From a PR perspective, Obama beats Romney in November

That’s if the election was held today. A lot could change between now and then.

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Although Super Tuesday didn’t officially settle the race or make Romney the de facto nominee, his substantial delegate lead makes it seem the race is still his to lose. So, let’s switch out of primary election mode and into general election mode to see what an election between President Obama and Governor Romney would look like.

Since the beginning of the 24/7 media age in 1980, there have been eight presidential elections. Six factors have accurately predicted the winner of all eight elections. We’ll use those six criteria to look at Obama vs. Romney.

1. The candidate with the clearest message has always won

Neither candidate has articulated a clear general election message yet.

The best message I’ve heard from the Obama Administration so far has been, “Bin Laden is dead and Detroit is alive.” That’s a terrific message, but it’s not going to become an official one. They also seem to have been testing a “let’s finish the job” theme, but I’m skeptical that slogan will survive the predictable counterattacks from Republicans. The Obama 2012 website doesn’t offer a unifying message yet.

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