Ya want my advice...?

I hab a colb. 

I am sorry I disappeared on you since Friday.  I have a bit of a head cold and thinking has been like straining oatmeal through a sieve.  I am starting to see the light of day, but only by a bit.

I am coming out of my cold medicine induced fog for this announcement: Romney's campaign said that the Governor is practicing creating moments and zingers for the upcoming debate. Some folks think that is not the right way to go, and I have to say I agree. While Ezra Klein says that new policies would help more than zingers, I am thinking of another reason to avoid the flip answers.  Under most circumstances, I would side with the idea of creating sound bite moments.  It usually marks the spot for debates.  The media coverage always points out the key moments in the debate epilogue, anyway. Who among us doesn't remember Joe Six-pack or Joe the Plumber from 2008?  The problem is I don't think the Romney campaign can pull that off this time.  The zinger moments will come off as smug and over-practiced, even by the sharpest debater with this culture of public opinion against him.  I would suggest that he avoid quick witted comebacks that could pair with the 47% comments like cheese, fruit, crusty bread and a nice wine.  Anything remotely elitist, and he's done.

President Obama, on the other hand, has promised no zingers in the debate on Wednesday night.  If you read my last post about how the senior advisor from camp Romney said that Mr. Obama would have to fight dirty to win, this is an interesting twist for both sides.  There has been a lot of talk over the past few days about how each candidate is downplaying their expectations for this debate.  Say what you will of his record, President Obama is an amazing orator.  He should have an expected upper had at this debate, right?  Not according to him.  The sideline comments about his debate practices have been about staying succinct. Keeping to point in the allotted time.  I think this may be worth the practice, but I would also like to sneak the bug into Mr. Obama's ear that his audience loves him best when he has the air of the dreamer, too.  The fine folks who pick this stuff apart say that the American people want a president and not a professor.  I can see where that would be true, but we also want a bit of a poetry with our politics.  If he can blend all three-  poet, politic and punctual - he'll be a hard candidate to beat.  He knew this in 2008; let's hope he can remember how in 2012.

If someone would forward this to the candidates, I would appreciate it.  I have to go buy Kleenex, or I'd do it myself.