Political columnist and strategist Dick Morris says President Barack Obama may be his own worst enemy in his bid for re-election with his negative campaigning and should try to recreate his 2008 message of "love and hope."
Appearing on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor," Morris said Obama's negative campaign against former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is beginning to hurt his own re-election effort "a great deal," especially among independents and undecided voters who simply don't believe all the bad things being said about the Republican ticket.
By pushing "hate and fear," observed Morris, Obama has "written off most of the independents," and is trying to "animate his base" to make sure they get out to vote on Nov. 6.
He called it a bad move that would only make things worse for Obama as the race progresses.
"Obama understood from the very beginning of this race that the variant in his viability was how many of the people that were not voting he could get out to vote," Morris told O'Reilly. "And then he made a fundamental strategic error which he continues to make.
"He assumed the best way to get them out to vote is hate and fear," he added. "The best way to get them out to vote is, in fact, love and hope. And what he should have done is to recreate the Obama of '08 to whatever extent you can."
Asked by O'Reilly how he could do that now given the fact the election is less than three months away, Morris said, "I'm not about to explain how to him."
Morris said the biggest problem for Obama is that Romney comes across as basically a nice guy, despite attempts to make him look like a rich businessman who cares more about making money than helping his fellow Americans get through tough times.
"You will never generate a large turnout based on hate and fear if your opponent is Romney," said Morris, adding that it might work against harsher or more extremist Republicans like Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, or even Donald Trump.
"But you can't do it with Mitt Romney. He is too bland and too nice," Morris said.
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