Without a doubt, Barack Obama had a really, really bad debate.
The New Yorker has ridiculed him on its cover.Romney's win was by an
unprecedented margin. It helped close yawning gaps nationally, in swing
states and among key groups like women. Pundits, depending on what
flavor they were, wringed their hands or gloated. Wise men just shook
their heads in knowing silence.
So the question is what
can the president do to rebound? Although the White House hasn't called
me yet asking for tips, here's a few of the tidbits of advice I'd give
if they did:
1. Panic
I know this is what
everyone is telling you not to do. But, listen to me, they are the
people who got you in trouble in the first place
. By far the biggest
benefit of getting clobbered in the debate is that it should be a
wake-up call for you. Time to study up (like you didn't do last time).
Time to stop believing your campaign's cartoonish characterizations of
Romney. He's a real, formidable, guy. A serious opponent. Take him
seriously this time.
2. Don't panic, nothing has changed
I got your attention
with the line about panicking. But the reality is you have every reason
to remain calm, starting with the fact that you are a preternaturally
calm person. First, it was inevitable given your lead in the polls that
you would be on the losing side of the expectations game and post-first
debate spin. Next, you know as well as anyone that even after spending a
billion on this campaign, you and Mitt Romney are going to end up with
America roughly split as it was before this whole dog-and-pony show
started.
Finally, you're still
the president, and you still have everything going for you that you had
going for you to begin with, from the good bits in your record to an
electoral college and a shifting American demographic reality that will
give you a healthy tailwind at the polls.
3. Show up
I don't just mean this
in the sense that you should be there and mentally engaged in the next
debate. Given Romney's win in the first debate, the natural story for
the lazy ladies and gentlemen of the press will be to write about your
comeback. I don't want to put too much pressure on you, but you are
going to have to try really, really hard to screw up this next debate,
at least.
4. Take the high road
Again, I know this is
not what your brain trust is telling you. Well, it's not what many in
the universe of your scared and angry supporters are calling for.
Everyone is saying you should hit back hard. (No, I mean harder than the
lame attacks on Romney for threatening to "fire" Big Bird.) Don't play
that game.
What wins campaigns is
offering the most optimistic, credible vision for the future. Don't be a
self-hating Democrat. You have a strong record on many fronts. By all
means emphasize your successes. But focus on the future.
Focus on big ideas for
creating jobs, making America competitive, promoting growth and making
us stronger from the inside out. Romney has turned his race around
largely by letting people see that he's actually a good guy on many
levels. Acknowledge it. Challenge him when he is misleading but don't
get sucked into name calling. The facts matter much less than how you
make people feel. (Sorry, it's true.) Just make sure people know you
have a better vision for more people. And by people, I mean swing
voters. The others have all made up their minds.
So, despite the temptations, veer away from the partisan. Americans want solutions, not more gridlock and name calling.
5. Try to avoid an October surprise
If you follow the four
steps described above both in debates and on the road (and spend a lot
of time in Ohio, Florida and Virginia) you will probably still win this
thing. Of course, there's still time for some October (or early
November) surprise that will be a game changer. But you're the president
of the United States for goodness sake. You have some influence. Try to
avoid disasters (on and off the debate stage), and you will soon be
able to go back to grappling with the hardest problems in the world all
day long.
For Gov. Romney, the
advice is simpler. Keep doing what you did the other night.
Well-prepared, moderate, likeable and presidential is not exactly a
losing combination. But expect the next debates to be somewhat more
challenging. It's highly likely the president of the United States will
actually turn up the next couple of times around.
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