It's a quiet day on the Obama news front because the President is preparing for the all-important debate tomorrow. I'm predicting a good performance in which the President is engaged and exposes Romneys lies. I expect a trust me performance, a who do you trust, with examples of why Romney is not trustworthy. It will not be like Biden, because the President has his own style, but it will be agressive and energized. When the game is on the line, the great players perfom to their best. See, e.g., the defending World Champion Cardinals last Friday night against the Nats. Barack Obama is one of the great ones and he will bring it tomorrow!
My first story is that the Obamas have already voted. If you live in a state in which you can vote early, go do it!
President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama will both cast their ballots for the 2012 election early, the couple announced today on Twitter.
The announcement means Mr. Obama will become the first presidential candidate to not vote in-person on election day, according to his campaign.
“Hey, @BarackObama, I just dropped my absentee ballot in the mail,” wrote Mrs. Obama. “I couldn’t wait for Election Day! Love you!” She signed the message with “-mo” indicating that it was personally posted to the account by her.
The first lady included an image of herself holding the sealed, post-marked absentee ballot to be returned to the Illinois Board of Election Commissioners.
The president tweeted shortly after that he would also be balloting early, but on a visit to Chicago later this month.
“I’m following @MichelleObama’s example and voting early, on October 25,” he posted to the @BarackObama Twitter profile, signed “-bo.” “If your state has early voting, join me.”
ABC News: Obamas Cast Ballots Early, A Presidential First
My second story is about a new Obaam campaign ad. The Obama campaign has a new ad running in Colorado, Iowa, Nevada and Virginia that has a number of "regular folks" talking about the improving economy:
Woman: "We've gone from pulling into our parking lot, which was so depressing; there would be two or three cars (picture of empty parking lot by factory)to our parking lot being full.
Different Woman: "We have a whole new second shift that brought in new employees and we have a future in our plant now.
Man: When you look at the President's plan I don't think there can be any question that we're on the right course for today's economy.
Different man: President Obama does get what people need, and that's jobs and opportunity to help themselves.
Another different man: Stick with this guy. He will move us forward."
Expect more of this in the debate by President Obama. Instead of Romney's doom and gloom, President Obama will talk about where we've been, where we are now, and where we are going to be.
7.8 unemployment. 5 million jobs.
Romney would have brought us the Great Depression had he been in office. Instead, this President prevented a Great Depression and we're moving forward.
My third story: another reason why the President will win:
(Reuters) - Retail sales rose in September as Americans stepped up purchases of everything from cars to electronics, a sign that consumer spending is driving faster economic growth.
snip
[C]onsumer spending remains the U.S. economy's biggest engine, and expectations for third-quarter economic growth improved after the Commerce Department reported a 1.1 percent increase in retail sales during September.
The reading, which beat analysts' forecasts, builds on other signs of growing economic momentum, including a drop in the jobless rate last month and a rise in consumer confidence.
"The news flow on the U.S. economy keeps getting better," said Chris Williamson, an economist at Markit in London.
Retail sales point to stronger economic growth
Finally, the Cardinals comeback on Friday (first a thirty second commercial):
Go Cards! GoBama!
Link to Transcripts and Documents.