Washington ( CNN ) -- Mitt Romney seemed to channel his inner CEO on Thursday when he sketched out a chart on entitlements on a whiteboard . There he stood , hair slicked down , white shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows , listing differences between his and President Barack Obama 's Medicare plans . If the scene seemed better suited to a corporate boardroom than the campaign trail , it is because the presumptive Republican presidential nominee is far more comfortable throwing out ideas than with having them challenged , experts say . `` It speaks to some of the issues he 's been having , '' said Trevor Parry-Giles , a political communication professor at the University of Maryland . `` There are a number of ways in which businesses operate that are not analogous to the campaign context . '' The challenge for Romney is making the case to voters that his business acumen is exactly the skill set needed to pull the country out of its economic slump . `` That 's what he needs to sell the public so the public can be comfortable with a President Romney , '' said John Geer , chairman of Vanderbilt University 's political science department . So far , it is an effort that has met with mixed results . In a CNN/ORC International poll of likely voters released last week , 45 % of those polled said that the economy would get better if Romney were elected -- two percentage points below Obama 's number . Considering Romney 's success as a business leader and the poor state of the economy , Romney should have higher poll numbers , CNN senior political analyst David Gergen said recently . Then there was Romney 's impromptu news conference on Thursday on Medicare which steered off course from the economy , arguably a topic that should be Romney 's strong suit . The candidate found himself once again discussing his taxes in an attempt to put to rest previous questions by reporters on whether he would re-examine his returns . `` I did go back and look at my taxes and over the past ten years . I never paid less than 13 % . I think the most recent year is 13.6 or something like that . I paid taxes every single year , '' Romney said in a response aimed at quelling criticism from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that the former Massachusetts governor did not pay taxes for a decade . At times on the trail , Romney has appeared frustrated with constant questions about his taxes and calls for him to release more returns . That type of umbrage could speak to Romney 's discomfort in such a public sphere , Parry-Giles said . Romney is a Harvard law and Business School graduate and led Boston 's Bain Capital , a private equity firm . He served one term as governor , the only public office he has held . As someone who has spent most of his life in the private sector , constant questions about tax returns could feel like an invasion of privacy . Questions about his taxes `` do seem small-minded to someone with his worldview , '' Parry-Giles said . `` His personal communication style comes out of that ( business ) background . To be relentlessly asked about those questions is probably bothersome . '' Tom Smith , an assistant finance professor at Emory University put it more bluntly . `` That is somebody who is used standing in front of a boardroom and not being challenged . ' I do n't have to provide you evidence , that 's beneath me ' , '' he said of Romney 's attitude on releasing more tax returns . However , there are areas where Romney 's business background has helped him steer clear of potential political pitfalls . His search for a running mate was handled with corporate-like precision . Conversations about who topped the list were treated as trade secrets . Documents about the search were kept in a safe and the selection process was only discussed among key people who sat in a room at campaign headquarters . Romney was also reportedly very methodical in his process . He solicited the advice of trusted advisers , carefully weighed his decision and then unveiled his choice in a showy roll out worthy of a brand launch . Romney 's chief executive background was evident in his choice of Wisconsin Republican and conservative budget hawk Rep. Paul Ryan as a running mate , Smith said . Smith said Romney likely reasoned `` 'People are already basing their opinions on me based on what I have or have not said , but if I choose a good number two then I look more like a good boss ' , '' Smith said . `` A good CEO would choose managers around them that would challenge them in order to make the whole company better . '' Ryan and Romney 's budget plans diverge in the level of detail â€ ” Ryan 's has more in the way of specifics â€ ” and offering a time line of when the federal budget would balance . Romney acknowledged the differences and suggested room to use his running mate 's ideas to help make his own plans stronger . `` I 'm sure there are places that my budget is different than his , but we 're on the same page as I said before , '' Romney said on the trail on Monday . `` We 'll look at the differences . Well , the items we agree on I think outweigh any differences there may be . We have n't gone through piece by piece . ... I ca n't imagine any two people even in the same party who have exactly the same positions on all issues . '' Romney 's CEO background will also help him in other ways . Some people erroneously think that the government can be run like a corporation and will give Romney greater benefit of the doubt on his ability to right the economy because he was a CEO , Smith said . He 'll also benefit from a cultural tradition of not questioning the boss . `` Because he is a CEO there is a large share of people who are willing to just give him a pass , '' Smith said . But government does n't function like a board of directors meeting , Smith said . As president , Romney would have to contend with Congress and all of the checks and balances that come with governing . `` You ca n't exactly have an executive president , '' Smith said . `` What a CEO might bring to the Oval Office gets eliminated immediately because you ca n't have that kind of power . '' During the upcoming nominating convention and debates Romney will have to prove to the broader electorate that he has the ability to not only run a successful business but also successfully run the country , political experts say . Romney 's ready for the challenge , said Keith Appell , a Republican strategist and senior vice president at CRC Public Relations . `` A CEO delegates a lot , '' Appell said , noting that Romney has been out in front during the campaign and taking the tough questions . As president , Appell said he could see him running the government like a CEO and delegating offices and responsibilities .
Mitt Romney 's experience as a CEO both helps and hurts his campaign . Comment: Romney 's choice of Paul Ryan as a veep was a solid CEO-worthy move . Romney will have to work to prove his business skills will translate to Oval Office .