the American people were all witnesses to many bipartisan approach that I have from day one adopted towards the Republican members of Congress but the Republican delegation made it clear that they would rather America fail than for Obama to succeed.
From Alhabe to President Barack Obama
The second presidential debate has come and gone – and President Obama did what he has to do. Now it’s time to move on. Governor Romney has been called out, he will in the typical act of a used car sales man double down and come in the third debate with a lot more false and misleading points in order to hoodwink the American people.
Here is what President Obama should do - in my previous post - I had advised you to do three things:
1. Reassure the base
2. Consolidate your position with independents
3. Do not, I repeat, do not Equivocate
You did all three in the second debate; you should and must stick to them in the last debate. However, you have to add a new dimension to the three. Time management; you see, you only have 2 minutes to explain and another 2 minutes to rebut. Not a whole lot of time.
Going forward, you should and must share your time equally (on your mental clock) between differentiating yourself from Romney and telling the American people what Romney actually did as a business man and as a governor, also its important to point out what he says behind closed doors – emphasize by asking the American people to agree with you that individuals have been known to mostly say what they actually think behind closed doors when they erroneously think no one is listening. Point out the difference about how your vice president, Joe Biden has been picked on for saying things incorrectly both publicly and privately but no one will accuse Joe Biden of duplicity. That much can’t be said of Governor Romney.
So you paint a scenario in voters’ mind of a guy that will say anything and do anything to close a deal no matter how unethical. Contrast that with who you are, what you have said, what you have done and how you will continue to fight for all Americans to pass the American dream to the next generation. Explain in some details, what your administration is doing in terms of job creation and how you have sat down with your advisors and American entrepreneurs on how to create more jobs and give America an edge in global exports. I know it’s tough but you can do it, heck, it is the only way to make a clear contrast.
In doing so, do not allow the meme that Romney was a successful business man and as a result might be a better President to go without a challenge. It is your sacred duty to point out that Romney was “successful” because he did everything ethical business people wouldn’t do and bring it home by explaining in very simple terms that every successful President and leader has always combined tenacity with ethics. To have one without the other is to end up like Richard Nixon. Dig deep into his record at Massachusetts and you will find enough ammunition to buttress your point.
Do not allow any of your 2 minutes (explain and rebut) to go without adhering strictly to these suggestions. In closing, throw in a little ding against Romney about running away from former President George W. Bush. Ask pointedly, how anyone desirous of leading his political party can reasonably run away from the guy that led the party recently no matter how flawed.
SUGGESTED TALKING POINTS
1. The problem with what the Governor suggested is that…………back it up with statistics, visual graphs and human examples (A little cramming may be necessary – you are a lawyer – you should be able to handle this)
2. Here is what my administration has done, here is what I have said in the past, here is what Romney has said in the past, here is what he has done in the past, here is what my administration will do in the next four years
3. Romney’s tax policy proposal is long on rhetoric and short on both details and substance, here is my tax policy the last four years, here is what I am going to do the next four years….data, statistics, visual graphs
4. The American people have gotten to know me the last four years and they know I mean what I say and I say what I mean, they trust me to do exactly what I said I would do………..roll out a list of accomplishments……contrast it with Romney and say my opponent here was Governor of Massachusetts and the American people can go and find out what the people of Massachusetts think of him. Some of the achievements he is proud of today was put in place long before his tenure as Governor, save for his signature healthcare which he did his best to run away from during the Republican primary, he didn’t leave much of any legacy behind in Massachusetts.
5. That’s not true, governor, here is the truth about what happened……………………
6. I am shocked that the governor will accuse someone else of putting daylight between America and her allies when in actual fact, the Governor’s overseas trip during summer was a total disaster. You insulted our closest ally in Europe and …………………………on the other hand, if you ask the Israelis, this administration has given more aid, military and otherwise to Israel than all the eight years of the previous Republican administration combined.
7. On Syria, I refuse to commit American precious assets (Put Romney on the defensive) if the Governor wants to do that, he needs to tell the American people now. As to the other suggestions, we are already doing that. I am in touch constantly with our NATO allies and our allies in the region in order to bring the Syrian conflict to a responsible end, the goal is to get Assad out of power and the Syrian people in the driver seat, but we are doing this in a responsible manner. We are also giving humanitarian aid to the Syrian people….cite examples. Just like in Egypt, Yemen, and Libya, the liberation of Syria is ultimately the responsibility of the Syrian people. America will support them anyhow we can but I am not putting American precious assets in another war in the Middle East.
8. Independent experts have looked at the report that the governor cited and debunked it as factually incorrect…
9. Governor, how can you put daylight between yourself and former President George W. Bush but fill up your advisory roll with his former advisors?
10. Raise the question of judgment and how fundamentally different decisions are made as a President and a CEO. When Romney said Detroit should be allowed to go bankrupt and I said no, it speaks to the core of our beliefs. When he said the uninsured should go to the emergency room instead of getting affordable care, I said no, instead I put forward and passed the affordable care act and made sure that uninsured Americans have a chance of getting the health care that they need. Again, this speaks to a core. When he refused to release more than 1 and a half year worth of tax returns but went ahead to ask his vice presidential picks for a decade of tax returns, it speaks again to the core of our beliefs. By the way, I released 10 years of mine. On issue after issue, Governor ( now look him in the eye) you have said one thing and did the other, that’s not a good qualification for the Presidency of the United States of America.
