Its clear Romney is on the ropes. Its time to go for the knock-out, because we don't just want Obama to win, we want him to win big, unquestionably delivering both a mandate and down-ballot.
He needs to go up in, if not all 50 states, a large number of states he has ignored to this point.
Why?
1) The Senate. Every state with an active Senate race (Arizona, Indiana, Montana, North Dakota) should bring positive Obama ads and invite outside groups to go negative on Romney. The better our turn-out is, even in North Dakota, which Obama isn't winning, the better Heitkamp does.
2) The House. Picture this: Obama wins VA, FL, NC, OH, etc. and by the time polls close in the midwest, Obama has won those states, which with California's 55 E.V.s, make it clear he's winning. Republicans in Mountain and Pacific time states have no incentive to turn out. This gives us our best shot at turning several western seats to take the House, especially in California.
3) The popular vote. Picture this: Things don't go well, Obama manages a slight E.V. win, say, 290ish, but, because he has run up #s in the South, Romney, like Gore, has the popular vote. Do you believe Republicans would honor this without a fight?
In extended-- more strategy.
4) Make Romney play Defense. There seem to be 3-4 states where Romney should (and has to) win, and Obama seems competitive.
GEORGIA - recent polling has a 3-5 pt Romney lead. With a large African American population, a base of voters whose ancestors voted for Democratic Presidents as recently as 1976 and 1992, and all sorts of creative-class/techie jobs in Atlanta, it seems Georgia could be this year's surprise. Go on TV there, test the waters, send Obama to Atlanta. Heck, some of the southern GA TV hits the FL panhandle as a bonus.
ARIZONA - If Obama wins 2/3 of hispanics he should add 8 pts to his totals from last time, getting him close to a win. Given the Senate race is also nearly tied and turnout is critical, Obama should be visiting Arizona as often as he is Nevada, and they should be up on the air big-time.
INDIANA - Obama won this last time, and he's not winning it again. But there is a Senate race, some Indiana TV bleeds into parts of Ohio (a bonus) and getting the vote out will be critical to taking Lugar's old seat.
MISSOURI - I have no hopes to win MO, but the more Dem constiuencies turn-out, the better for Claire McCaskill. If you don't think Missourians won't elect Akin, you don't know Missouri.
5) Go National. What about some "morning in America" type ads for a national audience, driving turn-out for Dems in red states and reminding voters who Obama really is. Also remember there are down-ballot state legislative races in these red states where Dems NEED to turn out to avoid disaster at the state level.
6) Give Gary Johnson a boost. It would be a worthy investment for some libertarian-leaning celeb to get Johnson TV time in places like Alaska, Montana, Texas - places Obama won't win but where a big. showing by Johnson would make things uncomfortable for Romney. (I could see Johnson getting in the 20s in Alaska).
So.. how about it, let's turn this into a near-50 state strategy.