Obama Campaign Manager Jim Messina (White House/ Pete Souza)
Attention Chicago:
Umm, you've got your opponent now. What's the hold up?
So far, we have no consistent defining message defining Mitt Romney, despite his own campaign spokesman handing it to us on a silver platter. Second, we know you all are searching for a new slogan. Get'r done. I've seen Axelrod on TV looking like he's got a ham sandwich stuck in his sternum and some mustard stains on his mustache, heming and uhhing and awwing his way through what should be a rather crisply delivered and crippling narrative about Mitt Romney.
And now we get this sort of thing:
According to White House spokesman Jay Carney, President Barack Obama wasn't referring to Mitt Romney when he said at a campaign-style event Wednesday: "I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth."
"Those of you who have covered President Obama know that he has used that phrase to describe his background many times in the past," Carney told reporters. "And I suppose anybody who thinks it was a reference to them might be a little oversensitive -- unless they think that when President Obama said it three years ago it was in reference to them."
You know, you're right. Jed's
right. That's all true. Romney is too sensitive about talking about his wealth. It obviously makes him uncomfortable, which is why you all have been
pushing the tax returns thing. It's media catnip. I get it.
Here's the problem: this is the low hanging fruit when it comes to defining an opponent. This is like "my opponent may be corrupt" while discretely pointing to the corruption. It'll get you a few cycles, but it isn't doesn't define who the person is.
The real problem with Mitt Romney is that he wont fix the economy because he's spent his life destroying it. Like when Mitt Romney came to Kansas City. In other words, you all need to be talking about Bain Capital. Every day. All day.
It worked for Ted Kennedy. It even worked for Newt. When people see Mitt Romney on TV, they shouldn't be thinking "this guy is rich and skates on his taxes." They see people like that on TV every day. They should think "this guy is going to fire me." You run right at his "business guy" selling points and turn it into the worse thing he could possibly have on his resume.
I don't see what the hold up is. I seen no reason to keep powder dry. I see no reason to try to engage in skirmishes over the Latino vote or the Womens vote, battles the GOP primaries have taken care of for us and will probably prove more pivotal in the closing stages of the campaign rather than now. Romney's tax returns are the icing. Bain Capital is the cake. Bake the cake.
Nows the time to hammer home who Mitt Romney is. He's the guy who will cost you your job.
Bain Capital. Work on it.
7:40 PM PT: I should add a few things I'm seeing:
1. I've seen enough of Romney's SuperPac money to be convinced that were going to lose the air war. You can only push so much money through a 24 hour day.
2. Romney is staffing up. I see no reason why we should wait for them to get their act together.
3. The Republican Party has unified pretty quickly. Surprisingly quickly. Were in the general election right now. Face it.
4. Our advantage is fragile. It isn't rock solid. We still have an incumbent at or slightly below 50 and right track/wrong track numbers that are still jacked. Events could throw this thing out of wack.
5. Romney is improving as a candidate.
All good reasons not to wait around with skirmishes. Lets engage and fight it out all the way tooth and nail.