If a U.S. President takes office during a time of severe economic turmoil, it's not fair to blame him for the recession or lack of job creation. Well, as long as he's a Republican.

In 2004, then-Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney defended President George W. Bush, who was facing attacks on his economic record by Democratic candidate John Kerry.

The people of America recognize that the slowdown in jobs that occurred during the early years of the Bush administration were the result of a perfect storm. And an effort by one candidate to somehow say "Oh, this recession and the slowdown in jobs was the result of somehow this president magically being elected..." people in America just dismiss that as being poppycock. And they recognize it as that.

Mediaite has the clip, which also includes a Romney statement that "could easily be the title of an Obama campaign strategy memo."

Every indication is that the economic policies adopted and pursued by this president are creating jobs at a very high pace. And so the people of America have to ask, "Do I stay with the president, who is rebuilding the economy, who is creating jobs, or do you want to stop mid-stream and find someone new?"

Of course, Mitt Romney would call any efforts to apply the same logic to Obama's presidency "poppycock." (I'm just assuming he uses that word a lot.)

[Image via AP]