Writing at New York's Daily News, Zerlina Maxwell says that while it's obvious one-liners won't win the presidential debate for Romney, President Obama will need to do these three things to really distinguish himself.
Relax
It seems obvious, but Obama doesn't always remember this one. As I wrote last year, “he does that uptight lip-purse thing when he's annoyed.” It happens when he gets a question he doesn't like and makes him look imperious and brittle at the same time. The president just has to assume that he'll hear something he doesn't like, and he'll have to roll with it.
Explain Libya
Wednesday's debate is supposed to cover domestic policy only, but because of questions about the September 11th killing of four Americans, including Ambassador Chris Stevens at the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Obama would be foolish not to be ready for this one.
Accentuate the positive
Romney — who's flip-flopped on nearly every major issue, including healthcare reform, stimulus, the auto bailout, abortion, gay rights and gun control — has already tipped his strategic hand, and he'll be arguing that Obama will "say a lot of things that aren't accurate" and that he broke promises to voters. Obama can't afford to engage a tit-for-tat with someone who'll equivocate on any issue. So his proper response to this should be …
Read Zerlina Maxwell's entire piece at the Daily News.
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