Neil Cavuto Preps for the DNC: 'Can Democrats Show the Passion Republicans Did at the RNC?'

by Neil Cavuto

One down.

One very big one to go.

Just back from Tampa … time to see what the Democrats can put up in Charlotte.

In a convention calendar quirk, the two parties’ big quadrennial pow-wow’s are literally one week after the other.

Bad for Mitt Romney, because it robs him of much of a long-lasting convention bounce.

But bad for the president too, because, well … presidents generally don’t get much of convention bounce.

Their fortunes are more closely tied to the economy.

That’s another story ... here’s the big one going into the Democrats’ gala:

Can they show the passion Republicans did at theirs?

That’s what this whole convention thing comes down to - passion - keeping your troops jazzed.

And if the latest poll numbers are any indication, Republicans are more jazzed about their ticket than Democrats are about theirs.

That’s not to say in Charlotte, a lot of Democrats just bolt to Republicans. The trick for the party, is just keeping them happy and voting “in the tent.”

Easier said than done.

Because there are so few undecided voters, it really comes down to getting out the vote and more to the point, “getting out “your” vote.”

Republicans clearly think they’ve got a shot at toppling a president whose economic fortunes are quickly turning against him.

They remember Jimmy Carter. But there are some big differences ... for one thing, Jimmy Carter didn’t have a fraction the campaign skills Barack Obama does.

For another, the mainstream media didn’t much flip over Carter. This might strike many as shocking today, but a lot of them actually kind of liked his challenger Ronald Reagan.

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More from Neil Cavuto at the RNC:

• Actor Jon Voight on Being Conservative in Hollywood, Clint Eastwood’s RNC Guest Appearance
• Watch Neil Cavuto’s Brief ‘Chat’ With Paul Ryan Before RNC Speech

Don’t get me wrong, the media then, as now, was 'monolithically' liberal ... but by the time Carter was running for re-election, 'monolithically' disappointed in the bedeviled and poll-beaten former Georgia governor-turned president.

At that time, folks were ripe for a change. They just needed to see if, first, his party could make a compelling case for not changing him.

That Democratic convention year, in 1980, his party could not. Ted Kennedy was challenging Carter right down to the convention floor, and while Carter survived ... the party wounds did not.

We know what happened later.

No such problems or intra-party challenges for Barack Obama to worry about this year, but he does have a big wall of indifference to climb.

Young voters disenchanted, Hispanic voters surprisingly divided, and crucial swing states awfully close.

None of this is to say the president can’t heal frustrations next week in Charlotte, it’ll just be much more heavy lifting than at his last convention four years ago in Denver.

The bloom is off his rose, but that also doesn’t mean Mitt Romney still hasn’t his own basket of thorns.

The former Massachusetts governor didn’t wow ‘em at his convention, but he did enough to keep them in line at his convention, and driven by all Republicans’ increasingly deep-seeded rage at Barack Obama, likely keep ‘em jazzed long after his convention.

It’s about who each party gets out to the polls.

The argument goes like this: he who grinds out the vote best, wins.

In a race this close, it’s a game of inches.

The economy isn’t working for the president.

Just like charisma isn’t working for Mitt Romney.

So expect the president to play up how unlikeable Romney is.

And Mitt Romney how unlikable the president’s policies are.

That’s what’s at stake as we head into another party image-maker.

We know what Republicans wanted to project. And for the most part, they did.

Now we know what Democrats want to project, and for now, we simply don’t know if they can or will.

Stay tuned.

Because we’re the business guys, and no one knows image-makers and corporate makeover campaigns better than us.

It’s our job.

It’s your money.

And next week, it’s all we’re about.

See you in Charlotte.

And this weekend, see you first with a preview to coming attractions on a very special LIVE Cost of Freedom...

Saturday.

Tune in Saturday at 10aET for a special LIVE "Cost of Freedom!"