What do you want to hear from Obama in this week's debate?

[nashville_brook]

This week I attended a Home Defenders League Town Hall that featured Central Florida Candidates discussing the housing crisis and there was a singular point in the discussion when the candidates started connecting with the audience...when they stopped explaining and got down to the business of building a relationships with the people who fought traffic, found babysitters and put off making dinner to hear them speak.

So I'm wondering, on the level of the presidential race, what is it going to take for Obama to make this sort of connection in his Town Hall-style debate this week? Imagine he's here reading and taking notes.

What do you need to hear?

[Dman292]

1. I would love for Presidrnt Obama to say

"I know what Governor Romney just said but can we check with Eric Furnsterm right now to see if that's what he really believes or really plans on doing"

[nashville_brook]

3. one of the things I noticed Biden doing, right out of the gate

was to state the Romney/Ryan position before Ryan had a chance to misrepresent it. I thought this was a good move, and put Ryan on the defensive.

[leftstreet]

2. 'If elected I'll fight for a $20 an hour minimum wage'

That would probably connect with people

[nashville_brook]

6. minimum wage is $7.25 now - there's no state in the US where 40-hour minimum wage will pay rent

on a 2-bedroom apartment...which is what anyone needs who has a child. This tells me that there's huge swaths of people who literally aren't able to live while working themselves to death.

What stake does a minimum wage worker have in the presidential election if there's no hope for improvement?

This definitely needs to be part of the debate -- and it needs to be treated with sincerity. Folks need to hear that politically difficult issues will be seriously addressed.

[FirstLight]

23. + a brazillion! ;)

I want wage disparity and living wage to be part of the national discussion as well...!!!

[nashville_brook]

53. it goes to the heart of the crisis of income inequality -- look at productivity,

if we were being paid a fair wage commensurate with how productive we've been, the median income would be in the $90s. Instead, that money has been looted by CEOs and the top 1%.

There is no way a country can be competitive when every last drop of productivity is sucked up by the looters.

[FirstLight]

69. I know...so true

I was part of a small group in my local town pushing for wage equality back in Clinton's years...we are all worse off now than ever...

This is my choice for a final paper in my MacroEconomics class this quarter. The graph above was one that I was planning on using in my project for sure....

[CrispyQ]

10. In Bryon Dorgan's book, (past dem senator from ND)

"Take This Job & Ship It," he states that if minimum wage had kept up with CEO pay since the early 90s, it would now be over $23 an hour.

And the book was written in 2004!

[nashville_brook]

12. that's gobsmacking! thanks for the citation. I'll remember this.

[leftstreet]

20. Yep

He also stated that in the electronic age information service jobs are 3 times more likely to be offshored than manufacturing jobs

Not a bad book overall

[Honeycombe8]

47. That's a sure fire way to make his nos. go down. Every small business owner...

would immediately have 2nd thoughts about voting for him (all those tens of thousands of deli shops, mom and pop grocery stores, you name it). They can't afford to pay $20/hr. It would shut down their some of their businesses.

There are also other people who would disagree with teh amount just on the unfairness of it.

Then there are parents of teens who would have 2nd thoughts about voting for him...they'd know their kids would not be getting any temporary work. No one will pay a teenager $20/hr.

[leftstreet]

61. By your reasoning, minimum wage should be $2 an hour n/t

[dionysus]

63. no, $20 is just too large a number to be feasible... lo's of places would go out of business

immediately.

every diner would be automatically done.

[leftstreet]

68. Corporate conglomerates put diners out of business

not working class people

So it's not 'feasible' to pay the people who create the wealth livable wages, but instead it's 'feasible' to let rich people extract that wealth. Okay

[dionysus]

71. totally assinine statement, there's diners all over the place. next time you try to put words in

someone's mouth, do a better job.

[Honeycombe8]

70. There is $18 between $2 and $20. Where's your calculator? nt

[cthulu2016]

4. Confidence.

[nashville_brook]

7. I agree this was something missing from the first debate...I'm hoping we don't get a reverse of Gore

in 2000 when he came on too strong in the first debate and couldn't agree with Bush Jr. enough in the second. Confidence is key to being able to modulate this.

