I came across a thought earlier today.
The biggest problem with Romney is he lies. He lies about himself, his policies and what he says he believes. At the last presidential debate, we saw master liar make a calculated and cynical decision to try to fool voters that he was actually a moderate when he's an extremist who's been running sidecar with the teabaggers for the last year and a half.
Obama nailed it, the day after, when, speaking to crowd at a rally, he said the Mitt that showed up was a different Mitt than has been running for the last year.
We all see that having a shouting match over who's lying or not on any individual policy point is pretty much fruitless. It's just he said, he said. So what to do to cut through that noise and bullshit?
Well, I think Team O is taking that logical next step. They're framing Romney as untrustworthy. This is an especially powerful frame because his own base doesn't trust him. They never did and they still don't. And now that he's etch-a-sketching leftward, they have to take it on faith that he's just conniving and trying to get elected...not throwing them under the bus. And that if they vote for him and he wins, he'll be persuadable to their extremist views.
But it also is a great frame because of indies and moderates.
So this one frame has the ability to seal this election up in terms on indie and moderate votes and could (in another 20 days) actually serve to depress the True Believers on the right who preferred Bachmann Cain Gingrich Santorum.
But how to really drive the point home?
Here's my idea.
Since we have video of Romney literally taking two sides of every issue, literally, why not create a website and just put the two diametrically opposed positions next to each other clearly laid out issue by issue, with video of Romney talking.
And on the debate everytime Romney tries to etch-a-sketch his position, Obama just says something like: "Really? That's not what you said a few months weeks days hours minutes ago! Americans deserve the truth. And they don't have to take my word for it. America, go to [name of website] and see him contradict himself in his own words. I can't debate him here because I have no idea what he really believes. And neither does anyone else. So I'm going to tell you specifically what my position is on the issue...and I'm happy to reassure you that you can trust that my position is the same one I've had since before I became president...."
Literally say this every single time Mitt obfuscates and tries to deceive those Americans who are too busy or confused to know the history and all the details.
I think the campaign could put such a site together in a few days, given that they already have all the needed video. Or, maybe they've already done it.
One can surely hope so.