Know your enemy.

[kentuck]

But also, know your friend.

I have no secret memo from the Romney campaign but I have a hunch that the strategy for the next debate will be for Romney to "look more presidential" than President Obama.

This presents a challenge for the President. Many of his advisers and supporters are calling on him to be more aggressive and call Romney on his lies. The President must be careful not to fall into this trap. He must be more aggressive and not let Romney get away without specifics but he must look "presidential" in doing so. No doubt, Romney will stand back with that silly half-smirk on his face and look pitifully at the President, just as he did before. His main goal in the debate is to look more "presidential" than the President. He understands that this will be the post debate media story. Bet on it.

However, the President must re-sell his accomplishments to a large proportion of the American people, especially the low-info voters and many so-called "independents". How does he do that?

These folks are up for grabs. They need to be reminded of what our economy was like 4 years ago. They honestly do not remember. They need to be reminded of the financial crisis that was inherited and just how severe it was? They should hear what Bill Clinton said about how long it would take to clean up the mess that was left? These folks do not remember that we were losing almost 800,000 jobs per month and that we have gained over 100,000 last month. We are making progress but we need to address the deficit problem. We have the huge debt primarily because of the Bush taxcuts and the wealthy, like Mr Romney, not paying a fair share of taxes. These Bush taxcuts have been in effect for almost 12 years and they have not worked.

These are your friends, Mr President. But they need to know certain facts. They have to be reminded of your accomplishments. It shouldn't be about who is more "presidential" - simple style over substance. But that will be all they have to choose from unless you inform them of what you have accomplished and where Mr Romney will take this country if he is elected? You must remind them from where we have come and that it was not a simple recession. You must defend your record and accomplishments. You cannot let Mr Romney define it for those "friends" that you need on your side.

[RagAss]

1. Romney will look like a cardboard cutout trying to do that in a Town Hall format.

The best he can do is look like a friendly robot that night.

[TomClash]

2. The President needs to do three things

Outline a specific and successful path for the next 4 years.

Call out Romney on the bleak future he proposes, backed with facts revealing each Romney lie.

Maintain a calm, confident demeanor.

[kentuck]

3. Good advice.

[skeewee08]

4. Agree TomClash

[2on2u]

5. Prior to for several hours and after for several hours someone needs to get this in it's

entirety on the television however they need to do it. Kudos to the creator and to the person who posted it ywcachieve

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1251139492

[TwilightGardener]

6. I agree that Mittens will take a different tack--it's not going to be

the same exact guy who showed up last week. They're going to try to trap Obama into looking TOO combative, too angry, peevish, what have you. If Obama looks like he's merely reacting to the last debate, rather than being himself, it will hurt him.

[kentuck]

8. I think you are right.

I'm hoping the campaign is preparing for this? If they are preparing from the last debate, they may be making a mistake. In my opinion, they want Obama to look "unpresidential".

[nc4bo]

7. What would Mitt have done January 20, 2009 and thereafter?

If faced with the same disaster of epic proportions?

I'd love to hear his answer.