[etherealtruth]

5. At this point I just want him

... to convey the charm, intellect and charisma that he posses!

I want hims to shoot down the right wing craziness (read: lies)

[nashville_brook]

14. we know he's got the capacity for charm, intellect and charisma...

which makes it all the more troubling when it isn't used.

[etherealtruth]

21. Exactly

He posses all of those attributes and then some ... I want to see them prominently displayed.

Everybody, including the POTUS, is going to have an "off" day/night ... I am just "praying" he can capture his fire and passion next time.

[CrispyQ]

8. Fire, fight & passion.

Call a liar a liar.

[nashville_brook]

11. amen. Biden showed how to do this -- he conveyed that he cared enough to fight for us.

When you're sitting around a board room and there's obfuscation, that's one thing. Perhaps it's right to hold your fire in that scenario.

But you've got a country of people out here who are suffering and are terrified of what 4 years of Bain-style crony capitalism will do to what's left of our country. We need fire, fight and passion. We need heroes. We need to see strength so that we can find our own strength to fight on.

[RagAss]

9. "IS ANYBODY ALIVE OUT THERE ?"

[begin_within]

13. Since it's a town hall style debate, I want him to address the person who asked the question,

and while he is talking, shift to address the camera, so as to connect with the viewers on the same issue. Then close by going back to the person who asked the question. I think attacking Romney should be a secondary consideration. What Biden did well was to address the camera directly, I think he especially connected to seniors and that may help them in Florida.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

15. I want to hear that Obama is familiar with Romney's positions and his lies

In the first debate, I got the impression that Obama hadn't studied Romney well enough. For example, he let him get away with citing studies that he described as neutral whereas they were from Republican sponsored think tanks. He said Romney shared his views on social security. There were many other instances where Obama let Romney get away with distortions and lies where he gave me the impression he hadn't studied Romney thoroughly enough. Biden on the other hand knew Ryan like the back of his own hand. Obama has a much stronger ability as a communicator than Romney. I just hope he's done his homework this time.

[nashville_brook]

18. this is a great point -- Obama likes to lecture. Adding solid opposition research to his notes

would give his explanations some weight. straight-up facts/figures don't cut it when the other side is lying. you have to show exactly what the lie is to defuse it.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

38. And I want him to tie Romney to George Bush

The Romney-Ryan ticket is being advised by ex Chimp handlers. They're offering trickle down chimponomics as domestic policy, PNAC for foreign policy. I want Obama to emphasize that if people think the country needs a fresh change, going back to Bush policies won't do it.

[slackmaster]

16. Some real leadership in getting our country to finally join the rest of the civilized world...

...in fully adopting and embracing the Metric System.

[nashville_brook]

17. we've suffered long enough!

[Bucky]

26. I'm personally quite comfortable using the Myanmari system of measurements.

[DirkGently]

19. Engage. Make eye-contact. Refute untruths. Ask the unanswerable questions.

Romney's wide open for unanswerable questions about specifics. Biden exploited this well in the VP debate vs. Ryan.

- "Well, what would you do differently in Afghanistan, Libya, et al.?"

- "Name one place you'd increase revenue -- other than killing Big Bird -- so that your tax cut for the rich doesn't open a $5 trillion deficit hole."

- "Explain why you feel qualified to say 47% of Americans are lazy dependents for not paying enough income tax, when you won't disclose your own income taxes because it's clear you think people will say you didn't pay enough yourself?"

And the Medicare savings from providers isn't a cut. Just saying it once would be helpful.

I'd like to a touch of Joe Biden's incredulousness when the B.S. starts flying. "You're keeping the coverage for pre-existing conditions? With or without continuous coverage?" "You're going to produce a zillion new jobs how -- with more tax cuts? How'd that go last time we tried it?"

Not even as sarcastic as that. Just a real-world level of disbelief at unbelievable statements. Failure to do that lends them credibility.

Play to win, not to avoid losing.

[me b zola]

22. I need to hear him say that social security has no place in a deficit reduction plan

I need to hear him say that the only acceptable "shoring up" of social security is to raise/remove the cap.

