The two contenders for tomorrow night. DEBATE PREVIEW
Tomorrow night the first Presidential debate will pit a scarred incumbent and a uncertain challenger. It’s almost a contest between Popeye and Gumby. I see President Obama as Popeye proclaiming “I ams who I am” while teetering on the edge of great accomplishment and failure in his first term. You kind of hope there will be an infusion of spinach in the second term. Romney on the other hand looks like a President. A President of an all white golf club circa 1940s. Amiable and cheerful but woeful in the details of what he will need to do. Romney has had so many positions on so many issues that it is difficult to articulate what he stands for. He has had countless opportunities to connect to the American people but has fallen short. This is not a political party thing either. The Democrats have had their fair share of candidates that could hardly connect and they paid for it. John Kerry in 2004 comes to mind. The debates will be the chance for Romney to look the country square in the eye and say this is what I stand for. For him, it’s now or never.WHAT OBAMA NEEDS TO DO 1. Defend his record. Not run away from the Stimulus plan and the Affordable Health Care Act. Articulate the positives and knock down the untruths. If I can do that in a little blog from nowhereville, surely the President can.
2. Point out that he was left a mess but not whine about it. Articulate the number of times he tried to work with the GOP. A dramatic action like walking off the stage and carrying a stack of papers, e mails or correspondence and dropping it on his podium might be effective. People like Obama, people know he has tried hard. But in defending his record, the President has to attack the people who have blocked him.
3. Stay calm and cool. But not too cool. The President can’t act like the smartest kid in the room. He has to be passionate about his agenda and lay out a few facts for a second term. It might be a good idea for him to parry questions to Romney, running ideas by him. Romney may not be able to think on his feet and will appear unprepared.
4. Finally Obama must ask for a second term. He needs to point out the things he did for the middle class, especially in the areas of consumer advocacy and protection as well as the tax break every worker has received since 2009.
WHAT ROMNEY NEEDS TO DO 1. Admit to the nation that he wants to be an all inclusive President. Make a statement about that 47% remark and own it. Even apologize for it. Address his wealth and make the point that he can govern all of the people.
2. Attack Mr. Obama on the fact that this President, through two wars in his term as well as endless suffering among the middle class on the economy has not steered a certain ship. The biggest fear the middle class has is uncertainty. Romney has to present two points people will remember on how he can restore the middle class clout. He must be specific.
3. Mr. Romney needs to ask the President pointed questions about his failures. He must applaud the President for his accomplishment of killing Osama Bin Laden but then must drill him hard on what’s been done since then. He should cite Libya. Romney can score great points by saying President Obama just went far enough but not all the way in his foreign policy initiatives. As a fixer, Romney must portray himself as a person who will complete the job. Throughout the campaign, people have doubted Romney’s ability to fix. By attacking Obama on some hanging threads, he can regain some momentum.
4. Finally Romney must celebrate this President. He must make the point that since the two are going to be meeting two more times, they should be civil. Romney should kill Obama with kindness and acknowledge the mess he inherited. Salute the fact that he tried it his way. But then say to America that time is running out in terms of the financial good health of America. Romney should look into the camera and say “I can fix this” all the while smiling and acting like the CEO giving a gold watch to a loyal, hard working but failed employee and showing him the door. The American people understand the notion that “nice guys finish last” and Romney has to make that point without insulting Mr. Obama and degrading the Presidency.
DEBATE BLUNDERS
There have been famous debate blunders through the years. Do they matter? Well the answer is yes and no. Here’s one example.
1988/Bensten/Quayle: In this Vice Presidential debate Senator Quayle compared his record and experience to John F. Kennedy’s in terms of service longevity. In fact, Dan Quayle had accomplished more legislatively than John Kennedy in the House and Senate. But Bensten’s comeback that “Quayle was no John Kennedy” scored points. Yet the Bush/Quayle ticket won. But throughout the remainder of Quayle’s career he was saddled with that moment. When Quayle launched a campaign for President in 1996 that clip was famously played over and over again. Debate gaffes happen all the time. How they are reported, how the person who made the mistake reacts to it and how much goodwill the candidate has are all factors in how history will treat that person even if they win or lose. And in the Quayle case, winning was a short term victory.
17th District Congressman Matt Cartwright. CARTWRIGHT COMMENTS ON ID LAW
Today’s ruling of a partial injunction against Governor Corbett’s voter suppression law marks a victory for Pennsylvania voters. Behind unsubstantiated claims of rampant voter fraud, Governor Corbett and Republican lawmakers attempted to instill fear in the Pennsylvania public in order to suppress and discourage participation in the democratic process. This voter ID law, considered one of the most obvious attempts of voter disenfranchisement in the nation, is nothing more than a calculated political move aimed at attacking our constitutionally-protected right to vote. With Judge Simpson’s ruling, voters will be allowed to vote without an ID allowing Pennsylvanians to breathe a sigh of relief knowing our voting rights are secure for the crucial elections coming up this year. “This is a significant victory for those who believe that participation in our government should be encouraged, not hindered,” said Cartwright, regarding the ruling. Matt Cartwright is a Democrat, running for Congress in the 17th Congressional District, which now includes parts of Carbon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Monroe and Northampton Counties, as well as all of Schuylkill County. Cartwright is running for Congress to bring jobs to Northeast Pennsylvania, and make sure that corporations and wealthy Americans pay their fair share of taxes.
A Colorado welcome. NEED AN ADVENTURE?
Got this from the e mail machine. Organizers are looking for workers to visit Colorado one of the key battle ground states. Here’s the message and the link. But before you go, make sure you get an absentee ballot.Greetings! I'm an organizer at Work for Progress, a non-profit that is working to turn out the vote to re-elect President Obama. We're looking to hire over 400 campaign associates to send to Colorado and other important battleground states. Our timeline is short, and we're rolling out a hiring drive over the next week. Below is the job description that your readership at the Lu Lac Political Letter may be interested in. For folks capable of committing to the full four weeks, travel expenses will be paid for along with a steady wage.
If you have any questions please contact Patrick at (215) 804-9470. For your readership, folks can either call Patrick at (215) 804-9470 or send a resume to philadelphia@workforprogress.org.
Thanks for your time!
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