In light of the Republican National Convention in Tampa, and in no particular order..
1) Have a clear and concise message or two, preferably two. Maybe store these messages on an Etch-a-Sketch.
The Republicans had about a million different messages, all over-shadowed by the points Eastwood rambled towards an empty chair. One thing they could do is preempt the Republicans on the inevitable and so very recycled line of "are you better off now than you were four years ago?" 4 years ago the housing market was in free-fall, over half a million jobs were disappearing every month, health-care companies were screwing people left and right with the ridiculous clause of "preexisting" conditions, gays weren't allowed to serve, detainees were still being tortured, we were still in Iraq while the situation in both Afghanistan and Pakistan was rapidly deteriorating, America's honor was still in question just as OBL's whereabouts were still in question, and many giddily predicted the end of American exceptionalism. 4 years ago no one said it would be easy and indeed, it hasn't.
On the negative-message front, the Dems have a chance to roll out a clear and concise critique of the Republican challenge to President Obama. I'd let someone hit him on going to pro-draft rallies before avoiding the draft to live in a French mansion and claim it was a hard life but that's just me. I'd hit him on claiming he never inherited "a dime" from his parents despite their buying of his first house, world-class education and who knows what that inheritance was. I'd hit him on opposing the auto-bailout before he went to Michigan and claimed credit for that auto-bailout's success, but that's just me. I'd hit him on claiming to be more pro-gay than Ted Kennedy when running against Ted Kennedy, I'd hit him on claiming to be pro-choice and then pro-life at the most convenient of times. I'd hit him on being all about the individual mandate when it was convenient and then becoming over-the-top about it when his party demanded it of him. I'd hit him on providing 23 years of tax returns to McCain's campaign when he wanted to be on the ticket, but refusing to provide even a tenth of that information to the American people when seeking an office even higher than the Vice-Presidency. Heck, the guy has been running for over 6 years, coooome on. They took "you didn't build that" out of context, while the Dems could easily respond with an Etch-a-Sketch or a thousand.
2) Run a convention as smoothly as they did four years ago, earn a convention bounce.
Last time around the Democrats I thought ran a very very very successful convention, high-lighted by Barack Obama's incredible acceptance speech. The thing is no one remembered it because within 12 hours the world was shocked as John McCain named some obscure Governor named Sarah Palin as his running-mate. There was a time early on in his Presidency where I agree with David Gergen's critique on the PR-strategy, essentially that President Obama was too over-exposed. Well, seriously, when is the last time Obama has delivered a speech that he can afford to be mostly-poetry? I have a strong feeling that Obama will remind the nation that he can give a Hell of a speech.
Just don't invite Clint Eastwood.
3) Talk about Afghanistan.
This is a campaign to be Commander in Chief of the United States military. Something Mitt Romney might have forgotten.
4) Minimize 2016 jockeying.
Seriously, how many speakers at the RNC were obviously preparing their 2016 run at the White House?
5) Stick with honesty.
The temptation may be there to be a modicum as dishonest as the Republicans largely were, but don't give into that temptation. Stick with the facts, because they paint an ugly-enough picture of what the Republican Party is in its current form.
6) Take full use of former Republicans Lincoln Chaffee and Charlie Crist.
Both are far more prominent than any turn-coats the Republicans could find, and both are uniquely-positioned to deliver some of the harshest of attacks against the GOP.