No one thought Governor Romney would decimate President Obama is the first debate. Well, it happened. No one knows what will happen tonight, but it’s almost guaranteed that President Obama will be better prepared. Hardly anyone thinks it will be a repeat performance. I think it could.
Romney can still win just like he won the first debate. Romney won by forecasting what President Obama was going to attack him on. That’s good defense, and the Romney team obviously has that figured out. Romney can take the next step by adding in some offense.
Here are three lines of attack Obama won’t be able to defend:
Youth: President Obama has failed young people. In the last four years young Americans have seen jobs disappear while their costs–health care and tuition especially–have increased. Rather than fulfilling his campaign promise on slashing unemployment, president Obama has averaged the worst youth unemployment rate in recorded history (17.5 percent). Obama promised lower healthcare costs and affordable education for all people during his administration, yet tuition has gone up 25 percent and youth healthcare prices are set to rise 45 percent. The economy is at the forefront of the discussion this election season, yet it is rarely discussed from a youth angle. Young people have fared the stagnant economy far worse than any other demographic, and Romney should use this to his advantage. Obama cannot win the youth debate based on his four-year record.
Benghazi: On 9/11 of this year, American was hit with a terrorist attack on the equivalent of American soil (the Benghazi consulate). Did President Obama directly address the American people? Did he speak from the Oval Office or the East Room? No. Instead, our president flew to Las Vegas for a high-dollar fundraiser. President Obama can blame Hillary Clinton for the attack, but he can’t blame her for his own reaction. Not only did the administration hide intelligence from the American people, President Obama showed his true priorities. Instead of leading the country, he’s busy running for reelection. Romney can gain some serious traction if he comes out swinging on this issue.
Abortion: Usually, we like to keep our focus on jobs and the economy, but President Obama has the more radical abortion record of any President in US History. In the Illinois senate–which the President is not far removed from–he voted for partial birth abortion four times. Partial birth abortion is a procedure used to kill babies outside of the womb after a failed abortion. Even most radical pro-choice activists don’t support this procedure, yet the President defended it on the floor of the Illinois senate. While the abortion issue is risky during an election year, President Obama would be caught off guard. He always labels himself a moderate, and this consistent stance proves otherwise.
Tonight is a townhall-style debate, so it’s tough to forecast topics. One, if not all, of these issues will come out tonight, and if Romney uses these points, he’ll hand Obama another loss.
BY RON MEYER and CELIA BIGELOW
