As the third of three, tonight's debate should be a yawner. Surely we've seen everything there is to see, including a dramatic spectacle, "Welcome to the Two Obamas." And it's just as certain that we've heard everything there is to hear. Well… no, we haven't. There's the possibility of just one thing more, and it's a big thing.
The focus of the debate is foreign policy, an area in which "Obama's eminence is unquestioned," or so I heard on a Sunday morning news show. It seems that Romney has no room to maneuver here. Obama "killed Bin Laden," 50 times over it would seem. Obama closed out the Iraq war, and he'll do the same in Afghanistan before long. He has a policy of measured pressure on Iran, and he's keeping us out of a messy intervention in Syria. Where can Romney go?
Against the advice of many pundits, he should go back to Libya. His embarrassment in the last debate has been greatly exaggerated. Yes, he pressed too hard on a silly point, but was he really in error? Yes and no; it ultimately comes down to semantics. In any case, the consulate attack is his only opening. He must go there, and he must do so forcefully. However, he needs to come at it from a different angle. The attack occurred on September 12th, nearly 6 weeks ago! Obama said flatly that we would—he would—get to the bottom of it and disclose all that was learned. Is there any doubt that by now Obama already knows what happened? Maybe not down to the last jot and tittle, but surely he has a clear, coherent account of the facts.
Romney's opening, then, is to accuse Obama of holding up a disclosure of the facts—embarrassing facts—until after the election; he knows that a disclosure now might be costly at the polls. Romney should go even further and challenge Obama to say what he knows right there, at the debate! That would have dramatic appeal. Obama, in his turn, would say that he has no facts to announce and that a debate forum is not the place for such theatrics. Romney's rebuttal would be simple: "All right, Mr. President. Please pick a date before the election on which you will level with the American people."
I'll be watching to see whether Romney has the courage to roll the dice. Politicians rarely take such risks.
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Oct. 29 addendum after "Voter guide"
Copyright © 2012 by Ken Marks
Post-debate... Tonight, Romney looked at his cards and said, "I'll play these." He apparently believes he's all set to win in November. He took a pass on anything that might differentiate his foreign policy from Obama's, and he ran back to well-worn declarations about jobs and the economy. Ironically, not gambling is itself a gamble. Most polls show Obama with a small Electoral College edge, so the status quo is not Romney-friendly.
ReplyDeleteOnly one bump in the long election road is left, the October Jobs Report. That will be the news headline on November 2nd. If it's no worse than the September report, Obama should be re-elected.
More info about about the consulate attack — who knew what and when — in the N.Y. Times this morning. Here's the link:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/world/africa/us-e-mails-reveal-early-views-of-libya-attack.html?hp&_r=0
Ken, thanks for the update! For convenience: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/world/africa/us-e-mails-reveal-early-views-of-libya-attack.html?hp&_r=0
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