Mitt Romney's money problem

Americans like to elect presidents that represent the working class American Dream. Candidates who come from humble beginnings can connect with middle class voters in ways that candidates born into wealth cannot. This type of support for the rising underdog may exist partly on a subconscious level, but exist it does, which is why Mitt RomneyMitt Romney has a money problem.

In Thursday's Florida Primary debate, Romney tried to defend his wealth with words like "my trustee," and "my investments are in a blind trust." With millions of Americans struggling to keep food on the table, keep a roof over their heads, and put their kids through college, taking about how you manage your millions doesn't strike a chord with most Americans.

Bill Clinton grew up poor and was raised by a single mom. Average Americans can relate to that.

Barack ObamaBarack Obama faced all the challenges other Americans of color deal with every day. And yet he managed to put himself through school and rise to the highest office in the land against all odds.

Black or white, Latino or Asian, people of all ethnicity have encountered struggles unknown to their ultra-wealthy counterparts.

When the average American looks at Mitt Romney, they see a man who might have lived an ethical life just this side of Mother Theresa, and still fail to find a way to relate to him, because what it all comes down to is that Romney grew up behind the privileged gates of a place most Americans can only imagine from a distance.

Of course there are exceptions to every rule. George W. BushGeorge W. Bush was born into wealth and was still elected president, twice. But he also left office with the one of lowest approval ratings of any president in history. Additionally, there are many who believe that it was Bush's disconnect with working class Americans that lead to his deregulation of the banking industry and subsequent crash of the financial and housing markets at the end of his second term in 2008.

In their day to day lives, most people form their strongest bonds with those who share common circumstances, whether it be economic, ethnic, or religious. That may be partly due to accessibility, and partly due to a profound human instinct to build communities with common goals.

Those who don't support Romney for president may simply feel that there is no way he can work toward making a hard life better, when he has no concept of what a hard life really is.

No matter what Obama's opponents say about his policy, the fact remains that simply by virtue of his humble upbringing, Barack Obama has more in common with Americans chasing the American dream than Mitt Romney ever will.

Sources and more info:

Slate.com: How Hard Is It To Open a Swiss Bank Account?

CBS News: Bush's Final Approval Rating: 22 Percent

Think Progress: Confronted At Debate, Romney Does Not Dispute He Profited From Foreclosures In Florida