The former Massachusetts governor says often — almost daily — that Obama is a good person who is just in over his head as president.

But Romney’s way of phrasing his critique presents a contrast — in the sense that he is not questioning the president’s motives in the same way that the Obama campaign has. The Obama campaign has argued that Romney would not want to help jobless Americans get back on their feet because he doesn’t care about them. …

Romney’s comments may be a form of damning with faint praise, but they give the appearance at least of his wanting to be civil about his opponent. The Romney campaign contends that this is just the way the candidate is: He is truly a decent person.