"To ask Governor Romney ..."
I think we all might agree that the most important goal for tonight is to expose Mitt's word as untrustworthy. His campaign collapses at that point.
But how? It's a town hall, so one can't go hyper-aggressive. And Romney will not 'fess up no matter what. And Obama shrinks from confrontation.
So the President needs an effective strategy that pins Romney to his lies and inconsistencies without seeming nasty. If he can do this, Romney will fold. He does not handle situations well in which he is confronted by the fact of his lying.
But how? What strategy could work?
I'm no debater, but I do think the approach captured in the headline would work.
First, one unhappy and mercifully brief re-visitation of the 1st debate. Obviously, Obama flinched primarily because he is really uncomfortable with conflict. Romney challenged him to a nasty street fight and Obama didn't want to do that.
OK. Here's the thing that bothers me. There was an available Plan B. Romney was intractable. So suppose the President had stopped talking to him and had turned to the camera and spoken directly to the American people. Marginalize Romney and make clear this is because he won't argue reasonably. And talk to the people about our achievements and vision. That would I think have been an effective strategy for dealing with a liar with oral dysentery.
Well, Obama has a 2nd bite at that apple. Tonight is a town hall. The point is to talk TO the people in that room. I am pretty sure Obama will do that well in general.
But all accounts are that Romney can do that too. And it really isn't enough to earn a draw. Romney has draped this campaign in the most egregious pall of lies ever seen in a major presidential candidate. The pall must be rent.
And I think the best way to do that is to invite the American people in the room and watching on TV to ask Mr. Romney what he really means. The formula is the headline of this post:
"As voters, you are entirely right to ask Governor Romney whether he would really repeal Obamacare?"
"As voters, you will want Governor Romney to directly explain how he would pay for what he claims to be revenue neutral 20% tax cuts he has promised for 18 months. What specific middle class tax deductions will he cut?"
"As American workers, I think you might want to ask Governor Romney to explain how he can be tough on trade talks with China while he maintains a 20 million dollar investment in the company which he once led which is at this moment closing a profitable plant in Illinois and sending its jobs and equipment to China."
Etc. etc.
Project these questions directly into the point of view of American voters and force Romney to deal with them in the actual physical presence of those voters.
That's what I would do. But then, I ain't no debater.