polls show that they are moving away from Romney and going to Obama. If they want Romney to win, they must find a way to get the voters back. The Republican Convention is an ideal place to start.

While the Republican Convention can’t compete in the ratings, they can still gather a good audience for the big keynote and the acceptance speeches. Media attention can also multiply the number of audience to almost all of the people in the country to hear the speeches. Romney must use the event to change the focus of his campaign and start talking to the general election voters.

Choosing Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan as Romney’s running mate is an indication of campaign’s direction. Ryan has a sunny demeanor and the optimism of a reformer that can help Romney attract the swing voters. Romney’s campaign can be swing-voter friendly and go against the sour norms of politics, which consist of attack ads.

Ryan’s upbeat style will be a welcome change in the presidential campaign trail. Picking Ryan is also a way to please the hardcore GOP voters but they have already chosen Romney. Ryan’s credentials as the leader of House GOP’s most fervently ideological wing can be a little hard to swallow for the swing voters.