You know what the Obama camp should do about Baingate?

[Canuckistanian]

Nothing. Just back off. Stop mentioning it and tell surrogates not to mention it any more. Move on to something else.

Just let it hang there... an unanswered question.

Then bring it up again.... second week in October

[demwing]

1. there is a chance that people will get bored with the issue

with the issue unless new developments come up, but that's exactly what keeps happening.

If the Obama campaign ain't broke, why fix it?

[just1voice]

2. The Justice Dept. should charge anyone who committed a felony with the crime

Especially if that person is running for public office. Why are you suggesting they ignore crimes?

[Canuckistanian]

5. The Justice Dept. is not going to touch this with a 100' pole

Holder is in a precarious enough position as it is. And to attribute "political witchhunts" to him would be bad for Obama.

Hey, maybe, just maybe.... all this Holder stuff was to PREVENT Holder from prosecuting Rmoney for lying to the SEC. Maybe it WASN'T about caging voters at all.

Hmmmmmm

[just1voice]

8. A crime is a crime, it's not about politics, which is the entire point

and why so many people are completely un-trusting and disenfranchised with politics overall.

You do realize you just said that the Justice Department won't go after criminals because it would make the head of the Justice Department look bad don't you?

[Ruby the Liberal]

18. Justice won't touch this and neither will the SEC

That would play like one side using legal means to "steal" the election. If Willard is guilty of lying on federal filings, nothing will happen until after the President is re-elected.

[Spazito]

3. Nope, I disagree...

the Obama campaign can multi-task quite well and cover many issues, including this one. The gem in keeping this alive is that regardless of what issues Romney raises, the response can be tied to his lack of credibility in his one 'claim to fame'.

Economic growth --------- Established shell companies that helped big money investors avoid U.S. taxes

Job growth ------- Shipped U.S. jobs to China and India through Bain

Reducing the deficit ------- again, established shell companies that helped big money investors avoid U.S. taxes.

Name the issue and it can be tied to Bain/Romney.

[hughee99]

12. How about killing people in foreign countries with unmanned drones?

How do we tie this to Bain/Romney?

[Spazito]

13. I doubt the Romney campaign is going to raise that issue...

do you think they will?

You might re-read my post as you seem confused, my reference was to what issues the Romney campaign would raise and they are NOT going to raise the issue in your post now are they.

[hughee99]

16. As the Romney campaign becomes increasingly desperate,

I wouldn't be surprised at all to see him raise this issue in some form, couched in RW rhetoric "What's to prevent him from doing this to you or your neighbor", or "At least Nixon's enemy's list didn't end up in the hands of drone pilots" or some such ridiculous, hyperbolic and fear mongering language.

[Spazito]

17. LOL, the repubs LOVE the war and all it's trappings...

not going to happen, bet on it.

[hughee99]

20. The repukes aren't beyond painting something they love

as a negative (temporarily) for political gain.

[Spazito]

21. Not gonna happen, bet on it n/t

[KharmaTrain]

4. It's Called Framing...

This is a game the rushpublicans (karl rove in specific) mastered. What you do is to go after an opponent's strength and turn it into a weakness. Take the ! and make it a ?. That's what going on about Bain. It's not a simple process and thus why Team Obama has, rightfully IMO, keep up the pressure on this story and should continue to do so.

Look how Willard has no real defense for what is being presented. These aren't charges...these are fact. Under his ownership Bain outsourced jobs and was/is a leading proponent of "Vulture Capitalism". It takes vivid examples to send the message home and the Obama campaign has carefully localized how Bain affects various swing state economies. What its led to is Willard scrambling to tamp down the questions with an "is is" type defense. He's created this situation by his lack of candor and hasn't answered questions that are germaine to how he'd handle the economy and the nation's finances if he were elected.

This is the tip of a financially messy iceburg that is going to lead to October. Mittens is stuck between his lust for money and lust for power...but when push comes to shove he'll protect his money. He knows if he opens up the books a lot of dirt will fall out and the longer he stonewalls the more questions will build. Team Obama knows there's more shoes to drop here...and will heed your advice and let the noise dim down...but the underlying question about Rmoney's finances will linger and quickly ignite with some new revelation.

[Canuckistanian]

7. Hmm, you're right

I heard someone say that this was the 1st time the Dem strategists were taking a page from Rove's book. And it's a good strategy.

I just question the timing. It's too early.

[KharmaTrain]

9. Kinda Like Voting Here In Chicago...Vote Early, Vote Often...

What's being done here is similar to the Al Gore "invented the internet" meme in 2000...turn what was a strength and made it a liability and set up other memes further down the road.

An axiom in advertising is "say it loud, say it often"...this sets up the undercurrent that Rmoney is a selfish Rich boy. I suspect there's a lot in his closet that has yet to come out. This isn't just work of Team Obama but I'm convinced there are some within the campaigns of his former rushpublican competitors who want to see him go down in flames.

We're seeing a repeat of past Willard campaigns where he doesn't answer the questions...and won't. Thus hanging it on him early and letting him flail around like he's doing takes one more week off the calendar for him to lie about President Obama's record and makes him vulnerable for the next round of attacks.

Mittens can end the bleeding by releasing his tax returns and come clean about Bain, but he won't...so the drip drip drip (self inflicted now) will linger. My hopes are Willard is so bloodied by October that we can focus on House and Senate races where the competition and stakes are far greater.

Cheers!

[Canuckistanian]

11. Good analysis

Thanks!

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

6. According to Bob Bauer, the Obama campaign's lawyer

it appears there will be more stuff coming down the pipe on Bain and Romney's involvement. According to an ABC News article:

"Asked by a reporter whether the Obama campaign has proof that Romney had business talks with people at Bain between 1999 and 2002, Bauer said cryptically, “I would stay very much tuned on that.” ..."

[JDPriestly]

10. We all need to pressure Romney to publish his tax returns.

12 years of them.

These questions have to be answered. It goes to whether Romney is honest and whether he is careful.

If he claims to be honest, then he must admit he was very, very sloppy.

And how could he have been honest in his forms this year and also honest in his contradictory testimony under oath when he ran for governor of Massachusetts?

No. This issue will not go away. It is fundamental.

The issue of outsourcing and Romney's role in it is also fundamental. That is particularly true since apparently Romney outsourced to India some work during his period as governor of Massachusetts.

Bring the jobs home. That would be a jobs program in and of itself. Should we end all foreign trade? By no means, but we need to strengthen domestic industry, and the way to do that is to buy American and to tax imports whenever possible.

No more trade agreements -- not until we have our finances in better balance. Right now, we are bleeding revenue and in a jobless economy, there isn't much hope of raising that revenue from taxes.

[Tx4obama]

14. Got to keep pushing it now, if Obama drops it now then in the fall Romeny will say it's old news n/t

[The Magistrate]

15. No, Sir, That Would Be Extremely Foolish

This should be hit twice a day and six times on Sundays, from now till next December. The operative parable relates communicating to the public with communicating with a mule. First you tell him yolu are going to hit him with a 2x4, then you show him the 2x4, then you hit him, then you show him the 2x4, then you tell him you just hit him with it. Otherwise you just are not going to get the thing across to him....

"Romney loves America like a tick loves a dog."

[Canuckistanian]

22. I defer to your wisdom, Sir

And as others have said, this moment must be seized.

[Major Nikon]

19. October surprises don't work as well as you might think