OBAMA CAMPAIGN: DON’T THROW ME IN THAT BRIAR PATCH!: The briar patch being the first debate. Yep, that’s right: Obama campaign deputy manager Stephanie Cutter says, “[W]e’re coming into this debate very realistic that Mitt Romney is likely to win if he plays his cards right. If he performs and fills in those details and has that [conversation] with the American people, instead of having, you know, a punching match and just leveling insults at the President like he’s done over the past two years. If he fills in his policy details, talks in specifics about his plans for the future he could win this debate.”
Can you say “spin”? And yeah, that’s exactly what the Obama folks want: A wonky Mitt Romney getting stuck in the briar patch of policy details. My advice to Romney? The opposite: Come out punching– insults aren’t necessary; just facts such as:
1. A complete inability/unwillingness to own up to the threat of the “t” word– terrorism. And a concomitant failed Obama Doctrine foreign policy. Cite Libya/Egypt/Tunisia et al.; the failed preference to try Khalid Sheik Mohammed in ordinary criminal court; refusing to label the Ft. Hood shooting an act of terrorism.
2. A complete disconnect with the desires of the American public re: health care reform. Obamacare does zero to reduce costs (in fact, as my recent post revealed, costs are going up) or expand the number of providers, while simultaneously forcing tens of millions of uninsured and employers to buy expensive health insurance policies they can’t afford already. The American people don’t want this “reform”– never have, never will. And no, Mr. President, they will not learn to like it once its devastating effects kick in beginning 2014. The President’s “signature” legislative accomplishment is, in short, an utter disaster.
3. A dangerous policy of downplaying the Iranian nuclear threat at the expense of Israel, the only true democracy in the Middle East and one of America’s closest (and most important) allies.
4. An utter disregard for the Constitution, as evidenced by executive orders that completely undercut the legislative branch— e.g., deciding not to deport certain young persons here illegally; gutting the work requirements of welfare reform; ignoring the testing and monitoring requirements of No Child Left Behind.
5. A completely failing economy, by any measure you prefer– jobs, GDP, median household income, deficits, downgraded credit rating, etc. It is the worst economy virtually anyone alive can remember. Four more years of this????
These are just a few starting talking points, of course. I’m sure my co-bloggers and the Instapundit readers can think of many more.