Two stories about Mitt Romney. In a conversation last year, a pair of former colleagues from his private- equity days were effusive in their praise of Romney’s intelligence, dedication and skills.

But there was something else, too. They said his inscrutable demeanor, the lack of personal warmth, never really changed, though both knew him for many years.

Funnyman Jon Stewart made a similar point in a different way. No fan of Romney, he told an interviewer that, if you had a “box marked ‘president’ and opened it, Romney would be inside.”

Compliments for Romney always come with caveats. As he goes to Tampa to claim the crown he sought for five years, the only unanimous idea is that Romney has many strengths and a few big holes in his game.

In Tampa, Romney will have an unfiltered opportunity to sell himself anew as the answer to a troubled nation.
One indication is that, although he is locked in a tight race with President Obama, the incumbent is still favored in most quarters. A poll that had them tied also showed that 58 percent of respondents believed Obama would win.
It’s a familiar predicament for Romney, and points to the work he must do before Nov. 6. A likability deficit, a lack of enthusiasm, the soft support — they’ve haunted his campaign from the start.