Get Ready for Chicago Rules

WSJ ^ | 10-4-2012 | Kimberly Strassel

[Sir Napsalot]

.... Because Chicago understands that the immediate critique of Barack Obama's debate performance understates the damage the president did to his campaign. Yes, he was detached. Yes, he was unprepared. Yet those problems can be rectified in future performances. The bigger concern for the campaign is that the president allowed his opponent to dismantle the core planks of its carefully constructed strategy.

The Obama campaign .... Its first objective was to paint Mr. Romney as a disconnected millionaire, with a failed record and discredited ideas, who would bury an already distressed middle class. The second objective was to present Mr. Obama as the reasonable alternative, offering modest but pleasant promises.

The strategy allowed the president to focus anxiety-ridden voters on the Romney bad that might come, and away from the Obama bad of the past four years. With the help of compliant media and a disengaged Mr. Romney, the approach was lulling America.

.... By pummeling the president on the facts and the policy, Mr. Romney looked in control. By walking through the concepts of growth, of free-market health care, of tax reform, he inspired with ideas. By explaining how his specific policies will help average Americans, and by doing it with a sunny demeanor, he became that likeable candidate.

.... Cue the frantic "What now?" question in Chicago. ....

Yet the painful reality is that the strategy Mr. Romney torpedoed on stage was the best Team Obama had. The president can't run on his legislation; it isn't liked. He can't run on the economy; it's terrible. Pivot to something sunny and big? Too late. And so the early indications from the Obama campaign are that it instead intends to go past Romney caricatures and straight to character assassination.

[HereInTheHeartland]

Wed have a whole month; an eternity.

We had a probably manipulated jobs number this morning.

Coming up next; look for military action somewhere; probably Libya that way it sounds.

I will guarantee they have some false last minute cooked falsehood up to drop the weekend before the election against R or R.

We need a 10 point lead ahead of time to barely win this on election day.

[sport]

I agree with your assessment. While Wednesday's victory was good news, far from over celebrating,we should gear up for a retaliatory strike from them. And always keep in mind that , while they can be defeated, it is not going to be easy or pleasant. They will go down fighting every step of the way.For our side the cry should be:Do not become complacent.

[kevslisababy]

Besides that, didn’t a group from Code Pink go over there to protest our military in the last week or so?

[ScareyFast63]

It is old CHOOM GANG coming back to bite him in the butt. Dope smoking reduces a persons short term memory. Short term memory loss from dope smoking is a fact, how long after one smokes that ones short term memory is impaired is controversial. So, maybe, just maybe Old Obie is still CHOOMING. When was the last time we trusted our safety as American citizens to a possible dope smoker? Ought to drug test Old Obie, huh?

[Minnesota fox]

With the world in crisis, I don’t think we need to concern ourselves with his position on the politics of groin (abortion and gay marriage).