Romney campaign downplays expectations on post-convention bounce

Mitt Romney's campaign Tuesday looked to downplay expectations of a post-convention polling bump, just days after Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Prebus predicted a "visible" post-convention boost for the Republican candidate.

"I just think all bets are off about any kind of past performance being a predictor of the future," senior adviser Stuart Stevens told reporters on Romney's flight from Massachusetts to Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday morning, according to pool reports.

Republicans have expressed concern throughout the week that coverage of Hurricane Isaac's landfall on the Gulf Coast could distract from their convention activities — and prevent Romney from earning the customary post-convention bump. According to Gallup, candidates have averaged a five-point bounce following their convention.

Late last week, many Republican leaders were promising post-convention movement for their candidate.

Priebus told Bloomberg on Saturday that as “people get to know Mitt Romney and get to know who he is and the decent man he is and his story of the American Dream and his generosity,” a bump at the polls would become more likely.

“I can’t give you a scope, but I can tell you I think it’s going to be real and it’s going to be visible, but I don’t know what it will end up being," Priebus continued.

Stevens said Tuesday he was just glad to enter the convention tied against an incumbent candidate.

"I think it's extraordinary we're going to the convention tied or with the lead," Stevens said. "I think if the election were held tomorrow, we'd win and win pretty easily."

At an event earlier Tuesday, chief Romney pollster Neil Newhouse said the campaign considered itself an underdog — abet a confident one.

"He's the incumbent president," Newhouse said of President Obama. "It's not easy beating incumbent presidents ... you just don't beat incumbents with all the power he has at his disposal easily."

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