According to the rules, at the end of tonight’s debate Mitt Romney and Barack Obama will each have two minutes to make a closing statement. That’s the last time the candidates will be in the same room—and likely the last time they’ll take serious questions from a journalist—before election day. The final two weeks of the campaign will be devoted to the candidates’ making their closing arguments, their best case for why voters should elect them president.
My guess is that Pres. Obama and his campaign staff have been studying up on how Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick—another young, African-American, Harvard-educated lawyer-turned-politician who ran a powerful grassroots campaign on themes of hope, unity and change to win election as chief executive and had to run for re-election against a formidable opponent during troubled economic times (in 2010)—made his closing argument…and in doing so, won a second term in office.
- Patrick reminded people of his major promises during the campaign and how he had worked to keep them. For Obama, on foreign that’s ending the Iraq War, refocusing on al-Qaeda and the Afghanistan War, bringing our troops home and restoring America’s alliances and reputation around the world. On domestic policy, that’s education (Race To The Top), energy (investing in renewables, using an “all of the above” approach), and health care. Message: I’ve tried to do what I said I would try to do.
- Patrick, somewhat ruefully, told voters “I didn’t count on the worst economic collapse in 80 years”, before explaining how he’d responded to that collapse and why it meant he hadn’t been able to accomplish some of what he wanted. Obama (in my view) would benefit from acknowledging—with a similar wry humor—just how bad a situation he inherited. Then he can pivot to defending the Recovery Act, the auto bailout, etc., while explaining that the combination of the economic crisis and the unprecedented opposition of congressional Republicans (supported by Romney) meant that he hasn’t been able to accomplish other goals (e.g., comprehensive immigration reform, the American Jobs Act).
- Patrick then concisely explained why he wanted a second term as governor and what he would do if re-elected. For a variety of reasons, Pres. Obama has shied away from saying what his second term goals are; and it’s probably best that he not be seen as overpromising. But I think there is room for him to take his “Forward.” theme and flesh it out: making the wealthy pay their fair share, implementing Obamacare, investing in education, energy and research, a “balanced” approach to deficit reduction.
Given the longstanding friendship between Patrick and Obama, the similarities in their approaches to campaigning (Patrick’s 2006 campaign slogan was “Together We Can”) and governing, and the fact that they share David Axelrod as a chief campaign strategist…well, I’m not saying I know what Obama will do. But I do have a hunch.
Add your own hunches and thoughts in the comments section. How do you think Pres. Obama (and Gov. Romney for that matter) will end this campaign?
Crossposted at: http://masscommons.wordpress.com/