[phasma ex machina]

32. +1

[nashville_brook]

36. Oh hell yeah. File under truth telling...

SS doesn't add to the debt. It's fiscally sound. It needs protection.

[RC]

60. We need to nail shut that door they chain-sawed between Social Security and the general budget.

[DirkGently]

41. That's a good one

[FirstLight]

24. I want *SOMEONE* to address Mitt's TAXES

I hope an audience member nails him for it, but if not, I'd like Pres Obama to get that in somehow...

[Bucky]

25. Break down the numbers. Show how the "revenue neutral tax cut" is a bait-and-switch con.

Make it clear Romney is talking out both sides of his mouth.

Seriously, if it's literally revenue neutral, then either it's not a tax cut at all or somebody is getting a tax hike. That somebody, by the way, will not be millionaires.

[DirkGently]

66. The guy's capacity for doublespeak is truly staggering.

Magic tax breaks for all!

[Lint Head]

27. Mr. Romney. Our taxes go to the support military to protect our freedom. Can we please see

your income tax returns for the last 10 years to see just how much you have supported our precious troops that fight and die for you?

[phasma ex machina]

28. "America doesn't need a bankster in the White House, Myth and his associates have already

done more than enough damage as it is."

[nashville_brook]

55. i wish he would make the connection that Mitt wants to raid the US treasury Bain-style

b/c it couldn't be any clearer. Romney doesn't give a flip about any kind of patriotic "for the good of the people" stuff -- he's in it for himself and his cronies...and that means nothing less than looting what's left of our safety net.

[phasma ex machina]

73. +1 "raid the US treasury Bain-style" - couldn't have said it better myself.

[nc4bo]

29. Hope not to sound ridiculous but I'd like him to take on a more passionate tone

how much he loves America and every thing he's been doing over the past 4 years has been with the American peoples best interest at heart. I mentioned that because a good friend (no not my I like the Teabaggers but I'm not one because I'm an Independent - nor - my bible humping fundie Palin is a goddess Repub friends) of mine has said that neither candidate sounds compassionate enough, neither is really getting an emotional connection. I believe that this particular friend is a true swing voter or Independent, she's also retired military.

Corny - I know but find a place for it somewhere during that Townhall.

Strongly assertive, a touch of ABM or a dab of Joe but not too much as to be a turnoff. Straight forward, as usual.

Look that bastard in the eye, look the questioners in the eye and tell the truth.

[Tikki]

30. Something about the environment...The Weather Channel keeps talking...

about how neither candidate talked much about the environment and
warming and such.

That would be nice if our President Obama took the lead and mentions
more about what we may be experiencing from the radical weather changes.


Tikki

[nashville_brook]

39. talk of environmental issues has disappeared -- as if we have no choice but to

burn coal, frack, remove mountaintops and drill in deep water -- just to name a few. i miss the days when the environment was given serious discussion. it motivated a lot people in my generation.

if Romney tries to derail Obama's green jobs initiatives bc of Solendra, then Obama's response should be "that's one company -- let's talk about how many companies Bain Capital sent to the trash heap."

[Turborama]

74. That topic deserves its own debate in and of itself, IMO

Everything else pales into insignificane if the predictions prove to be correct.

[Nancy Waterman]

33. I want him to be ENERGETIC and CHEERFUL

It doesn't matter as much what he says as how he says it, especially at the debate.

[nashville_brook]

40. no more shoe gazing!

hopefully the Town Hall setting will encourage him to focus upward and outward.

[Dirty Socialist]

34. Sensata

[andym]

35. Take credit for saving the economy from GOP ruin, then describe his plan for making America better.

And he needs to show some more optimism about the future than he did last time. Conservatives have mocked him for hope and change, but his policies have actually brought some of both, so he should spread a little sunshine to make us feel a better day will soon be here.

[robinlynne]

37. I need to hear about the protest in illinois because Romney is shifting jobs to china and removed

the american flag from the factory and put up a chinese flag while the American workers have to train the new chinese workers..

I need him to ask Romney Did you take the 2009 tax amnesty?

