Mitt Romney's Andrew Shepherd Moment

Back in the 1990s, there was a movie called The American President (the only good screenplay Aaron Sorkin ever wrote), which was about a widowed American President who dates a liberal lobbyist and is attacked for it by his Republican opponent. After urging from his staff, he finally responds. It looks like today that Mitt Romney had his "Andrew Shepherd moment" as a result of Obama's plagiarism of Elizabeth Warren. (Maybe Biden taught him how to plagiarize.)




Unfortunately, the past two weeks, be it over the ObamaCare decision, his unwillingness to treat Obama like his Republican primary opponents, his potentially questionable choices for VP (Condi Rice, Tim Pawlenty) and his call for an apology, Mitt Romney has struggled after a stellar spring.

This is a good start, but Mitt Romney and his surrogates must hit hard, stay on the offense and do so with passion. If Mitt Romney wants to stick to the economy, that is fine, but he needs can easily tie in. Here are some examples:

Obama: "Mitt Romney, show us your tax returns to the American people."
Romney: "Sure, I'll show my tax returns, as soon as you show your high school and college transcripts, as well as your senior thesis, Mr. President. You talked about high school and college it in your autobiography, so why can't you show the American people? You talk about being the most transparent president in American history, why can't you practice what you preach?!? Your transparency worked well with ObamaCare, didn't it?!? If your process behind getting ObamaCare was more transparent, Americans would have learned the truth about how this law is a job-killing, economically stifiling waste."

Obama: "Mitt Romney, you're a felon"
Romney: "Mr. President, you and the American people know that's silly, but if you want to talk about felons, why have you surrounded yourself, in your political career, with felons like Tony Rezko and Rod Blagojevich?!? Why do you attack earners like me and the American people who have worked hard?!? What were you doing while the earners were earning?!?"

Obama: "Mitt Romney, you're an outsourcer."
Romney: "Mr. President, you've outsourced more industries and jobs from this country than any other president. Whether spitting in the face of the courts regarding offshore drilling or endorsing policies that preclude jobs from being created, it is you, Barack Obama, who is President Outsource."

The most important thing for Mitt Romney and his people to remember is to always stay on the offensive - make Obama defend himself, his policies, his character and his record as president. All are clearly indefensible and if Romney does this, not only will he improve his chances of winning, but there is also the potential for him to be landslideable!