Will Romney's wealth doom his presidential run?

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SALT LAKE CITY — A presidential campaign is an ever- changing cycle, with party platforms, campaign messages and a myriad of policies thrown at a hypothetical wall, with each candidate hoping for something to stick to either discredited an opponent's campaign or increase the relevance of one's own campaign.

And often, one issue, statement, phrase or attack can be the deciding factor in the entire race, whether accurate or not. Ask 2004 Democratic nominee John Kerry about Swiftboating. Or 1988 Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis and his photo shoot in a tank. There is also the "Dean Scream" that ultimately derailed Howard Dean's campaign in 2004.

As a result, candidates attempt to find the message that sticks.

In the most recent presidential election — 2008 — the message was clearly about "Change." Even devout Republicans admitted they wanted change, just from an opposing candidate.

Since declaring his candidacy for president in 2011, presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney has attempted to highlight the so-called "failures" of President Barack Obama in office, particularly job creation and the high unemployment rate in the United States. Romney's message: "Obama Isn't Working".

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And with recent job creation numbers and high unemployment rates more in favor of Romney's message, the attacks appear presumptively accurate.

However, President Obama is effectively diverting the attention from job creation and unemployment numbers to Romney's "unknown" wealth, particularly Romney's overseas investments — an issue that casts Romney as a wealthy, out-of-touch Candidate that ultimately has many Republicans seemingly siding with President Obama on the issue.

"What's important is if you are running for president is that the American people know who you are and what you've done and that you're an open book," President Obama said in an interview with WMUR. "And that's been true of every presidential candidate dating all the way back to Mitt Romney's father."

Although not a new attack on the campaign, Romney is being criticized for his overseas investments, including accounts in Switzerland, the Cayman Islands and Bahamas. Unless future investigations show Romney broke tax laws, everything about his investments have been deemed legal.

"I don't manage them. I don't even know where they are," Romney said in an interview with Radio Iowa. "That trustee follows all U.S. laws. All the taxes are paid, as appropriate. All of them have been reported to the government. There's nothing hidden there.

"If, for instance, you own shares in Renault or Fiat, you still have to disclose that in the United States," Romney added. "So, you know, I understand the president's going to try to do anything he can to divert attention from the fact that his jobs record is weak and he has no plan to make things better."

But is the issue of tax returns, offshore accounts and wealth a fatal flaw in Romney's run for the White House?

Romney is certainly not the first politician to have an abundance of wealth, but his wealth remains an issue during the election cycle. Vacationing at a private estate in New Hampshire while a majority of Americans attempt to break free from a recession makes Romney appear out-of- touch.

However, every recent president has taken similar vacations, despite most Americans lacking the same opportunity. So why the difference for Romney?

Franklin D. Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy were equally wealthy, but had Americans believing they were for the middle class. Their campaign messages appeared to be genuine and sincere for the American people, while Romney's message has struggled to have the same impact with middle-class families. Instead, Romney's message is seemingly grabbing the attention of wealthier families.

Consider Romney's recent success in fundraising efforts, outraising President Obama in May and June. Romney's average donation in June was $2,400, according to an Associated Press analysis. Much of Romney's campaign contributions have come from donors at the more than 100 fundraising events in locations like Park City, Utah; Aspen, Colo.; and the Hamptons, where participants are required to spend somewhere between $25,000-75,000 to be included.

Romney has praised the small-dollar donations, who he says has made his fundraising efforts possible, but it is the high-end fundraisers that make up the bulk of his donations.

While Romney's wealth is currently on display, it is the message behind his campaign that ultimately matters. Over the remaining few months of the election, Romney will be forced to find a message that connects with the everyday voter or risk defeat in November. Claiming President Obama has failed is generally not enough for voters.

In the coming days, Romney is preparing to answer the president's "untrue" claims in a "gloves-off" approach, campaign aides said.