A Little More Aggressive
The Game Plan
I had the privilege of watching Jim Tressel's coaching career. From his years at Youngstown State University to his success at Ohio State. One of his trademarks was that late in games he would basically play not to lose. Very often, it worked; a defensive stop or turnover, or a big play on offense.
President Obama seems to be taking that approach for the 2012 Election, it seems to be working. Mitt Romney continues to make gaffe after gaffe that anyone who doesn't rely on AM-Radio and it's cable news affiliate can see.
But the polls still show the race as a toss-up. So what could Obama do to get some all-important breathing room?
I think he's got the basic strategy down, show Romney as the candidate from, of, by and for the "%1". He just needs to get a bit more aggressive in pushing it.
One place he can do this is by turning Romney's cash advantage against him. Much of Romney's money is coming from "SuperPacs" that are taking advantage of their unlimited power to influence elections. Obama needs to remind people that Romney will need to pay those donors back much like "Tea Party" governors in states like Wisconsin, Ohio, and Pennsylvania have done.
A second thing is to make some concessions to the "%99". Obama's advisers are surely smart enough to see that many of the young people that were his ground team in 2008 are now the core of the "Occupy" movement. This could be a delicate act, though, but dealing with the political power of corporations and their CEO's might be a good start.
Finally, call the GOP for obstruction and interference. Romney likes to mention how the recovery isn't what it could be. Reminding the people that the GOP, perhaps under the orders of ALEC and the Koch Brothers, have blocked so much beneficial legislation is another play that could be called.
One defining trait I see among right-wing movements is the need to convince people to vote against their economic interest. Showing folks this might be a major key to an Obama win.