Round 2

So I just finished up one project and have a moment before the next. And it’s been a week since ZOMG Obama totally blew the election, and…

He’s still winning.

Not by as much, mind you, and it would have been better if Obama had taken the Ambien after the debate was over, but still…

It’s clear that the first days after the debate were brutal for Obama, and he’s done much better since. And pretty soon, we’re about to have a new story, because it’s Biden-Ryan tonight.

Now, for all that people think of Joe Biden as a gaffe machine (I think that reputation is exaggerated, but he does have a loose lips problem), it hasn’t shown itself as much in debates. Plus, Biden is good at aggressively taking on the other side. Another plus: I’d argue that Biden is more liberal than Obama, or at the very least, more outspoken about it. Finally, unlike 2008, when a) no one knew what Sarah Palin would do in a Vice-Presidential debate, and b) Biden had to step gently to avoid charges of bullying, in tonight’s event, he’s had a peek at the Romney-Ryan strategy (which is, essentially, “did we say that? we never said that!”) and he can go all out.  One can only hope for a Bentsen-Quayle moment.

More important, of course, is next Tuesday, when the ticket-toppers meet again, this time in a town hall setting.  And, if I may, I’d like to suggest two specific lines of attack for the President to use against Romney.

First, I’d ask Romney this: Your budget-balancing plan requires sacrifices from most Americans – seniors who rely on both medicare and medicaid, middle class parents whose children’s public schools will have fewer teachers, women who rely on Planned Parenthood for basic medical care, individuals who have pre-existing conditions and don’t currently have health insurance, to name a few – what sacrifices are you asking of you and me? Is there anything that those of us who are, thanks to the opportunities this country provides, financially secure, will have to give up? Isn’t it a moral issue that one group of Americans isn’t asked to pitch in to help dig us out of our debt, especially when it’s the group that can most afford to?

Second, I’d point out that if it’s clear right now that there’s now way you can cut $5 trillion (OK, $4.8 trillion)  from revenues by reducing tax rates across the board, offset all of those cuts by eliminating deductions, add $2 trillion to defense spending, and reduce the deficit without raising taxes on the middle class, simply saying you wan’t let that happen doesn’t cut it. If the plan doesn’t add up, it’s not a plan – it’s a fairy tale. It tells me that either you haven’t thought it through, or you’re hoping no one else does.

Oh, and Mr. President? The next time Mitt Romney calls you a liar to your face, slap him down. Hard.

I am convinced that even if Obama had been more aggressive last week, Romney’s performance alone would have fired up the GOP. Obama’s lethargy gave him a taste of some undecideds and light leaners, which is why the national bounce was so big.

Since the debate, Romney’s been fact-checked by his campaign several times (once on his health insurance plan, once on abortion legislation), and gone on record citing emergency room care as an option for the uninsured. They have, in short, left several fat pitches out over the plate.

Hammer them.

One more thing, Mr. President: for all that Republicans go on about your elitism, it is your life experience – not Mitt Romney’s – that is familiar to most Americans. Keep that in mind – if you remember where you came from you’ll know how lots of people are right now.