The problem with much of your statement... It was when Romney went on the offensive and took charge of the debates in FL and AZ that he finished off his opponents and won the nomination...
He did, but against the likes of Santorum, Cain, Gingrich, Perry and Bachman. Sorry, they are lightweights. Their positions are either extreme or not very well thought out (or both). So he hit AA pitching, which qualifies him for a shot major league pitching. We will see how that goes on Tuesday.
I'd much rather Romney on the offensive than playing safe... Romney gets into trouble when he sounds wishy washy and defensive about issues...
As I pointed out earlier, and shall restate, Mitt has painted himself into a corner such that he has very little latitude to "go on the offensive". Not to mention, he has been particularly obtuse to date on what he does believe, hence any position he takes in the debate will considered new ground (and given his flip-flop history, unstable ground).
To date, every time he has opened his mouth he has either: 1) offended 1/2 of America; 2) said something that he really believes and offended the Cons (who quickly correct him, making him look like a puppet instead of a leader); or 3) said something so radical that titillates the Cons, but scares the middle. It will be very difficult for him to go anywhere.
If the expectation is Obama is going to wipe the floor with Romney, and Romney has to come out and attack... I really like that scenario in favor of Romney...
No, Mitt is a bright man and well informed. His only problem is that he made the mistake of cow-towing to the right of his party rather than shaking the Etch-A-Sketch and being his own man. As a result, he appears to be a wimp and is boxed in as per above.
Plus, the biggest thing the debates will do... PUT THE ISSUES AS THE FOCUS AGAIN!!!!
Mitt can fault only himself. Why did they waste time twisting off on social issues (welfare) and foreign affairs when there strength once was the economy? They no longer own that issue.
The other fatal flaw of the Romney election strategy was to believe that all they had to do was knock down Obama and expect to be the alternative. Obama is easy to knock down; but you still have to sell yourself. Unfortunately Mitt can not close that deal.
I'm so sick of the 24hr entertainment news media being the ones who are driving what's spoken about during this election...
For 3 nights, the majority of the TV's in this country will be watching the same program (that isn't NFL Football)... and that will be a center stage showpiece for two of the most intellectual candidates we have had in some time to square off (I honestly could say not since JFK vs Nixon are there two viable intellectual minds up there on the stage, with the potential exception of Carter vs Reagan), and hopefully issues are what are discussed...
Hear, Hear!
This will likely be the first time during the entire campaign, where Obama will not be able to avoid his record... and will be facing a barage of questions regarding it...
... but that barrage of questions begets questions such as "what would you do, Mitt"? And, soon as he sounds like GW Bush or suggests tax cuts for the wealthy paid for by vague assertions about eliminating deductions (of the middle class) he steps into the trap well set by the Dems: that he will favor the rich the expense of everyone else.
Dem Dems spent all summer setting Romney up as an out of touch rich man that was more than happy to outsource your job, crater your employer and walk away with millions leaving the carnage of closed manufacturing plant in your town as a daily reminder of how he screwed you. The reason his 47% comments have almost mortally ruined the Romney campaign is the Dems effectively created the question and that video tape from Florida was the smoking gun of proof.
Of course he's gonna pretend to be the cool guy during it, and it's just gonna make him look like a fool... who is out of his league...
The coolest thing about presidential debates is that challenger gets to stand on the stage, toe-to-toe with the POTUS, as his equal for a couple of hours. People that don't see Romney as presidential get the benefit of the fantasy of seeing him as a POTUS equivalent. Of course, he needs to use that forum effectively. Neither party can appear condescending to the other, or they blow it. Historically, the challenger gets a minor bump from the debate. Lord knows Romney needs some positive news.
Fire up the popcorn and chill the beer. Looking forward to the debate, but not the traffic, as will be held at University of Denver, about 5 miles from my home.
