[h=3]By Michael R. Crittenden[/h]
Associated PressRepublican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, accompanied by golf legend Jack Nicklaus, shakes hands along the rope line during a campaign rally, Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012 ,in Westerville, Ohio. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
WASHINGTON – Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s campaign is seeking to lower expectations for their candidate less than a week before next week’s showdown with President Barack Obama, with a new memo obtained by CNN talking up the incumbent’s debate advantages.
The memo by Romney adviser Beth Myers wastes few opportunities to compliment Mr. Obama’s prowess on the debate stage, noting that he is a “universally-acclaimed public speaker and has substantial debate experience under his belt.”
“President Obama is a uniquely gifted speaker, and is widely regarded as one of the most talented political communicators in modern history,” Ms. Myers wrote.
CNN said the memo was distributed to campaign surrogates and was provided to CNN on Thursday.
Putting a thumb on the scale to control and shape expectations is a tried and true political tactic. Both campaigns have gone out of their way to talk up the other side ahead of next Wednesday’s debate in Denver. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina recently said that “Gov. Romney is one of the best debaters I’ve seen.”
With early voting in many states already started and polls showing a recent bounce for Mr. Obama, the first debate is seen as key for Mr. Romney’s White House hopes. In the memo, Ms. Myers said the Romney camp expects the incumbent to be on the offensive during the debate.
“Since he won’t – and can’t – talk about his record, he’ll talk about Mitt Romney. We fully expect a 90-minute attack ad aimed at tearing down his opponent,” she wrote.
The memo also suggests voters won’t necessarily be swayed by the one-on-one showdown between the two candidates, pointedly saying the debates won’t determine the result on Nov. 6.
WASHINGTON – Republican challenger Mitt Romney’s campaign is seeking to lower expectations for their candidate less than a week before next week’s showdown with President Barack Obama, with a new memo obtained by CNN talking up the incumbent’s debate advantages.
The memo by Romney adviser Beth Myers wastes few opportunities to compliment Mr. Obama’s prowess on the debate stage, noting that he is a “universally-acclaimed public speaker and has substantial debate experience under his belt.”
“President Obama is a uniquely gifted speaker, and is widely regarded as one of the most talented political communicators in modern history,” Ms. Myers wrote.
CNN said the memo was distributed to campaign surrogates and was provided to CNN on Thursday.
Putting a thumb on the scale to control and shape expectations is a tried and true political tactic. Both campaigns have gone out of their way to talk up the other side ahead of next Wednesday’s debate in Denver. Obama campaign manager Jim Messina recently said that “Gov. Romney is one of the best debaters I’ve seen.”
With early voting in many states already started and polls showing a recent bounce for Mr. Obama, the first debate is seen as key for Mr. Romney’s White House hopes. In the memo, Ms. Myers said the Romney camp expects the incumbent to be on the offensive during the debate.
“Since he won’t – and can’t – talk about his record, he’ll talk about Mitt Romney. We fully expect a 90-minute attack ad aimed at tearing down his opponent,” she wrote.
The memo also suggests voters won’t necessarily be swayed by the one-on-one showdown between the two candidates, pointedly saying the debates won’t determine the result on Nov. 6.