Last night I spent a few hours commenting on many of the diaries here... trying to calm frayed nerves and many who were feeling that the debate had been a rout. It's interesting how many who had been frantic last night seem to be feeling better today and some (like me) have reversed the trend and gotten angrier. I've got some thoughts on the rematch past the turnbuckle.
I'm a boxing fan and the dynamics between fighters in the ring just before the bell are always interesting and sometimes telling. Yes, the debates are theater but I found the whole handshake routine with Romney way over the top. We know Romney is a bully. Throughout the Republican debates he showed he can be rattled, and when he's rattled he makes mistakes. In the rematch Obama needs to drop the extra-collegial nonsense and give Mitt a simple firm handshake (no clasping forearms or patting backs) while looking him straight in the eye.
I might even take it a step further... I'd love to see Obama walk to the lectern and take off his jacket (perfect for the town hall setting), roll up his sleeves (he looks good that way on the stump) and send an unmistakable message the gloves are coming off. I can almost see Mitts lying lips starting to quiver and those little half steps of his getting shorter. Optics. Obama in shirt sleeves vs. Mitt in a suit. Mainstreet vs Bainstreet.
Continuing the boxing metaphor, and presuming he gets an opening statement POB should go straight to the body building on the theme he started today about "the unrecognizable Mitt Romney". He doesn't have to call him a liar, he just has to keep framing all his arguments against Mitt's ever changing positions. And once or twice when making those comparisons, try to expose the new Romney as phony to that wingnut republican base of his.
In the first fight POB tried to out box Romney figuring he could outpoint him, next time he's got to apply constant pressure, cut off the ring and put him on the defensive. I'm betting Romney loses his cool and that's when Obama lands the counter punch that drops him.
Maybe we should add Freddie Roach to POB's debate prep, couldn't hurt. Last thing, every democrat up for election should be sporting a big bird lapel pin. Keep that one going.