Rmoney WANTED Obama To Attack Him, But Obama Outsmarted Him

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. Part of Obama's strategy worked, part of it didn't work

Obama's very obvious refusal to invoke 1) the 47% statement, 2) Mitt's offshore accounts, and 3) Mitt's taxes was - i suspect - just as you say. It was a deliberate refusal to let Mitt explain each of these things on stage, with an ancillary benefit of refusing him his zingers. This strategy was also meant to make Obama look less negative, probably a strategy to turn toward a positive restatement of the first term as the final month began. That second part of the strategy didn't quite work, largely because of Romney's aggressiveness, which made the attempt to ignore Romney and present a positive case to the nation seem weak.

So, the "conversation" and turn to the positive fell flat, but the refusal to allow Romney maneuverability on the three major sticking points was actually very well done, and required tremendous patience and discipline. The fact that Romney went pathetically shuffling on to Hannity to give his pre-arranged apology for the 47% comment the next day was proof positive that the Romney camp was surprised and angry not to have been able to do that during the debate.