A week ago I wrote:
Like the Great Oz, the Democrats prefer no one pay attention to the economic disaster behind the curtains. I have run a great many campaigns. Each has a real narrative focus. The goal of the campaign is to try to stay on that narrative focus and not get distracted by the team worried about losing. The Democrats’ antics reveal they are deeply worried about losing. They cannot fight on the issue that is singularly at play in this election — Barack Obama’s bungling of the economy, so they must try to force Mitt Romney to play elsewhere.
Now Mr. Obama has gone to Afghanistan to address the nation for seven minutes.
It’s hard to combat Barack Obama going to Afghanistan — his first war zone visit in 17 months — when our guy flew in a fighter jet, landed on an aircraft carrier, and gave a speech in front of a “Mission Accomplished” sign. We may know the differences, but the average voter does not. It’s not worth our time and effort trying to set the record straight because it is all a distraction anyway.
What the average voter does know that we can use are two things that are not distractions.
First, Barack Obama made it all about himself. His repeated spiking the football and his Tourette’s Syndrome like need to throw out the words “I”, “me”, and “my” about every moment of his Presidency grate on most Americans, not just Republicans. Even some of his supporters have suggested his dragging Osama Bin Laden’s metaphorical corpse through the town square these past few days was a bit much.
Second, it’s the economy and it remains the economy.
The Romney campaign, you, and me must keep bring it back to the economy.
It’s all well and good the President gave the order to get Osama Bin Laden. Perhaps he needs to send SEAL Team 6 in to rescue the economy too.
Don’t get distracted. Barack Obama wants this election to be about anything and everything except the issue voters care most about — the economy.
In 1992, President George H. W. Bush, facing a struggling economy, touted his foreign policy and national security credentials. Then Governor Bill Clinton was not afraid to acknowledge those credentials, suggesting it was a shame President Bush had not been as successful at saving the economy as he was saving Kuwait.
Then Governor Clinton became President. He did not get distracted.
