Obama's keys to Next Debate

by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Oct. 15, 2012
All Rights Reserved.                                         

        Sailing along to what looked like easy reelection Nov. 6, President Barack Obama got ahead of himself handing the first debate to GOP presidential nominee former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney.  When they met at the University of Denver Oct.3, Obama looked so nonchalant he barely challenged any of Romney’s assertions.  When Mitt talked of creating 12 million new private sector jobs over the next four years, Barack didn’t ask how. Before Romney gets away with more smoke blowing, Barack must question his discredited Supply-Side economics theory. Despite the lowest tax rates in modern history, Romney claims across-the-board tax cuts are the right economic fix.  Obama needs to ask Romney whether he personally needs another tax cut when he’s only paying 14% in federal taxes.  Despite billionaires like Warren Buffett begging the government for a tax increase, Romney insists that all taxpayers deserve more tax breaks, regardless of federal budget deficits.

Romney argues that only through across-the-board tax cuts can the government generate enough jobs to eventually balance the budget.  Those same promises were made during former President George W. Bush’s first term.  Faced with a devastating blow to the U.S. economy from Sept. 11, Bush convinced Congress to pass the largest tax cuts since the late President Ronald Reagan.  While there’s nothing wrong with letting workers keep more of their paychecks, the government can’t pay for all its services without running deficits.  Romney and Ryan’s tax and spending cuts would cripple vital government services, especially popular entitlements like Medicare, Social Security, aid to education and infrastructure projects.  Obama needs to let voters know what will happen to government services if Romney and Ryan get their way.  Reagan quadrupled federal budget deficits during his eight years in office by slashing taxes.

Most voters have short memories about what happened after eight years of Bush’s tax cuts.   Tax cuts, two pricey wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and a new Prescription Drug bill sent budget deficits through the roof.  By the time Bush left office Jan. 20, 2009, the nation was in the worst recession since the Great Depression.  Romney’s proposing the exact same formula as Bush:  More tax cuts.  Only this time around, Mitt and his VP pick want to slash government spending, including potentially laying off thousands of federal workers.  As House Budget Committee Chairman, Ryan proposed a draconic budget with billions of cuts.  Barack must remind voters what happened when the last Republican administration managed the economy.  Romney pretends to have some magic plan to generate jobs but refuses before the election to lay out his plan.  In reality, Romney has no plan other than cutting taxes and slashing government spending.

On the foreign policy side, Romney and Ryan have slammed Barack’s approach to the Middle East, largely blaming the White house for recent rioting.  If only the White House took a stronger stand on Iran and Syria, the problems would disappear.   Hyping Iran’s nuclear bomb-making capability sounds a lot like former Secretary of State Colin L. Powell, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice in the run-up to the Iraq War.  Obama needs to show his ending of the Iraq War, attempt to close out Afghanistan and work through the U.N. Security Council to avoid a unilateral foreign policy that has broken the economy and cost thousands of U.S. lives.  When Romney talks of calling China a “currency manipulator,” does he really think that helps U.S. trade or work on the U.N. Security Council where the U.S. needs China’s help?  All of Romney’s gunboat diplomacy doesn’t help promote U.S. interests overseas.

When the town hall-style debate at New York’s Hofstra University starts tomorrow evening, Obama must match Mitt’s aggressiveness seen in the last debate.  Instead of trading punches only on the economy and foreign policy, Barack needs to get personal, talking about how Romney parks his wealth in the Cayman Islands and Swiss banks.  Romney needs to be rattled off his talking points that always blame Obama for the nation’s economic and foreign policy woes.  Voters need to contrast the personalities more than the issues.  Neither side has good enough answers on the economy and foreign policy.  Directing voters to characters issues plays well to undecided voters still sitting on the fence before Nov. 6.  Romney’s done a good job of painting Obama as bungling the U.S. foreign policy and economy.  It’s now time for Barack to question Romney’s logic on key economic and foreign policy issues, especially on Syria, Iran and the Afghan War.

Giving Romney another free pass at tomorrow night’s debate will let the GOP continue to define the presidential race.  Obama must defend and sell his record, not let Romney force him to hide from it.  Given improvements since four years ago, Barack should answer the Reaganesque question of whether voters are better off than they were four years ago.  When you look at Wall Street investors, U.S. financial institutions and overall jobs growth, the answer is overwhelmingly positive.  While Romney can speculate things would have been better under his leadership, voters know it’s pure speculation.  All the talk of new tax cuts or possible more involvement in foreign wars should help scare off undecided voters.  If Romney promises more of the same as the Bush White House, voters may wise up before the election.  If voters see another passive performance by Obama, they may decide it’s time for a change.  Whatever happens, it’s all in Barack’s hands

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com.and author of Dodging the Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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