11. On immigration, here is what happened…..
12. On bipartisanship, the American people were all witnesses to many bipartisan approach that I have from day one adopted towards the Republican members of Congress but the Republican delegation made it clear that they would rather America fail than for Obama to succeed. At the end, despite their opposition, we have passed major legislations and did the following………………….we are getting better at working with one another and I believe in the next four years regardless of who controls congress, we will get more done. I guess finally, we all should realize that American success is greater than our individual ambitions.
13. On solyndra and green energy. State the truth about solyndra and give statistics about the success rate (jobs, jobs, jobs) of the green energy initiative and its future. Be clear and educative.
14. Reject the accusation about the Keystone pipeline, accuse in a subtle manner Romney of being foolish and naïve about the project. School him on the real situation.
15. Ask the Governor, why are you running away from your position? I will be glad to tell all Americans whether in Idaho or in Illinois about my positions – not all of them will agree with me - but I wouldn’t say different things to different sets of people.
16. Governor, I think it’s important that you avoid misleading the American people because the American people deserve to know the truth about your position. Go back to the Republican debate and cite examples. Tell Republicans that Romney doesn’t share their values and will make a lousy President. The goal here is to discourage Republicans from voting on Election Day, encourage them to sit it out and amplify their distrust of Romney. Turn the table on Romney by telling Republicans that they didn’t have to settle for Romney, that all of us, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans, can do better. We have started digging our way out of the mess, we shouldn’t go back there but together let’s keep moving forward.
17. Close by reminding Americans that you will not demonize any American or any part of the country. You will be a President for all Americans. Ask the cooperation of the 1 percent of the wealthiest Americans in order to continue to guarantee an economy that is built to last. Tell them that on a personal level, you are ready to pay more in tax obligations and that if they join hands with you, exports will continue to rise and their tax obligations will be offsetted by their increased revenue and opening up of new markets. Tell them that you will defend their investments vigorously here at home and abroad. And then tell the rest of the American people that we are in this together, all of us Americans will continue to do our part to put America on a part of sustainable growth and prosperity. Remind voters why it is necessary to make the investments necessary now to create the jobs of the future……………roll out a list of accomplishments that have direct bearing on the middle class. Do not forget to throw in anecdotes and human examples.
18. Your closing statement should be sober and respectful. Acknowledge the struggles of every day Americans, give visual examples, give examples of the things this administration has gotten right, and explain that the opposition is not an acceptable alternative. Pay tribute to the military, the family unit, the single women who are struggling and ordinary Americans. Solemnly close by asking ordinary Americans to give you another four years to continue the good work that you have already started.
Avoid agreeing with him on any subject, when you do, make it clear it was your position, your policy, and something you have already done as President before Romney adopted it.
Going into the next debate, the approach will be to deny Romney any leverage on the economy, business acumen, and healthcare. The strategy is to shatter any and all talking points he may have. In the process, he will come off as a hypocrite and a weak leader. You are not just painting him as one, that’s who he really is. Republicans know this and that is why they spent months looking for the not – Romney candidate.
Strategic advice is often overlooked in many pragmatic decision making analysis but a sound strategic decision always puts us steps ahead of our adversary. As I stated in my previous post and I will repeat here, Mr. President, my qualification to talk about this subject and advise you on this matter is that in over twenty years in strategy, I have been party and witness to many decisions about important and difficult strategic issues and I have come to appreciate at least some of the subtle ways that subvert and undermine the decision process unintentionally and lead to wrong conclusions. The way to beat Romney effectively is to tell in unambiguous terms the American people who Mitt Romney really is.
I also stated in the same piece that in a debate, one minute may be too late to respond. You have to be alert, witty and ready to roll. Why? Because others will have moved before us and the game will be over. As military strategists tell us, most battles in history are decided before the first shot is fired. The side that has correctly chosen where and how to fight, wins.
I will go further to remind you Mr. President that in order to make strategic decisions, we need to be guided by a 'theory' that allows us to act responsibly and without giving ammunition to the enemy before all the facts are in. Theory is, at best, viewed with suspicion by many. It should not be. A causal theory about the future - 'if we do this, then the following will happen' - lies at the heart of strategic decision making. We cannot wait for all the facts.
Good luck with the last debate and on the 6th of November.
Alhabe can be reached via dailykos
Post script:
Fellow Kossacks please give this article the largest circulation imaginable; this election perhaps will come down to who best among the two candidates articulates forcefully but respectfully their vision of America. This vision however cannot be divorced from their personal narrative. This article seeks to do just that, in this election, President Obama is the most credible candidate and not just because we are Democrats but because providence has been kind to give us a very good candidate in the President, Governor Romney is not a believer in the Republican philosophy and the Republican establishment knows this. It is our moral obligation to do everything we can to reelect President Obama.