I need him to say: it is obvious that you have things to hide or you would show your taxes.
I need him to say telling the same lies over and over does not make them the truth.

[Generic Brad]

42. I want him to call out all Republicans

They have been out to make him (and the country by proxy) fail since the day he was inaugurated. They have abused the filibuster in the Senate. The Tea Bagger Congress has blocked virtually everything of value to the working people of this country. Romney and his ilk have bet against America and have been actively trying to make it fail. They drove us off the cliff in 2008 and will do so again unless we stop them in their tracks now.

[nashville_brook]

45. yep!

[demwing]

43. "I'm not calling Mitt Romney a Liar"

"I'm just saying that a long time ago Mitt off-shored the truth and outsourced his honesty."

[B Calm]

44. I want an Angry Black Man standing

up and telling the USA what the no good republicans have doing the past four years to pull us out of the damn mess that republicans created!

[Honeycombe8]

48. That's not his personality. He does not show anger. He DOES get firm, though....

and show some passion from time to time.

He is also good at humor, although I don't think these debates lend themselves to that.

[nashville_brook]

49. firm and humorous would be good.

[applegrove]

46. I want to hear how dodd/frank will stop financial bubbles like the one in 2008, the bubble that

destroyed net wealth of the middle class.

[nashville_brook]

51. i'm wondering if we're hearing enough about the financial crisis at all --

it should be the frame for all discussion on the economy and jobs. we should never let the GOP get away with framing it any other way.

[Hugabear]

50. "Gov. Romney, would you please tell the truth just once?" nt

Nt

[kooljerk666]

52. Rove office with sproul, koch (bankrollers) kidnappers.........

Women r to diabolical to vote..........

I have a bad headache right now, but a thread with the GOP fuckups listed above & all other GOP screwups this week would be a good way to organize & send a lot of ammo to all dems running this year & give Obama material to bludgeon rmoney with.

Tax cheaters amnesty program & WHERE THE HELL are your returns!?

[nashville_brook]

54. agreed!

i think team Obama has focus-grouped too much, and is putting too much weight on not offending anyone. that he didn't go after the republican congress reeks of focus group timidity.

he can't play prevention defense this time. time to get out there and bust some heads.

[kooljerk666]

67. I would do this list now but had to take a shitload of pain & migrain stuff & it still hurts........

Please start this thread if you have time, I am sure this is one that would get a lot of hits & do a lot of good.
I would do this myself but, I was whomping on a m/c right out of the shop (durability test expensive repairs) & was freezing & 24 hrs later I am still in pain.

[madrchsod]

56. i want to hear him respectfully back mittens into a corner then.....

show the american people why he is the best choice to lead the country by being the smartest kid in the class.

[Glitterati]

57. I want him to support Democratic principles

Nothing more, nothing less.

[ecstatic]

58. I didn't think about it, but yeah, I'd like to hear more about housing/mortgages

One of the FHA revamps this summer helped me to refi and even though I'm extremely underwater, my mortgage is now less than what I'd be paying for a comparable apartment/rental, so I'm not feeling as demoralized as I was feeling this time last year.

He needs to emphasize that and make it clear that Willard "Let the market sort that out" Romney would not have intervened. He also needs to bring up how Rmoney said the mortgage deduction is one of the "loopholes he might close."

Also would like him to force Romney to admit that he is for overturning Roe v. Wade and for going to war with Iran.

[nashville_brook]

83. +1

[Loge23]

59. A defense of liberalism.

Too much to ask for? Probably.
The right has effectively demonized liberalism to the sheeple.
Liberalism gave us workers rights, the minimum wage, social security, medicaid/care, the Affordable Care Act, veterans' benefits, pensions - we can go on and on with a huge list of benefits to the very people who will decide this election.
But we don't talk about it.

Meanwhile, the Mitt$ter has repositioned himself as a Democrat to capitalize on the very issues that he knows are important to most people. Now it's he that is the "protector of medicaid", the middle-class guy.

The President should stand tall and tell our story - if not for Dems and liberalism we would be living in a fascist country.

