Are You Better Off Now Than You Were 4 Years Ago? [View all]

[louis c]

That's the famous question used in every re-election of an incumbent President. For some ungodly reason, the Obama Administration is running away from that question.

If I was running this campaign, I would embrace that question. Remember, the question is "are you better off NOW than you were 4 YEARS ago?" Not 5, 6 or 3. Four years ago.

Here's what I would do. I would post on my official on-line campaign web site the news from exactly 4 years ago, every day, until election day. For instance, on June 30, 2008, Gas prices were $4.10 a gallon. Are you better off on June 30 2012, where prices are $3.33 a gallon than you were on June 30 2008? Of course you are. Think of the possibilities as we approach election day. September 11, 2012, we can talk about the fact that bin Laden was still alive then, still threatening America with internet releases. September 15 to 21, the crash of the Stock Market, as Lehman Brothers' collapses. A Jobs report that had us losing 500,000 jobs a month. GDP growth at minus 3.5% (which was later revised to over minus 9%).

The beauty of this strategy is that it really is not us making the accusation, it's the Romney campaign that asks that question. We're only defending ourselves with facts. We can remind the American people, every day, of how bad off we were 4 years ago and how far we've come to recovery, and blame our opponents for bringing it up. We can do that, starting today, and the contrast would be striking, every day, right up to election day.

The Media would pick this tactic up, replay the online spot, and we could drive this home, every day, for next to no money.

We could put 30 second spots together to highlight the major days (Gas at $4.10 on June 30, the killing of bin Laden when ever he was in the news with an internet thereat in 2008, the war in Iraq, and the Lehman Brother's collapse in the middle of September). We could do all that by just snipping the actual news. We could use Reagan's on words "are you better of now than you were 4 years ago?" We could even use Romney's own words, and answerer "Yes". Pick the actual date, highlight the fear and anxiety we all felt at the time, and contrast it to today, where everything may not be perfect, but it sure is a hell of a lot better than 4 years ago.

Please. Please, I beg the Obama campaign to embrace this idea. I know it's a winner.