Epic Fail

The Romney Debate Strategy Part III

First they said he was going to fact-check the president. Then they said he was going to offer up a series of "zingers" to bamboozle the president. And now they're saying he's going to show off his warmer, empathetic side.

via National Review

Romney’s advisers have a simple strategy: They want their candidate to balance his finely tuned arguments with personal warmth. Since Romney is a reserved man, his advisers acknowledge that it will be difficult for him to endear himself to the country, especially under the hot studio lights. But they consider it critical. “This is really about introducing him to the country,” a Romney adviser says. “It’s the largest audience he has ever had. Everybody’s watching.”

During prep sessions in Vermont this past month, Romney has worked tirelessly on the stylistic aspect of his presentation, and Romney’s advisers predict that the former Massachusetts governor will come across as both presidential and empathetic. Rather than fire off brusque retorts, as he often did during primary debates, Romney will take care “to speak in paragraphs about the economy,” a second aide says.

It's really about introducing him to the country?

Was the convention not good enough? Was telling the story about him eating pasta and canned tuna, or the story about him covering the light-bulb with tinfoil, not an appropriate introduction? Was the last 9 months of the campaign not enough of an introduction?

I believe America has been properly introduced to Mitt Romney, and Americans don't like what they see. And if you're just getting around to introducing yourself, or still struggling to demonstrate that you aren't a cyborg when the election is only five weeks away, you're losing.

By leaking no less than three separate debate strategies to the media, which Romney aides allege was a "head fake." the Romney campaign has inadvertently set expectations extraordinarily high. I don't expect Romney to deliver on any of them.

He'll be lucky if the night ends without having a McCain-esque "that one!" moment.