[nashville_brook]

62. whoa...let's not go crazy :)

/sarcasm

i totally agree. the idealism needs to be reclaimed -- by not defending our ideals we leave ourselves open to Mitt's opportunism.

i hadn't thought about it in terms of "telling our story," but you're 100% right. our story is not being told, and that's infuriating as well as bad strategy.

[gulliver]

64. Obama needs to "prey on" Romney.

Obama needs to be looking at Romney the way a cat looks at a mouse. Fixed, deeply interested, watching for opportunity. Looking down when Romney was talking and addressing the camera and moderator first were two flaws in the last debate.

While Romney is talking, Obama's eyes should be signalling to Romney that Romney just made a gaffe and is vulnerable. That helps to force Romney to make mistakes and feel fear. And Obama can highlight Romney's gaffes and lies by reacting non-verbally (and sometimes verbally) in real time to them just like Biden did.

Romney's talking time is Obama's best opportunity to communicate. Romney and Ryan have proven that a whole lot of voters are simply afraid to try to distinguish truth from lies any more. They have been bombarded with propaganda and information-overloaded. They don't know who to believe when it comes to facts and figures. Thanks to the Republican attack on rationality and fact-based thinking, Americans are losing the ability to believe anything. There are too many lies and too many false institutions like Fox News and AEI there to back up lies.

Obama needs to use Romney's talking time a lot more wisely to communicate non-verbally. A laugh, a confident smile, a flash of predatory "I've got you now little fella..." That's what the debate needs.

And, yes, of course Obama needs to address the person who asked the question as well as the audience and moderator. Obama should try to "help them examine Romney," even if that is not what they intended to do. It should always be that Obama is on the side of the audience trying to help get Romney to answer the questioner and moderators points, even if the question was to Obama. In the latter case, Obama should give his usual excellent answer and then turn it into a cross-examination and prosecutorial attack on Romney.

[newspeak]

65. I want him to point out how the repugs are using ads about unemployment

and yet the repugs have stalled job bills in congress. Also, to show little boot's unemployment numbers, how it spiraled down, AFTER he gave his wealthy friends obscene tax cuts while we were at war. Also, to explain how the stimulus helped rebuild our infrastructure after little boots focused OUR money to his bogus wars, and pres. obama negotiated with repugs to decrease the stimulus when respected economists explained that more was needed to get the economy moving.

also, I'd like him to point out that little boots increased the deficit over eighty per cent, because of his bogus wars, his tax cuts to his friends and his big pharma rip off bill. and, how these wars did not help the american people economically, but helped his global corporate friends, some who just love hiring slave (sometimes captive) labor. and, now the repugs who created the mess in the first place are so worried about the deficit, to the point of cutting any social safety net to those who were impacted by these policies.

and then he can ask romney why he thinks more devastating little boots economics is going to work this time?

[99Forever]

72. I want to hear in no uncertain terms..

.. exactly what policies he will PUSH FOR, and what he will VETO when it comes to Social Security and Medicare. NO other issue will have the direct impact on my life that those do. Those are deal makers/breakers for me.

[desertduck]

75. I want him to call romney a liar...that he is. And not be shy bout it either.

[SeattleVet]

76. "Mr. Romney has declined to appear at this debate, and has sent a message...

conceding the election, as he knows now that he has absolutely no chance of winning and it would be a waste of his time to further pursue the office. However, as we all know that pretty much everything he says is a lie anyway, I'm waiting for confirmation from the Republican party. Thank you and good night."

[Turborama]

77. "Hands up anyone who thinks they'll get their own planet when they die"

Accompanied with this stare at Myth Romuloid:

[MannyGoldstein]

78. Simpson-Bowles is wrong for America and

I promise to neither slash nor cut entitlements.

Also, Paul Krugman finally got it through my head that cutting government during a depression actually makes things way worse.

[nashville_brook]

82. i would love it if Obama called bullshit on entitlement cutting, period.

exactly what you say. i think i'd literally stand up and cheer.

[krawhitham]

79. "Excuse me while I whip this out"

[dimbear]

80. He should start out with Bill Maher's joke. The one that starts "Hello 911?"

That should get a laugh.

[nashville_brook]

81. kicking for tonight :)